The forging mills of the valley of Ouzom produced iron in Low-furnace X, by the method of direct reduction. They used the iron ore extracted the Mine of Baburet, near to the village of Ferrières. Their activity lasted at least 350 years, of 1512 to 1866, but of the metallurgical activities existed, before 1512, in this valley.

Les forging mills was large consumers of Charcoal. One estimates thus that a forging mill used, at the 18th century, a hundred hectares of forest per annum for its production of coal. The cuts being carried out every approximately eighteen years, the ironmasters were to have 1800 ha of wood per forging mill in activity. This condition, added to the particular history of the colonization of high the Valley of Ouzom (or valley of Tool bags) and to the geographical location of the mine of Baburet (on the territory of the common inhabitant of Béarn of Louvie, in the valley close to Ossau) are essential components for the comprehension of their history.

Origins

The iron layers of the valley of Ouzom, with the borders of the Béarn and the Bigorre, were, says one, exploited “of highest antiquity”. The old name of “Tool bag-in-No”, Herrariis , figure in the cartulaire of Bigorre at the 13th century. This name, related to iron, indicates the existence of an old exploitation. (of Latin: ferrarius , which relates to iron ).

The first forging mill whose existence is certain is the “Forge of Louvie” or “forges top”, located, in the high valley of Ouzom upstream of Tool bags on left bank - inhabitant of Béarn - of Ouzom, below the mine of Baburet. This forging mill, rebuilt in 1512 used the ore of Baburet, property of the same lord of Louvie, to a few hundred meters of the forging mill. The lord of Louvie also asserted landowner of the quasi totality of the territory of Louvie (approximately 2300 ha) and thus had exclusive rights on his forests which it made exploit to produce of the charcoal.

L' activity of this forging mill had an significant impact on the high valley of Ouzom. Produced iron was marketed towards Oloron, Morlaàs, Tarbes and Lourdes. Its transport towards the plain involved the creation of a way through the throats of Caillabet. The personnel of such “crushes with iron” was reduced: four inventors. But the requirements in “external workers” were important: minors, coalmen and conveyers. The small agglomeration which was formed little by little, upstream forging mill, was called Herrère-Top, or Arbéost - Herrère. It was on the territory of Arrens and Marsous and depended on these two villages of the Val of Azun. Downstream from the forging mill, opposite Baburet, on the bank bigourdane, another hamlet took little by little extension: the dwellings which rose on left bank of Lanet formed the Haugarou district, dependant on Arrens and Marsous from the territorial point of view, those of Right Bank were in the dependence of the village of No - one indicated them under the name of Herrère-Debate or No-Herrère or the Tool bags of Any. On left bank of Ouzoum, in territory of Béarn, the small hamlet called was also formed Eschartès, dependant on Louvie.

The constitution of the “field of Incamps”

In December 1588, the captain Antoine d' Incamps, obtained Catherine of Bourbon, “lieutenante general” in Béarn, in the name of his/her brother Henri IV, the right “to rebuild” a iron trade located on the edge of Ouzom, with the district of Asson called Arthez-On this side. The ore was to be drawn from a close mine, the mine of Larreulet, in the small valley of the Arriusec. To produce the charcoal, necessary to the operation of this Forging mill of Asson, Antoine d' Incamps had acquired the right of use of forests of Asson (on approximately 800 ha). The forging mill of Asson hardly had to function because the ore used was difficult to reduce.

Antoine d' Incamps died in 1614, but, in January 1612, his/her son, François d' Incamps, had acquired the seigniory of Louvie and all the rights which depended on it. He became thus owner of the forging mill of Louvie and fed from now on his Forge of Asson with the ore drawn from Baburet. The field of Incamps included/understood from now on more than 3000 ha.

Its grandson, Louis d' Incamps, obtained the title of marquis de Louvie. It supported long lawsuits with the communities of Asson, Bruges and Louvie about the possession of the wood of mountain. It obtained win and was in particular recognized direct and land lord of the eighth part by undivided of the mountains and forests of Asson, with faculty to cut all wood necessary to the food of its forging mills and the right to prohibit to the inhabitants any coal or wood export out of the limits of the commune.

Au beginning of the 17th century, Incamps had the totality of the territory of Louvie, wood, the pastures, the mine of Baburet, the quarries slate and of marble, all the rights which were attached there and a eighth of the territory of Asson, is approximately 3100 ha, including nearly 2000 ha of wood and coppice guaranteeing their supply charcoal. The activity of the forging mill of Asson involved the creation of the small hamlet of Oules where set a population of days laborer and coalmen.

In 1631, Pierre de Claverie, lord of Arudy, were made concede by the inhabitants of Béost the right to open mines in the dependences of this commune - mines of Groute Herrère - in the valley of Ouzom. It bought, in 1635 the right of cut in the wood of Jaut, Arriste and Laportère, in the mountains of Louvie-Juzon. And in 1666 his small son, Jean Cosme de Claverie obtained similar rights in valley of Ouzom, in the territories of Arrens, Marsous and No, with faculty to establish forging mills. A forging mill, known as Forging mill of the medium on the Chart of Cassini, was then established downstream from Herrère of No, opposite the hamlet of Eschartès. The dealer did not continue his exploitation a long time. In 1678, it sold to Louis d' Incamps the buildings and forging mills which it had established, rights that it had on the mountains of Béost and in the wood of Louvie-Juzon.

Les Incamps continued a policy of acquisition of grounds and rights on the forests. Their land field finally extended on approximately 4500 ha in the territories from Asson, Louvie, Louvie-Juzon, Arbéost, Béost, Aste, Béon, Arudy and Laruns. They had also the rights of cut depending on the forging mill on Claverie in forests on Estrem de Salles, Val of Azun and Saint-EP.

The management of the forests was rigorous, wood permanently supervised by guards, the “illegal” cuts and the pasture of the goats severely repressed. At the 18th century one estimates that 600 people worked with the manufacture and the routing of the charcoal for the need for the forging mills of the valley of Ouzom.

Technical evolution of the end of the 17th century

• the forging mills of Louvie, Claverie and Asson were forging mills using the processes of the metallurgy known as “biscaïenne” (of the provinces of Biscay and Guipuzcoa). The ore was transformed in a low-furnace supplied into air by bellows. “Massed” obtained - a block of iron still containing slags - of a weight from 50 to 60 kg was then purified by hammering under a heavy hammer. Hammer and bellows were actuated by waterwheels. The hammer was then used to work “finished irons” ready to be marketed out of bars of various kinds.

• the forging mills of the Pays of Foix used since the 16th century another device of blower of origin génoise, the “hydraulic horns”, device in which the drainage duct inside vertical tubes involves the air which is then separated from water in a “case with wind”. This air under pressure is insufflated in the conduits of the low-furnace. Whereas the bellows were of a difficult and expensive maintenance, the horns required only very few interventions. This type of installation - the “forging mill with the Catalan woman” - replaced little by little the “forging mills with the biscaïenne” in the central and Western Pyrenees.

In 1663 or not very front, Louis d' Incamps adopted the device of the horns. That implied to rebuild adapted buildings. The horns required indeed more water than the bellows with waterwheel and a drop height of a few meters. The Forging mill of Nogarot, built downstream from Tool bags, in a site more adapted, replaced that of Louvie. The forging mill of Asson was rebuilt on the spot. The forging mill of Louvie and that of Claverie were used more only like simple trip hammers. This evolution involved also the replacement of the Basque inventors by inventors ariégeois.

In 1690, son of Louis of Incamps, Paul of Incamps made to build, not far from “castle of forging mills” (a Manoir which dominated the forging mill), a vault dedicated to Saint-Paul. Around it was built a new hamlet. The forging mill of Asson from now on was named Forge of Saint-Paul.

Outre the inventors and the coalmen, the forging mills made work about fifteen minors, carters transporting the ore or iron, of the carpenters repairing the buildings, the waterwheels, the dams of the hydrants, and the days laborer.

Installed along Ouzom, of the Béez or the Gave, the trip hammers of Asson, Capbis, Igon and Nay transformed the iron of the forging mills into tools and in particular into forgery. One found also small workshops of nailsmiths a little everywhere in the valley and a dozen small trip hammers installed - without authorization, but tolerated by César d' Incamps - with the Tool bags of No as with the new hamlet which had been built close to the forging mill of Nogarot (hamlet also called “Herrère”).

Angosse

In 1772, Jean-Paul d' Angosse inherited his/her uncle César d' Incamps. The two forging mills, those of Nogarot and Asson were then in full activity. Each one produced, on average, 2200 quintals (90 tons) of iron per annum. They were leased and Jean-Paul d' Angosse drew from it a considerable income, evaluated with 30.000 delivers S per annum. The remarkable organization of the forging mills and the mine of Baburet, at that time is underlined by the baron DE DIETRICH.

In 1787, it obtained, in spite of the sharp resistance of Asson, the creation of the community independent of Arthez-with Asson: an enclave inside the territory of Asson, cut to measure for the ironmaster whose castle was the geographical center of the territory.

In addition to the started lawsuits, sometimes since of the centuries, by the communities which disputed its rights, Jean-Paul d' Angosse had to manage delicate situations.

The competition of the forging mill of Béon

In 1769, Jean-Joseph d' Augerot, clerk as a chief of the Parlement of Navarre made build a forging mill in valley of Ossau with Béon. The Forge of Béon used initially the ore of old mines with Aste. The exhausted ore, from Augerot obtained community of Béost, the right to use the mine of Groute it Herrère (the mine used by the forging mill of Claverie of its construction in 1631 with its sale with Louis d' Incamps in 1678).

César d' Incamps tried to be opposed to the company of Augerot and Jean-Paul d' Angosse planned to give under operation the forging mill of Claverie and to thus recover the rights on the mine of Groute it Herrère. He succeeds in obtaining, in 1780 the authorization to build a new forging mill, in valley of Ossau, with one mile upstream of that of Béon: the Forging mill of Izale. The purpose of this new forging mill was only to eliminate that from its competitor - by a competition exacerbated on the ores and the forests.

D' Augerot could obtain the suspension of forging of Izale, but it had exhausted all the iron ores of the valley of Ossau and was supplied in the valley of Baïgorry, in spite of the distance and the enormous transport costs which resulted from it. It renonça to exploit itself soon the forging mill which he leased in 1790 with an ironmaster ariégois, Guillaume de Luppé.

The revolutionary period

Appointed elected official of the nobility of Armagnac to the General states, Jean-Paul d' Angosse remained in Paris, when his wife and her oldest son, Charles emigrated in Spain in 1791. Guillaume de Luppé benefitted from the absence of Jean-Paul d' Angosse to send workmen to extract from the iron ore in the mine from Baburet. Condemned to a door amends, it undertook, helped by Augerot, to discharge the workmen and the coalmen employed by Angosse. The political situation and soldier of the year 1793 returned Jean-Paul d' Angosse “suspect”. Its zeal required out of weapons the Armed with Pyrenees-Western the, is not enough to make forget its situation of “above noble” worsened by the emigration of his wife and her son. D' Augerot and of Luppé ended up obtaining the authorization to extract from the ore of Baburet. The mine was divided in February 1794, the western part returning in Angosse and the part is in Augerot.

During the same period the owners of the small trip hammers established around Ferrières undertook to convert their workshops into rudimentary forging mills “to melt there” of the ore that they concealed in Baburet. Their charcoal consumption ends up involving the devastation of the close forests. Jean-Paul d' Angosse obtained several time the dismantling of their installations, rebuilt at once after the passage of the police chiefs. Moreover, many “private individuals” are reflected “to melt of the ore” in places isolated by using portable bellows. All these activities - illegal - involved an excessive wood consumption, and the forests were all the more degraded that their monitoring could not be assured any more. The communes of Asson, Bruges, Béost and Louvie-Soubiron again engaged lawsuit to try to recover the rights on the forests and the communal ones.

Attacked on all sides, Jean-Paul d' Angosse succeeds in making face and making admit his zeal to support the “armies of the Republic” - at the price of many concessions and important financial sacrifices. In 1797, a very favorable report/ratio of the mining engineer Muthuon helped it to make break by the Conseil of Old the the decree of division of the mine of Baburet.

Forging mills at the 19th century

Jean-Paul d' Angose died in 1798. Since 1791, he had been assisted by his son Armand and he had just leased his forging mills to him. At 22 years, Armand d' Angosse became the new Master of the forging mills of Asson and Nogarot. Work of the new forging mill of Izale was resumed in 1800 and one new open mine close to the Collar of Louvie. The catastrophic floods of November 19th, 1800, which struck all Pyrenees Occidentales hard, seriously damaged the forging mills of Izale and Nogarot, and destroyed the hydrants and the channels. The catastrophe had however, for Armand d' Angosse, a beneficial consequence: Guillaume de Luppé gave up the forging mill of Béon and the lease transferred some to him. Consequently, the forging mill of Izale lost of its importance and one stopped work of them.

Armand left the management of the forging mills to his older brother Charles returned to France in 1801. The whole of the “forging mills of Angosse” included/understood from now on the forging mills of Arthez-in Asson and Nogarot in valley of Ouzom and the forging mill of Béon in valley of Ossau - all fed out of ore by the mine of Baburet, very a land vast domain (4500 ha), including/understanding more than 3000 ha of forests and the roads, bridges and infrastructures necessary to their operation. A new cart track was arranged between Arthez-in Asson and Béon to convey the ore of Baburet to the forging mill of Béon. In 1825, Charles repurchased the forging mill of Béon to the heirs to Augerot.

After the death of Charles in 1835, Armand took again the management of the forging mills which it ensured until his death in 1852. The heir to the forging mills, Charles d' Angosse, wire of Casimir d' Angosse ignored little by little their management given up with clerks. The forging mills périclitèrent little by little, until their permanent closure in 1866.

La first half of the 19th century had been the most brilliant period of the forging mills of the valley of Ouzom, under the management of Armand d' Angosse. Managed well and “led well” by qualified inventors ariégeois they then reached the best performance which one could await from a forging mill of this type, a production of iron of approximately 180 tons per forging mill and per annum. Irons of the “forging mills of Angosse” were marketed for the local needs for the metallurgical workshops (trip hammers, manufacturing tools, nailsmiths). Provided metal - iron and steels - was considered and was even had a presentiment of to be presented to the World Fair of 1855.

But, as of the middle of the 19th century, the “forging mills with the Catalan woman” could not face any more the competition of the blast furnaces. Since 1859, the situation became difficult and Charles d' Angosse preserved nothing any more under operation but the forging mill of Nogarot. Its permanent closure in 1866 marked the end of the “forging mills of Angosse”.

Inheritance

• the sites of the forging mills of Arthez d' Asson, Béon and Izale show interesting units characteristic of architecture and organization of the “forging mills to the Catalan woman” at the 19th century.

• the remainders of the forging mill of Nogarot were integrated in the cellar of refining of a farm producing of cheeses.
• the mine of Baburet, abandoned since 1962, guard a through-bench of a hundred meters.
• the “castle of the forging mills”, with Arthez d' Asson and its monumental stables also form part of a farm.
• the old way of Louvie-Soubiron with Ferrières by the Collar of Louvie and part of the cart track - the “cami of mow fargas” (the way of the forging mills) - of Arthez d' Asson with Louvie-Juzon and Béon can constitute routes of excursion.

Sources

• Baron DE DIETRICH, Description of the ore lodgings, the forging mills and the saltworks from the Pyrenees, follow-up of observations on the iron refined and the mines of Sards in Poitou , first part, 1786, Didot Editors and Cuchet, 600 p. (consultable on: Gallica) .

• J.B. Laborde, “the iron mine of Baburet and old forging mills of the valley of Ouzom”, the Patriot of the Pyrenees , Pau, 27- July 28th, 1930.

• Norbert Larrouy, Arthez-with Asson, iron and coal , 1989, the Marrimpouey impressions, Pau, 212 p.

• Association “Iron and know-how” (Arthez-in Asson), Iron and Ferraries in Béarn , under the direction of Emile Pujolle, 1995¸ 20 p.

• Pierre Machot, iron and steel industry in the Western Pyrenees (1803-1868) , Thesis of history, University of Paris I the Pantheon Sorbonne, 2000.

• Emile Pujolle, “Mines and ferraries of the valley of Ouzom: functional organization and symbolic system of a territory”, Bulletin of the friends of Nay and Batbielle , nineteenth year, 2000.

Related articles

• Mine of Baburet

External bonds

• the forging mill with the Catalan woman (presentation)
• the forging mill of Asson on the site of the farga Rossel (Andorra)

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