Picture this a small village nestled between Lille and Valenciennes. This is Nomain. Its history stretches back centuries. Archaeological discoveries reveal a Gallo-Roman villa. This proves Nomain was inhabited during antiquity. However the village’s name has Germanic origins. This suggests the site was abandoned after the Roman era. It was later refounded in the Middle Ages.
Nomain is first mentioned in the twelfth century. A document from the Abbey of Saint-Amand refers to it. The land was divided into fiefdoms and lordships. The most important was Roupy. It was under the authority of the Château de Douai. In the mid-thirteenth century the area was part of the Pévèle region. This included Orchies and villages like Bouvignies. The lord of Lannay in Nomain paid taxes to the lord of Orchies.
A tragic event marked Nomain in 1415. Jean de Lannais a local lord and Louis du Quesnoy died at the Battle of Agincourt. A grand chateau was built in 1512. Jean de Montmorency constructed it on his Roupy estate. It stood opposite the present-day Dieu de Pierre cross. The railway line between Ascq and Orchies destroyed the last vestiges of this chateau.
The French Revolution brought upheaval. Vicar Louis Howell a refractory priest refused to swear allegiance. He fled to Germany. He later returned to Nomain hiding for two years on a farm. He was eventually denounced arrested and guillotined in Douai.
In 1820 Nomain saw the founding of France’s first Baptist church. This happened on Rue de Lannay. It was controversial. It created conflicts with followers of Bernard de Felice a Lille pastor. This church marked the beginning of a strong Baptist presence in the developing coalfields.
During World War I Nomain’s people formed a resistance network. They used carrier pigeons to communicate with the Allies. The network was dismantled in 1917. While Mayor Léon Delsart escaped death several others were not so lucky. Henri Caignet Flore Lafrance Georgine Bossuyt and Georges Remy were executed at Tournai Citadel.
Nomain’s coat of arms is striking. It shows three busts with blindfolds. This design originated with the Libert family Lille merchants from Tourcoing. Their coat of arms appeared on the church bell cast in 1742. The meaning of the blindfolded busts remains a mystery. It is unclear if they represent men women or children.
Today Nomain remains a place of quiet beauty. It retains traces of its rich past. The church the Dieu de Pierre and the old farms all tell stories. These stories weave together a unique tapestry. This tapestry represents the history and character of Nomain.