Moreuil
Encyclopedia
Moreuil is a commune
in the Somme
department in Picardie
in northern France
.
, on the banks of the Avre River
.
word meaning ‘sea’. Moreuil is found on the Roman road that links Compiègne
, Montdidier
and Amiens
which explains the number of Gallo-Roman finds in the vicinity.
First mentioned around 800 as a fort and square on the river Avre
, it was sacked by the Normans
. The lords of Moreuil rendered great service to the Kings of France during the Crusades
. One was created a Knight of the Order of Malta.
During the Hundred Years War, Moreuil suffered through blood and fire. It was taken, won back and re-taken by the Burgundians
.
During the Wars of Religion
, it was one of the strongest supporters of the Catholic League
In 1574 the towns’s two schools were burnt down, but reconstructed thanks to the benefices of Cardinal Antoine de Créquy, Bishop of Amiens and abbot
of Moreuil.
In 1720 hat-making was established in Moreuil. Unaffected to any degree by the French Revolution
, Moreuil was subject to foreign occupation during 1815 and during the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870. During the Great War, the town formed a part of the front line of the Western Front
.
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
Moreuil is situated on the D920 and D935 crossroads, some 13 miles (21 km) southeast of AmiensAmiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, on the banks of the Avre River
Avre (Somme)
The Avre is a river in Picardie and is the principal tributary, from the left side, of the Somme. At 66 kilometres long, it drains a relatively important basin of 1,150 km² but only flows at best 5,1 m³/s near its confluence at Longueau....
.
Population
| 1700 | 1890 | 1896 | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1375 | 3371 | 3347 | 3586 | 3647 | 4099 | 4203 | 4156 | 4106 | 4040 |
| Starting in 1962: Population without duplicates | |||||||||
History
Known by several names over the years, Morolium (1103), Moroil (1183), Moruel, Moroilum, Moroiel, Moreul (1240), Moureul, Moureuil (1340), Morveul, Morvels and finally Moreuil , the commune has ancient origins. Flint tools have been found here and the presence of tall boundary stones indicates pre-roman settlement. Moreuil comes from a CelticCeltic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
word meaning ‘sea’. Moreuil is found on the Roman road that links Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
, Montdidier
Montdidier
Montdidier is the name of several communes in France:* Montdidier, in the Moselle département* Montdidier, in the Somme département...
and Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
which explains the number of Gallo-Roman finds in the vicinity.
First mentioned around 800 as a fort and square on the river Avre
Avre (Somme)
The Avre is a river in Picardie and is the principal tributary, from the left side, of the Somme. At 66 kilometres long, it drains a relatively important basin of 1,150 km² but only flows at best 5,1 m³/s near its confluence at Longueau....
, it was sacked by the Normans
Normans
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...
. The lords of Moreuil rendered great service to the Kings of France during the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
. One was created a Knight of the Order of Malta.
During the Hundred Years War, Moreuil suffered through blood and fire. It was taken, won back and re-taken by the Burgundians
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe...
.
During the Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
, it was one of the strongest supporters of the Catholic League
Catholic League (French)
The Catholic League of France, sometimes referred to by contemporary Roman Catholics as the Holy League, a major player in the French Wars of Religion, was formed by Duke Henry of Guise in 1576...
In 1574 the towns’s two schools were burnt down, but reconstructed thanks to the benefices of Cardinal Antoine de Créquy, Bishop of Amiens and abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Moreuil.
In 1720 hat-making was established in Moreuil. Unaffected to any degree by 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...
, Moreuil was subject to foreign occupation during 1815 and during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870. During the Great War, the town formed a part of the front line of the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.