Balham, Ardennes

Balham
Balham
Commune
	The Aisne at Balham
	Coat of arms
	Location of Balham
	Balham Balham
	Coordinates: 49°29′34″N 4°09′40″E / 49.4928°N 4.1611°E
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Ardennes
Arrondissement	Rethel
Canton	Château-Porcien
Intercommunality	Pays Rethélois
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Jean Durand
Area 1	1.77 km2 (0.68 sq mi)
Population (2021)	159
• Density	90/km2 (230/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	08044 /08190
Elevation	71 m (233 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

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

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

List of Successive Mayors^[5]

From	To	Name
1995	2008	Jean-Pierre Moraux
2008	2020	Vincent Roland
2020	current	Jean Durand

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Balhamais or Balhamaises in French.^[6]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% 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%

Year	Pop.	±% 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^[7] and INSEE^[8]

Sites and monuments

The Cemetery (15th century) is registered as an historical monument.^[9]
The Church of Saint John the Baptist contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
- A Stained glass window (1536)^[10]
- A Statue: Saint Barbe (15th century)^[11]
- A Statue: Saint Catherine (15th century)^[12]

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.

References

^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
^ Balham in the Competition for Towns and Villages in Bloom Archived December 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (in French)
^ ^a ^b ^c Google Maps
^ List of Mayors of France (in French)
^ Le nom des habitants du 08 - Ardennes, habitants.fr
^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Balham, EHESS (in French).
^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00078339 Cemetery (in French)
^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM08000045 IM08000079 Stained glass window (Bay 0) (in French)
^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM08000047 Statue: Saint Barbe (in French)
^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM08000046 Statue: Saint Catherine (in French)

External links

Balham on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (in French)
Balham on the 1750 Cassini Map

[1] "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.

[popleg2021-2] "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.

[3] Balham in the Competition for Towns and Villages in Bloom Archived December 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (in French)

[Google-4] Google Maps

[5] List of Mayors of France (in French)

[6] Le nom des habitants du 08 - Ardennes, habitants.fr

[ehess-7] Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Balham, EHESS (in French).

[pophist-8] Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE

[9] Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00078339 Cemetery (in French)

[10] Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM08000045 IM08000079 Stained glass window (Bay 0) (in French)

[11] Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM08000047 Statue: Saint Barbe (in French)

[12] Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM08000046 Statue: Saint Catherine (in French)

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