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To the Association for the Promotion of the Heritage of Antrainese and Coglais (Appac), members are always active. Historic pillar of this association of Ille-et-Vilaine, Alfred Jamaux published, at the age of 95, his latest work on Les Picotous de la Fontenelle and Sougeal.
The life of a family of picotous on a century
Alfred Jamaux was born in Fontenelle in 1930. history teacher And a member of the Appac of the first hour, he also tirelessly worked with his wife Thetist to write the history of our campaigns.
Alfred Jamaux has several works to his credit: The Chappe Telegraph, Dol battles, From Pontorson to Antrain, Glanes in memory of Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo in Brittany And a few more. “Appac, since its creation, has accompanied its members in the publication and dissemination of works of local stories which are the fruit of hundreds of hours of historical research and writing. The theme of granite is rarely approached locally, ”underlines Eric Aribard.
Alfred Jamaux’s book recounts the life of his family from picotous over a century. With incredible precision, he tells the story of these workers of small granite pool of the Fontenelle and Sougeal and the important economic activity caused around this exploitation.
Granite work was difficult. All small granite careers have made it possible to build many funeral monuments, but above all also large buildings such as part of the Arrow of Mont Saint-Michel, the Church of Cancale and many other constructions.
The book is illustrated with many sketches made by the author and photos, it is richly documented.
The writer explains how to work on picotousTHE tools that they used. How was the stone size ? He talks about the arrival of the train on the territory over 150 years ago, which made it possible to transport granite, much faster. The market will extend to the north.
The war 14/18 will see the departure of numerous workers to the front, but the post-war period will give work to the granitiers with the construction of the monuments to the dead.
It is therefore a whole section of the history of granite, its boom, the life of the inhabitants, of society, which is explored with three generations of master-carriers from 1843 to 1984. “The task is rough for a nonagenarian”, explains Alfred Jamaux in his foreword, but it is a duty to transmit.
The self-published book is on sale at the Appac at a price of € 22, at the Maison des Patrioines, 1 rue de Pontorson, 35560 Val-Couesnon (Antrain).
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