History of Dampierre

Dampierre, aerial view
The expansion shows the different farms
 
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(details) Extracts from the "Vestiges d'habitat seigneurial fortifié du Bas-Pays Argonnais"

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genealogical picture of the Counts of Dampierre, see their History of the Counts of Dampierre, according to a study by the University of Reims 

The mill of Dampierre

See the archives of the Association des Moulins Marnais (AMM)

At the time, the village of Merovingienne Dampierre-le-Château seems to have been called Mirland, a Germanic name, like the Frankish lords of the time, with a church dedicated to Saint Maurice (like the present church).

The region was then evangelized by the Irish monk Saint Rouin, who founded in 642 the hermitage which today bears his name, Beaulieu-en-Argonne

In Carolingian times, a territorial division of Champagne County was called Astene with Stadunum or Saint-Menehould for capital and towns Vitry-le-François and Bar-le-Duc.

The lords of the Astino were vassals of the Count of Champagne and the most powerful of them were those of Dampierre, originally installed in the Old-Dampierre.

Subsequently, these lords had to settle, perhaps in the 11th century, in a large fortified castle (likely wooden) on the current hill of Dampierre, south of the church of Saint-Maurice. The village then took the name of Dampierre-en-Astenois to recall the dedication of the chapel of Saint-Pierre du château.

Note by Grannie (consulted at the library of St.Menou, the work of Brouclou (???), and the manuscripts of Suzanne and Andrée in the bookshop of the salon):

"A powerful family, the lords of Dampierre, ruled the province of Astino. control near the 2 rivers (Yèvres and Rouillat), By the way, the castle was surrounded by a ditch. In 1900, the site of the modest house, tower and well, and a door facing the church, was still visible.

The remains of a grave containing 2 black terracotta vases (which were in use from the 2nd century BC) were found in the limestone, and they contained 2 pieces to pass the boat to "Caron".

The fortified enclosure covered 2 hectares, with the dungeon at point NE, buildings, a well, a chapel, an upper town with shops, stables, barns, shelter for the village below.

The village itself was surrounded by a 875 m. long ditch, encompassing the Yèvres course over about 200 m. The village had 2 access and to the west, a wooden bridge led to the hamlet of Sommer short. The ramp to the castle was north of the hill, facing the village church.

The lords of Dampierre are known mainly from 12°s by the archives of the abbeys of the region.

                      Pierre, who in 1099 participated in the Crusade with Godefroy de Bouillon
                      Frédéric, in 1138, brother-in-law of the Emperor Frédéric Barberousse
                      Fox I, died in 1191
                      Renard II, cross, who was held prisoner in Aleppo, Syria for 29 years and died in 1234 after his return to Dampierre
                      Fox III, Anseau I, Anseau II, John I, John II, etc.

Grannie:
" In the 10th century, a handwritten document was held.
The family was ruined by the Crusades. The 4th Crusade, led by the Count of Dampierre, was divided in two, the Lord of Dampierre commanded that which left Italy by sea, destroyed at Aleppo. (in Syria)He remained a prisoner for 37 years, and died the year of his return, noting the mismanagement of his wife and son for the benefit of the Cistercians!"

The seigneury of Dampierre consisted of many castles and houses, either directly or by vassals, including:
       Dampierre-en-Astenois
                    The Neuville-aux-Bois
                    Expenditure
                    Black
                    Maupertus (near Sailing)
                    Old-Dampierre
                    Dommartin
                    Varimont
                    Rape
                    Givry
                    Belval
                    Herpont
                    Hans
                    Requigny (near Ante)
                    ………

Furnaces (bake or potter)?, mills and fisheries were also granted by the lords:
Herpont and Dommartin ovens, common Dampierre oven, Dampierre mill, fishing in the pond of Dampierre......

Grannie: 
"Beatrice de Dampierre married Eustache de Conflans who had defended Chalons against the English; his eldest son Jean, Senechal de Champagne, friend of Charles V, was murdered by order of Etienne Marcel, when he invaded the Palace"

The title of Count of Dampierre was awarded under Louis X at 14°s. (Grannie:"they took the title of Count under Louis XIV"

The castle of Dampierre was burned around 1545 or 1555, during the Wars of Religion, by the Duke of Guise (of the Catholic Party). Expenditure In particular, from that time on, the current name of Dampierre-le-Château became the only one used, but the Counts of Dampierre then abandoned the localities and care of the rivers.
Grannie:  "Baron de Hans, the Lord of Dampierre Hans"
The current family of the Val de Dampierre (at the Castle of Hans near Valmy) is also native to Caen, the seigneury of Dampierre and the Barony of Hans having been brought in dowry to Jacques Duval de Mondeville, by Anne de Bossut at 16°s.
Under the Fronde, at 17°s, the castle (or the strong house?) of Sommer was destroyed.

During the Revolution, the Count of Dampierre went to meet the King, prisoner, at his passage near St. Menou's return Varennes, He was buried in Chaudefontaine and exhumed in a grand ceremony under the Restoration. But while waiting for the inhabitants of Herpont and Dampierre took advantage of it to take possession of the lands of culture belonging to him.