Historical overview, XIIth to XVIth centuries

XIIth century - appearance of writings on Lignières

1178

The name of Lignières (Lignum / Wood) comes out for the first time from the shadows on February 25 of this year, in a bull of Pope Alexander III in which the Roman pontiff confirmed donations made to the church of St Imier by the Count of Neuchâtel, Ulrich III of Fenis.

XIIIth century

Transfer of the territory and rights of Lignières by Rodolphe (NEA 914 - CH / NE / 09 - Monuments of Matile)

1277

On the 1st of April, Rodolphe, Lord of Nidau, yields to Ulrich and his brothers, co-lords of Neuchâtel, the rights he has to Lignières, as much in men as in objects and pledges he holds from his predecessors, the lords of Neuchâtel.

XIVth century

Sharing of Lignières between the Lords of Neuchâtel and the Bishop of Basel

1326

On the death of the bishop Gérard, a man of war, peace was finally signed in Solothurn. Count Louis of Neuchâtel makes an agreement with the Bishop of Basel, Jean de Chalons - through the intermediary of the Duke of Austria who was the arbiter - by which the suburb of Neureux, with all rights, was awarded to the countFrom the stream called Saint Maurice to the so-called Tower.

By this pronunciation, half of the village of Lignières was attributed to Louis of Neuchatel, with regard to the temporal, with half of the men whom the bishop and the Count shared.As for the spiritual, as the bishop of Basel never had any rights, or that Lignières, as well as the mountain of Diesse, had always depended on the bishop of Lausanne, he was left to the latter, of as much as those of Lignières, in particular, were parishioners of the church of the suburb of Neureux, which itself depended on the collapse of the abbot of Saint John (cf 1228). The treaty once in force, the justice of Lignières was established and composed of twelve judges, six of whom were subjects of the bishop and six of the count.the bishop established the mayor, and the count sergeant him.

1368

Towards the end of the reign of Count Louis, he had bought this year, from the bishop John of Vienna, the rights retained on part of the inhabitants and on the men of the chatellenie Schlossberg (which depended on Lignières).

1380

The men of Lignières, taken with regret, (cf 1368) redeemed themselves in 1380 and, to thank them, the bishop emancipated them of all sizes for ten years, he asked them however the construction of a mill with the finishing of Lignières, which is today's Moulin Droz, formerly called the mill in the middle. The past two years they should pay ten pounds a year.

XVIth century

1542

Protestant worship begins in Lignières Farel came to preach in the course of July, with the assistance of the Neuveville.The people of the Landeron having learned this, endeavored to oppose preaching. The intervention of the Landeron at Lignières in 1542 is mentioned in the accounts of the Landeron in this form: When Farellus came to preach Lignières and they were council and community to make him stay and to find out who made it come III Books. For a Viaige (voyage) that Sansquenet made to Neuchâtel, to say to M. le Gouverneur that if Farellus did not want to stop molesting us, we would make him marry.For a letter that was sent to Solothurn for the adverty that Farellus was molesting us and that if we wanted to maintain that he cursed us.

1553

The plague broke out in Lignières: 140 people died in a short time. The vicar who served the chapel fled, the authorities of the Landeron forbid the transport of the victims of the plague to the cemetery of the town. Lignieres is, so to speak, forbidden. The inhabitants of the village, not knowing which saint to turn to, address June 30, 1553 to the governor of Neuchâtel, indicating their will to bring a Minister Pasteur, more than 140 dead having had the consolation of Minister (Catholic ):

Today, the date hereof, By fore, undersigned notary, and in the presence of the sub-appointed witnesses, to me have appeared the honorable and good people, assavoir: Jean Perrin, Mayor of Lignières, Pierre Gicot, Nicollet Localt, Jean Chanel, Jean Hello, Pierre Monnier, Guillaume Monnier, Claude Cosandier, Guillaume Botteron and Michel Monnier; plus four after named, assigne Guillaume Gicot, Germon Bronner, Claude Abraham and Pierre Borquin who must leave to go to the war says it day, all of said Lignières, more Marc Rosselet and the Claude daughter of Guillaume Jean Perrin, neglected widow of Rodolphe Fuffs of the Landeron, of a good will without being constrained by anybody, said and declared their intention, deliberation and great desire to be such, to have then and now an evangelical minister and pastor in their parish church of the Landeron, to administer them to preach, to publish, to communicate the Holy Gospel, the Word of God, as the Lordships and Lands of the Messeigneurs of Berne and the County of Neufchastel have done, saying together with great affection that they wish to live and die in this way , they and their family without ever returning to the papal religion, exposing the said of Lignières, by the plague between them to the said village are past past seven of died without having received the consolation of a minister or presbyter, who at present is greatly at heart knowing by the grace of God the Gospel, the true Christian pasture, and for that reason having in our virtuous lord, the Governor General in this county of Neufchastel, of which they are a member, and to which they owe all obedience, they hope and stand to assure that my said Lord the Governor his goodwill and pleasure of quoy very humbly they pray for the love of God that as soon as possible, as soon as possible.

1598

Religious Revolt in Lignières.

Documents discovered in the archives of the city of Neuchâtel and those of the State of Berne, make it possible to know that a new offensive by the Catholics of the Landeron took place at the beginning of 1598 and thatshe was favored by the ambassador of Bierville.

The first piece of the small file that we have established on this affair is a letter from the avoyer and Conseil de Berne to the Quatre-Ministraux and Council of the City of Neuchâtel, of March 30th, 1598. It is conceived in these terms :

We have heard with extresme unpleasure and discontent as to the solicitation, or be persuaded of the ambassador of Biereville and other Bourgeois of the Landeron, who before me have received a lot of gratuitousness and benefices from us. Without reproach, some of the inhabitants of Lignierez revolted and left our true religion and confession to follow the Romaine, and not contenting themselves with such a thing as their own apostasy, they still stain by all means to attract others after them. new and quite contrary to the common Bourgeoisie, which is between Madame de Longueville, his sons and us, as also against the good friendship and voysinance which up to this point has been observed between our mutual Estatz, as we have always made proofs to his Excellency how much we were desirous of the good of this and their children, and had never thought that such and such things would happen in the places where we have the snack and palronatus juice, and therefore are occasioned not only to give advise us of our great complaint, but please pray (as we do) that you please inform yourself of this fact by whom, and not what means, these things may be p to the great detriment of our religion, which has hitherto been freely exercised in the place of Lignières without disturbing or preventing it, that the officers of His Excellency have, on the contrary, undertaken to give you the upper hand your advice to, according to Iceluy, we know how to do it so well, what we perceive at your location where the opportunities will arise, God aydant, who pray, noble, honorable and prudent, to keep you in his Saints and worthy guard. From Berne this penultiesme March 1598. the Advoyer and Council of the City of Bern.