Category: Passed events

2026 General Meeting

Our Association held its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, April 25, at the church in Tocqueville.

President Pierre Anthouard opened the meeting by welcoming the participants and highlighting the close and constructive relationship that has existed for the past 17 years between the Association and the municipality of Tocqueville under the leadership of the former mayors in attendance: Michel Leclerc and Chantal Ducouret. He expressed his hope that these good relations would continue with the newly elected municipality, represented by Mayor Didier Loir, who was also present. He paid tribute to Denis Onfroy, who founded the Association with Jean Guillaume de Tocqueville in 2009 and served as president for 16 years. He thanked him for his dedication and unwavering support.

Our Association’s goal is to help the municipality finance the restoration work on the church in Tocqueville. Several agreements were established between the Association, the municipality, and the Fondation du Patrimoine for the collection of donations; these agreements have now been concluded.

Between 2009 and 2025, €500,000 (including tax) worth of work was completed. Funding was provided as follows: 50% from grants, 36% from the Fondation du Patrimoine, donations, and the Association, and 14% from the municipality.

Much of the work was also carried out by volunteers.

The main tasks remaining are the restoration or replacement of the church’s north and west portals, the door and the two stained-glass windows of the sacristy, as well as improving access to the church for people with limited mobility.

In 2026, our Association, with some sixty members, plans to organize or participate in several events: a Hardanger embroidery exhibition in the church on May 30 and 31, featuring the stained-glass windows as part of the “Pierres en Lumière” initiative, a book fair on July 11, 12, 13, and 14, and a discovery walk on Saturday, July 25. The association will be present at the castle on July 19 for a play, at the concerts of the “Festival des Musiques Vagabondes” during the last week of August, and will participate in Heritage Days on September 19 and 20.

In accordance with the bylaws, one-third of the 12 members of the Board of Directors were up for reelection. The outgoing members, who stood for reelection, were re-elected.

The Board then reappointed the executive committee, as amended on July 26, 2025: Pierre Anthouard, president; Jean Guillaume de Tocqueville, vice-president; Stéphane Le Flamanc, Secretary; Martine Le Flamanc, Treasurer; Martine Lemoigne, Assistant Treasurer; Jean François Halley, Member; and Denis Onfroy, Honorary Member. 

The annual membership fee remains set at €5. The membership form also allows you to donate directly to our Association.

A busy July

After the blessing ceremony for the Tocqueville church on 5 July, attended by Mgr Cador, Bishop of Coutances, and the book fair on 12, 13 and 14 July, the 15th edition of the traditional discovery walk took place on Saturday 26 August. Nearly fifty hikers gathered in the castle alley for a 7km walk around Tocqueville, during which the life and work of Alexis de Tocqueville were discussed at various stages. A quiz was offered to participants to test their knowledge of this illustrious Tocquevillais.

After passing by ‘La Ferme,’ a former complex of buildings surrounding a square courtyard, the oldest of which date back to the 16th century and the most recent to 1830, the walkers were welcomed by the owner of the Moulin de Bas, one of six mills that once lined the Couplière river in the commune of Tocqueville.

The walk continued with a stop at the Ozeville manor house on the old Saint Pierre Eglise road, now a path, before returning to the village of Gofontaine, crossing the Couplière valley and passing in front of the ‘Vieux Presbytère’ on the heights of Tocqueville, with a beautiful view of the village and the Pointe de Barfleur.

We descended to the church where, after stopping in front of Alexis de Tocqueville’s tomb, everyone settled down in the church for a history lesson on this building, whose origins date back to the 13th century. This was an opportunity to mention all the restoration work undertaken since 2008 and to recall the important role of our Association in helping the municipality to finance all these projects.

After passing by the bust of Alexis de Tocqueville, unveiled in 1936 in the village square, we returned to the castle where a well-deserved snack, pastries baked by volunteers from the Association and artisanal cider, was offered to the hikers.