About the Name Soumagne

The Name Soumagne stands for "High Summit" and originates from "Le Grand Sommet".
There is a very small village ("Hameau" in French = just a few Houses or Farms grouped together) named Soumagne in France and other named "Les Soumagnes" in close Vicinity of the Charente Region as well as the Town Soumagne in Belgium.

In agreement with the custom and the instructions of the "Council of Trento" (Concil of Trient 1545-1563): The Identity of a Person was defined by the first name followed by the name of the parish where one resided; the first son recieved the first name of his paternal grandfather, the second that of his maternal grandfather.
That led to Names like, as an example, Pierre de Soumagne, the "de" should not be translated as a sign of nobility, it should be translated as "from".
The son of Pierre de Soumagne could have carried a different Surname, when he was born in a different Town.
Therefor it is be difficult to put some Families together.

Information about the Town SOUMAGNE in Belgium:

Population : 15.160 residents
Area : 2740 hectares

United in 1976 with the commons of Ayeneux, Cerexhe-Heuseux, Evegnée-Tignée, Melen and Micheroux.

The neighbouring commons : Blegny, Fléron, Herve, Olne and Trooz

Administrative and judiciary roundings : Liège

Geographical region : Pays de Herve

The armorial Bearings of Soumagne are defined as follows : "On blue azur, a Saint Lambert holding an open book in his right hand and in his left hand a bishop's crook "

The historical past of Soumagne matches for a great part to the Liège's Principality. The word "Solmania" appears on a document dated 25th of august 915, bywich Charles the Simple, King of the Francs, gave to the prince-bishop of Liège a forest, dependence of Theux.

Since the end of the 19th century until the sixties, Soumagne has known a great industrial activity because of the caol-mines and a co-operative production. Commercial centers, new houses and wonderful wooded hillocks replaced the "Terrils" (hillocks of coal wastes).

Since 1980, Soumagne knows an important expansion of its population and habitation due to the proximity of towns like Liège and Verviers and the motorway to Aachen which crosses the territory. The commercial activities are also very diversed.

Beside nice surroundings (60% of the territory is devoted to farming activities), Soumagne offers to its residents an intense cultural, communal and sportive life. Since the beginning of the 70th, the cultural Center and about its ten affiliated groups are the principal motivation of the cultural activities of the entity.


Information about Soumagne on Wikipedia

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