Abancourt, Oise
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Abancourt () is a commune in the
Oise Oise ( ; ; ) 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 in 2019.< ...
department in the
Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; ; ), also referred to in English as Upper France, is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. ...
region of northern
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.


Geography

Abancourt is located some 40 km south-west of
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...
and some 20 km north-east of Forges-les-Eaux in the western extremity of the
Oise Oise ( ; ; ) 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 in 2019.< ...
department, on the border of the
Seine-Maritime Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-InfĂ ...
department. Access to the commune is by the D316 road from Aumale in the north passing through the commune and the village and continuing south to Blargies. The D8 goes south-west from the village to the border of Seine-Maritime where it becomes the D236 and continues south-west to Criquiers. The D7 branches off the D316 south of the village and goes south-west to Moliens. The D919 goes north-east from the village to Romescamps. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of La Montagne in the north and Hennicourt in the south. Except for a strip of forest in the west, the commune is entirely farmland. A railway line passes through the east of the commune from north-east to south with Abancourt station in the south of the commune. The station is an intermediate stop on the TER Hauts-de-France Amiens to
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
route and the Le Tréport-Mers to Beauvais route The river Bresle flows north-west from Abancourt along the Formerie plateau into the
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
at Le Tréport. This coastal river is around 68 to 72 kilometres long depending on which source is used and crosses the
Oise Oise ( ; ; ) 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 in 2019.< ...
, Somme, and
Seine-Maritime Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-InfĂ ...
Departments.


Neighbouring communes


Toponymy

The area was mentioned as ''Abencourt'' in 1146, ''Abencurtis'' in 1148, ''Abencurt'' in 1150 and 1152, ''Habencourt'' in 1180, ''Abencourt'' in 1337, 1454, and in the 16th century. One ''Jean'' and one ''Adrien d'Abancourt'' were alternately lords of Abancourt at the beginning of the 15th century.


History


Roman period

Ceramic tiles and amphoras from Abancourt's Roman period are displayed in the Beauvais museum. These were found near a hamlet on the mountain and it is assumed that there must have been a Roman camp or installation at one time. Fine red pottery, stepped and curved roof tiles nearly 50 centimetres across have been found. On Abancourt's ancient Roman road lies a linden tree 6 metres in
circumference In geometry, the circumference () is the perimeter of a circle or ellipse. The circumference is the arc length of the circle, as if it were opened up and straightened out to a line segment. More generally, the perimeter is the curve length arou ...
, which was possibly the marker of a military border or a Celtic monument.


Recent history

Abancourt appears as ''Abancourt'' on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version. The village was renamed ''Abancourt-la-Montagne'' after the French Revolution. Between 1791 and 1823, the commune was reattached to Romescamps. In 1823 Abancourt was newly created as a commune from Blargies with Hennicourt added to it. In 1867 the railway came to Abancourt with the construction of Abancourt Station on the
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
to
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...
line. It was connected directly to Le Tréport and
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
in 1873–1875. In the First World War the main British supply ports of Le Havre and the inland port of Rouen had restricted hinterlands. It was necessary to find a location where the daily supplies, to maintain 1.3 million troops, could be marshalled and distributed. Abancourt, the junction of several key railway lines to the coast and the Somme, was chosen. Supply trains from Le Havre and Rouen disgorged their content into vast warehouses in the Abancourt complex along of track. The warehouses contained enough non-perishable stores to last at least one month and dispatched twenty-two supply trains a day to the next distribution station. Today there is no obvious trace of this vast complex of warehouses and sidings. In the First World War, the British Army had a prison at Abancourt. In August 1916 a serious mutiny broke out in the prison, for which seven ring-leaders were prosecuted and at least two put to death on 29 October 1916: British Gunner Lewis, aged 30, shot at Rouen, and New Zealand Private John (Jack) Braithwaite, 35 years old, shot at the prison.


World War II

See


Heraldry


Administration


Mayors


Intercommunality

Abancourt is a member of the Community of communes of Picardie Vert, which comprises the communes of Formerie, Grandvilliers, Marseille-en-Beauvaisis, and Songeons. The commune is part of "Greater Beauvaisis", one of the sixteen constituent departments of the "
Region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
of
Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; ; ), also referred to in English as Upper France, is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. ...
". The commune participates in three inter-communal groups: * The electrification SIVOM (''syndicat intercommunal Ă  vocations multiples''; ) of Formerie. * The water syndicate of Blargies. * The inter-communal syndicate of school boards of Abancourt, Blargies, and Boutavent.


Budget and fiscalism

The principal 2006 municipal budget allocated euros to investment and euros to services. In 2010, the poll tax (TH) collected by the commune was 3.40%, the property tax on developed properties was 22.29%, the property tax on vacant land was 21.71%, and the business tax (TP) was 11.93%.


Urbanism

In 2020, 72.4% of the commune's residences were owned by their residents and 24.6% were rented.


Population

The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Abancourtois'' (masculine) or ''Abancourtoises'' (feminine) in French.


Distribution of population by age

Data for 2017. Source: INSEEÉvolution et structure de la population en 2017: Commune d'Abancourt (60001)
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Sites and monuments

* The Church of Notre Dame (nineteenth century) contains a statue ''Education of the Virgin'' is registered as a "historical object". * Hennicourt Chapel: built by the Galopin-Mabille family in 1856 and restored in 2008.


Facilities and services


Education

The commune has two schools – an elementary school at Abancourt and a primary school at Hennicourt.


Shops and services

In 2008, the town also had a bar/tobacconist, a bakery and a grocery store, located on the Main Street. At the railway station there is a hotel, restaurant and a bar/tobacconist. A hall is also available for hire.


Notable people linked to the commune

*In the early 1960s, the singer Annie "Stone" Gautrat, who sang with Eric Charden, lived in a small house in Perny Street, near the railway station, with her parents during her childhood. The house is located at the corner of the street at the bridge. Stone still remembers the white portico which was present at the time. * Patrick Jakobowsky wrote the lyrics of the song "Made in Normandy".


See also

*
Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 680 Communes of France, communes of the Oise Departments of France, department of France. The communes cooperate in the following Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunalities (as of 2025):


Notes and references


Notes


References


External links


Abancourt official website
{{authority control Communes of Oise