Flers-lez-Lille

Geography

A chart of Flers of 1927 watch its joint communes:

In north: Mons-in-Barœul, Marcq-in-Barœul, Wasquehal.
In the east: Cross.
In the south: Annappes and Hem.
In the west: Annappes and Hellemmes.

Administration

Population

Graph of the evolution of the population 1793-1968

Blazon

Of mouths, with the chequered chief of money and azure of three cars .

History

Villa de Flers

Since many signs of presence Gaulois E were observed in the close cities, in particular with Mons-in-Barœul and Lezennes, it is probable that the fields of these Gallic overflowed on the territory of Flers at the end of Gallic independence.

Oldest known constructions with Flers appear under the Roman administration. These are mainly farms, of which some rather vast, that one knows thanks to the excavation of the one of it located in the surroundings of the current castle of Flers. Built in IIe century, rebuilt at the 3rd century and ruined definitively at the 4th century, the “villa of Flers” - one gives the name of villa to the farms of the area - covered a surface of approximately 350 square meters, without the dependences. For his construction one had employed sandstone, stones and tiles of local manufacture. It had a heating installation by the ground, one used there stone runners, potteries of local manufacture, and even of other potteries brought by the trade of the area of Bavay and even of the Massif Central. In the close cemetery, the remainders of late were buried in ballot boxes after incineration. The fields located in against-low testify to a considerable effort of installation (chalk spreading, drainage by a network of ditches, sand contribution…). At that time, the area seems to be with the point of Gallo-Roman know-how. The Gallo-Roman installations disappear at the 4th century and leave place to the reeds then.

County of Flanders

A few years later, the count de Flandre, installed with Lille, monopolizes the territory of Flers. All the villagers from now on are submitted to the count. In 1066, Baudouin V of Flanders gives, by the charter of equipment Saint-Pierre of Lille, a farm with Flers. The count gives the grounds of his field to his vassal. Thus in 1090, the Seigneur of Breucq (Frumalde de Aqua) raises a mound (sign of power), a castle and a farmyard which becomes the supposed one of Breucq. This seigniory was important and occupied the Forêt of Barœul since the accesses of Lille to Croix. At that time, the marshes separated and protégeaint the villages.

At the 11th century, rural work with Flers is distributed between the breeding in the marshes and especially wood in the Barœul. The area starts to count an increasingly important population and the dwellings start to encroach on the marshes of Flers. It is at that time that of the middle-class men inhabitant of Lille the town hall comtale Annappes recover and that the municipal council undertakes to define payments common to the three villages of Annappes, Ascq and Flers.

Although the territory is rich, the country population saw in a very precarious way, and must undergo several famines with the XIV {{E}} and at the 15th century, in particular during the year 1316 following bad harvests the year of front. Another misfortune falls down on the area, the war. Of 1297 with 1304, the troops of the French of Philippe IV and those of the Flemings devastate the cultures and burn the village. In 1340, it is the Guerre One hundred Year old and Flers is militarily occupied. In 1349, the black Peste qs' cuts down on the area. At that time, the population of the three villages diminuné considerably.

At the 15th century, the economy of the village is rectified gently, in spite of the periodic plagues, bad harvests and the almost constant presence of soldiers. The corn not being more profitable, the economy of the area changes. One starts to cultivate the Guède to color the linen in blue, the flax and the hemp, and the breeding of moutous intensifies. As with Ascq, wool cloth tisserands work in Flers. After burnbeing burned by the troops of Louis XI, the Saint-Pierre church is rebuilt; the oldest parts of the church Saint-Pierre de Flers go up at that time.

The population starts again to grow very quickly. In 1449, tax investigations count 134 inhabitants with Flers; the population is in 1498 of 510 inhabitants. In 1505, Flers counts 640 inhabitants. The cattle became also very numerous: the livestock is composed of 38 horses, 250 cows and 415 sheep. However, a proportion between 30% and 50% of the population, sometimes more, are very poor and cannot pay taxes, whereas the lords multiply who have rights as well on the men as on the things. The area is still touched by the diseases, like a plague in 1534 and the Typhoïde in the marshes. Diseases also fall down on the cattle.

The area is torn by the wars and the village will belong successively to the Duché of Burgundy, with the Spanish Netherlands before becoming French in 1668 by the Treaty of Aachen, following the catch of the area by Louis XIV.

XVIIIe century

In 1746, the common one counts 207 houses and 648 inhabitants.

The king allows in 1774 the division of the marshes between the three villages and their neighbors, and those will be drained in 1781. At this same time, the elimination of illiteracy progresses. The cultural life also develops, with Ducasse S twice a year. One celebrates there also the Jean Saint, the Martin Saint and Saint Eloi. In Flers are organized very snuffed contests of shooting to the arc where one crowns that which cuts down the Geai. One notes also the appearance of the Cabaret S, or come to slacken village and village; most known of the surroundings is the inn of House-That with Ascq but there is not less than eight in Flers including one named Babylon which will give its name to a district of Villeneuve-D' Ascq.

As with Lille, there is no popular revolution in the peasants in 1789; more events Paris iens arrive to them with several days of delay and they are occupied by the distribution of their marsh communanux. In January 1790, Jean-Baptiste Bonte is elected mayor of Flers. Its election allows the abolition of good number of the privileges of the local lords. The revolution will thus have been soft and without any violence.

In August 1792, at the time of the war against the Austria, of the regiments gather in the area, to be directed towards the enemy. But with the approach of the enemy, they beat a retreat towards Lille where crowd will massacre the timid general Dillon. Austrians directed by the duke of Saxony - Teischen occupies the area after having taken Roubaix, Tourcoing and Lannoy. However, they raise the seat the October 8th vis-a-vis the impossibility of seizing the town of Lille. Still the war, the coalition formed against France invades the village in 1794, but the victory of Tourcoing pushes back the enemy.

Under the Terror, the goods of the emigrants are confiqués. In the same way, the silverware and the objects of worships of the church of Flers-Borough are inventoried, sent to Lille and recovered by the State. The three churches of Ascq, Annappes and Flers will be even sold the September 29th 1798 with the biddings, but not demolished. After the Legal settlement, they will be taken again by the monks.

XIXe century

Starting from 1800, the mayors are named by the Préfet. For Flers, the named first will be L.J. Cardoon. The wars of the Empire are greedy as individuals and the men of the village are very numerous to mutilate themselves or to hide in the career of Lezennes.

In first half of the 19th century, Flers remains a very rural commune. The policy of the time has very little influence on the population, which adapts immediately to the royalty, the republic and the empire. Still at that time, the village suffers from the epidemics (Choléra with Flers-Borough in 1849) and from difficult work conditions (Sunday rest respected step, Travail of the children, etc).

In the middle of the 19th century, progression of industry made develop considerably Lille and especially Roubaix. The new transportation routes disenclose the commune gradually. The first Tramway S with horses reach Flers in 1880, but its hamlet of Breucq depends on the railway station of Croix and is incorporated in the cities - satellites roubaisiennes. These new means of transport develop in Flers industry related on the Textile, the Métallurgie and the food one.

However, progress evolves/moves a little quickly for Flers, thus in 1889 one recommends there that “the vapor is completely abolished” for the trams and that one returns to traction by horses. At this same time, the villagers are enough being wary with respect to the Inhabitants of Lille whose city does not stop extending and is attached finally to Roubaix and Tourcoing by the construction of the Grand boulevard. However, the villagers start to agree to belong to the metropolis inhabitant of Lille and even more transport connects them to the close cities and villages. A line tram disappeared, called today “small mongy”, connects the pastoral sites of Flers-Borough, Hem and of Lannoy at the beginning of the 20th century.

XXe century

France enters the First World War where much villager died. Starting from October 1914, the German occupy the area, until the release by the Britanniques in October 1918.

With the rise to power of the metropolis inhabitant of Lille, more and more of people start to live in periphery and the population of the village increases considerably, more than that of the close villages. Thus in 1914, Flers counts 5000 inhabitants and more than 7000 in 1939. In the Years 1930, an increasingly important variation starts to be created between the two parts of the commune. The Borough kept its rural character whereas Breucq with its chemical, textile and metallurgical companies approaches with the industrial suburbs Roubaix. In Breucq, the economic crisis strikes extremely and social agitation is permanent. Of 1925 with 1947, the municipal council is socialist. Little by little, the industrialists roubaisiens start to occupy the castles of Sart and the Collection.

The area undergoes full whip the Second world war. For this period, Flers depends on the German command of Brussels, and will never have belonged to the Vichy government. The German occupation will last of May 1940 to September 1944 and the zone will once again be released by the British.

In 1967, the urban community of Lille is created and gathers 89 communes of which Annappes, Ascq and Flers. The February 4th 1970, at the time of a press conference, the town halls of Annappes, Ascq and Flers announce that their communes will amalgamate. The February 25th, Flers does not exist any more as a commune and becomes a simple piece of the new city of Villeneuve-in Ascq. At that time, Flers counts: 10500 inhabitants.

Famous residents

Lord of Breucq, vassal of the count de Flandre in XIe century.
Gilbert de Bourghelles, lord of the manor of Lille, lord of Quiquempois, replacing in Flanders of Baudouin IX of Flanders at the 13th century.
Colard de Rely, middle-class man, member of the Room of the Accounts of Lille, Lord of Close at the 15th century.
the lords De Noyelle, lords of Flers at the 16th century.
the Kessel lords, lords of Flers at the 17th century.
lords of Sainghin Baldaquin, lords of Flers at the 17th century.
lords, counts de Diesbach Belleroche, last lords of Flers.
Jean-Baptiste Kindness, mayor of Flers in 1790.
L.J. Cardoon, mayor of Flers in 1800.
Jean Desmarets, last mayor of Flers, appointed first mayor of Villeneuve-D' Ascq.

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