Maisnières
Encyclopedia
Maisnières is a commune
in the Somme
department in Picardie
in northern France
.
.
The commune is traversed by the Vimeuse river, a small tributary of the Bresle River
. Access to the A28 autoroute is about 5 miles (8 km) distant.
were pillaging the Vimeu region, but were defeated in 881 by Louis III of France
at the Battle of Saucourt, at the very gates of Maisnières. All the towns of the Vimeu were then fortified to try and keep out the Normans.
In 1459, the château and ownership of Maisnières was sold to the abbey of Corbie
for about 220 écus d'or. The abbots of Corbie
, as masters of Maisnières, collected tithes and were also responsible for justice.
Maisnières cultivated hops
in the 17th century.
A century later, the hamlets of
Courtieux, Harcelaines and Monchelet were joined into the one parish.
The railway arrived in 1872, as part of the line serving Frévent
to Gamaches
.
A single-storey schoolhouse was built in 1878. A second floor was added in 1954 so that two classes could be taught separately. The school was used as a billet for Australian troops during World War I
, as was the château.
During the Second World War, the Germans occupied homes, the old presbytery and the château, which served as the Kommandantur. On the 3rd July 1944, a V1
rocket fell on the homes between the church and the presbytery. It killed 3 children from one family and wounded a dozen others. It had been launched from a site less than 3 miles (4.8 km) way, at Longuemort and had failed to take off properly.
Maisnières was liberated on the 2nd September 1944 by a Canadian armoured division on their way to Abbeville, where they joined up with the 1st Polish armoured division, to drive out the Germans.
but confiscated during the French Revolution
and sold. In 1837, the miller sought and got permission to build a new mill upstream, the present mill. The wheel was restored in 1992 and can be seen from a small bridge.
On an engineer’s map from 1854, there appears to be three active watermills on the Vimeuse.
A windmill, owned by the abbey of Corbie, once stood on the small hill in Visse.
wall still stands, 35 m long by 25 m high, on the flat top of the hill near the church, dominating the neighbourhood to the south and the west. It was destroyed between the years 1380-1400. The family that owned the castle died out in the following years, having been lords (seigneurs
there for 200 years. The first lord, Guy de Maisnières, the first of that name built the castle when Guillaume, Count of Ponthieu, in November 1218, established irrefutably that Guy was the next-born brother to his own father, Jean, Count of Ponthieu.
s, narcissus and poppies
.
The coming of the railway stimulated the economic activities of the villages. A station opened in Maisnières on the 9th May 1872. During the sugarbeet harvesting season, 16 trains a day were loaded. All the local lines were closed between 1972 and 1975.
Monchelet, hamlet of Maisnières, had a very busy dairy and cheese-making business from 1900 to 1977. Production was principally dedicated to the famous Camembert L'Oiseau bleu, known throughout Picardie
and even exported from France.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
department in Picardie
Picardie
Picardy is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northern part of France.-History:The historical province of Picardy stretched from north of Noyon to Calais, via the whole of the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department...
in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
The commune is situated on the D22 and D190 crossroads, some 12 miles (19.3 km) southwest of AbbevilleAbbeville
Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
.
The commune is traversed by the Vimeuse river, a small tributary of the Bresle River
Bresle River
The Bresle is a river in the northwest of France that flows into the English Channel at Le Tréport. It crosses the departements of Oise, Somme and Seine-Maritime.- Introduction :...
. Access to the A28 autoroute is about 5 miles (8 km) distant.
Hamlets and other places
The commune comprises seven inhabited areas. Courtieux , Ferme Touvent , Visse, Monchelet, Handrechy, Harcelaines and Maisnières.- The name Maisnières (Mesnières, Maineria, Mainera, Manerioe, Magnera) comes perhaps, from Maisnie or Maisnil (eng: manor or noble home), or from Mansio, named from resting places on the Roman RoadRoman roadThe Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
, the Chaussée Brunehault. - Courtieux (Courthieux, Courtils, Courtillets) perhaps from ‘’courtil’’, a garden, though others suggest Cort, a habitation around a square, and til, torching or cobCob-Places:* Cobb, California* Cobb, California, former name of Pine Grove, Lake County, California* Cobb County, Georgia, United States* Cobb, Georgia, an unincorporated community in Sumter County, Georgia, United States...
). - Visse (Vy, Vis, Vitz). From the Latin “vicus” or “via”, because of the Roman road nearby. Roman coins and pottery have been found in the village since the 19th century.
- Monchelet and Haudrechy (once known as Andrechies) are made up of some houses and a watermill. The name Monchelet may come from Moncella or Montis-Cella.
- Harcelaines (previously Herselaine and Hercheleine) was never in the old parish of Maisnières but was amalgamated into the commune in 1972.
Population
History
In 879, the NormansNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
were pillaging the Vimeu region, but were defeated in 881 by Louis III of France
Louis III of France
Louis III was the King of France, still then called West Francia, from 879 until his death. The second son of Louis the Stammerer and his first wife, Ansgarde, he succeeded his father to reign jointly with his younger brother Carloman II, who became sole ruler on Louis's death...
at the Battle of Saucourt, at the very gates of Maisnières. All the towns of the Vimeu were then fortified to try and keep out the Normans.
In 1459, the château and ownership of Maisnières was sold to the abbey of Corbie
Corbie
Corbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
for about 220 écus d'or. The abbots of Corbie
Corbie
Corbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
, as masters of Maisnières, collected tithes and were also responsible for justice.
Maisnières cultivated hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
in the 17th century.
A century later, the hamlets of
Courtieux, Harcelaines and Monchelet were joined into the one parish.
The railway arrived in 1872, as part of the line serving Frévent
Frévent
Frévent is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming town situated in the valley of the Canche river, west of Arras, at the junction of the D946, the D939 and the D941 roads.-History:...
to Gamaches
Gamaches
Gamaches is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Gamaches is situated on the D1015, on the banks of the Bresle River, the border with Seine-Maritime, some southwest of Abbeville.Huge lakes to the west of the town are a paradise for naturalists, anglers and...
.
A single-storey schoolhouse was built in 1878. A second floor was added in 1954 so that two classes could be taught separately. The school was used as a billet for Australian troops during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, as was the château.
During the Second World War, the Germans occupied homes, the old presbytery and the château, which served as the Kommandantur. On the 3rd July 1944, a V1
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
rocket fell on the homes between the church and the presbytery. It killed 3 children from one family and wounded a dozen others. It had been launched from a site less than 3 miles (4.8 km) way, at Longuemort and had failed to take off properly.
Maisnières was liberated on the 2nd September 1944 by a Canadian armoured division on their way to Abbeville, where they joined up with the 1st Polish armoured division, to drive out the Germans.
Places of interest
Visse watermill
Fed by the waters of the river Vimeuse, this is the last survivor of 14 mills that once worked along the river. It was owned by the abbey of CorbieCorbie
Corbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
but confiscated during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and sold. In 1837, the miller sought and got permission to build a new mill upstream, the present mill. The wheel was restored in 1992 and can be seen from a small bridge.
On an engineer’s map from 1854, there appears to be three active watermills on the Vimeuse.
A windmill, owned by the abbey of Corbie, once stood on the small hill in Visse.
The medieval château of the De Maisnières family
Only a small part of the motteMotte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
wall still stands, 35 m long by 25 m high, on the flat top of the hill near the church, dominating the neighbourhood to the south and the west. It was destroyed between the years 1380-1400. The family that owned the castle died out in the following years, having been lords (seigneurs
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
there for 200 years. The first lord, Guy de Maisnières, the first of that name built the castle when Guillaume, Count of Ponthieu, in November 1218, established irrefutably that Guy was the next-born brother to his own father, Jean, Count of Ponthieu.
Château of Harcelaines
A small 16th / 17th château in brick and stone adjoined by a 16th century chapel with a classical garden covering three hectares (7.4 acres). There are water features and an English garden and also a flower collection including fernFern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, narcissus and poppies
Meconopsis
Meconopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae. The species have attractive flowers and have two distinct ranges. A single species, Meconopsis cambrica , is indigenous to England, Wales, Ireland, and the fringes of Western Europe. The other 40 or so species are found in the...
.
Maisnières church
Saint Crispin’s church at Maisnières was built at the foot of the motte of the old castle. The bell-tower, with its slate-covered spire, was built over an earlier tower.Harcelaines church
The church at Harcelaines is dedicated to Saint Saturnin has a bell-wall.Employment
Agriculture is the main occupation within the commune, though in earlier times, sawmills (brought in by the Spanish) and sewing gave work to many of the inhabitants.The coming of the railway stimulated the economic activities of the villages. A station opened in Maisnières on the 9th May 1872. During the sugarbeet harvesting season, 16 trains a day were loaded. All the local lines were closed between 1972 and 1975.
Monchelet, hamlet of Maisnières, had a very busy dairy and cheese-making business from 1900 to 1977. Production was principally dedicated to the famous Camembert L'Oiseau bleu, known throughout Picardie
Picardie
Picardy is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northern part of France.-History:The historical province of Picardy stretched from north of Noyon to Calais, via the whole of the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department...
and even exported from France.