Vaux-Marquenneville
Encyclopedia
Vaux-Marquenneville is a commune
in the Somme
department in Picardie
in northern France
.
, on the D93 road. The name Vaux derives from ‘vale’ or ‘valley’ and Marquenneville comes from the domain of someone called Marca. The inhabitants are known as ’’Vallois’’’
1166: Vaux, 1557 Vaulx, 1757 Vaux
1284 Marquienvilla, 1301 Marchaigneville, 1312 Markaigneville, 1340 Markainneville, 1388 Marquenneville
The Knights Templar
were established nearby at Oisemont
and had a farm at Vaux
The first known seigneurs
were the Riencourt family
In 1790 the commune came under the management of the department of the Somme and in 1793 the town of Vaux was integrated into the arrondissement of Abbeville
and the canton of Saint-Maxent.
1801 saw the neighbouring village of Marquenneville join with Vaux.
The town was occupied, as were many French towns and villages, by the German army during World War II
. In 1943 work began to build a V1
missile launch ramp at "Le Mont" in Marquenneville.
A German army deserter hid in a hangar
under a pile of wheat and after fruitless search by the Wehrmacht
, the soldier, with the help of the French Resistance
escaped from France to Spain
and return to his own home.
In June 1944. the V1 ramps were destroyed by No. 485 Squadron RNZAF
. The bombardment lasted one and a half hours (from 15h45 to 17h15).
The village was liberated by a Canadian tank regiment in 1944.
Vaux-Marquenneville received the Croix de guerre
with Bronze Star from the Secretary of State for War who said: "This courageous village, badly damaged during the Second World War, was delivered by faith and hard work".
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 8 miles (13 km) south 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...
, on the D93 road. The name Vaux derives from ‘vale’ or ‘valley’ and Marquenneville comes from the domain of someone called Marca. The inhabitants are known as ’’Vallois’’’
Population
History
Known by many variants of the current name throughout the centuries:1166: Vaux, 1557 Vaulx, 1757 Vaux
1284 Marquienvilla, 1301 Marchaigneville, 1312 Markaigneville, 1340 Markainneville, 1388 Marquenneville
The Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
were established nearby at Oisemont
Oisemont
Oisemont is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Oisemont is situated on the junction of the D25, D29 and D936 roads, some 10 south of Abbeville and west of Amiens.-Population:-History:...
and had a farm at Vaux
The first known 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'...
were the Riencourt family
In 1790 the commune came under the management of the department of the Somme and in 1793 the town of Vaux was integrated into the arrondissement of Abbeville
Abbeville
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...
and the canton of Saint-Maxent.
1801 saw the neighbouring village of Marquenneville join with Vaux.
The town was occupied, as were many French towns and villages, by the German army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1943 work began to build 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....
missile launch ramp at "Le Mont" in Marquenneville.
A German army deserter hid in a hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
under a pile of wheat and after fruitless search by the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, the soldier, with the help of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
escaped from France to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and return to his own home.
In June 1944. the V1 ramps were destroyed by No. 485 Squadron RNZAF
No. 485 Squadron RNZAF
No. 485 Squadron was a Spitfire squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force during the Second World War. It was the first RNZAF squadron formed under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme and served in Europe under the operational command of the Royal Air Force.-History:Manned by New Zealand...
. The bombardment lasted one and a half hours (from 15h45 to 17h15).
The village was liberated by a Canadian tank regiment in 1944.
Vaux-Marquenneville received the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with Bronze Star from the Secretary of State for War who said: "This courageous village, badly damaged during the Second World War, was delivered by faith and hard work".
Places of interest
- The sixteenth century church. The Riencourt family tomb is inside
- The war memorial is on the left of the entrance to the church graveyard.
- The manor with a 17th century dovecoteDovecoteA dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
. - Another dovecote of the same period can be found at another farm in the village .
- The school and mairie
- 1834: The presbyteryPresbytery (architecture)The presbytery is the name for an area in a church building which is reserved for the clergy.In the oldest church it is separated by short walls, by small columns and pilasters in the Renaissance ones; it can also be raised, being reachable by a few steps, usually with railings....
serves as a school and communal housing. The annual salary of the teacherTeacherA teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
was 200 francsFrench francThe franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
. - 1838-1855: Renovation of the school.
- 1861: Separation of boys and girls by a partition.
- 1873: Collapse of the west side and part of the roof.
- 1876: Introduction of the municipal library in the school.
- 1883: Establishment of the Fund Schools.
- 1889-1890: Construction of the new mixed school (now the mairie).
- Since the 1960s, the school has been closed but the building is still used as the mairie.