Abbécourt () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the

Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost Regions of France, region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its Prefectu ...

region of northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The inhabitants of Abbécourt are called ''Abbécourtois'' or ''Abbecourtoises''.

Geography

The commune is located some 3 kilometres south-west of the city of

Chauny Chauny () is a Communes of France, commune in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History There has been a settlement on the site, more or less continuously, since at least the Carolingian era. Know ...

and is part of the Canton of Chauny. Access to the commune is by the D1032 road that links

Noyon Noyon (; pcd, Noéyon; la, Noviomagus Veromanduorum, Noviomagus of the Veromandui, then ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department, northern France. Geography Noyon lies on the river Oise (river), Oise, a ...

to Saint-Quentin passing through the north of the commune but not through the village The village is connected to the D1032 by the D437 which branches from the D7 north of the commune and goes south to the village then continues to Manicamp as the D922. The D338 comes from Chauny and joins the D1032 in the commune.Google Maps
/ref> The commune is traversed by the railway line from

Creil Creil is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. The Creil station is an important railway junction. History Archaeological remains in the area include a Neolithic site as well as a late Iron Age necropolis, perhaps belonging to ...

Jeumont Jeumont () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It lies on the Belgian border and on the river Sambre, adjacent to the Belgian town Erquelinnes. It is part of the agglomeration (''unité urbaine'') of Maubeuge. Population E ...

. The nearest railway station serving the town is that of

but previously there was a station serving the commune from TAC (Transport Agglomération Chaunoise).

Delimitation and hydrography

The commune lies in the

Drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...

of the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...

river and is, in large part, delimited by rivers. To the west, it is delimited by the Vigny stream; to the east, by the Ru de Pontoise, and to the south the

Oise Oise ( ; ; pcd, Oése) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 ...

river. Other rivers that run through the commune are the Brouage and the

Canal latéral à l'Oise The Canal latéral à l'Oise () is a canal in northern France that, along with the river Oise, connects the Canal de Saint-Quentin at Chauny to the Seine at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. See under the river Oise for the continuation of the route; the ...

. The Canal de l'Oise a l'Aisne starts in the commune going south-east at right-angles from the Canal latéral.

Geology and terrain

Abbécourt is located in the Paris Basin. Most of the commune's subsoil dates from the

Upper Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the ...

, when the Paris basin was covered with seawater. The altitude of the municipality varies from 38 metres to 64 metres, with an average of 45 metres of altitude. The seismic risk is very low.

Climate

Abbécourt like all of Picardy is subject to an oceanic climate gradient. The climate survey is similar to that of Saint-Quentin, which is located 29.2 kilometres north in a straight line.

Neighbouring communes and villages

Toponymy

The name of the area was attested in the form of ''Abecurt'' in 1151. This spelling is a form of "-court" characteristic of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

and the north of France. The word ''court'' (''curt'' or ''cort'' in old French) once meant "barnyard, farm, or rural area" (parallel to the German word ''hof'' cf. German. Hof "farm yard"). It is derived from the Low Latin ''cōrtem'',

Albert Dauzat Albert Dauzat (; 4 July 1877 – 31 October 1955) was a French linguist specializing in toponymy and onomastics. Dauzat, a student of Jules Gilliéron, was a director of studies at the École des hautes études. Works * ''L'argot des poilus; di ...

and

Charles Rostaing Charles Rostaing (9 October 1904 – 24 April 1999) was a French linguist who specialised in toponymy.Obituar ...

, ''Op. cit.'' or the Gallo-Roman ''CURTE'', derived from the classical Latin ''cohors'' or ''cohortis''. The word "cour" from which it derives, has a different spelling by analogy with the Latin ''curia''. The "-court" suffix is usually preceded by a Germanic personal name under the old French "case regime", but here this is not the case as evidenced by the old forms: "abbé-" is based on the low Latin abbas meaning "priest", which gives an overall meaning of "priest's rural area". Abbécourt should not be confused with Abbecourt (or "Abbatis curtis" in 1224).

History

Origin

The commune developed from the Abbey Saint-Médard de Soissons, which also gave its name to a farm located within the commune. The earliest historical mentions of Abbécourt date back to the 9th century.

Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, the commune was a lordship with its own castle and lords. In 1265 a hogshead of wheat was levied annually on the mill and the lordship by the monks of the Abbey of Genlis. This Abbey currently stands at Villequier-Aumont. In 1405 the lordship was purchased by the Lord of Genlis, Jean de Hangest. In 1457, the region experienced a period of pestilence and in 1471, a period of famine.

Modern Age

In 1579 the lord of Crosne, Pierre Brulard, purchased the land of Abbécourt from the Lord of Genlis. In 1581, a land register of Abbécourt was drawn up by letters patent granted by the King and the Secretary of State. During the period of the

Fronde The Fronde () was a series of civil wars in France between 1648 and 1653, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. King Louis XIV confronted the combined opposition of the princes, the nobility, the law cour ...

, the village was pillaged by the Spanish during the siege of Chauny in 1652. Abbécourt was again attached to the

marquisate A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...

of Genlis in 1645, but separated once again in 1685 when it came under the abbey of Saint-Medard until 1736. It then finally was returned to the marquisate of Genlis until the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. In 1774 the marquisate became the Duchy of Villequier-Aumont. On the eve of the revolution, the actual commune was under the administration of

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...

under the bailiwick of

. The Abbécourt parish was attached to the bishopric of

Contemporary period

With the Revolution, Abbécourt became an independent commune within the district of Chauny and the canton of the same name. During the

Six Days' Campaign The Six Days Campaign (10–15 February 1814) was a final series of victories by the forces of Napoleon I of France as the War of the Sixth Coalition, Sixth Coalition closed in on Paris. The Six Days Campaign was fought from 10 February to 15 ...

in 1814, the Prussian General Bülow's troops crossed the commune, pillaging the houses, to counter the offensive movements of

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, the village was under German occupation. Early in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, beginning on 1 September 1914, Abbécourt found itself once again occupied by German forces, who put in place a new municipal administrator and mayor. Facing an advancing British army, the German forces destroyed the village on 19 March 1917 during their retreat toward the

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 191 ...

. In the March 1918 German offensive, Abbécourt was again occupied on 24 March 1918. The village was finally liberated on 6 September 1918. Following the war, through an order issued on 17 October 1920, the commune of Abbécourt received the

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') 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 first awa ...

Administration

Municipal administration

Following the 2008 municipal elections, the Abbécourt council consisted of 11 councilors, including the mayor of the commune. This number of councillors was defined by the results of the census of 1999 when the town had 447 inhabitants. The outgoing mayor, René Paris, was re-elected after these elections. List of Successive Mayors

Judicial and administrative proceedings

For the judiciary, Abbécourt is attached to various judicial grades. For commerce, the town depends on the Commercial Court of Saint-Quentin. Abbécourt is part of the zone for children's courts of first and second instance of

Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The holy district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance. In ...

with appeals referred to the tribunal of

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...

. In the administrative area, Abbécourt is attached to the court in Amiens but administrative appeals take place in the court at

Douai Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, D ...

. The Administrative Appeals Court, on which the town depends, is that at Laon. For administration, the commune is integrated into the canton of Chauny, which is attached to the arrondissement of Laon. It belongs with 22 other communes to the community of communes Chauny-Tergnier.

Population

Distribution of age groups

Percentage distribution of age groups in Abbécourt and Aisne Department in 2017 Sources: INSEEÉvolution et structure de la population en 2017: Commune d'Abbécourt (02001)
/ref>

Local life

Education

There is a public elementary school in the commune. The school had 34 students for the 2011-2012 school year according to the website of the Ministry of Education.
/ref> For secondary education, the students from Abbécourt mainly go to colleges and high schools in

. They have the opportunity to move to public or private institutions. The only private school in Chauny is the ''Saint Charles College''. For public schools, there are two colleges and two high schools. For studying in vocational schools, students may choose either the ''Gay Lussac'' professional school or ''Saint Charles'' private professional school. There is also a private agricultural high school called ''Robert Schumann'' in Chauny.

Health

For medical care, there is no service in the commune but the proximity to the city of

, which is 5.5 km from Abbécourt, allows Abbécourtois to consult specialists and doctors, and to go to the pharmacy. There is also a hospital in Chauny.

Festival days

The communal festival is held on the 4th Sunday in June. This is due to the proximity on 24 June, which is the day of Saint John the Baptist, patron saint of the church in the commune. A flea market is also held every 1st Sunday in October.

Worship

Catholic worship is present in Abbécourt at the Church of St. John the Baptist. This church at Abbécourt belongs to the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Soissons The Roman Catholic Diocese of Soissons, Laon, and Saint-Quentin (Latin: ''Dioecesis Suessionensis, Laudunensis et Sanquintinensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Soissons, Laon et Saint-Quentin'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Chu ...

, Laon and Saint Quentin which is a subdivision of the

Archdiocese of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese a ...

. The commune church is part of the parish of Saint-Momble in Chaunois.

Economy

Businesses and commerce

Industries in the territory of the municipality: * Carpentry * Metallurgy * Locksmith * electrician * tiler * mechanic * the small shops in the area have disappeared

Sites and monuments

* The Church of St. John the Baptist: It was rebuilt after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

but it still retains some old parts of the building * Memorials to the dead from the wars of 1870-1871, 1914-1918, and 1939-1945 * A bath house * A canal bridge built under

References

External links

Abbécourt on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Abbecourt'' on the 1750 Cassini Map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbecourt Communes of Aisne