Bolougne-Sur-Mer

by Reverend William Canon
Fleming

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Title: Bolougne-Sur-Mer St. Patrick's Native Town
Author: Reverend William Canon Fleming
Release Date: June 1, 2006 [EBook #18480]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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BOLOUGNE-SUR-MER ***

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[Frontispiece: Picture of Boulogne-sur-Mer] BOULOGNE-SUR-MER
The cross marks the ruins of the fortifications built around Caligula's
Tower by Henry VIII., King of England.

BOULOGNE-SUR-MER:
ST. PATRICK'S NATIVE TOWN
BY THE
REV. WILLIAM CANON FLEMING, RECTOR OF ST. MARY'S,
MOORFIELDS, LONDON
R. & T. WASHBOURNE 1 2 & 4 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.
BENZIGER BROS.: NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, AND CHICAGO.
1907.
Nihil Obstat. GULIRLMUS CANONICUS GILDEA, D.D., M.R.
Imprimatur. FRANCISCUS, Archiepiscopus Westmonasteriensis.

THIS HISTORY OF ST. PATRICK'S NATIVE TOWN IS
AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO THE RIGHT REVEREND
PATRICK FENTON BISHOP OF AMYCLA AND BISHOP AUXILIARY
OF WESTMINSTER.

PREFACE.
THE numerous bewildering and contradictory theories to be met with
in books, pamphlets, and reviews concerning St. Patrick's native
country are calculated to provoke a spirit of weary incredulity and
impatience. However, when presenting this book to the public, we may
quote the late Canon O'Hanlon's plea for adventurous writers who still
endeavour to solve the problem: "The question of St. Patrick's
country," writes the distinguished author of the "Lives of the Irish
Saints," "has an interest for all candid investigators far beyond the
claim of rival nations for the honour it should confer. It has been
debated, indeed, with considerable learning and earnestness both by
Irish and foreign writers; yet, as Ireland does not prefer any serious

claim to the distinction, of which she might well feel proud, so can
Irishmen afford to be impartial in prosecuting such an enquiry" (St.
Patrick, March 17th).
From a patriotic point of view it might be urged that, although
innumerable books and pamphlets have been written on our subject,
not one too many has seen the light, inasmuch as each of them has
served in a greater or lesser degree to keep the memory of our great
Apostle ever fresh in our minds.
We are deeply indebted to the Rev. Professor Leilleux, who is at
present engaged in writing a "History of the Diocese of
Boulogne-sur-Mer," and to the Abbe Massot, chaplain to the Little
Sisters of the Poor in that town, for having clearly proved to us that
ancient Bononia was called "Bonauen," and Caligula's tower--Turris
Ordinis--was called "Nemtor" by the Gaulish Celts. These discoveries
go far to show that the Apostle of Ireland was a native of ancient
Bononia, now called Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Colgan, who published his "Trias Thaumaturga" in 1647, assures us in
his fifth Appendix, chapter i., that there was an old tradition in
Armorica that St. Patrick was a native of that province; and the same
author adds that several Irish writers adhered to that opinion. This
book, therefore, does not seek to formulate a new theory; its only object
is to gather together many of the records which tend to prove that St.
Patrick was born in Armorican Britain.
Our most grateful thanks are also due to the Very Rev. Canon Gildea,
D.D., M.R., who has kindly read through this book for the "Nil obstat";
and to the courteous Curator of the Library and Museum at Boulogne
for permitting us to make a sketch of Caligula's famous tower and
lighthouse, which was called Turris Ordinis or Turris Ardens by the
Romans, and Nemtor or Nemthur by the Armorican Britons.
WILLIAM CANON FLEMING.
ST. MARY'S, MOORFIELDS, LONDON, E.C.

CONTENTS. St. Patrick's Parentage The Different Birthplaces
assigned to St. Patrick Bonaven Taberniae was well known to the Irish
Scots History of the Town Bonaven, or Bononia St. Patrick made
Captive by Niall of the Nine Hostages St. Patrick after his Captivity
returns to (Gaul) his Native Country St. Fiacc's Nemthur was situated
in the Suburbs of Boulogne St. Fiacc describes St. Patrick's Flight from
Ireland to Armorica The Scholiast practically admits St. Patrick's Birth
in Armorica The "Trepartite Life" falls into the Same Error All that the
Second and Third "Lives" testify The Fourth "Life" The Sixth "Life of St.
Patrick," by Jocelin The Fifth "Life," by Probus, proves that St. Patrick
was born in Bononia St. Patrick's Flight to Marmoutier described by
Probus Britain in Gaul St. Patrick's Native Country Britanniae in the
Plural not appropriated to Great Britain St. Patrick calls Coroticus, a
British Prince, "Fellow Citizen" Summary The Site of the Villula where
St. Patrick was born

ST. PATRICK'S PARENTAGE
ABOUT the middle of the fourth century a noble decurion named