Vaux-Marquenneville


Vaux-Marquenneville is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.

Geography

The commune is situated south of Abbeville, on the D93 road. The name Vaux derives from ‘vale’ or ‘valley’ and Marquenneville comes from the domain of someone called Marca. The inhabitants are known as ’’Vallois’’’

Population

History

Known by many variants of the current name throughout the centuries:
1166: Vaux, 1557 Vaulx, 1757 Vaux
1284 Marquienvilla, 1301 Marchaigneville, 1312 Markaigneville, 1340 Markainneville, 1388 Marquenneville
The Knights Templar were established nearby at Oisemont and had a farm at Vaux
The first known seigneurs were the Riencourt family
In 1790 the commune came under the management of the department of the Somme and in 1793 the town of Vaux was integrated into the arrondissement of Abbeville and the canton of Saint-Maxent.
1801 saw the neighbouring village of Marquenneville join with Vaux.
The town was occupied, as were many French towns and villages, by the German army during World War II. In 1943 work began to build a V1 missile launch ramp at "Le Mont" in Marquenneville.
A German army deserter hid in a hangar under a pile of wheat and after fruitless search by the Wehrmacht, the soldier, with the help of the French Resistance escaped from France to Spain and return to his own home.
In June 1944. the V1 ramps were destroyed by No. 485 Squadron RNZAF. The bombardment lasted one and a half hours.
The village was liberated by a Canadian tank regiment in 1944.
Vaux-Marquenneville received the Croix de guerre with Bronze Star from the Secretary of State for War who said: "This courageous village, badly damaged during the Second World War, was delivered by faith and hard work".

Places of interest