Spanish Period (1494 - 1714)

Under Charles Quint

This king gave legislation to Hainaut, taking into account the ancient customs specific to the city of Mons and extended it to the whole region. Montignies was therefore subject to this legislation.

16th century revolution, (1555 - 1598)

The Counts of Egmont and Hornes,

The famous Lamoral, Count of Egmont, left great memories in our regions where his descendants lived until the beginning of the last century at the battle of St. Quentin, he routed the French army (June 1557). The following year, he defeated the marshal of terms at Gravelines. He then became governor of Flanders and Artois, under marguerite de parma, he found himself involved in all the events of the time. When the Duke of Alba arrives in Belgium, his first act is to arrest the Counts of Egmont and Hornes, his friend, believing thus to stop the insurrection.

They were executed on June 5, 1568.

Baron de Montigni,

Floris de Montmorency was the brother of the Comte de Hornes and owned a castle in Montignies-lez-Lens. During the compromise of the nobles, he was sent on a mission to Spain by Margaret of Parma. He returned with a letter for the governess. When the counts of Egmont and Hornes, his brother, were arrested, he went there again with the count of Berghes, governor of Mons, to implore their pardon. They never came back!

After the execution of the counts, the news arrived that they had died in Spain where, on their arrival, Philip II had imprisoned them. Montigni, imprisoned in the castle of Segovia, had his head cut off and the Marquis de Berghes was, it is said, poisoned by a page in his prison.

Under Albert and Isabella - (1598 - 1633)

On August 16, 1616, the exchange of oaths between Albert and Isabelle and the states of Hainaut took place. Jean Farinard, abbot of Cambron attended. (The waite).

Charters of Hainaut - The oldest monuments of the customary legislation of Hainaut are the feudal and penal charters given in 1200 by Baudouin of Constantinople, they were supplemented on August 5 and November 6 by the charters of Aubert of Bavaria and by a charter of the Emperor Charles-Quint of March 15, 1534. The General Charter of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella, of March 15, 1619, codified and supplemented the legislative provisions of the county of Hainaut, as well as local customs. (Bernier. p. 9)

Wars of Louis XIV - (1667 - 1715)

May 13, 1674: The army of the Grand Condé comes to occupy the Lens camp, the right relying on Jurbise, the left between Montignies and Masnuy St. Pierre.

In June, this same army came to establish itself in the camp of Brugelette. The left of Condé's army was in the rear of Lens between this town and la cense du parc at Montignies.

On June 18, Condé left Brugelette for the lower Estinnes.

In September, they completed the devastation of the country by removing fodder for several leagues around and burning what could not be removed.

In 1677, the Spanish army made up of Dutch and imperial troops traversed the province and sowed terror there. Looting soldiers invaded Cambron Abbey. The censiers and other farmers had taken refuge there with their cattle. The soldiers returned to the charge three times and carried off all the cattle.

In 1683 and 84, Cambron was again ravaged by an army of 40,000 French, the surroundings suffered the same fate; requisitions, fires. (Monier).

In 1691. - De Kerpentel, encamped at Montignies with 6,000 men, foraged the crops of the abbey on the camberchau. (A.Dubois). In March, the siege of Mons takes place. Tradition reports that in Montignies, the farmers who brought the requisitioned hay to Mons were attacked by the enemy from Lens. The charges were burned in the hamlet of Les Bruyères. There remained only the tires of the wheels and some scrap metal.

On September 11 the French leave Obourg and St. Denis to occupy Cambron.

On August 13, 1707, the French against the allies and Malborough.

After the battle of Ramillies (26-5-1706), the French in rout, commanded by the Duke of Vendôme, came to camp at St. Denis then at Chièvres. On the 14th, they extended over 3 lines from Jurbise to Ath. The same day, the allies decamped from Arquennes, part of their army arrived in the evening in the plain of Montignies-lez-Lens, but the rest did not arrive until the next day at noon and their artillery and their baggage even later.

La Dendre was between the two armies, the Elector of France (the Duke of Burgundy, pupil of Fénelon) had ensured all the crossings: The long bridge, the marsh bridge, the Cambron bridge and the Lens bridge, near of the abbey of Cambron, by small intrenchments.

The two armies remained in this position until the 22nd.

On September 1, the French moved on Antoing. Marlborough took up his headquarters at Ath in the winter of 1709, having been very harsh, he completed the ruin of France. (C.Chapter VI).