History of the Country of Caux

The history of the country of Caux was marked by the people of the Calètes in the Antiquité and by colonization Viking with the Moyen-âge. It fits in the Histoire of Normandy while keeping a certain originality, related to its maritime opening and its geological characteristics .

The physical framework

Prehistory

The first inhabitants of the country of Caux could live in many the Grotte S of the valleys and the coast, without one being able to evaluate their number in an unquestionable way. Among the oldest sites those of the are Havre (Bléville, Mare in Clères, Frileuse) but it is towards the end of and Sassetot-le-Mauconduit. The name “Calète” would come from Germanic the kalt meaning “cold”, Calètes belonged to the Gaulle Belgium. They lived grouped in the oppida or of the agrarian villages with enclosure. The most important oppida are those of the Ditches of Bénouville with Étretat and of the Camp of Canada with Fécamp. In 57 before J. - C., these populations group to resist the occupation of the legions Cesareans. But they are finally defeats.

Roman peace

In 27 av. J. - C., the emperor Auguste reorganizes the Gallic territory. It makes create the civitas caletorum (quoted of Calètes) which is incorporated in the province of Lugdunaise, whose capital is Lyon.

The populations forsake the oppida to live in the valleys. The campaigns are cleared, the cultures and the breeding develop and the craft industry provides exports towards Brittany (current the England). Juliobona (current the Lillebonne) is then the most populated city country of Caux. The Romanisation of Normandy, like elsewhere in Occident, passes by the construction of roads and a policy of urbanization.

One knows many villa Gallo-Roman in the country of Caux, thanks to air photography and with the excavations of rescue operated during the construction of the A29. These rural dwellings, in the middle of a land field, could adopt two great types of plan. The first could be longiligne, with an open frontage towards the south; the second was inspired more by the Italian villas, offering an aspect collected and organized around a square court. It is the case of the rich person villa of Sainte-Marguerite-sur-Mer, between Dieppe and Saint-Valery-in-Caux. The manufacturers of these villas used local materials: Flint, Chalk, Calcareous, brick, Cob. The technique of the Colombage is inherited this time and the Celtic huts.

The Pax romana is broken with the Germanic attacks of the 3rd century: the Côte of Alabaster undergoes the born incursions Saxon and the Roman Emperor orders the construction of the litus saxonicus to defend the plate, Caux and Talou. The Mérovingien S support the christianization of the campaigns and the foundation of abbeys which perpetuate the ancient heritage and are the only cultural hearths of the time: Fontenelle in 649, Jumièges towards 654, Pavilly and Montivilliers. These Normans abbeys quickly adopted the Règle of saint Benoît. They had great land fields, dispersed in France, from which they drew from the high incomes. They were thus stakes in the political and dynastic competitions.

In 751, the kingdom mérovingien passes to the hands of the dynasty Carolingien and the political center moves away towards banks from the the Rhine.

The raids Viking S begin at the beginning of the 9th century. In 841, the Scandinave S go up the the Seine on their Drakkar S, plunder and devastate the monasteries and the cities of the area. The inhabitants delivered to themselves, find safety only in the escape. In 911, the king Charles Simple the decides to give the Basse-Seine to the chief Viking Rollon: the Treated Saint-Clearly-on-Epte mark the foundation of the county of Rouen, which will become then the Duché of Normandy. The country of Caux, knows a very dense Scandinavian settlement, as the toponymy shows it: among the most frequent suffixes, let us quote - nozzle (Caudebec-in-Caux, Bolbec, etc), - flagstone (Dieppedalle, Oudalle,…), - flower (Harfleur, Fiquefleur…), - vic (Sanvic), and - early (Yvetot, Criquetôt-l'Esneval, Vergetot). The Vikings also left a durable print in the habits, architecture, the Dialecte and the ethnic Type cauchois. At the 10th century, the dukes often reside in their palates of Fécamp and Lillebonne, until the invasion of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror. Later, Henri II of England sets up the Bailliage Country of Caux, which will be taken again by the King de France at the 13th century. The condition of the peasants cauchois is then relatively better than elsewhere in France. Textile industry develops in connection with the culture of the tinctorial plants as well as the breeding Ovin. The population of the plate of Caux increases and the Bourg S develop, thanks to the Draperie. The inhabitants of Montivilliers, Harfleur and Fécamp buy with Jean Without Ground them communal Charte in 1202 and the Bourgeois acquire privileges. The commercial exchanges develop with the close areas and England. The fishing merchants of Fécamp organize a Ghilde which protects them and regulates their activities. Then the area is devastated by the rides, plunderings and the battles of the Guerre One hundred Year old. Demography crumbles and of many sectors are abandoned. The trade is slowed down and the disturbed economic activity.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the English razzient the campaigns of the Country of Caux. Fécamp is burnt in 1410. August 15th, it besieges the town of Harfleur which ends up falling at the end of one month. In 1562, 25% of the Dieppois are Huguenot S. They are: 14000 in 1685. The wars of religion devastate the Country of Caux: the abbey of Saint-Wandrille is plundered in 1562. The furniture and the statues of many churches are destroyed.

The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 causes the exile of hundreds of huguenots cauchois towards the Protestant countries of Europe and the North America; these exiled were often contractors and traders and their departure represents a loss for the regional economy.

XVIIe and XVIIIe centuries

In 1694, Le Havre and Dieppe are bombarded by the English (Guerre of the league of Augsburg 1688-1697).

Agriculture progresses to XVIIe and XVIIIe century: the culture of the Blé is the fact large farms on which is practiced the Three-year rotation. The Jachère is replaced gradually by the Trèfle, which improves the Productivité. The country of Caux occupies then, with the Vexin, the first place in Normandy for the Céréaliculture. On the coasts the culture of the flax develops. In north, one starts to cultivate Colza. Harvests are especially used to supply the town of Rouen. The peasants cauchois are owners on the one hand important territory.

The craft industry is dominated by the textile production. At the end of the 18th century, 20% of the active population cauchoise work in weaving. The market of Gonneville-la-Mallet is created in 1633. One sells to with it cloths, corn and wire for the Dentelle. The saving in Bolbec rests on the industry of the wool cloth. The principal production centres of lace are Le Havre, Dieppe, Montivilliers, Saint-Valéry, Fécamp and Caudebec-in-Caux. The small manufacturing activity is diffused in all the country of Caux: work of the Ivory to Dieppe, shipyards of Le Havre, Saint-Vaast-Dieppedalle and Villequier, etc the standard of living of Cauchois easiest increases with the purchase of pieces of furniture and new clothes.

The day before the French revolution, dissatisfactions accumulated at Cauchois: bad harvests, the consequences of the commercial treaty signed with England and unemployment strike the population. In 1789, four districts are created on the Country of Caux: Cany, Caudebec, Dieppe and Montivilliers. The plate is not affected by the Great fear. In the Night of August 4th 1789, the privileges are abolished: it is the end of the right seigneurial of pigeon and the right of seniority. The revolutionary wars affect the economic activity which undergoes the by-effect of the maritime Blocus and of the food shortages. During the Terror, the Guillotine functions in Dieppe. Under the First Empire, the country of Caux knows some revolts because of the bad economic situation.

XIXe century: industrial revolution and development of tourism

As of the Restoration, the introduction of mechanization into textile industry causes violent reactions of the workmen (destruction of the machines). The modernization of agriculture involves the Rural migration. The railroad arrives in Le Havre and Dieppe in the middle of the 19th century. It involves an increase in the tourist frequentation. Under the Second Empire, Dieppe becomes a vacation resort. Other seaside resorts are a relative success: Étretat, Weak-the-Pinks, Holy-Address cover villas. casino S and establishments of bath are arranged there. The land speculation goes good progress on the littoral but also the countryside cauchoise, which knows investments rouennais and Parisian. The Impressionniste S remain on the littoral and paint Holy-Addresses or Étretat.

In 1870, the country of Caux is invaded by the Prussian . Bolbec and Dieppe are occupied.

XXe century

In 1908, a strike of the farm laborers is finally repressed. During the First World War, the Country of Caux is used as a basis back for the face located more at north. The Belgian government settles with Holy-Addresses. The share of the soldiers cauchois died in the combat is more important than the national average: the cities and the boroughs set up war memorials. In the Inter-war period, the development industrialists of the Basse-Seine accentuates the rural migration.

With the German occupation, the population is requisitioned to build the Atlantic Wall from which there remain many vestiges on the Alabaster coast (stations of Holy-Addresses, Fécamp and Dieppe). The country of Caux is subjected to the air raids and a strong repression Nazi.

The Glorious Thirty are marked by economic transfers and social important in the Country of Caux: in agriculture, the breeding is reinforced. The arrival of the man-made fibers completes the decline of the traditional spinning mills. Foreign competition affects the Naval construction.

Notes and references of the article

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