Clays of the Duchy of Savoie

                            The Clays of the Duchy of Savoie

The family of Clets, Cleys, Clez, Clefs, Clees, Claix, Clais and in Latin, Cletis, Cletatrium were a noble family of the Val De Clefs, Thones.

Amedee de Fournas in his book the Heraldry of Savoy, states that the name derives more likely from the word Clay as in obstacle rather than from keys.

The family may well have originated in Geneva but were well established in the Vale De Clefs by the 12th century.

The family at times held the Lordships of Clets, Boisy, Groisy, Manigod, Montsegur, Thones and Alex.

                                              THE NOBLES OF DES CLETS 

                                                         AND 

                           DISMEMBERMENTS OF THEIR LORDSHIP

According to the author of the Armorial and Nobiliary of Savoy, the noble lords des Clets, were in 1315 treated as equals with the Count of Genevois but had become his vassals before 1334, and had then allowed themselves to be imposed upon in 1364.

In reporting the Declaration of Rights of 1315, their lordship had already undergone a first sharing or fractionation of jurisdiction, because, while the Count of Genevois owned half of the jurisdiction of Val des Clets, there were three lords who share the other half, but unequally, one having only a quarter, another the eighth, another still (with his nephews) one eighth. - - These three co-lords of Clets, in 1315, are Albert, Jacques des Clets, Jacquemond, (because of his wife Alisone du Marest) and Henri with his nephews Aimon, (Guillaume and Jean).

A little later, in 1364, we note the names of Guillaume , Humbert and Pierre. Before the end of the 14th century the Lordship is already being dismembered and part of the Lordship leaves the Clets family.

Guillame de Clets married Catherine de Ternier, daughter of Jean and sister of Jean de Ternier (in the parish of Menthon), who made Catherine and her son Humbert heiress. Widowed, Catherine remarried (in 1363) to Pierre bastard of Geneva but she was nonetheless made universal heir of her grandson Pierre des Clets.

Humbert de Clets, knight, a co-lord of Clets like his father, died on June 21, 1361 in his house in Marest, making various bequests, first to the church of Serraval where he wanted to be buried, (at the tomb of his ancestors), then to the churches of Thônes, Clets and the monasteries.

The Bishop of Geneva decided on a division of the Lordship, the Count of Generois, Pierre intervenes and brings the parties to Trapsiger on June 13, 1377. The fortified house that Humbert owned in Les Clets went to Catherine and her son Thomas of Geneva. Catherine, will, moreover, have the use of half of the house known as Marest, however on his death, this house was to pass to the two sisters Margote and Beatrix. The goods and possessions that Catherine holds from her brother Jean de Ternier will remain with Catherine and Thomas. But for all the other property, fiefs and revenues of Humbert and Pierre de Clets, they will be shared: one half will go to the two sisters, another to Catherise and Thomas.

From this moment, the Mathon lords of Dingy anrearby Lordship, qualify as co-lords of the Val des Clets; and likewise the heirs of de Saint-Germain, and even more so the de Geneve-Lulin (whose share in the rest of the Château du Marest was called the rent of Boringe).

Similar dismemberments of the lordship of Clets can be found, in the 15th century, in the descendants of Jean des Clets.Jean de Clets, brother of Guillaume, is the one who, with Hugonet des Clets split the chapel of Saint George where several of his descendants wanted to be buried. He claimed against the Franchises of Thones, and died before 1364. His widow Margote (or Margoeite) de Chevron, married secondly Thoms de Menthon.

Humbert de Savoie, was guardian of Albbret and Jean, son of Jean des Clets, and he co-signed the transaction of 1364 with the Count of Genevois. Albret, eldest son, knight and co-lord of Glets (with Jean, his brother), became lord of Boisy following his marriage c1378 with Nicolette de Montfort, lady of Boisy, daughter of Simon de Montfort. In 1405, on February 24, Albert des Clets , with Antoine des Clets and a good number of other lords, decided to pay homage to the Amédée VIII of Savole. He attested at the Château des Clets on the 2 February 1416. Claude, son of Albert, co-lord of Clets, appears with Amedee and Antoine des Clets on May 1420, at the erection of the sinister forks of Thônes. Like his father, he is lord of Boisy. He married Claudine de Lucinge. On February 17, 1435 he died at the Château des Clets, expressing his desire to be buried in the chapel of Saint George adjoining the church of Thones. He leaves four sons and four daughters, among others, Ancelise, who was the second wife of the unfortunate Guil Laume Bolomier, thrown into Lake Geneva (1446). On July 14, 1435, the four sisters Philibert, Gabriel (8), Amédée and Albert des Clets, sons of Claude, recognized in noble, paternal and ancient relief their paternal property and those of Hugues (to the late Albert) des Clets, who held them from the enfeoffment made to him on July 10, 1344. PhilBert, the eldest of the four, married Louise de la Rochel.

He only had daughters, one of whom Gabriel probably died before 1447,

Claudine, who married Pierre de Mionnas, Aimée, who married Claude de Gémilly, Georgine, married Pierre de St-Jorio or St-Jeoire; Jeanne, the eldest, was the wife of Bertrand de Drée, president of the Council of Geneva.

All four transferred their rights to their husbands who on October 13, 1480 shared the jurisdiction of Clets and thus this part of the lordship of Clets found itself divided into four pieces. The most important part of this part of the Lordship was the one which belonged to Bertrand de Dre, not only through the marriage of Jeanne des Clets with Bertrand de Dree, but also through the transfers made by Amédée and Albert (brothers of Philibert des Clets) and Maurice, son of Amédée. Amedee des Clets who married 1 Claudine de Gemilly, 2 Jeannette de Grailly, and died before 1502. sold to President Bertrand de Drée all the fiefs that he had purchased in 1479 from Amédée de Viry, Clets, in Groisy and Veyrier and to Louis de Drée (in 1464, 1468, 1490 and 1491) the men, fiefs and rents that he owned in the parishes of Clets and Thones. Albert des Clets (brother of Amédée) sold all his rights to Bertrand de Dérée, with the exception of a house located in the town of Thones and called la Tornelle which he ceded to Hélène de Luxembourg. However, his widow Claudine de Montfalcon who died before 1525 had the right to repurchase the Château des Clets, Maurice, son of Amédée, who married 1 Andrée de Cohendier, and 2 Etiennette de Seyssel, followed the example of his father and his uncle, on April 27, 1502 he sold all his property in Val des Clets and Boisy to the Dérées, except the rights to the Clets castle and the jurisdiction. But Louis, son of Maurice, co-lord of Clets and lord of Bithieu, on August 14, 1545, sold to Henri Pelard and to Richard Moyne (already co-signeur in the Val des Clets) the castle of Clets with its squares, curtain walls, courtyards, orchards and all the men and tributes as noble as frank and cuttable, the mills, the upper, middle and lower jurisdiction tolls, etc.

                                        Charters and History

Galceran 1132                     Galceran de Cleis, witness to a charter of

Documents Sur la                Amedee II of Genevois, donating land to the

Abbaye de Tamie                 Abbaye de Tamie

Pierre 1161                           Pierre witness to an act settling a conflict between        

Geneva Regest                    the Abbeys of Abondance and Sixt, 25th August 

Pierre 1189                           Pierre makes a donation to the Abbey of

Memoire de academy          Tamie before leaving for the Holy land on

Des Sciences et Artes          crusade

De Savoie ser 4 V 6

Page 64

Jocerand  1219                     Jocerand de Clefs guarantees the Count of

Des Origines                         Geneva, the amount of 1000 sols 

Feodales Dans          

Le Alpes page 329

Jocerand  1225                    Witness to the settlement of a dispute between

Memoires et                         William, Count of Genevoise and Aimon, Lord of

Documents par                     Faucigny

La Societe de

Savoisienne

Page 19

Pierre  1236                          Pierre de Clefs, knight, intervenes in two

As above                               Acts in 1236 and 1237

Page 329

Jocerand  1240                    On the 13th of June, Jocerand Lord of Cley

Memoires et                         attested that Lord Hemeric Berries and his

Documents                           brother Amedee, cedes to the Abbey of 

V9-10                                    Entremont all the rights they held of the fief of

Page 20                                Petite-Bortrand

Aimon  1243                          Guillame, Count of  Genevois donates grazing 

Regesta Genevois                 land to the Abbey of Tamie

Des documents

Page 436

Amedee  1246                        Amedee de Cletis and Petro de Voserier

Memoires Ser 2 V4                in exon

Antoine    1279                       Antoine de Clets is a canon of St. George in

Memoires et                           the Diocese of Grenoble

V 9-10

George  1300                         George de Clets, member of the bourgeois and

Memoires de                          Councillory of the city of Chambery

Societe Academique              

De Savoie V II

Page 167

Hugh  1301                            Hugon des Clefs freed the abbot of Entremont

Memoires et                           from all tribute and servitude to which he could

Documents                             be held

Page 30

Albert  1302                           Albert de Cles paid tribute for his fiefdom of

Memoires et                           Marlens to Prince Ame of Savoy

Documents par

L’Academy Salesienne

V 6-7

Albert   1308                           November 15th, a letter from William III to

Memoires et                            notables including Albert De Clets of his

Par la Societe                         Conclusion of peace with Amedee V

Savoisienne

V 30 page 78

Henri/Richard  1329                Henri and Richard des Clets are witness to 

Le Pourpis Historique              a charter of Antoine de Villier

De la Madison de Sales

De Thones, De Genovoise

Maurice 1330                            Andre de Grilly is the wife of Maurice des

Ref as above                            Clets

Albert 1338                               On the 26th of May Albert des Clets is

Ref as Albert 1308                    among other notables in the presence of

                                                  Aimon, Count of Savoy

Albert  1338                              The Countess of Savoy, Mathilde has 43 

Ref as Albert 1302                    horses, Albert des Clets has 4, may 3rd

William  1348                            To prevent flooding in the town of Chambrey

Ephermerides anncienes          Guillermet, Magnin and Guillame built dykes

& Savoyards

Jacquemond  1352                   Jacquemond de Clefs sold to abbot Lambert

Memoires et                              the tribute of carnability of Jean Regis du

Documents                                Bois Bercher at the price of 10 gold florins

V 9-10 Page 58

William  1353                             In 1353, Count Verd increased the freedoms

Memoires de la                          of the town. Guillame des Clets, deputy of the 

Societe academique                  commune

De Savoie VII page 199

Albert    1386                             Albert des Clefs was in dispute with the abbey

Memoires et                              of Entremont, an investigation ruled in favour

Documents                                of the abbey

V 9-10

Jacques  1397                           Jacques des Clefs was the contemporary of

Le Sainte Maison                       John, cardinal de Brogny, commentary 10th

De Thonon et le                         September 

Prierue de St Jeorie 

Page 199

Henri  1400                               July 28th, Henri pays an annual 5 sals for

Memoires et                              a church service

Documents

V 9-10 page 58

Antoine    1414                          Antoine de Clets, courier of the abbey of

Memoires et                              Entremont listed the owners of cattle

Documents                                grazing on the abbey lands

V 9-10 page 66

Antoine  1422                            Listed in the diocese (Grenoble)

Memoires poor

L’histoire ecclesiastique

De Geneva Page 152

Catherine  1422                        Catherine de Sayse, marries on the 8th of

Les Adhemar                             December, she is the daughter of Humbert

Genealogique                            Sgr of Arvillers and Catherine de Clefs

Beatrix   1423                            July 6th, prayers are said for the ascension 

Memoires et                              of the souls of Beatrix de Clets and her

Documents                                her mother, Phillipine

V 9-10

Claude   1426                            Claude, Sgr des Clets, Philibert de Cletis,

Memoires ser 2                          the bastard John de Cletis, Nicode de 

V 4 Page 125                             Methone and the bastard of Albert de Cletis,  

                                                   A muster ?

Claude  1439                             In his will of March 23rd, Claude de Clets

Memoires et                               living in Marlens, gave a dowry to his sister

Documents publies                    Georgina, a nun at St Catherines

Par la societe 

Savoisienne Page 59

Antoine   1457                            On the 10th of October, Antoine de Clets 

Memoires de                               along  with others is summoned by the Bishop 

Academie de                               to the chapter house of St Jeorie

Savoie V6  Page 145

Jean  1460                                 Mentioned with regard to ploughmen wishing 

Memoires et                               to graze their livestock on abbey lands

Documents            

V 9-10 Page79

Jeanne  1472                              Bertrand de Dree, widower of Jeanne des

Memoires et                                Clets, remarries

Documents publies

Par l’academie

Savoisienne V 6-7

Page 194

                                     The Castle of Clefs

The castle of Clefs was on a rocky promonotory at an altitude of 700 meters.It overlooked the rivers of Fire and Chamfray.

There were two other castles in the area and the three castles controlled the road to Thones.

The town of Clefs declined after the Counts of Geneva established a market in the nearby town of Thones in 1312.

The castle fell into ruin and Louis the Co-Lord of Clefs and Bithieu sold the castle along with the rest of his property.

In 1792 only three towers and two outbuildings were still standing.

A Chateau was later built on the site and this building much altered still remains, ancient under ground passages are rumored to be under the house but these have been sealed off.

                                       Armorial