Rombies-and-Marchipont

Geography

The legend: " The band with Monneuse"

Antoine-Joseph Moneuse was born in 1768 with the mill from Rôleur in Marly where his/her father had come to spend some time before being established as miller with Saint-Waast-the-Valley close to Bavay.

Whereas it was only 11 years old, his/her father died and his/her mother, Catherine Moreau, At this point in time transformed the family mill into one-eyed cabaret… begins for Antoine- Joseph a life where small larcenies, brawls, flights are the key words. Soon, it is put at the service of the Inhabitant of Lille Salemblier, chief of the " Drivers of Nord" , name given to these brigands because of what they inflicted with their victims: They heated the feet to them to make them reveal their money mask. After being itself made a name in Flanders, he judges, in 1794, qu ' he is time to put itself on his account in his area, he thus involves of the villagers. That occurs at the time of the Directory, time when unemployment and the black-market dominate, the assignat is not worth anything any more and the constabulary is impotent.

Thus they begin their crimes, most terrible being certainly the massacre of 9 people to the inn of the Crook with Roisin in November 1795, which raised a sharp emotion among the local population. A few days later, Moneuse called " Mendeck" by its men is stopped, but justice does not take the risk to condemn them in the absence of witnesses and of evidence, Moneuse thus finds free on December 30th, 1795…

The band thus takes again its " activité" , and thus the Drivers of Hainaut arrive mid-January 1796 at the mill of Rombies, building which they had located and where lived Philippe-Joseph Preud' Homme, his wife, her 4 children, one of his/her parents Nicolas Preud' Homme and a young servant. The fateful night, the brigands take the small way dating from the Roman epoch which came to die on the pontoon with valves in front of the main door of the mill. They were with the number of ten: in less than ten minutes, they regulate their plan of attack: they insert the bottom of the door with a ram of fortune discovered in a nearby hangar and 5 men infiltrate in the home by the opening while 5 others assemble the guard.

Awaked, Mrs Preud' Homme tries to escape but it is too late. Soon, it is bound on a chair and supply close to the chimney. " Your husband has much money. Where the mask T it? " Question the leader. And the poor woman who answers: " There was a large amount of money, it did not belong to my husband. One carried it in Valenciennes". " You lie, miller! You will say the truth or parks with the wick! " Thunder the brigand. " It is however true what I say! " " You hear, comrades, which claims the particular one? Let us see faggot, that will make it cause! ". At this point in time one of the drivers raises the legs of unhappy and plunges to him in the flames, Jeanne Catherine loses consciousness without pushing then a cry. The brigands, disorientated by the turning of the events decide to take the broad one by carrying some food.

When Antoine Moneuse, who played charts with the inn of Frasnoy not to be made show larceny, learned what it had occurred to the mill from Rombies, started to laughing and known as: " One can nothing entrust to you. You waste all! It is necessary always that I would be there, if not nothing goes any more! Wasted work, I say to you. You missed coolness. Did I ever return the empty handeds, me? " known as Moneuse.

February 11th, 1797, Moneuse is stopped with some accomplices on denunciation. It is led to Mons where it uses of all its trick to save time. Initially, he denies and asks to be made judge in front of the Criminal Court of the Department of North in Douai rather than in Mons, thus being able to escape during the transfer. But the sentence does not move: Death sentence.

It is on June 18th, 1798 that the Moneuse brigand and his lieutenant Gerain go up on the scaffold drawn up on the place from the market to Douai. Gerain passes the first then is with the turn of Moneuse to leave the world of the alive ones. Now, Moneuse entered the legend. In Hainaut, as well French as Belgian, where he liked to walk and where one often found it in the inns or on the ducasses, he became a kind of Chuck, ready to help some poor after having stripped richest. And the grandmothers who still here are treated a few years their grandchildren of frank Moneuse, showed them more squabble that of armed robbery…

This animated life of the Moneuse gangster was evoked on television on France 3 about the month of September 1998 in the series " Legends and of Hommes" : scenes of documentary 26 minutes entitled " the Verdict of Rumeur" were turned to the mill of Rombies on March 4th, 1998. The legend did not finish alluring the storytellers…

Source: " The Mill of the Valley with Rombies-and-Marchipont " published in 1998 by the C.H.A.R.M.

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External bonds

Rombies-and-Marchipont on the site of the national geographical Institute
Rombies-and-Marchipont on the site of INSEE
Rombies-and-Marchipont on the site of Quid
Localization of Rombies-and-Marchipont on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Rombies-and-Marchipont on Mapquest

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