Cussac , France.

[wilcoxon]

My friend has bought an old farmhouse here and above the door is an interesting stone. No one local can shed any light, so we are hoping someone here might know something.

It is on  Rue Du Vieux Puits in the hamlet of   La Guionie, one story is that there was a chateau that was destroyed in the revolution and that the farm house  was built from the ruins. They   can locate info on Le Puy chateau, in the next hamlet but nothing on theirs.
 This is all the information they have.

[davidqueneherve]

I don't know why but it makes me think more of an inn

---------------------------------------

The inhabitants of the hamlet

In the 1906 census

http://archives.haute-vienne.fr/arkotheque/visionneuse/visionneuse.php?arko=YTo3OntzOjQ6ImRhdGUiO3M6MTA6IjIwMTgtMDgtMDciO3M6MTA6InR5cGVfZm9uZHMiO3M6MTE6ImFya29fc2VyaWVsIjtzOjQ6InJlZjEiO2k6MTI7czo0OiJyZWYyIjtpOjU4NTtzOjIwOiJyZWZfYXJrX2ZhY2V0dGVfY29uZiI7czoxMToicmVjZW5zZW1lbnQiO3M6MTY6InZpc2lvbm5ldXNlX2h0bWwiO2I6MTtzOjIxOiJ2aXNpb25uZXVzZV9odG1sX21vZGUiO3M6NDoicHJvZCI7fQ==#uielem_move=457%2C-199&uielem_islocked=0&uielem_zoom=72&uielem_brightness=0&uielem_contrast=0&uielem_isinverted=0&uielem_rotate=F

Frame 57


In the 1901 census

http://archives.haute-vienne.fr/arkotheque/visionneuse/visionneuse.php?arko=YTo3OntzOjQ6ImRhdGUiO3M6MTA6IjIwMTgtMDgtMDciO3M6MTA6InR5cGVfZm9uZHMiO3M6MTE6ImFya29fc2VyaWVsIjtzOjQ6InJlZjEiO2k6MTI7czo0OiJyZWYyIjtpOjU4NDtzOjIwOiJyZWZfYXJrX2ZhY2V0dGVfY29uZiI7czoxMToicmVjZW5zZW1lbnQiO3M6MTY6InZpc2lvbm5ldXNlX2h0bWwiO2I6MTtzOjIxOiJ2aXNpb25uZXVzZV9odG1sX21vZGUiO3M6NDoicHJvZCI7fQ==#uielem_move=0%2C0&uielem_islocked=0&uielem_zoom=33&uielem_brightness=0&uielem_contrast=0&uielem_isinverted=0&uielem_rotate=F

Frame 30

In the 1896 census

http://archives.haute-vienne.fr/arkotheque/visionneuse/visionneuse.php?arko=YTo3OntzOjQ6ImRhdGUiO3M6MTA6IjIwMTgtMDgtMDciO3M6MTA6InR5cGVfZm9uZHMiO3M6MTE6ImFya29fc2VyaWVsIjtzOjQ6InJlZjEiO2k6MTI7czo0OiJyZWYyIjtpOjU4MztzOjIwOiJyZWZfYXJrX2ZhY2V0dGVfY29uZiI7czoxMToicmVjZW5zZW1lbnQiO3M6MTY6InZpc2lvbm5ldXNlX2h0bWwiO2I6MTtzOjIxOiJ2aXNpb25uZXVzZV9odG1sX21vZGUiO3M6NDoicHJvZCI7fQ==#uielem_move=112%2C-1435&uielem_islocked=0&uielem_zoom=92&uielem_brightness=0&uielem_contrast=0&uielem_isinverted=0&uielem_rotate=F

Frame 16

[wilcoxon]

 Thanks for your interest,  why do you think it may be an Inn.
I thought at first the symbols were similar to the suits in a deck of cards, but it`s a square rather than a diamond, I`m probably way off track.

At least it's a start.

[davidqueneherve]

yes, it looks like a suit and a hangman

[joger]

Hello,
maybe your friends could go to the "mairie" of Cussac and ask for a look at the "cadastre" , and see who were the first owners of the house (should be a man with the initials PG and a woman with the initials PR, the initials carved on the lintel). They also will have the names of the following owners.
 A date on the lintel usually means it is the year when the house was built.

Are there other houses in the village ( or surroundings) with such stones , if there are : are they carved with a similar "naive" style?

A book first published in 1906
"CUSSAC. Une page d'histoire", "Pierre de Fontaine de Resbecq", "2007, réimpression de l'ouvrage paru en 1906"

It is true that after the revolution some castles were destroyed and the villagers took the stones to build their houses , using the ruins as a quary. But this house was built in 1906.

[wilcoxon]

Thanks, I have just sent them this information.

[joger]

I have asked on a french forum if someone can decipher the stone.
Someone suggests it could be a coat of arms meaning : Chevalier Descartes (he does not see a hanged man)

But we are not any further ahead.

Added :"ebookparadise" has the book by Pierre Fontaine , can be downloaded for free

[joger]

Another suggestion :gaming house.
But what about the little man on the stone then.

[wilcoxon]

I`m passing all these replies on to my friend, she thanks everyone and will try to find as much as she can. Problem is  she s not fluent in the language - yet.  but neighbours are willing to help.