Ledringhem

Not to be confused with Ledinghem, a village in the Pas-de-Calais department.

Ledringhem Ledringem
View of Ledringhem church, graveyard and town hall
Ledringhem
Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region  Ledringhem
Administration
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Dunkirk
Canton	Wormhout
Intercommunality	Yser
Mayor	Christian Delassus (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	11–26 m (36–85 ft) (avg. 19 m or 62 ft)
Land area1	7.01 km2 (2.71 sq mi)
Population2	507  (1999)
- Density	72 /km2 (190 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	59338/ 59470
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Ledringhem is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.

It is situated also in the ancient territory of the French Flandre, in the Houtland (or woodland, with the cities of Cassel and Hazebrouck) in the Franse Westhoek (French Western corner) where Flemish was still spoken until recently.

The residents of Ledringhem are called Ledringhemois.

Geography

Ledringhem in the arrondissement of Dunkirk

The village is about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) southwest of the small town of Wormhout, and approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Cassel. Bigger cities are Dunkirk further to the north and Hazebrouck further to the south.

Ledringhem is crossed by the small river Peene Becque, a tributary of the Franco-Belgian river Yser and there is one shorter tributary, the Lyncke Becque, passing closer to the village center. Other small rivers are Trommels Becque, Putte Becque, Platse Becque and Kaliszewski Becque.

The climate in Ledringhem is oceanic with a mild summer (Köppen Classification : Cfb).

Village limits

The river Peene Becque constitutes the southern border between Ledringhem and Arnèke and Zermezeele. It is also the South-Eastern limit with Wormhout until the limit crosses a field between rue des postes and rue de la Forgé. The North-Eastern limit with Wormhout is rue Louis Patoor. The village Western limit with Arnèke is Voie romaine (D52). The Northern limit with Esquelbecq is chemin de Rubrouck.

Place names

The village center consists of the main square (La Place), the church, the cemetery, the town's hall and the village park, forming an islet nested in a large turn of the route de Wormhout.

There are two subdivisions:

• La campagnarde is a more modern part of the village in comparison with the rest of the built patrimony, situated in the west.
• Another modern neighborough dating 2005 is situated at the former place of the village windmill, destroyed during World War II, at the east. The newly built road serving this neighborhood is called route du moulin (wind mill road).

Other locations (Lieux-dits) are called Bas de la Plaine, La Belette, La Butte, La Motte, La Plaine, La Potence, Le Baron, Les Grenouilles, Les Tambours, Oost Houck (coin de l'Est), Planckeel (Planckael), Sainte Anne, Tampon court and Zinkepit.

Ledringhem is situated on the D55 road (actually called route de Wormhout towards Wormhout in the North-East direction and route d'Arneke in the West direction).
Other smaller roads include rue Henri Wallaert, chemin d'Esquelbecq, petit chemin d'Esquelbecq (north directions), chemin de Bodeye, chemin de la chapelle, chemin de la pâture grasse, chemin de Steenvoorde, chemin des postes, chemin des prairies, chemin d'Heenhout, chemin du moulin, chemin du tétard borne and voie nouvelle.
The village is a little off the ancient Roman road, now D52, roughly North-South in direction.

Heraldry

The arms of Ledringhem are blazoned : Gules, a chevron ermine between 3 pierced mullets of six argent.

Toponymy

First appearances in texts

• The place-name is first mentioned Leodringas in 723 : « Leodringas mansiones infra Mempisco » in the Latin-written saint Bertin's carticulary in the first part attributed to Folquin (or Saint Folquin, died 14 December 855 in Esquelbeques). This text relates a sale act written in 723 where the names given are Leodringas mansiones or Leodringae mansiones. It is thought that Leodringas is a Latin form of Ledring while mansiones were official stopping places on a Roman road and Mempisco refers to the Pagus Mempiscus, an administrative subdivision in the territory of the Flanders at the time. In this sale act, the owner, who is described as having a considerable wealth, was named Rigobert, whereas the buyer was Sitdiu's (Saint-Omer) abbot.
• Ledringehem ar. 1090
• Lidringhere in 1207 (titre de l'abbaye de Blandecques [Mir.]),
• Ledringhien in 1330 (manuscrit de la bataille de Cassel)
• Leodredingas in 1614-1616 by Locrius (Ferreolus or Philippus) in Chronicum belgicum (Chronicon belgicum, ab anno CCLVIII ad annum usque M.D.C. continuo perductum.) Atrecht

1609 map of the county of Flanders by Matthias Quad (cartographer) and Johannes Bussemacher (engraver & publisher, Cologne)

• Leregem in 1609 (Matthias Quad's map Flandiae Descriptio)
• Leodringas in 1639 (Jacques Malbrancq's De Morinis et Morinorum rebus, sylvis, paludibus, oppidis, regia comitum prosapia ac territoriis, Tomus Primus, ab anno ante Christum 309 ad annum eiusdem 751, Tornaci Nerviorum, 1639)
• Leregem in 1645 (Joan Blaeu's map Artesia Comitatus Artois))
• Ledrenghem in 1757 (14th sheet of Cassini's map, the village is pictured as a parish with a wooden wind mill)

Etymology

An ancient and legendary explanation is that the name comes from the Latin form (Ledera) of the name of a local brook called the Leder. This explanation, given in tome II, page 572 of Flandria Illustrata (1641), and though doubtfull, is also provided for the name of nearby village Lederzeele. It comes from Sanderus (1586-1664) who wrote, citing Malbrancq, : Lederam pluribus ab ortu suo pagis nomem commuicantem (The Leder was the source of many country names).

In reality, the place-name Ledringhem is typical Germanic, with the common Germanic double end -ing-hem (name suffix + toponymic appellative) found everywhere in Flanders, corresponding exactly to the English one -ing-ham (e. g. Nottingham). This -ing-hem turned into -egem where Flemish-Dutch continued to be spoken, but remained the same -ing-hem where the Picard language replaced the Flemish one in the Middle Ages. The French language has retained the old version, and often frenchified it as -eng-hien or -ing-hien (see above Ledringhien in 1330, similar to Enghien for instance) but the existence of the evoluted Dutch form is attested : Ledregem in the 17th century.

The only problem that divides the specialists (the "toponymists") is the right identification of the personal name (male's name) contained in this place-name.

The current name Ledringhem could be of Frankish origin, with the -hem particle meaning "home" and Ledring- being the genitive form of Leodro, a common given name at the time, who could have been a local chief. Hem is the same word as Old English hām (> home), the Old Low Franconian form would have been *haim.

Another explanation for the name etymology is the Old Low Franconian *Liuthari-ing-haim "home of Luithari's people".

Ernest Nègre notices that the Germanic -heim (sic) is precisely rendered by the Latin mansiones in the earliest document. He hesitates about the personal name contained in this place-name, but believes that it is probably Liutradus instead of Liuthari supported by Marie-Thérèse Morlet, after Albert Dauzat and Charles Rostaing.

The Anglo-Saxon history specialist Daniel Henry Haigh (1819—1879) noticed that the village could share a common etymology with the civil parish of Letheringham in Suffolk, England. and this theory of a Saxon or Anglo-Saxon origin is supported nowadays by linguists that analysed toponyms thought before to be Franconian as Saxon afterwards. Numerous archeological sites in the northern part of France along the channel coast show a very strong Saxon and Anglo-Saxon influence in the early Middle Ages.

History

The origins of the village are unclear.

Gaulish times

Map of Gallic tribes in Gallia Belgica.

The village could have been occupied since Gaulish times. At that time, the village territory was dry land (or moorland), to the contrary of other territories which were underwater, in the "plaine maritime" (see the three Dunkirk transgressions), a polder region made from Les Moëres, part of the French Flanders.

The nearby presence of a Roman road (now voie romaine - D52) from Cassel and leading to the sea could have been a reason for an early settlement. This road could have preceded the Romans.

1852 Ledringhem's treasure discovery

As a proof of possible gaulish origins, a hoard was discovered in 1852 in Ledringhem. This treasure has been estimated by Jérémie Landron (1840–1904), a pharmacist-chemist-gold-and-silver assayer, to be composed with 35 000 golden small coins, described as staters, and locally known as Ledringhem's buttons (boutons de Ledringhem).

The coins were retrieved in a 18 liters vase, that has been lost, by two workers cleaning a farm cesspit of the Mormentyn farm. Each coin was 18 mm wide and weighed approximately 6 grams.

Half of the coins were reddish, color due to a higher richness in copper in the gold-silver-copper alloy, the remaining coins being yellow-white-colored. They presented a running wild horse representation on one of the two faces.

It has been hypothesized that this treasure could have been hidden underground and never been recovered by its Morini or Menapian owners, during troubled times like during the Gallic Wars.

Roman time

Map of Roman Empire in the 2nd century (116), with Gallia Belgica province highlighted in red.

Julius Caesar conquered the Belgae, beginning in 57 BC. He marched into the territory of the Suessiones and besieged the town of Noviodunum (Soissons). Seeing the Romans' siege engines, the Suessiones surrendered, whereupon Caesar turned his attention to the Bellovaci, who had retreated into the fortress of Bratuspantium (between modern Amiens and Beauvais). They quickly surrendered, as did the Ambiani.

The Nervii, along with the Atrebates and Viromandui, decided to fight (the Atuatuci had also agreed to join them but had not yet arrived). They concealed themselves in the forests and attacked the approaching Roman column at the river Sabis (previously thought to be the Sambre but recently the Selle is thought to be more probable). Their attack was quick and unexpected. The element of surprise briefly left the Romans exposed. Some of the Romans did not have time to take the covers off their shields or to even put on their helmets. However Caesar grabbed a shield, made his way to the front line, and quickly organised his forces. The two Roman legions guarding the baggage train at the rear finally arrived and helped to turn the tide of the battle. Caesar says the Nervii were almost annihilated in the battle, and is effusive in his tribute to their bravery, calling them "heroes".

The Atuatuci, who were marching to their aid, turned back on hearing of the defeat and retreated to one stronghold, were put under siege, and soon surrendered and handed over their arms. However the surrender was a ploy, and the Atuatuci, armed with weapons they had hidden, tried to break out during the night. The Romans had the advantage of position and killed four thousand. The rest, about fifty-three thousand, were sold into slavery.

In 53 BC the Eburones, led by Ambiorix, along with the Nervii, Menapii and Morini, revolted again and wiped out 15 cohorts, only to be put down by Caesar.

The Belgae fought in the uprising of Vercingetorix in 52 BC.

The Menapii again rebelled along with their neighbours, the Morini, in 30 or 29 BC. The Roman governor of Gaul, Gaius Carrinas, successfully quelled the rebellion and the territory of the Menapii was subsequently absorbed into the Roman province of Gallia Belgica.

After their final subjugation, Caesar combined the three parts of Gaul, the territory of the Belgae, Celtae and Aquitani, into a single unwieldy province (Gallia Comata, "long-haired Gaul") that was reorganized by the emperor Augustus into its traditional cultural divisions. The population was partially romanised from the 1st to 3rd century.

The Gallic Empire under Tetricus I by 271 A.D. (in green)

The Gallic Empire (Latin: Imperium Galliarum) is the modern name for a breakaway realm of the Roman Empire that existed from 260 to 274. It originated during the Crisis of the Third Century (A.D. 235–284). It was retaken by Roman Emperor Aurelian after the Battle of Châlons in 274.

Constantius Chlorus’ first task on becoming Caesar was to deal with the Roman usurper Carausius who had declared himself emperor in Britannia and northern Gaul in 286. In late 293, Constantius defeated the forces of Carausius in Gaul, capturing Bononia (Boulogne-sur-Mer). This precipitated the assassination of Carausius by his rationalis Allectus, who assumed command of the British provinces until his death in 296. Constantius spent the next two years neutralising the threat of the Franks who were the allies of Allectus, as northern Gaul remained under the control of the British usurper until at least 295.

Later Emperor Diocletian restructured the provinces around 300, and split Belgica into two provinces: Belgica Prima and Belgica Secunda. Belgica Prima had Treveri (Trier) as its main city, and consisted of the eastern part. Belgica Secunda was situated between the English channel and the River Meuse, which therefore contained the original "Belgium" that Caesar had described. Reims (Durocortorum) was the capital of that second province.

The Saxon Shore (Latin: litus Saxonicum) was a military command of the late Roman Empire, established during the Crisis of the Third Century and consisted of a series of fortifications on both sides of the English channel. It was established in the late 3rd century and was led by the "Count of the Saxon Shore". In the late 4th century, his functions were limited to Britain, while the fortifications in Gaul were established as separate commands, dux tractus Amoricani and dux Belgicae Secundae, with headquarters at Portus Aepatiaci (possibly Étaples).

Frankish Empire

In Gaul, the Franks, a fusion of western Germanic tribes whose leaders had been strongly aligned with Rome since the 3rd century, subsequently entered Roman lands more gradually and peacefully during the 5th century, and were generally endured as rulers by the Roman-Gaulish population. In 406 AD, the Vandals, Burgundians and other tribes crossed the Rhine and defeated the Gaulish forces. The Franks had already infiltrated Germania Inferior and controlled it since at least 350 AD. They emerged victorious and Belgica Secunda became in the 5th century the center of Clovis' Merovingian kingdom and during the 8th century the heart of the Carolingian Empire.

The current territory of the village of Ledringhem became part of Francia, the territory held by Franks, in 481. It became part of West Francia in 843, and more accurately part of Neustria.

From 830 until around 910, the Vikings invaded Flanders. After the destruction caused by Norman and Magyar invasion, the eastern part of the region fell under the eyes of the area's princes.

At that time, Old Dutch was the Frankish dialects spoken and written in the Low Countries during the Early Middle Ages. It evolved from Old Frankish around the 6th century and in turn evolved into Middle Dutch around the 12th century.

Middle Ages

The Seventeen Provinces (orange, brown and yellow areas) and the Bishopric of Liège (green)

Map of the County of Flanders in the late 14th century.

During the Middle Ages, Ledringhem was one the 6 fiefs in the Bergues fiefdom, composed out of 24 villages. under the jurisdiction of Counts of Flandres. Esquelbecques and Ledringhem were parts of the same fief, but both villages had their own town magistrates.

From 1323 to 1328 people from Ledringhem took part to the peasant revolt in Flanders and five of them died in 1328 during the Battle of Cassel.

In 1436, Wautier de Ghistelles was seigneur d'Ekelsbeke et de Ledringhem (Lord of Esquelbecq and Ledringhem) and governor of La Madeleine hospital in Bierne.

Habsburg Netherlands

Ledringhem was part of the Habsburg Netherlands (1482 to 1556/1581).

During the Dutch Reformation Beeldenstorm iconoclasm movement, an episode took place in Ledringhem on Friday 16 August 1566. A depiction of the events is given in:

Jan de Druck was a busy iconoclast. He participated in attacks in Broxeele, Eecke, North and South Berkijn, and Ledringhem, for which he was condemned to death on october 28, 1567, by Alba's special law court, the council of Troubles. His crimes centrered on destruction of religious art and objects in parish churches in mid-August 1566: ... He also ransacked several altars at Ledringhem, stealing money amounting to 3 or 4 Parisian pounds and intended "for common devotion." ... Druck's deeds mirror those of other individuals and small groups; at Ledringhem, on September 10, a crowd of about thirty-two seized the priest's house, eating and drinking heartily before they settled down for the night there. Refreshed, the next morning they sacked the local parish church, destroying four altars. They scattered for the balance of the day, some going to Ekelsbeke, other to Arnèke, both sets listening to sermons, only to return at nightfall, this time to the chaplain's house,where they had something to eat and pocketed four candles. Afterward, they randomly searched private houses looking for objects the churchwardens might have hidden, or domestic altars or shrines. The next morning, they continued their efforts, overturning basins of holy oil, smashing up more altars, and shredding the priest's and chaplains's books. As a parting shot, they derisively cut up the chaplain's bonnet.

Spanish Netherlands period

The Low Countries Map (1556-1648)

Ledringhem was part of Southern Netherlands (Dutch: Zuidelijke Nederlanden, Spanish: Países Bajos del Sur, French: Pays-Bas du sud, also called the Catholic Netherlands), a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1579–1713), then by Austria after the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 (Austrian Netherlands, 1713–1794). The Southern Netherlands remained part of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire until its annexation to France in 1794.

From February to May 1638, a plague episode made victims in Ledringhem.

French annexation

Parts of Flanders became a French possession following the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1668, ending the War of Devolution (1667–1668) which saw Louis XIV's French armies overrun the Habsburg-controlled Spanish Netherlands. With the fall of the fortresses of Bergues (6 June 1667), Louis XIV took hold of Ledringhem, part of the Châtellenie.

French Revolution

After the French Revolution, French rule has been secured with revolutionary victory in the Battle of Hondshoote in 1793 against English and Austrian troops wanting to get hold of Dunkirk port.
In 1794 the entire region of the Spanish/Austrian Netherlands was overrun by France ending the existence of this territory as such. This was resisted by the Flamingant movement organized by Roman Catholic clergy. Austria confirmed the loss of its territories by the Treaty of Campo Formio, in 1797.

Henri-Louis de Guernoval, marquis d'Esquelbecq (1729–1801) (marquis de Ledringhem), captain in second of Louis XIV Royal-Cravattes regiment was the last of the nobility member to administer Ledringhem.

First French Empire

Map of Belgium and the Netherlands during the French occupation (1793-1815).

Ledringhem became part of the First French Empire 1810 Napoleonic Nord département. MOst of the Low Countries were also annexed. After Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig (October 1813), the French troops retreated to France. The Treaty of Kortrijk (Dutch: Verdrag van Kortrijk), signed the 28 March 1820 in the Belgian city of Kortrijk laid out the boundaries between France and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (under the reign of King William I of the Netherlands). Nowadays, these boundaries still stand, with some minor corrections, as the official boundary between Belgium and France.

World wars

Shrapnel, like canon shells and bullet casings can still be found in and around the fields here. They are usually found by farmers ploughing, and date back to World Wars.

World War I 

German Schlieffen Plan in 1914 was to invade Belgium to better attack France to the north.

Thus, at the beginning, the war was a mobility war. At that time, British horse-riding 20th Hussars were in Ledringhem the 7th of May 1915.

As the war turned into a trenches war with the front established to the east near Ypres, Ledringhem served as a resting and training place (billet) to the rear for the 1st Royal Marine Battalion from the 14th to the 22nd November 1917.

World War II 

A violent battle took place in Ledringhem during the Battle of France in May 1940, which involved British soldiers against German troops. On the 27th to the 29th of May 1940, the British 5th Glosters got separated from the rest of the British forces in Ledringhem and became involved in fierce combats against motorized German troops. Several casualties among the British soldiers, including officers and also French civilians, occurred during the fight. Nevertheless, the village was never conquered by the Germans at that time, and finally the British escaped to embark in Dunkirk evacuation during Operation Dynamo. There is a Military Cemetery located at the site of the battle. Other casualties were made by Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler by killing prisoners gathered in a barn at La Plaine au Bois in Wormhoudt on Tuesday May 28, 1940.

Also during that period, the windmill in Ledringhem has been burnt down. The head of the windmill served to repair the Drievenmeulen in Steenvoorde.

After the 1940 defeat, Belgium and Northern France were put under Nazi Germany control. The structure remained in existence until July 1944.

War monuments

The French Monument to the Deads (Monument aux Morts) presents 25 names, 15 of which being French soldiers killed during the first World War, the other ten being civilian victims during World War II. It is situated in the cemetery near the church.

In the British military part of the cemetery containing 52 graves, there is a Cross of Sacrifice.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1793	710	—
1800	700	−1.4%
1806	710	+1.4%
1821	704	−0.8%
1831	739	+5.0%
1836	719	−2.7%
1841	704	−2.1%
1846	702	−0.3%
1851	689	−1.9%
1856	658	−4.5%
1861	650	−1.2%
1866	635	−2.3%
1872	659	+3.8%
1876	649	−1.5%
1881	612	−5.7%
1886	599	−2.1%
1891	603	+0.7%
1896	523	−13.3%
1901	478	−8.6%
1906	487	+1.9%
1911	485	−0.4%
1921	480	−1.0%
1926	466	−2.9%
1931	446	−4.3%
1936	433	−2.9%
1946	431	−0.5%
1954	408	−5.3%
1962	399	−2.2%
1968	418	+4.8%
1975	403	−3.6%
1982	522	+29.5%
1990	533	+2.1%
1999	507	−4.9%
2006	649	+28.0%
From the year 1962 on: population without double counting Source: INSEE Source : Cassini 2006 : provisional population estimation by Insee

Administration

Town hall :.

Mayors :

• Christian Delassus : 2001-2008, 2008–2014
• Christian Deblock

Ledringhem doesn't participate in a twinnage program with a foreign country municipality.

Transportation

There is a bus stop, for pupils to go to collège in Wormhout, or the high school in Hazebrouck, or to go to Wormhout.

The nearest train stations are in Arnèke and Esquelbecq.

Accommodations

View on Ledringhem's school

There is a municipal school (Ecole "Les boutons d'Or - Butter Bloeme") in Ledringhem, a multi-sport stadium and a feasting hall (salle des fêtes).

There is le Trou Flamand estaminet (Flemish-style café-restaurant) which is also a general store situated on the main square and the inn Auberge Du Kok-smid situated along route de Wormhout.

Economy

The village main resources are agriculture productions. These include cereals (wheat, barley, oat), flax, fodder (mangel) and sugar beets, potatoes, horticulture and cattle raising (cows, pigs, fowls, ...).

There are also a few other businesses including a general practitioner.

Social life

List of associations in Ledringhem:

• Alcyon, Association pour le rayonnement de la francophonie, help to French speaking students
• Association Audrey 59 Steven
• Association des parents d'élèves de l'école publique de Ledringhem (APEEPL), pupil's parents association
• Association Jeunesse et ambitions
• Association Nature et Patrimoine de Ledringhem (ANPL), Nature and Patrimony association
• Club Agro Convergence
• Frisons en Flandre, Friesian horses association
• Jogging club de Wormhout
• La Jet moins set moto, moto association
• Lame Soeur, help to musicians association
• La Petite Reine Ledringhemoise, bicycling association
• L'Art Sauv., art at the hospital association
• Les Pieds Tanqués, pétanque association
• Les Quickpitchenaeres, carnival association
• Union nationale des combattants de Ledringhem, war veterans association
• Wormhout Volley-Sport
• international association : Association Franco-Britannique de la Plaine au bois, French-British association for La Plaine au bois massacre commemoration, with mayors of Esquelbecq, Ledringhem and Llandudno.

Patron saint fest (Ducasse) occurs during June first Sunday.

Main sights

• Paeltronck Hoeve (French : ferme du têtard borne) is a typical Flemish farm.

Religious patrimony

Examples of rune-shaped designs found on Ledringhem's church (a five-lozenges cross and a heart on the gable.)

• The catholic Hall church-type "hallekerque", with three same-sized naves, is dedicated to Audomar (Saint-Omer) dating 16th century (1548), with an organ and an 18th-century pulpit, an 18th-century tabernacle and a 17th-century retable dedicated to saint Omer. It is made of red bricks. There are several runic-like shapes, made of yellow-coloured bricks, included in the red-coloured brick masonry, around the building. The roof and bell tower are covered with slates.
• Several small chapels and crosses are scattered all around the village.

External links

• Ledringhem's data on Institut Géographique National (French)
• Ledringem's natural catastophy risks assessment on prim.net (French)
• Ledringhem's news on lavoixdunord.fr (French)
• Ledringhem's proprieties sales on lavoiximmo.com (French)
• Ledringhem on Villorama.com (French)

Photographs

• Ledringhem's old postal cards pictures on notrefamille.com (French)
• Photographs of Ledringhem on Le Masquelour's blogger site (French)
• Photographs of Ledringhem on www.picturefrance.fr (French)

References

• INSEE commune file