Caudry

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Coordinates: 50°07′33″N 3°24′45″E / 50.1258333333, 3.4125

Administration
Commune of Caudry
Location

Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas de Calais
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Cambrai
Canton	Clary
Intercommunality	Caudrésis
Mayor	Guy Bricout (1995–2008)
Statistics
Elevation	103 m–138 m (avg. - m)
Land area^¹	12.94 km²
Population^² (1999)	(Caudrésiens) 13,469
- Density	1,040/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	59139/ 59540
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once.

Caudry is a French town and commune, in the Nord département.

[edit] History

In the Middle Ages, as tradition will have it, Maxellende, a daughter of the lord of Caudry, was stabbed to death by one Harduin d'Amerval on 13th November 670 after turning him down. Following this Harduin became blind. However it is said that he recovered his sight as his victim's body was carried past him during its translation. Since then Maxellende has been the patron saint of Caudry and of the blind or partially sighted.

In the 19th century Caudry started specializing in tulle and lace making.

The first loom was installed in 1826 with parts smuggled from England. By 1913 there were some 650 looms employing several thousand workers. The population expanded from 1,926 in 1804 to 13,360 in 1911.

Today Caudry remains, with Calais, the only town in France where lace is still made. A lace museum has been opened in a former workshop in the town centre.