Brix, Manche
| Brix | |
|---|---|
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View of the village | |
  Brix | |
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Location within Lower Normandy region  Brix | |
| Coordinates: 49°32′45″N 1°34′40″W / 49.5458°N 1.5778°WCoordinates: 49°32′45″N 1°34′40″W / 49.5458°N 1.5778°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Manche |
| Arrondissement | Cherbourg |
| Canton | Valognes |
| Intercommunality | Bocage valognais |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2001–2008) | Daniel Lebunetel |
| Area1 | 32.16 km2 (12.42 sq mi) |
| Population (2009)2 | 2,065 |
| • Density | 64/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 50087 / 50700 |
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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. | |
Brix (French pronunciation: [bʁi]) is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in northwestern France.
History
Brix is known primarily as being the assumed origin of the Bruce family, who emigrated to Britain in the Middle Ages, settling in northern England and then southern Scotland. The family became a royal house with the accession of Robert the Bruce in 1306.
Population
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1793 | 2,653 | — |
| 1800 | 2,954 | +11.3% |
| 1806 | 2,823 | −4.4% |
| 1821 | 3,250 | +15.1% |
| 1831 | 3,088 | −5.0% |
| 1836 | 3,055 | −1.1% |
| 1841 | 3,004 | −1.7% |
| 1846 | 2,807 | −6.6% |
| 1851 | 2,756 | −1.8% |
| 1856 | 2,615 | −5.1% |
| 1861 | 2,485 | −5.0% |
| 1866 | 2,517 | +1.3% |
| 1872 | 2,289 | −9.1% |
| 1876 | 2,181 | −4.7% |
| 1881 | 2,163 | −0.8% |
| 1886 | 2,114 | −2.3% |
| 1891 | 2,199 | +4.0% |
| 1896 | 2,054 | −6.6% |
| 1901 | 1,931 | −6.0% |
| 1906 | 1,874 | −3.0% |
| 1911 | 1,826 | −2.6% |
| 1921 | 1,633 | −10.6% |
| 1926 | 1,675 | +2.6% |
| 1931 | 1,557 | −7.0% |
| 1936 | 1,537 | −1.3% |
| 1946 | 1,503 | −2.2% |
| 1954 | 1,443 | −4.0% |
| 1962 | 1,447 | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 1,357 | −6.2% |
| 1975 | 1,323 | −2.5% |
| 1982 | 1,600 | +20.9% |
| 1990 | 1,828 | +14.3% |
| 1999 | 1,928 | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 2,065 | +7.1% |
Sights
A family that originated in the area, known variously as Brus, Bruis, Brix and Bruce is said to be responsible for the Adam Castle, the oldest monument in Brix. The castle is said to take its name from an Adam de Brus, who may have been associated with William the Conqueror.[1] Very little remains of the castle.
The main square of Brix is called Place Robert Bruce. Many prominent members of the family mentioned above were named "Robert", including: Robert de Brus (1078–1138), the first member of the family known to have resided in Britain, and his descendant Robert the Bruce (1274–1329), also known as Robert I, King of Scotland.
Events
On the first weekend of October, the commune holds the St. Denis Fair, a tradition of the Cotentin.
See also
References
- ↑ There is no evidence, other than unreliable late medieval sources, like the Battle Abbey Roll, to support a claim that another member of the family, Robert de Brix or de Brus, served under William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. (See: Emma Cownie, 2004, "Brus , Robert de (supp. d. 1094)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford, Oxford University Press.)
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brix (Manche). |
