Abbé Bernard Mongé was, the village priest of Niort-de-Sault. He was found dead at the entrance of his garden, on 27th May, 1732. Investigations showed he had been murdered by François de Montroux, bailif of the Pays du Sault. De Montroux was also, the uncle and appointed, tutor, of the young Marie de Nègre d’Ables, at the time of the incident., François was not a popular man and he had been trying to buy a house that was intended to help expand Mongé’s presbytery. The Abbé had refused to sell it. De Montroux was sentenced to exile for his crime, but the sentence was later revoked because, he convinced the court someone had falsely accused him., François d’Hautpoul, who married his, niece Marie in November 1732, spent almost 3 years, cleaning up the administrative mess, De Montroux, had left behind in Niort., In the last year he bought the very house De Montroux and Mongé had been quarelling over with money that François has left behind.
Niort-de-Sault lies very close to Le Clat, the first parish in which Bérenger Saunière served as a priest.