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Before the Seine was enclosed in its present bed, the church of Saint-Eloi was situated on an Island. Afterwards, without changing place, it found itself situated on the terres neuves, like the other churches, Saint-Etienne-des-Tonneliers, Saint-Clément, and Saint-Martin-du-Pont.
In 1030, under the duke Robert, those new lands were considered as suburbs of Rouen: In suburbia Rotomagensi ecclesiam sancti Eligii, etc. The church of Saint-Eloi was formerly considered as one of the best lighted in the town of Rouen.
They confined the waters of the Seine in a narrower bed. Several churches, such as Saint-Martin-de-la-Roquette, Saint-Clement, Saint-Stephen and Saint-Eloi, which had till then been situated on small islands, were united to the main land, the portion which had been gained from the river, received the name of Terres-Neuves. The limits of the town remained the same on the north, east and west.
About the commencement of the XVIth century, the houses in the neighbourhood of the church of Saint-Eloi and the rue du Vieux-Palais, were erected; one of them still remains, it is the Hôtel da Bourgtheroulde, which I have already described. The old market was thus divided, into two unequal parts. The spot where the innocent Joan of Arc was burnt in 1431, retains the name of place de la Pucelle.
Formerly, it covered a much larger space of ground than at present; since, in the XVIth century, it occupied the whole of the ground contained between the rue du Vieux-Palais, the church of Saint-Eloi and Saint-Michael; the last mentioned church has disappeared within the last few-years, and is replaced by a handsome building, which is named the Hôtel Saint-Michel.
We find in the preface to the life of Saint-Eloi by Saint-Ouen, that, even in the VIIth century, they read authors of whose works nothing now remains. Saint-Ouen, founded or enriched a great many religious establishments in Rouen and its environs. It was under his episcopate, that a monument was first raised to Saint-Nicaise within the walls of Rouen.
Formerly there was a well in the choir, but which is now filled up, from which the water was drawn up by a chain, from whence the proverb, still used in Rouen, is derived: «It is cold as the chain of the well of Saint-Eloi.» This church has been granted for protestant worship, since 1803. The number of persons who profess this worship in Rouen, is about 2,000.
The service commences at eleven o'clock in the morning. English service is also performed in this church at three o'clock in the afternoon. The place Saint-Eloi does not offer any thing worthy of notice; it was the ancient burying ground of the parish of that name: and has since become the poultry and game market. At the top of the rue Nationale.
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