Kapel De Olde Kerk | Gemert

The inhabitants of Gemert fell ecclesiastically under the parish of Bakel in the Middle Ages. The old parish of Bakel included not only Bakel and Gemert, but also Deurne and Vlierden. Within this parish, the Van Gemert family built their own church for themselves and their fellow villagers, dedicated to St Willibrord and the Holy Cross of Miracul.

The oldest mention of the church is from 1326. Diederik (II) van Gemert then referred to his rights in the church as also 'our parent and our predecessors ghehadt'. So the chapel existed by then for at least three generations. Another interesting entry appears in the parish register of parish priest Gautius. In 1588, new bells were cast, using material from older bells. One of those older bells was inscribed 'Domina Agnes de Gemert, cast anno 1270'. Agnes was the wife of Diederik (I) van Gemert, who in the same year acquired Gemert's noval tithes in the form of a (hereditary) lease from the abbot of Echternach.

Everything shows that the Gemert chapel was a 'proper church' of the Van Gemerts. In 1270, the chapel will have undergone considerable carpentry and was in any case equipped with a new bell. The old church was surrounded by a moat at least 8 feet wide. Within the moat was a cemetery and Diederik van Gemert held his court sessions there. With the construction of the new, still existing parish church of St Jan in the second quarter of the 15th century, the chapel became redundant.

Still in the 15th century, an inn cum brewery was established on the site of the old church, which would long be known as inn 'De Olde Kerk'. The site of the Olde Kerk is currently marked by The Pelicaen and is located on Church Street, opposite the current parish church.

Sources:

J. Timmers, Developments in medieval Gemert, in: A. Thelen (ed), Het Hooghuis te Gemert, Bijdragen tot de geschiedenis van Gemert nr 27, Gemert, 2001