History of Tourcoing

Etymology

The origin of the name Tourcoing is obscure. The most probable explanation is certainly this one:

Tourcoing, of the Celtic Tor , the passage and of COInG , the wood or the forest : the significance of Tourcoing would be thus the passage of the forest , a way through wood . That would agree with the environment of the city at the time, which was covered with forests, trade route connecting Tournai to Wervicq passing through.

An author of the 19th century proposes another etymology:

Tourcoing, of tur , the turn , and of ken , the top : what would lead to tower the height , extremely of the hill (very improbable explanation, Tourcoing having a flat relief and even slightly low than the neighbouring communes).

A highly whimsical etymology sails about it at the XIXe century (the golden age of the city) explained with much serious that Tourcoing would be a deformation of the name of Tarquin Superb the, last King de Rome who would have founded the city at the time of his exile… to the contempt of any historical probability.

In Latin, the medieval form is Turconium , and since the XVIIIe century, Turcundium .

Origins

Located on the old commercial road going from Turned to Viroviacum (current Wervicq, then port and unloading dock on the river Lys), Roman cities of regional importance, Tourcoing would have been a simple hamlet of thatched cottages around a Roman Villa.
A great landowner certainly settled there, in what was at the base a relay of voyage, creating rudimentary agricultural infrastructures which attracted peasants around this villa.

Archaeological excavations show that a parish and a vault settled at the fourth century, with the arrival of the Christianisme.

The village, of no importance at the time, is quoted in no chart nor written Roman. From the administrative point of view, it belongs to the Gaulle Belgium, and more precisely of the province of Belgium Second, district of Turned ( civitas Tournensis ).

The Middle Ages

In 1080, some Saswalus de Turconium is pilot of one donation to the Abbaye of Harelbecque. Was he lord of Tourcoing? Nothing indicates it. At all events, this act is the first undeniable hard copy of Tourcoing, which is thus as old as Lille (1056).

The village of Tourcoing was at the time a seigniory (it will remain it until in 1789), dependant on the Châtellenie of Lille, which belonged to the Comté of Flanders.

See also: List of the lords of Tourcoing

Of XIe in XIIIe centuries: first institutions

The seigniory of Tourcoing belongs to the House of the counts of Alost, then counts of Guines in 1166, and is finally repurchased in 1294 by the family of Mortagne. These important Flemish barons do not seem to have resided nor to have had a great influence on the evolution of the locality. Three facts emerge from the banalities of the feudal life:

1130 : Following the request of the inhabitants, who wish to have a church in Tourcoing, the Diocèse of Tournai requests the authorization of the lord, Ywan of Ghent, to build a place of worship: the building is dedicated to Saint Vaast.

It will change patron saint later and will become the famous church Saint-Christophe .

In 1260, in the continuity of the great charitable movement of the Flandres, the lady dowager of Tourcoing, Mahaut de Guisnes gives " five bonniers of terre" with Religious . Those will have to build an old people's home there to accommodate the poor ones, the old men and the old women.

the Old people's home of Harbor is at the origin of current Hôpital Gustave Dron.

In 1294, it seems to have had there dissension between the lord, Guillaume de Mortagne, and the villagers on the rights and duties of each one; the situation finished without any violence thanks to the privileges that Guillaume conceded to them. This document with the original name and of a great historical value arrived to us: the legal settlement (no relationship with the treaty between Napoleon Bonaparte and the pope Black and white VII). This act is the equivalent of communal freedoms (or " Keures") large Flemish cities. This agreement, which fixed the habit (i.e. local justice), various aspects of the economic life (gone and ducasses) and the political power on the level of the village, this agreement thus will be respected and scrupulously applied until 1789.

XIVe and XVe centuries

In 1304, following the victory of Philippe IV Beautiful the over the revolted Flemings with Mons-in-Pévèle, the king obtains the fastening of the châtellenies of Douai, Orchies and Lille with the royal Domaine of France. The lord of Tourcoing must thus pay homage directly to king de France, and either to the count de Flandre. In the facts, Tourquennois hardly transfer change: belonging to the Romance Flanders where one spoke the patois Picard, near to French (and not the Flemish ), they were managed by of the baillifs of the king who resided at Lille.

The Guerre One hundred Year old also will bring its batch of misfortunes with it: the August 3rd 1340, Jacques Van Artevelde and his ally Edouard III of England, besieging Turned remained faithful to king de France, plunder and set fire to Tourcoing and other villages of the countryside.

In 1346, the lord of Tourcoing, Guillaume II of Mortagne, dies in the Bataille of Crécy: three successors dispute the seigniory: normally his/her Marie daughter should have inherited Tourcoing. However, Marie de Mortagne had married Jean of Fay, then had cancelled her marriage and had remarié herself with the knight Pierre Pascharis. Moreover, his/her older sister, Yolande, married to Gossuin of Quesnoy, also claimed the seigniory.

Between Jean of Fay, Pierre Pascharis and Gossuin of Quesnoy, Tourquennois did not know any more which was their lord; however, they needed the seal of the lord in order to authenticate manufactured draperies with Tourcoing.

Tourquennois, tired of the interminable lawsuits, called some directly with the arbitration of king de France, Jean II the Good. This one, recently returned of its captivity to England, granted a seal to Tourcoing, for half the blazon of the lord of Fay, for other half that the lord of Quesnoy.

In 1369, Charles V Wise the yields the châtellenie of Lille to the count of Flanders, Louis de Maele. Indeed, the king negotiates the marriage of the only daughter of Louis de Maele, Marguerite de Maele, with his younger brother, Philippe Bold the. He prefers to rather yield the Romance Flanders to the Comté of Flanders than to see the extraordinary heritage of Louis de Maele (Franche-Comté, Artois, Boulogne, Nevers, Rethel and Flanders) leaving between the hands a foreign prince.

Marie de Mortagne dies about at the same time, leaving a minor son. Gossuin of Quesnoy benefits from it to usurp the ground of Tourcoing to its nephew. Louis de Maele intervened and confiscates Tourcoing. However, Gossuin of Quesnoy obtained the usufruct of Tourcoing until the majority of the son of Marie, Jean d' Audenaerde.

Finally, Gossuin of Quesnoy definitively obtained the title of lord of Tourcoing.

This litigation seigneurial is interesting because revealing development of Tourcoing: this rural borough supplements its incomes while weaving and by selling wool and other draperies. We are not yet with the economic explosion of the 19th century, far from there: but each house has, in its cellar, a weaving loom and wool of the country. The basic peasant thus supplemented his incomes by making small drapery.

In 1443, one with the first hard copy of the échevinage of Tourcoing, composed of seven aldermen and a baillif (which resides in the manor seigneurial beside the church Saint-Christophe, named Château of Bailly). The current district of Poutrains, independent seigniory in XVe century, has its own municipal administration.

In 1491, the Germanic emperor Maximilien of Austria grants to Tourcoing a Franche Fair, thus hoisting it on the same level as the commercial cities clothiers of Flanders. Drapery becomes one of the centers of interests of the life tourquennoise. It is noted that as from this time the notable ones of the city become tisserands or brewers.

Rebirth and the War of Gueux

In 1525, the prosperity of the small town (three thousand inhabitants) makes it possible Tourquennois to grant a great financial effort for the embellishment and the enlarging of the old church Saint-Vaast, built in XIIe century. Great work is launched, of which some will last until in 1550. The church changes patron saint at that time: it becomes the church Saint-Christophe It is also at that time that the Market échevinale is built, in a pure Flemish style, meeting room of the aldermen and the baillif: the market, ancestor of our town hall, is built between the great place and the church Saint-Christophe.

The Reform, with the disorders which it brings, gains the area: Tourcoing is partly acquired with the Protestant religion, when occurs the terrible repression organized by the Pile cluster, representing of the King of Spain, new sovereign of the châtellenie of Lille.

The war of Gueux starts: a terrible civil war which will last more than one decade, punctuated of bloody assassinations. Gueux (Protestant plunderers), sometimes called Hurlus (hurleurs), frequently make exits on Tourcoing, Roubaix and Wattrelos, since their base of Mouscron. Ambushes are tended to the catholics, in particular with the priest of Tourcoing, frightening speaker, killed of a rifle shot whereas it crossed the countryside in direction of Wattrelos. Moreover, Gueux make depredations and plunderings (raid in the church Saint-Christophe about 1570).

Finally, through arrests and of executions, the pile cluster (and perhaps also lassitude) ends up calming the Protestant heats and the area found its calm and its prosperity.

XVIIe century: the return to France

The XVIIe century sees the final return of Châtellenie of Lille to the crown of France in 1668. However, before leaving the Flanders gallicante, the Spanish administration will distribute some last benefits to the area (for example, in Lille, the Vieille Stock Exchange, built in 1652 in a Flemish style blazing). In Tourcoing, that results in the creation of a college into 1666 by the Récollets, with the official authorization of King Philippe IV of Spain (in fact, this authorization went back to 1664, but various adventures had delayed the construction of the college). This establishment, at the origin under the patronage of Holy Bonaventure, was maintained until our days: it is about the free Institution of the Sacred Heart (official designation of the Collège of Tourcoing ).

In-outside foundation of this cloister and college of Récollets, Tourcoing continues to surely develop slowly but, reaching well early a population of ten thousand inhabitants.

XVIIIe century: emancipation vis-a-vis Lille

In spite of disastrous fires which devastate the borough, in particular in 1711, the small town thrives and is concerned all the catastrophes. As in Lille, one gives up old Flemish architecture gradually to privilege the Classicisme, as the new Town hall inaugurated in shows it 1718 instead of the old market échevinale become too small).

The 18th century sees, in the Flanders gallicante, the emergence of the boroughs of the countryside vis-a-vis the absolute power of the strengthened city which is Lille.

Indeed, Lille, old woman quoted clothier since the the Middle Ages, assumed a great number of privileges which enable him to maintain its monopoly with regard to the trade and the craft industry of the textile. According to the rules then of use, the inhabitants of the " dish pays" (i.e. the countryside, by contrast with Lille, city-fortress) must bring their wool to the large market of the chief town and sell it with the companies inhabitants of Lille, which take care of the continuation of the production. The inhabitants of lowland were thus only raw material suppliers. Lille took its measurements in order to safeguard its internal industry, because the competition of the countryside, where the costs of labor and production in general were beucoup less raised, this competition thus could seriously have put at evil the economy inhabitant of Lille.

However, one saw that as of the Middle Ages, Tourcoing had launched out, on a less level, certainly, in the artisanal manufacture of small drapery (or " sayette"). The coercive payment of Lille was not made to like Tourquennois on which the incomes started more and more to depend on activities other than agriculture.

This is why certain big families of the time will face the interdict inhabitant of Lille and will launch out clandestinely in the clothes industry of small drapery, with the benevolent neutrality of the baillif and the aldermen of Tourcoing. But, several times, the pot with the pinks was discovered, and the authorities inhabitants of Lille, by making inspections with Tourcoing, discovered one day of 1730 weaving looms in the property of Destombes. General outcry in Lille, which destroys the instruments and prohibited with the boroughs of lowland to start again.

But Tourcoing is not already any more a " bourg" : strong twelve thousand hearts, it feels lends, with its neighbor Roubaix (8000 inhabitants under the Old Mode) to defy Lille.

By provocation, a workshop of clothes industry of tapestries, hangings and carpet opens in Tourcoing. It is closed the next month by the authorities of Lille. Antagonism between Lille and Tourcoing is accentuated, of Tourquennois are trailed in justice…

It is during this period that a chansonnier inhabitant of Lille, called Burn-House (its true name was François Decottignies), violently took with part Tourquennois in his spectacles while making fun of these " broutteux" that it made pass for models of ignorance and idiocy.

All the magistrates of lowlands, supported by their respective priests, launch a petition where the notable ones (of Tourcoing, Roubaix, Lannoy, Halluin, Cysoing… etc) address a petition to the King de France Louis XV.

This request will lead only many years later, in 1762, when a royal edict breaks the monopoly of Lille and allows the cities known as " ouvertes" (i.e. not strengthened) to launch out in the woolen manufacturing industry.

One can consider that the true rise of Tourcoing begins at this time, thanks to freedom to undertake.

The French revolution and Empire

Tourcoing accommodates the French revolution with a moderate enthusiasm. Fill with enthusiasm, parce the city hopes that what she regards as the door and ineffective administration of Ancien Mode finally will be reformed and put an end to the provincial inequalities from which she suffers; moreover, the wind of freedom which blows in 1789 cannot leave indifferent anyone. Moderated, because the majority of the inhabitants are very attached to the Catholic religion, appreciate the old college of Récollets and have in great regard their lord, the Duke of Harbor Maximilien de Croÿ (which is elected appointed besides of the nobility to the General states), which comes to see them time with other.

In 1790, Tourcoing, up to that point true muddle of feudal strongholds, having for only unit the parish of Saint-Christophe, administratively becomes a city with municipal council. The first mayor of Tourcoing is Louis Desurmont, representative of a local big family. The French Flanders becomes the department Northern .

Up to that point remained rather calm, the city is disturbed by the arrival of a new prosecutor-syndic, Rene Huguet, originating in the Département of Aisne, which is the incarnation even Jacobin Anticlérical and extremist. He played wonder the part of a public agitator, assembling the population against the monks and denouncing with the revolutionary authorities Tourquennois which did not seem to him burning enough in the defense of the novel ideas.

The first victim of the vindication of the citizen Huguet syndic was the Collège Saint-Bonaventure. Benefitting from the new law putting an end to the religious congregations, Huguet made all the possible pressures so that unhappy Pères Récollets is in the obligation to choose enters, first of all, disavow their wishes of religion and continue to teach, or remain priests and leave the commune. Récollets, supported by the municipality, tried to resist, but Huguet missed causing a riot against the monks little, and those, conscious of the danger in which they were, finally agreed to leave on the council of the mayor Louis Desurmont. By leaving Tourcoing, they made wish be able to return in better times for to continue the work of teaching than we have carried out in this place for more than 120 years already . Their wish will be exaucé in 1802, after the Concordat between the pope Pie VII and the First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte.

Then, it was the church Saint-Christophe which was initially, in spite of the increasingly sharp opposition of the municipality, transformed into barn with hay and cattle shed with cattle by the care of Rene Huguet then, when Maximilien de Robespierre instituted the Terreur, it destroyed all the Christian signs and made of it a temple of the Raison.

Tourcoing being on the traditional road of the invasions, city opened in addition, it was occupied by the Dutchmen and the Austrians on several occasions. The Republic put an end to the enemy presence on the ground tourquennois the May 18th 1794 (29 Floréal An II), at the time of famous the Bataille of Tourcoing, first offensive victory of the republican armies over the European coalition.

Under the First Empire, the city did not know major transformations, with share the return to a state of calm necessary to its economic growth.

The city was again occupied by the Saxons in 1814 and 1815, but those being led in an irreproachable way, this occupation had unexpected consequences (marriage and installation of Saxon soldiers with Tourcoing, creation of a common brass band…)

The industrial age: textile prosperity

Formidable the " epopee of the textile" (local expression) as from the years 1820 starts: it begins in.liaison.with the arrival from the Industrial revolution in France.

As that was already indicated previously, Tourcoing became a manufacturing small town where the textile, which existed on an artisanal level since the Middle Ages, started to take importance. The introduction of the power loom radically will change the economic productivity and the appearance of the working class.

Thanks to the initiative of some daring contractors who introduced (sometimes clandestinely) the Mécanisation into the process of Production, North will cover factories and will become one of the major economic centers of the France.

In Tourcoing, this golden age remains associated with all the local great names: Desurmont, Destombes, Flipo, Tiberghien, Odoux and other Sasselange… These big families, for the majority among oldest of the city (already mentioned in the parochial registers of the 15th century), will become true dynasties which will direct the local economy until the beginning of the year 1960.

This period, which sees the rise in Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing with an international repute thanks to their industrial prosperity, is also that of a which gallops urbanization of the communal territory. The population passes from 20.000 inhabitants in 1825 to 100.000 in 1910! The old localities become true districts, the ones popular (the Red Cross, Brown-Bread, Epidème…) mixed (Downtown area, Bridge of Neuville, Equality, Francs…) or cossus (White-Bucket, Wood of Achelle, Boulevard of the Marne…).

XXe century: wars and crises

August 1st

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