Mont-Sainte-Aldegonde is today a section of the municipality of Anderluesin Hainaut (Wallonia, Belgium), in the Centre region, between Binche, Morlanwelz and La Louvière. Before the merger of the communes (1977), it was an independent commune.
Origins and the Middle Ages
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The name comes from Saint Aldegonde (VIIᵉ century), the abbess of Maubeuge, who is highly venerated in the region.
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The village is built around a old country estate dependent on the feudal structures of the county of Hainaut.
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The parish has a long history: it was the heart of local life for centuries.
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The territory is divided between farmland, woods and a few seigneuries.
The «Mont» probably refers to a ground elevation (local relief), common in medieval place names.
Seigniorial system
Under the Ancien Régime :
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The village depends on the Hainaut County, successively under domination: Burgundy, Spanish, Austria.
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There are local seigneurial families (linked to land, cens, tithes, etc.).
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The company is essentially rural and parish (ploughmen, labourers, craftsmen).
XIXᵉ - early XXᵉ century: mining period
Like the entire Centre region :
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The transition from a farming village to an area marked by the’coal extraction.
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Development of : collieries, glassworks and related industries, working-class housing
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Strong population growth.
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Workers arrived from other regions and then from abroad.
List of names extracted from the tables of the old parish registers of births from 1608 to 1802, marriages from 1608 to 1802 & deaths from 1676 to 1802
ADAM, ANSELME.
BAQUERLOT, BARDIAU, BAUDET, BAUDOU, BEAUME, BEAUMETZ, BEAUTRIX, BERNARD,BLAIRON, BOUGARD, BREDA, BRONIER, BROUNET, BRUE, BRUX, BUGHIN.
CAMBIER, CARLIER, CARLOT, CHARLIER, CLARA, CLAUTRIA, CLOLIART, COL, COLINOT, CORNEUR, CORBEAU CORDIER, COUPIN.
DARTEVELLE, DEBLANDRE, DELATOUR, DELIVIÈRE, DELVAL, DEMAREZ, DEMOULIN, DESMOULIN, DERCQ, DESENEFE, DUBREUCQ, DUMONT, DUPIRE, DUVIVIER.
FRANCQ.
EMPAIN, ETIENNE.
FAVRY, FONDU, FONTAINE, FOSSELART, FOULET, FOURNU.
GEUSE, GHILAIN, GHISLAIN, GILSON, GODAUX, GUILLAIN.
HACARDIAU, HARDAS, HARPIGNY, HECQ, HELIN, HOUSSIER, HULIN.
JACQUEMIN, JASMAIN, JONART, JOQUET.
LACROIX, LALOYAUX, LAURENT, LAVENDHOMME, LEBRUN, LEKEUX, LELONG, LEPAGE, LEROY, LESPAGNE, LIARD, LIBERT.
LOSSON.
MAIRESSE, MALENGREZ, MARTIN, MEURANT, MICHY, MOISET, MOISES, MOUTON, MUYAU, MUYAUX.
PAGE, PARÉE, PELET, PIERON, PORTOIS, POTTEAU, POTTIAU, POURBAIX, POURTOIS.
REISOULET, RENARD, RENART, RENSON.
SADIN, SCHMITZ, SERET.
TRIFTET.
VALENDUC.
WASTELAIN, WESPE, WESSE.
Photo credit :
https://www.geneanet.org/cartes-postales/view/32885#0
https://www.geneanet.org/cartes-postales/view/119834#0
Sources : BIB-GEN-INT- 271
