Licques

Title

Licques

Also Known As

de Lickis, Liesceae, Liisques, Liscae, Lisces, Lischa, Lischae, Lisches, Liska, Liskense, Liskes., Liskezs, Liskia, Lisques, Lisquez, Lysches

Dates

Founded 1131/32; dissolved 1790

Dedication

Mary

Affiliation

Laon

Medieval Diocese

Thérouanne

Circary

Flanders

History

Licques was founded as a community of canons in the late 11th century by Robert le Barbu, count of Guines. In 1132, at the initiative of Milo, bishop of Thérouanne, Licques joined the Premonstratensian Order. It was initially a double house. 

Licques was impoverished as a result of the Hundred Years' War and became a commendatory abbey in 1541. It was suppressed at the Revolution. The former abbey church is now the local parish church, while part of the former monastic complex is now the mairie (town hall).

Heads of Community

Abbots

Henri, 1132-49
Godescalc, 1149-1157
Godefroi, 1162-1163
Robert, 1164-1183
Roger, fl. 1184
Goswin, fl. 1189
Guillaume I, 1192-1203
Philippe, fl. 1218
Guillaume II, 1224-1227
Philippe, fl. 1234
Hugo, fl. 1242
Philippe, 1270-1276
Baudouin Hircus, 1285-1288
Jacques I
Gilbert
André, 1299-1304
Jean de Laon, 1304-ca. 1319
Jacques II de Vie, 1319-1329
Jacqueminus, ?-1332
Jean II, 1332-?
Jean III, 1362-1378
Jean IV, ?-ca. 1407
Gilles du Bilch, ca. 1407-1420
Guillaume III, fl. ca. 1420
Nicolas, 1423-1447
Jean V Fabri, fl. 1464
Jean VI Loysse
Gilles II Marchand, ?-1500
Charles de Récourt, ca. 1500-1505
Dominicus Carnisien, 1505-1529
Francois d'Averoult d'Helfaut, 1529-1541
Gabriel de Calonnes, 1541-1558

Status

Abbey

Archival Sources

Boulogne-sur-mer, Bibliothèque municipale

MS 103C. (1784; cartulary)

Dainville, Archives départmentales de Pas-de-Calais

Much of the abbey's archives was destroyed in a fire in 1915.

21 H (18th c.)

Paris, Archives nationales de France

MC/ET/XXXIII/22, fol. 66

Bibliography

Courtois, Henry. “Quelques mots sur l’ancienne abbaye de Licques.” Bulletin historique trimestriel de la Société académique des antiquaires de la Morinie 2 (1857): 682–88. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k2084398/f416.item.

Haigneré, Daniel. Abbaye de Licques, ordre de Prémontré, 1078-1311. Cartulaire des établissements religieux du Boulonnais 6. Boulogne-sur-Mer: Charles Aigre, 1889. https://www.google.com/books?id=kQtbzQEACAAJ.

———. “Les chartes de Notre-Dame de Licques (1078-1311).” Mémoires de la Société académique de l’arrondissement de Boulogne-sur-Mer 15 (1889): 4–176. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5476712c.

Lesage, C. “Un plan détaillé de l’abbaye de Licques (Pas-de-Calais).” In Actes Officiels du 5e Colloque du C.E.R.P., 54–57. Amiens: C.E.R.P., 1984.

Poucques d’Herbinghem, A. de. “L’abbaye de Licques.” Bulletin de la Société des Antiquaires de Picardie 13 (1879): 57–62. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k298385b/f59.item.

Ramecourt, Isabelle. “L’Abbaye de Licques: 1070-1224.” Mémoire de Maîtrise, Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale, 2000.

Rodière, Roger. “Chartes diverses du Boulonnais: Abbaye de Licques.” Mémoire de la société académique de l’arrondissement de Boulogne-sur-Mer 24 (1906): 61–90. https://books.google.com/books?id=OdQDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA61.

Rozé, Jean-François. Notice historique sur l’abbaye de N.-D. de Licques, de l’ordre de Prémontré. Boulogne-sur-Mer: Impr. de C. Le Roy, 1882. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k58043377.

Image Credit

Part of the former abbey of Licques, now the mairie of Licques, 2013. Wikimedia.

Files

Collection

Flanders

Citation

“Licques,” A Premonstratensian Atlas, accessed October 16, 2026, https://yvonneseale.org/atlas/items/show/63.

Geolocation

Item Relations

Item: Newsham DependentOn This Item
Item: Serques DependentOn This Item