Prunay

Prunay is a common French, located in the department of the Marne and the area Champagne-Ardenne.

History

by Mr. Remi Morlet, Mayor of Prunay of 1959 to 1977

The traveller coming from Rheims by the RN 44, arriving at the top of the coast of Pompelle, discovers a broad valley, limited to North by the Tops of Beine and the Champagne Mounts, in the south by the mountain of Rheims. Placed as in sentinel in front of foliations masking Vesle, well with overdraft, a bell-tower. Grouped around this bell-tower, a village, it is Prunay. Here a side of its history of the Revolution at our days.

happy Days

While going up in time, at the end of the Royalty, Prunay depend on the baillage of Rheims and the abbey of St Basle in Verzy is with primarily agricultural vocation. The priest of the time (1789) does not appear very proud of his flocks and will say " They all are plowmen, and will add, dominant Vices: seven deadly sins ".

The population is at this time of 400 inhabitants, it will increase appreciably then to reach 492 in 1912. The complaints of the inhabitants presented to the General states of 1789 are numerous: " Initially the height of water, following the backward flows of the pond of Sillery makes the streets of the village impracticable and deteriorates the solidity of the houses and returns part of the best uncultivated grounds of the soil, in time that the villages push their ears and that the fogs rise on the known as pond and extend on the campaigns, causing considerable damage " (Champagne E.MILLET-Geography: The Countries marnais)

Other complaints are also presented, they relate to the price of salt (exorbitant), the drawing lot of the militia, the payment of said and other taxes, noticing that the lords and other ecclesiastics are exempted by it, but especially the damage caused with harvests by the game " that the lords maintain without worrying about misery about the People " Nearly one century later, following the invention of Jacquart, one will find in the village, a rather significant number wool weavers who will work on their trades for spinning mills of Rheims, of which carrying also called " messengers " , resident with Prunay, will ensure the transport of the goods, unless good people of this time does not make the way with foot quite simply, in shoes.

The war 1870-71 will bring little disorders in the commune. The old ones, to the young people, will speak well a little about the Prussians and will scoff Bismarck by naive songs. The loss of Lorraine Alsace will be cruelly felt and the schoolboys will learn from their Masters the insult made with the Fatherland, thus maintaining in youth a rather quarrelsome spirit, a burning patriotism.

In 1914, the village reflects a flourishing health condition: It is clean, merry. With the variations, on the Roman way, the windmill, the two houses, the working cities of the Marchionesses (model for the time) and two vain houses decorate this beautiful way. But the most important property is well the field of Commelles with its castle its houses of guard. (See its history) This field covers a few 1.700 hectares, mainly wooded, overflowing on the communes of Beine, Wez, Sillery. Many workmen of Prunay will work there and are also used as pickups the many days of hunting because the game abounds. Towards 1890 of the hunts are even organized, of the stags being brought forests Normans to be released for this purpose.

The startup of the Way of Way DER iron Rheims-Châlons takes place in 1863. But 1892 will have to be waited until to obtain the stopping of the train with Prunay and the inauguration of the halt built with important participations of the commune and also of that of Verzenay, will take place this same year.

In 1902 the Company of Iron and P.M " is founded; The Francs Gunners of Vesle " who will bring still a little more life. Town hall and Schools are suitable, in particular the renovated School of the girls is remarkable, with its pleasure garden. All, therefore, breathes the love of life, when on June 28th, 1914, the drama of Sarajevo will give the signal of times of misery.

Times of misery

July 1914, one does not speak any more but about war, without thinking, of course, than it will be Large, the largest destroying one of human lives, goods, all times.

Before this declaration of war, one always hopes. It is initially at the beginning of July, the requisition of the horses which takes place with Beaumont on Vesle and it will be poignant to see returning to the village all these farmers disorientated with, only the supports of their horses under the arm. How to work? But the question will quickly be solved: After requisition of the horses, the general mobilization of the men on August 2nd.

This time, the village is emptied of its active population. With the advertisement of the enemy advance, as of at the end of August, some inhabitants start to evacuate, but the greatest number remains, and it is later, too late, on the pressing opinions of the French troops in retirement, advising to flee, that others decide to leave. But almost all, with their poor average, old horses, handcarts, will quickly be exceeded by the German troops, will make half-turn and return to their village, which they will find intact, this one having been reached as of on September 3rd by the Germans, continuing their advance towards the South. They will have crossed well, on their short road of return, the especially interested children, the uhlans with the helmet with plate, the infantrymen with the spiked helmet, the artillerists with the helmet with ball, those all calm and indifferent.

The women, the old men, the children will make of their to better continue the abandoned harvest a few days, not thinking only little of time after, this harvest which cost such an amount of sorrow, will be destroyed, that it was garnered or put out of grinding stones. In the absence of baker, old of this profession, will take care of the cooking of the bread, obtained with flour of ground corn, without blutage, by the miller, remained at his station.

It is on September 8th that the German troops reappear but going in opposed direction, it is the retirement, following their defeat of the Marne. The first quotas belong to the Genius. They are anxious, disillusioned but suitable. September 10th in quartering another regiment but this time succeeds to them belonging to the Prussian Guard. There, more mortuary, the officers hold their troops better. Usual requisitions of food products are made., but not notable exactions.

Simple incident, an officer arised in a farm with some soldiers to requisition hens. Those with sticks are reflected to continue the poultries in all directions, in the court, without being able to take some. At this point in time the impatienté officer, and certainly only for intimidation takes the farm one by the arm, by putting his revolver to him on the chest says to him: " You Kaput, so in 5 minutes to you not delivered hens ". The farm one without being dismounted answers him: " Make finish your men and you will have hens ". The officer gave in short his order Aidée of his young person wire, it succeeds in inserting of hens in a stable where they caught some under the troughs of them, it was easy! The officer in poultry possession, the farm one says to him: " What do you give in exchange? " The officer rageusement tore off a page of a notebook and registered some lines there. Having taken the ticket, it said to him: " But for the payment? " The very haughty officer answered him, but this time, as excellent French: " Madam, who will lose, will pay! " This good was preserved a long time, at least until 1940. One could think, not knowing the German, whom it expressed of the insults, but after being examined by a qualified person, it was recognized that it was about a good of in due form established requisition (to remember personal).

Shutters and doors are removed and transported to the places where the Germans decided to establish a line of defense on the heights, in the North of Prunay, there trench to try to stop 1" advances French and unfortunately… they will make a success of and occupy these lines during more than 4 years.

These finished preparations of defense, the Germans will withdraw village on September 12th being folded up on these lines. Only instruction before their departure: They make jump the mill of Prunay, which, thought, could be used as observatory, so close to their lines. As of this moment, the Mill of Verzenay, twin brother, will only continue to perpetuate the heritage of the BOUDVILLE. (The miller of Prunay in 1914, Henri BOUDVILLE, successor of his Edmond father, was the nephew of Pierre Emile BOUDVILLE, miller of Verzenay, born in Prunay on February 2nd, 1834. This one had decided as of 1901 that the wings of its mill would not turn any more. TO SINTER, Verzenay, its history - the miller of Prunay had persevered to grind the " stuck ". This old name of stuck formerly employed, is due undoubtedly to the fact that " was needed; to stick " the bag of grain on the back. To climb and to empty it in the hopper, grinding being collected in bottom…)

The Germans before withdrawing itself from Prunay, barred with carts the accesses of the village and the bridge of Vesle. The French troops, after having forced these defenses at the significant prices of losses, re-occupy the village on September 13rd about midday. The first victim of this combat of reconquest will be probably a hunter with horse sent as a scout, who will fall to the bridge from Vesle, accommodated by the fire of the backs - German guards. The other French elements belong to colonial division (zouaves, riflemen, marines) As of the re-occupied village, the German bombardment starts initially with field guns then with heavy artillery.

The behind established French artillery channel and of Vesle starts to counteract but slightly… the ammunition missing. The inhabitants shelter as they can. Most flee to hide in wood and the marshes. The evening all becomes again calm, C >est still time when one fights only the day. The French soldiers accommodated with joy place at the inhabitant. But the next morning at dawn, It is again the hell. The French attackers will make an effort, in vain, while overflowing the village by north, to remove the quickly established enemy cuttings off…

The face of war will be stabilized at this place until October 1918. The inhabitants, of which several were already killed, will evacuate the village, gradually as of on September 15th, but the order of evacuation supplements will be given only on October 22nd. The majority will evacuate with more close, at the villages of the Mountain: Verzenay, Verzy, Mailly, Villers Marmery hoping that would be only of short duration and that one could " redescendre" with the country.

Being known, they will be well accommodated, but in Verzenay, one will deplore an unfortunate poster, signed of the mayor (native of Prunay in 1867), probably under the pressure of the military authority affixed with the door of each bakery: " Defense to sell bread to the emigrants or emigrating ". But this measurement will be fortunately without effect, the difficulty being turned, either by the bakers themselves, or by obliging neighbors and nobody among the refugees will miss bread.

But since 1915, it will have to be understood that the hope of a close return is useless, these localities of refugees being in their turn bombarded and s" N outward journey further in the south of the department or those close, together with this unhappy label of " Émigrés" who will leave them only with the great return of 1919. The German offensive of 1918 will see the Germans re-occupying Prunay (or rather its ruins) and pushing their advance of point to the channel on July 15th. But on July 18th, a French counter-attack will take again the village, rejecting the Germans on their home bases., that those will evacuate only on October 5th, without combat, prelude of their consumed rout on November 11th.

rebirth of the village

Finally the war is finished. The inhabitants, at the beginning of 1919, will try to regain their village. As of the first visits with their destroyed hearths, they found only ruins. It is a debris cluster in a died landscape, without roads, nor ways and especially without trees. Little of vegetation, brambles, thistles, nettles which start to invade this devastated ground. They think at this time that the life in these places is not possible any more. And yet, the love of the ground, from the country, will contribute to the Rebirth.

First hutments will be built in Spring 1919 follow-ups of much of others… and the Life will start again! It will start again well slowly, by the repairing of the ground, which will last several years, of all these upset grounds where tangle up shelters, trenches, bowels, shell holes, networks of barbed wires. The first, of the German prisoners, will be occupied with this task, which will succeed of the foreign workers. These bomb disposal experts (two will be killed in 1921) will have them also an important labor to clean these sown grounds of all kinds of dangerous machines, not burst or not used. The owners themselves will contribute to the elimination of the not-burst shells reassembled by the plow, which they will transport in end of field. Even the women, with precaution of course, will collect grenades of all kinds.

The services of the military Civil statue will carry out (painful task) the regrouping of the scattered tombs and also will collect the bones of unhappy fallen in all places, on the spot remained, at the skeletal state, without burial. Few of those will be identified, only the equipment will indicate if they are French or Germans. Deposited in small cemeteries: especially with most important of the Marchionesses. Customs as of 1923 will be gathered definitively with the national cemetery of Sillery, identified in individual burials, the unknown ones, with the ossuary. The Germans will rest with the German cemetery of the Wood of the Well with Auberive.

The honest abbot Peck, the serving priest, 7 parishioners, income to place in Wez, in a cagna since 1919, always on the breach, directed this research. Satisfied, it will render immense services to the families of killed, succeeding in identifying a great number of these unhappy under difficult conditions. Patient, it will hold until the extreme limit of his forces and will leave his life in March 1924 there. This good man, devoted loved of all, always vêtu as a soldier of the trenches, whose glance, behind its large glasses, shone malicieusement, left us like the obscure heroes, without noise, discreetly.

We arrive at this period of 1920-24. The inhabitants of Prunay are happy. After the exodus, they are on their premises. The winter they pataugent in mud and the summer, they breathe much of dust. The streets are recalled and one can circulate in a suitable way. The presence of all these foreign workmen come for the rebuilding and other work brings an important animation.

The three bells of Prunay were found on the quay of a wine merchant in Châlons on Marne where they had been probably transported by the military authority, by precaution of the collapse of the bell-tower. It is with joy, that the inhabitants transfer them to return from their exile in 1921, they were installed on a frame of fortune, close to the provisional vault, where the bell ringer by percussion, with an erudite play of cords again made hear their voices. As soon as the new church was built, they took again their place in the bell-tower, where they ring again, in flight, forgetting the long months of penitence.

All is with the joy. With bars and canteens (six), Prunay saw each day at endiablé intervals. One drinks and one dances (there are three player pianos in the locality). 1925 close this active and stirring up period. The rebuilding is advanced and the vibrating life of these a few last years goes S " to attenuate. The Schools and the Town hall are rebuilt. The inauguration will take place at the same time this same year as that of the War memorial where are engraved the names of 27 natives died in the Field of Honor and 8 civilian victims. This West that in 1930 that the new church will be rebuilt, built in the center of the village, and not on its old site because of the upset ground.

One returns from there to a normal life in the calm one of a country village. Unfortunately much from houses will escape the rebuilding: on the Roman Way, only one, the Farm of the two houses will be rebuilt. Nothing with the Marchionesses. The field of Commelles will be dismembered and there either nothing will be reconstruit'. except the house of Bertonnerie. The Government of this time according to war, authorizing the sale and the re-employment of the war damagees, in other places that those where they were undergone, takes a heavy responsibility on impoverishment for our stricken regions. Fortunately about 1960, with the locality " SorsTerre " an owner farmer installed his working residence and his residences there. He gave to this small field the name of " Taupinnière ".

In 1940, new exodus of the population, returned very quickly to the village because of the fast forward movement of the enemy as in 1914. All is intact, not destruction and no important fact will be announced during the occupation. Only one new name will be engraved on the War memorial, that of a Young volunteer, fallen in Alsace, in 1944, for the Release of Strasbourg. Also the name of a dead woman of her wounds during the exodus close to Troyes.

The many prisoners of war, retained in German captivity, will not join their families, besides some ones released rather, that in 1945. Since this date, an evolution towards industry appeared. Already, front, 1940 the French company of BP Oils in Sillery contributed to housing with Prunay of employees of this firm. Then the sugar refinery of Sillery, for the same reason it also supported the increase in population.

Prunay counted with the first census after 1914-18: 202 in 1921: 257 inhabitants (of which much from abroad); in 1962: 321; in l968~: 381. It counts some semi-officially today in 1970:425. If the agricultural element is not now any more dominating, one should not conclude some for as much the reduction from the exploited agricultural surfaces. The territory of the Commune is always of 1787 hectares. but how much changes one will observe by consulting this table:

in 1914 in 1970 Now Grounds Meadows Wood Moors Marsh 964 ha 71 ha 611 ha 78 ha 1452 47 207 35 + 488 ha - 24 ha - 404 ha - 43 ha

NB. The common one has in 2002 a surface of 1841 hectares

The prospect for the soil changed. Instead of this accessible plain, intersected with small woods and broadside of pines on the hills, because of important clearings, became a dull plain, without color. Also so the game almost disappeared. In 1967, the aerodrome of Rheims Essillards was established on our commune and at once the Company Rheims Aviation installed an important aeronautical manufacturing plant. All that contributes to an evolution, by achievements, which, only one decade ago, were unforeseeable. Others will certainly follow and still bring some upheavals before the end of our XX century. What will be the XXI E? It is the secrecy of the future. Let us wish simply that it be the best, that one era of peace is established on our world, this peace promised to the Men of good will so a long time

Written by Remi MORLET, on July 31st, 1970

Appendix: 1971 - The declaration of the Sports association of Prunay was published in J.0 of October 5th, 1970. Its goal: To develop the practice of the sports and to cause bonds of friendship between its members. It took again the colors of the disappeared Shooting club: green and white. Go Prunay!

Origins of the name

by Marie Christine Urbain

Towards 856, the village names PRUNIDIS (of Latin prunus, plum tree).

Then one finds the name of PRUNETA in 1180.

If one of the allotments of the village bears the name of SAINT BASLE, it is that part of the territory of common belonged until the French revolution to the abbey of Verzy devoted to this saint.

At the 6th century, the Basle young person born in Limoges came to join monks in a small convent of Verzy, before only settling like hermit in the forest of the same place, where, one says, it achieves many miracles.

The LARGE CROSS owes its name, would believe one, with the imposing cross drawn up at its entry, but the locality has an origin more surely franque, like the Small Cross which, it also comes the Francs.

As for the streets of AVIGNON and PORT-MARLY, they were thus baptized to thank the bienfaitrices cities which made it possible Prunay more quickly to leave the debris of the First World War. Groslay and Saint-Gratien were also donors cities.

by Albert Dubar

Research carried out, made it possible to discover a very interesting document: the Topographic Dictionary of the Marne. Found on the documents of the National library of France, it confirms preceding research and adds a quantity of other names. One realizes that village had already been called Prunay in 1293, to be changed afterwards one year.

At the time of the Gallic one

The objects photographed, presented to the Saint-Remi museum of Rheims attest of a very old human presence in our area. One finds there traces of Celtic occupation in Vlllème century before J.C in the valley of Vesle (the name Vesle means “wood” as a Celt).

This Gallic civilization is with its Champagne apogee at the 5th century before J.C. Very many cemeteries were discovered and excavated at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century in particular by Mr. Chance of Mailly-Champagne.

Rèmes occupied the valleys of Retourne, Suippe, Aisne and Vesle. Prosperous farmers, stockbreeders of sheep, pigs and horses, but also metallurgists famous they practiced the welding, steeping, tinning and manufactured weapons of great quality.

The burials, in particular tombs with tank, revealed their technical control and their art: fibules, torques, bracelets, earrings out of bronze finely decorated.

The work of wood and ceramics to the turn with decorations pointing out the Greek influence also formed part of artisanal competences of our distances ancestors. The Saint-Remi museum has and exposes the vestiges found around the village.

Various cemeteries excavated on the territory of the commune.

- Gallic Cemetery of the Cugniers Fields, more than one hundred excavated tombs - Gallic Cemetery of Commelles, approximately hundred tombs. - Gallic Cemetery of the Valley of Ambigny. - Gallic Cemetery of the Marchionesses - Gallic Hearths of the Dens. - Gallic Hearths on the two sides of the way of Prunay with Nauroy. - Gallo-Roman Vestiges close to Vesle. - Cemeteries romano-francs of the Large Cross, the Small Cross. - Gallo-Roman Cemetery of Prunay, tombs with incineration with Gallic currencies and currencies of Auguste with Néron (Commelles).

The Roman aqueduct bringing water of Suippe to Rheims is also on the territory.

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

Personalities related to the commune

See too

Common of the Marne

External bonds

Official site of Prunay
Prunay on the site of the national geographical Institute
Prunay on the site of INSEE
Prunay on the site of Quid
Localization of Prunay on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Prunay on Mapquest

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