Church of Saint-Sulpice, Jumet

The first building was Pre-Romanesque and constituted a rectangular chamber composed of a plain nave 4.7 metres (5.1 yd) wide, whose length the excavations did not manage to determine. It is possible that, as in other small churches of the early Middle Ages, the length of the church was double its width. This edifice may have been the church consecrated between 959 and 971 by Eraclus, abbot of Lobbes and bishop of Liège, which was mentioned in the "Eraclus charter".[15]

Superimposed plans of churches 2 and 3

During the excavation, the sole trace of the second church — the foundation of an irregular three-sided apse— was found. How the building was constructed toward the narthex remains unclear. However, it is known that this side ended with a tower because Jehan Camal, the local priest, bequeathed 50 livres towards the repairing of the tower and the installation of a bell in his will of 1517.[16] This tower is probably the same one mentioned in the 17th century, which was demolished for the construction of the 18th century church.[17] The size of the choir/chancel suggests a three-apsed construction, maybe similar to the third church.[18] As well as the main altar, a Pouillé ecclesiastical register from 1445 mentioned an altar devoted to Saint Nicholas, and another from 1518 mentions an altar devoted to the Virgin Mary.[19]

Noting the similarities to the choir in Saint-Martin's church at Marcinelle, rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, Luc-Francis Genicot hypothesised that it took inspiration from Jumet's earlier design, possibly from the 14th century.[20]

In the choir lies a burial place containing a skeleton in a nailed oak coffin. The presence of embroidered cloth and the location suggests that it is the tomb of a priest, probably the local parson.[21]

Foundations of previous buildings

The chancel of the third edifice probably dates back to the middle of the 17th century.[22] This church is eight times bigger than the first. The chancel is of a pentagonal design 8.25 metres (9.02 yd) deep. It is consolidated by four buttresses, suggesting that it was once covered by a solid vault, probably of gothic design. The nave, 22 metres (24 yd) long and of an estimated width of 20 metres (22 yd), is slightly trapezium-shaped[23] and has two aisles. The scale of the aisles is evocative of the hall church type, like many that existed in Hainault in the 15th and 16th century.

The bell tower, standing against the church frontage, underwent significant restoration in 1670 and had a clock installed in 1681. The tower was probably square and roughly 6.4 metres (7.0 yd) long on each side. It was capped by an octagonal pointed spire, topped by a big finial cross and a weathercock reaching 38 metres (42 yd) in height.[2]

In 1710, the state of the church again called for serious repairs, and Jumet's bailiff, Jean de Vigneron, asked the Abbot of Lobbes, a big tithe collector, to build a new church. The abbey could not meet the expense.[24] Finally, after a lawsuit, an agreement was reached for repairs to be made to the church, including the choir, tower and nave roof.[25]

Section and elevation of the first draft of the 18th century with the old tower held (sheet E)

The current church was built between 1750 and 1753 by an unknown architect. The original plans consist of five coloured sheets.[26] They have been numbered from A to E without any obvious order, probably after the completion of the construction. The C sheet did not belong to the first file, but the five drawings are from the same author. The E sheet has notes on the back on which the name D. De Lados appears twice, suggesting that it could be the name of the architect.[27]

Before 1750, the old church was demolished and the ground leveled.[11] The leveling probably explains why the present church isn't correctly oriented, unlike the original church, whose choir faced due east.[28]

Details of materials reused in the current facing of the north facade

At the time, the design was considered ambitious and excessive for the town. Tensions existed between the architect and the sponsors, including the Abbot of Lobbes, Théodulphe Barnabé (abbot from 1728 to 1752).[25] Construction lagged and, even though old materials were re-used in the base and the pavements,[22] the cost was five times higher than the original estimate:

We have been greatly wronged for the erection of this church[...]because the church building, instead of costing us twenty thousand florins, is now costing us at least a hundred thousand [...] The architect has deceived us by increasing the length of the aforementioned church by twenty-nine feet, and many other things

— Complaint quoted by L-F. Genicot, [25]

The initial plan was to re-integrate the old tower. An addition to the plan scrapped all the past elements.[22] The plan to build a new tower was likely one of the many other things mentioned in the complaint. The conflict ended in court before the Sovereign Council of Brabant. The architect was forced to reduce the scale of the project, as evidenced by successive frontage projects[28] and the size of the planned high elements on the original elevation drawing and actual elements as they were built. The construction continued with some delays, and the church was finished in 1753.[22]

18th century drawing of a proposed new facade (sheet C)

The steeple was designed to hold three bells, however there is no formal proof of the existence of the third bell.[29]

On the east side, a first bell from 1590 is adorned with the image of the Virgin and has the inscription: Micael Willelmus coadiutor Lobiensis me fecit[30] – 1590 – Maître Jean Grongnart, founder[29][31]

On the west side, the second bell was probably poorly cast because it was remelted in 1772, as shown by the inscription: + In the year 1772 I was remelted at the expense of the community of Jumet by Simon Chevresson and Deforest.[29]

It's likely that the French Revolution caused damage because money was allocated by the local administration for the repair of window panes and the roof in 1797.[32] In 1808, three new altars were built.[33]

In 1835, the church underwent more significant restoration. Part of the pavement was replaced, a new set of furniture was put in, the altars transformed[32] and the master altar re-dedicated.[33]

In the brickwork of the master altar, removed during the 1968 restorations, a wooden reliquary casket with a glass lid was discovered. It contained two bones held together by a copper thread. Between them was a paper document in very bad shape, nearly unreadable, dated 1835. The reliquary may be even older, possibly having been placed there when the altar was re-dedicated.[34][35]

In 1840, a pipe organ was installed, the work of organ builder Hypolite Loret of Brussels. The instrument was upgraded in 1873.[32]

In 1943, German occupation authorities commandeered the bells; the 1590 bell was taken down and shipped to Germany.[36] After the war, it was found and re-installed in the steeple.[28][37]