commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
Préseau is first mentioned in 1173 when the place is called "Presel", meadow in
Old French
Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intellig ...
. Only in 1724 was the name Préseau definitely chosen.
In the first half of the fifteenth century, the tiny village has a total of 22 "feux", meaning 22 houses. The inhabitants essentially live off the land since their principal activity is agriculture. Documents containing the fiefs held by the count of Hainaut testify the building of a kiln belonging to the count which stays up for all the fifteenth century.
Préseau was one of the six
peerages
A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks.
Peerages include:
Australia
* Australian peers
Belgium
* Bel ...
of the county of
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...
. A peerage is inherited from father to son by virtue of blood link.SCUFFLAIRE Andrée, Les fiefs directs des comtes de Hainaut de 1349 à 1504 : essai d’inventaire statistique et géographique. Tome 2 : Prévôté de Mons, Prévôté de Valenciennes, Bruxelles, Archives Générales du Royaume, 1978, p. 384-385.
On October 9th 1918, Canadian pilot Captain Lynn Campbell and his machine-gunner 2nd Lieutenant William Hodgkinson of the Royal Air Force (Royal Flying Corps) are shot down in their Bristol Fighter above Préseau by
Paul Bäumer
:''This article deals with Paul Bäumer the pilot. For the fictional Paul Bäumer, see All Quiet on the Western Front. For the late member of electronic music group Bingo Players, see Bingo Players''
Paul Wilhelm Bäumer (11 May 1896 – 15 July ...
of
Jasta 2
Jasta 2 (Jagdstaffel Zwei in full and also known as ''Jasta Boelcke'') was one of the best-known German Luftstreitkräfte Squadrons in World War I. Its first commanding officer was the great aerial tactician Oswald Boelcke, and it was the incubator ...
. They are buried in the cemetery, left to the calvary behind the church.
Administration
List of recent mayors :
* Jean-Marc Richard : 2001-2014 Ind.
* Sandrine François Lagny : 2014-2026 Ind.
Landmarks
* The village used to have a castle, now in ruins, but few lords ever dwelled there.
* The Church of Sainte Aldegonde, built in 1866. Inside can be found a wide variety of statues.
* A calvary built in 1833, the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Voyage and other secondary chapels.
* The war memorial in remembrance of the seventy-two soldiers killed during the First World War.
* The British cemetery with the 107 graves of the British soldiers who died during the battle for the village in 1918.
* The old brewery.
Local customs
* Local dish : the "tarte à prones" (plum pie).
* Folk song : Vive Persiais (Préseau in the local dialect)