Esquerdes Zwerde | |
|---|---|
 The old fortified farmhouse in white limestone and the church | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Esquerdes | |
  Esquerdes  Esquerdes | |
| Coordinates:50°42′19″N2°11′18″E / 50.7053°N 2.1883°E /50.7053; 2.1883 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Pas-de-Calais |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Omer |
| Canton | Lumbres |
| Intercommunality | Pays de Lumbres |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Olivier Obert[1] |
Area 1 | 9.4 km2 (3.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 1,607 |
| • Density | 170/km2 (440/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 62309 /62380 |
| Elevation | 25–139 m (82–456 ft) (avg. 45 m or 148 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Esquerdes (French pronunciation:[ekɛʁd];West Flemish:Zwerde) is acommune in thePas-de-Calaisdepartment in the Hauts-de-Franceregion of France[3] 4 miles (6 km) southwest ofSaint-Omer.
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The village name first appears as Squerda in the year 857. Later known as Ekarde and finally as Esquerdes.
An ancient village, Esquerdes was on theRoman road, theLeulène, that ran fromThérouanne toSangatte on the coast. An archaeological survey of 1984 revealed traces of theNeolithic period (flint and carved bone) at two sites known asLes Tripoux andLe Paradis.
The private Crèvecoeur farm, near the river, is made up of a number of buildings dating from the fifteenth century that belonged to John de Trémoillepuis and his son,Philippe de Crèvecoeur, who served underCharles the Bold,Duke of Burgundy and KingsLouis XI andCharles VII. He was appointedMarshal of France in 1483 and changed his surname to that of Esquerdes.
The story of Esquerdes is linked to the development of two major industries ofpaper andgunpowder, which developed from the time ofLouis XIV until the 19th century and which led to a large growth in population. In 1790, the town was large enough (with its 500 inhabitants) to be appointed chief town of thecanton. Two hundred years or so later, this figure has more than tripled.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 1,205 | — |
| 1975 | 1,182 | −0.27% |
| 1982 | 1,278 | +1.12% |
| 1990 | 1,530 | +2.28% |
| 1999 | 1,460 | −0.52% |
| 2007 | 1,584 | +1.02% |
| 2012 | 1,549 | −0.45% |
| 2017 | 1,629 | +1.01% |
| Source: INSEE[4] | ||
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