Balham, Ardennes

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

Balham
Commune
The Aisne at Balham
Coat of arms
Location of Balham
Balham Balham
Coordinates: 49°29′34″N 4°09′40″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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The Town Hall

List of Successive Mayors

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.

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 and INSEE

The War Memorial

The Canal des Ardennes at Balham

Sites and monuments

The Church with the door to the Cemetery

• The Cemetery (15th century) is registered as an historical monument.
• The Church of Saint John the Baptist contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
  • A Stained glass window (1536)
  • A Statue: Saint Barbe (15th century)
  • A Statue: Saint Catherine (15th century)

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.

See also

• Communes of the Ardennes department

External links

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