Méharicourt

Méharicourt
Méharicourt
Location within Picardy region  Méharicourt
Coordinates: 49°47′58″N 2°43′58″E / 49.7994°N 2.7328°ECoordinates: 49°47′58″N 2°43′58″E / 49.7994°N 2.7328°E
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie
Department	Somme
Arrondissement	Montdidier
Canton	Rosières-en-Santerre
Intercommunality	Santerre
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Claude Lasalle
Area^1	7.01 km^2 (2.71 sq mi)
Population (2006)^2	597
• Density	85/km^2 (220/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	80524 / 80170
Elevation	78–94 m (256–308 ft) (avg. 82 m or 269 ft)
^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.

Méharicourt is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.

Geography

The commune is situated on the D39 and D131 crossroads, 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Amiens, in a small depression of a plateau, the start of the valley of the river Luce.

History

The village name has evolved over the centuries, from "Mahéricourt" in 1135, through "Maharicourt", "Méhatincourt" and "Méharicours en Sangter". Some Roman remains, of coffins, have been found in the area. There was possibly a small camp there. As with much of the region, it suffered during the Hundred Years War and again during the Wars of Religion.

Méharicourt was a place of pilgrimage to the martyrs Saint Candide and Saint Flamidien. Their relics were carried from Rome in 1688 and presented to St. Martin’s church by the Count of Tincourt.

By 1899, Méharicourt had three steam-powered factories employing 500 people, making linen products, socks, stockings and hunting jackets.

The linen industry provided prosperity throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and the village became chef-lieu, a title it lost to Rosières in later years. During the 19th century, the village was invaded by Cossacks in 1814–1815. In 1840, the streets were repaired and the church restored, by a grant of 3000 francs and the labour of the local unemployed. The bell-tower, built in 1607, was reconstructed in 1842 A school for girls and a refuge were built in 1863. The Second World War saw a German airfield built next to the village, with building materials taken from the town hall of Rosières.

Population

Population history

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
424	429	485	512	480	538	597
Starting in 1962: Population without duplicates

See also

• Communes of the Somme department

References

• INSEE

External links

• Méharicourt on the Quid website (French)