THE ABBEY OF ST. BERTIN, ST. OMER. 
St. Bertin, the relation and friend of St. Omer, was born in the Banlieu of 
Constance: he followed St. Omer to the Monastery of Luxeu, and afterwards to 
Terouanne. St. Omer founded at Sithieu this beautiful Abbey, of which 
Mommorin was the first abbot, and was succeeded by St. Bertin, whose name was 
subsequently given to this Monastery, the most remarkable in the Town of St. Omer. 
We have, however but very imperfect details respecting the history of the early 
period of this establishment, which did not become celebrated till about the year 
1101, when it was ceded, as is affirmed, to the monks of Cluny. Under the reign 
of King Stephen, the Abbey of St. Bertin obtained possessions in England, by 
virtue of a gift of William d’lpre, of the year 1153, confirmed by a charter of that 
King, dated the same year, which, but a few years ago, was still preserved in the 
archives of the Monastery of St. Omer. These possessions were, the Priory of 
Throwley and its benefice, and also that of Chatham, both in the county of Kent. 
Throwley having thus become an appendage to the Abbey of St. Bertin, a Priory 
dependent upon it was founded there, composed of monks sent from the principal 
establishment. In the wars between England and France, these possessions were 
sequestrated, and retained till the restoration of peace. Throwley continued thus 
attached to the Abbey of St. Bertin till the suppression of the foreign priories in 
England, in the second year of the reign of King Henry the Fifth, in 1414. In this 
manner the connection between the abbot of the Convent of St. Bertin and England 
ceased. But notwithstanding the loss of this portion of its revenues, the Abbey of 
St. Bertin was still immensely rich ; so that a short time before the French Revolu 
tion, its annual income was estimated at above a hundred thousand francs.