Ecclesiastical Trial of Bérenger Saunière Bérenger Saunière prepared several "Lists of Donors" here is the version that was presented at his Trial taken from Jacques Rivière, Le Fabuleux Trésor de Rennes-Le-Château, Le Secret de LAbbé Saunière (Éditions Bélisane, 1983):
Letter from Bérenger Saunière to Judge Cantegril + Rennes-le-Château, 25 March 1911 Sir, Here is the information that I believe should answer your various quaesita. 1. It was some twenty years ago that I took in a family consisting of a father, mother and two children. The father and son were earning 300 francs per month. We pooled our resources, hence the amount saved of 52,000 francs. The family worked in the millinery business. 2. The collecting box was intended for the use of visitors, who, having listened to my explanations about the history of Rennes-le-Château together with a few polite remarks from me, rewarded my kindness by making a donation that, in a word, amounted to a tip. The generosity of the donations is explained by the large number of people taking the waters at Rennes-les-Bains and elsewhere. 3. The lottery was held in about 1887. 4. As my brother was a preacher he was very well connected. He acted as intermediary for these various acts of generosity. 5. The postcards show various views of Rennes-le-Château. There are thirty-three of them priced at ten centimes each. All the visitors to the spa have bought the entire collection. These cards have been so successful that I can hardly keep up with demand. These cards are new and are my own property. 6. My collection of old postage stamps amounts to almost 100,000 specimens. It is complete and for sale. I go along with the generally accepted prices. Genuine enthusiasts are only too grateful for the opportunity to build up their collections, and never haggle. 7. The old furniture, crockery and fabrics result from my searches in the countryside. Selling them enables me to recoup the cost of my researches and also my travelling expenses. 8. The packets and copies: I arrange for these to be made up by young people on behalf of newspapers and leaflet distributors. They are satisfied with the price that I offer them, and I still manage to make a profit on them. 9. Why shouldnt I list, under assets, free transport and my personal work? Surely these were genuine personal savings? Here, sir, are the explanations that I am, with the greatest possible loyalty, making it a matter of duty to offer in response to the quaesita that have been put to me, Yours respectfully, Abbé Bérenger Saunière
List of Donors prepared for the Trial
TOTAL 193,150
Here are two other drafts prepared by Bérenger Saunière: Saunières handwritten Memorandum (Taken from Corbu & Captier, L'Héritage de L'Abbé Saunière; 1985):
TOTAL 71,600
Saunières handwritten draft (Taken from Pierre Jarnac, Rennes-le-Château: Les Archives de labbé Saunière: 101 documents reproduits daprès les originaux, 1994; Document Number 91);
TOTAL 71,900 |