Achiet-the-Small

Achiet-the-Small is a common French, located in the department of the Pas-de-Calais and the area Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Geography

In 1393, the counts de Béthune sold this seigniory in Montbertaut, mayor of Arras in 1413 and lord of Achiet-le-Chastelain as of 1407. Montbertaut resold it in Crévecoeur in 1474; the latter resold it in Jean-Adrien de Longueval Bucquoy in 1549.

Longueval Bucquoy joined together Bergagne (alias Bergamo) with Achiet and, in 1699, sold the unit to Jacques Charles Adrien de Mullet, lord of Wancquetin. In 1700, this last made demolish the remainders of the small strong castle, shave the mound and fill the majority of the ditches. It then made build a main building out of bricks and white stones, made close the garden by walls, made make at the two sides court a house, handing-over and offices. Behind the house, on the right while entering, a beautiful barn with two rose entered.

In 1749 the castle was finished by a vast terrace (500 feet length and 40 broad) on which were two guns given by Louis XV. With the Révolution the guns were molten and their plates thrown in a well. At the XIXe century these plates were found and restored with the Diesbach family.

In 1789, Achiet-the-Small, although wedged in the baillage of Bapaume, belonged to the avourie or governorship of Béthune and followed the habit of Artois. The castle was plundered then destroyed with the Revolution. There does not remain about it any more trace. The stones and bricks of the castle were used for the inhabitants to build some buildings which were in their turn destroyed during the First World War.

At the 19th century, the grounds, sold with the Revolution, was restored with the Diesbach family which did not preserve them.

Theater of operation of the Battle of Bapaume (1871) during the War free-Prussian of 1870-71.

In the old church was the family vault Diesbach (armorial bearings of the family adopted by the common one about 1985).

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