the mansus
nearby hairoke in Flobecq


12th century



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           In the cartularium of the abbey of Ename has been registrered that Rissuendis, the widow of Alardus Hasbenion, gave three mansi to the abbey of Ename, for the salvation of her late husband's soul.
One mansus was situated nearby askins, the second nearby hairoke and the third nearby akardsmeis.
Dr. M. Ghysseling was confident this charter dates from 1148.

In a charter from 1195, Gerard de la Hamaide contested these three mansi belonged to the abbey of Ename.

A mansus is a farm with adjacent land, big enough to provide in the needs of one family.
The term in the Picardian language is masure.

Esquenne is a toponym which still exists as the name of a street in the north-east part of Flobecq.
Abbot A. Mariaule in his "Toponymie de la Commune de Flobecq ..." mentions as earliest findings of this place : Askins in a charter of the abbey of Ename in 1179, somewhere he found As Kaines in 1302 and 1444, Les Quesnes in 1403 and Askainez in 1437.
The name of this hamlet of Flobecq means : the place where the oaks grow, in French oaks are "chênes", in the local (Picardian) dialect "kaines".

The toponym Akardsmeis means the smithy of Akard, we didn't find any specific information about this place.

The third mansus, situated nearby hairoke is probably the oldest mention of the toponym roke in Flobecq.

The first part of this word, the term "hai" could have the same origine as the French word "haye", a hedge.
In the charter concerning the roquette in the Pottelberghe forest in Flobecq in 1446 a hedge is mentioned, probably hedgebushes were the first plants to grow on places were stonequarries or rokes had been abandonded.

In 1702 in the village Pecq nearby Tournai, the fief Dossemez in Bailleul was mentioned, situated at the couture Rocquehaye, next to the lands of the church and those of the chapel of St.-Pierre of Tournai.
There was a bois de Rocquehaye as well.
Maybe this toponym Rocquehaye has the same ethymological origin as "our" hairoke in Flobecq.

In Flobecq there was a toponym haiercourt as well, the curtis of Haier, so hairoke could also be interpreted as the roke of Haier or the stonequarry of Haia.


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