Balham, Ardennes

Balham is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northern France.

Balham
Commune
The Aisne at Balham
Coat of arms
Location of Balham
Balham
Balham
Coordinates: 49°29′34″N 4°09′40″E
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentArdennes
ArrondissementRethel
CantonChâteau-Porcien
IntercommunalityPays Rethélois
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jean Durand
Area
1
1.77 km2 (0.68 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
152
 • Density86/km2 (220/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
08044 /08190
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Balhamais or Balhamaises.[2]

The commune has been awarded one flower by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.[3]

Geography

Balham is located some 12 km west by south-west of Rethel and 3 km north-east of Asfeld. Access to the commune is by the D926 road from Gomont in the north-east which passes through the village and continues south-west to Asfeld. The commune is mixed forest and farmland.[4]

The Aisne river passes through the centre of the commune flowing from north-east to south-west on its way to join the Oise at Compiègne. The parallel Canal des Ardennes passes through the southern tip of the commune.[4]

Neighbouring communes and villages

[4]

Toponymy

The name Balham comes from the name of a person Ballo + Heim. It was Balaan around 1172 and Balehan in 1211–1212.

Heraldry
Arms of Balham
 Blazon:

Azure, a chevron of Or between three acorns the same, in chief also Or charged with two mullets of Gules.

Administration
The Town Hall

List of Successive Mayors[5]

FromToNamePartyPosition
19952008Jean-Pierre Moraux
20082020Vincent Roland

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 152 inhabitants.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 259—    
1800 251−0.45%
1806 286+2.20%
1821 314+0.62%
1831 324+0.31%
1836 327+0.18%
1841 310−1.06%
1846 317+0.45%
1851 345+1.71%
1866 320−0.50%
1872 292−1.51%
1876 283−0.78%
1881 283+0.00%
1886 257−1.91%
1891 257+0.00%
1896 238−1.52%
1901 205−2.94%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1906 191−1.40%
1911 201+1.03%
1921 198−0.15%
1926 193−0.51%
1931 160−3.68%
1936 144−2.09%
1946 132−0.87%
1954 151+1.70%
1962 131−1.76%
1968 114−2.29%
1975 115+0.12%
1982 95−2.69%
1990 103+1.02%
1999 125+2.17%
2007 136+1.06%
2012 121−2.31%
2017 152+4.67%
Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE[7]
The War Memorial
The Canal des Ardennes at Balham

Sites and monuments
The Church with the door to the Cemetery
  • The Cemetery (15th century) is registered as an historical monument.[8]
  • The Church of Saint John the Baptist contains several items that are registered as historical objects:

Notable people linked to the commune
  • Edmond Louis Alexis Dubois-Crancé (1747-1814), Revolutionary politician, member of the Committee of Public Order, General of the Republic, Commissioner of the Army and Minister of War (September–November 1799), became Mayor of Balham after 1800.

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Inhabitants of Ardennes (in French)
  3. Balham in the Competition for Towns and Villages in Bloom Archived December 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (in French)
  4. Google Maps
  5. List of Mayors of France (in French)
  6. Données Cassini, EHESS
  7. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  8. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00078339 Cemetery (in French)
  9. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM08000045 IM08000079 Stained glass window (Bay 0) (in French)
  10. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM08000047 Statue: Saint Barbe (in French)
  11. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM08000046 Statue: Saint Catherine (in French)
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