Mortemer, Seine-Maritime

Mortemer
Mortemer
Location within Upper Normandy region Mortemer
Coordinates: 49°45′06″N 1°33′04″E / 49.7517°N 1.5511°E / 49.7517; 1.5511Coordinates: 49°45′06″N 1°33′04″E / 49.7517°N 1.5511°E / 49.7517; 1.5511
Country	France
Region	Upper Normandy
Department	Seine-Maritime
Arrondissement	Dieppe
Canton	Neufchâtel-en-Bray
Intercommunality	Pays Neufchâtelois
Government
• Mayor	Daniel Van Hulle
Area¹	8.94 km² (3.45 sq mi)
Population (2006)²	109
• Density	12/km² (32/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	76454 / 76270
Elevation	128–230 m (420–755 ft) (avg. 151 m or 495 ft)
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. ² Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Mortemer is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.

Geography

A small forestry and farming village situated in the valley of the river Eaulne in the Pays de Bray, some 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Dieppe at the junction of the D7, D36 and the D929 roads. The A29 autoroute passes through the territory of the commune.

History

It was the site of the battle of Mortemer in February 1054 and was a defeat for Henry I of France when he led an army against his vassal, William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy in 1054.

This village is possibly the source of the medieval family name of Mortimer. The nature of the family's relations confused Robert of Torigni, one of the authors of the Gesta Normannorum Ducum. He claims that Roger of Mortemer was the brother of "William, later to be Earl of Surrey". But possibly Robert missed out a generation, as he did in dealing with the family history of the Montgomerys.^[1]