Did you know Thumeries boasts a history intertwined with the mighty Beghin-Say sugar empire? Right here before us stands a testament to that legacy. Thumeries a commune in the Nord department of northern France has a rich past. Its story is one of sugar and more.
The village of Thumeries once belonged to the chapter of Seclin. Pope Clement III confirmed this ownership in a 1187 Papal Bull. The forests however belonged to the chatelain of Lille. A fascinating detail. The Duke of Burgundy granted Thumeries protection. This protection was not always respected. Lambert Rayne a Douai bourgeois was arrested for violating this privilege. Douai protested but the governor maintained the arrest.
This Lambert de Raismes was a wine merchant. He was fined for selling diluted wine. His father Jean Raime a grain merchant and alderman was condemned to death. This sentence was later overturned in Paris. The aldermen were ordered to found the Sainte-Croix chapel in Saint-Pierre Douai. They also had to pay for three masses a week. Douai lost its privileges for many years because of this.
By the late 17th century Ferry-Nicolas d’Esclaibes was lord of several properties including the Mairie of Thumeries. He married Marie Taviel in Lille. He died without heirs in 1730. Thumeries was then bequeathed to his nephew Jean-Ferry-Antoine de Carondelet. His widow remarried the Count of Sainte-Aldegonde de Genech.
The 19th century marked the beginning of Thumeries’ sugar legacy. In 1821 a sugar refinery was established on Joseph Coget’s farm. His son-in-law Antoine Beghin helped him. His sons Joseph and Henri successfully managed the refinery despite competition from cane sugar. In 1868 their nephew Ferdinand Beghin took over with big plans. He tragically died in 1895 after a carriage accident.
His sons Joseph and Henri continued expanding the business. They built new sites and bought other refineries. In 1896 a railway line was built directly to the factory. This further boosted their growth. Another Ferdinand Beghin created a sugar empire. The Beghin-Say company grew to become the leading sugar group in France and the fifth largest worldwide. Today a smaller sugar packaging unit and many industrial buildings remain. They are a silent testament to Thumeries’ once glorious past.
Thumeries’ history is not just about sugar. In 2001 the Cinq Tailles ornithological site was designated a Natura 2000 area. This 123-hectare site was formerly a settling area for sugar beet washing sludge from Beghin-Say. It’s now a haven for biodiversity. Over 220 bird species have been observed a testament to nature’s resilience. So remember Thumeries. It’s a place where history nature and sweet success meet.