Ablaincourt-Pressoir

French commune|name=Ablaincourt-Pressoir


x = 147
y = 52
région=Picardie
département=Somme
arrondissement=Péronne
canton=Chaulnes
insee=80002
cp=80320
maire=Didier Leturcq
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=Communauté de communes de Haute Picardie
longitude=2.82306
latitude=49.84056
alt moy=83 m
alt mini=67
alt maxi=88 m
hectares=946
km²=9.46
pop=227
date-pop=1999
date-dens=23|

Ablaincourt-Pressoir is a commune in the Somme department in Picardy in northern France.

The two villages were formerly separately administered, but were joined in 1966.

Geography

Ablaincourt-Pressoir is found in the Santerre sub-region, where early French Kings made their base, at Noyon.
The town is in a strategic position close to the intersections of the A1 Paris-Lille autoroute and the A29 autoroute between Amiens andSaint-Quentin. Two departmental roads meet nearby (the D150 and the D164).The town also an international TGV rail station, the Gare TGV Haute-Picardie, nicknamed "The sugar-beet station" named after the predominant crop of the area.

Etymology; Ancient forms of the names

* Ablaincourt
Abatix Curtis, Habelini Curtis (1046), Ablani Curtis, Ableni Curia (1106), Abbecourt (1144), Abiaucourt (1215), Ablaincort (1230), Ablincourt (1733) and finally, Ablaincourt, which signifies an abbey.
* Pressoir
Pressurs or Drêsur (1180).

History

* Ablaincourt
In 1215, Jean I de Nesle built a castle here. Remains of the motte can still be seen, which marks out the position of the keep.

In 1648, possession of the fiefdom of Ablaincourt passed from the Blattepière family to the Mathieu family.

During World War I Ablaincourt et Pressoir were at the centre of the Battle of the Somme. Both communes were totally ruined by the fighting.

Demographics

* 1851 CensusThe 2 communes were still separate.::Ablaincourt = Population : 445 inhabitants::Pressoir = Population : 144 inhabitants
* 1851 CensusThe 2 communes were still separate.::Ablaincourt = Population : 312 inhabitants::Pressoir = Population : 106 inhabitants

Personalities linked with the commune

* Eloi Driencourt, born in the hamlet of Bovent, Ablaincourt, doctor of the Sorbonne and for a while, advisor to Louis XV's queen, Maria Leszczyńska (1703-1768),

ee also

* Communes of the Somme department

External links

* [http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1087&CommuneId=73971 Ablaincourt-Pressoir on the website of l'Institut géographique national]
* [http://www.recensement.insee.fr/RP99/rp99/co_navigation.co_page?nivgeo=C&codgeo=80002&theme=ALL&typeprod=ALL&lang=FR&quelcas=LISTE Ablaincourt-Pressoir on the website of l'Insee]
* [http://www.quid.fr/communes.html?mode=query&req=Ablaincourt-Pressoir Ablaincourt-Pressoir on the website of Quid]
* [http://www.lion1906.com/Pages/ResultatLocalisation.php?InseeVille=800002 Localisation d'Ablaincourt-Pressoir on a map of France]
* [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=49.8405555555556&longitude=2.82305555555556&zoom=8 Map of Ablaincourt-Pressoir on Mapquest]

*"This article is based on the equivalent article from the French Wikipedia."