The archives of the Bersacques family of surveyors are available online

The archives of the de Bersacques family are unique and are kept in the State Archives in Kortrijk (Belgium). Several members of this family were surveyors from the second half of the sixteenth century until the first half of the eighteenth century. This archive contains measurement reports, plans, figurative maps, etc. of the southern part of West Flanders. There are also a few documents concerning East Flanders, Hainaut and northern France.
The best-known member of the family is undoubtedly the surveyor-topographer Louis de Bersacques (ca 1586-1646). As a sworn surveyor of the Kortrijk châtellenie, he acquired a monopoly on the mapping of this region.
In this family archive, we find numerous measurement reports, but also a few sketches and a pen-and-ink drawing, the final version of which is often unknown.
This collection, which comprises almost five linear metres and 1 610 archival documents from the years 1578-1744, has been fully digitised by the State Archives and is available for consultation online.
These documents mainly concern the southern part of West Flanders (Kortrijk, Bellegem, Wevelgem, Moorsele, Dadizele, Rekkem, Menin, Marke, Rollegem, Waregem, Langemark, Lauwe, etc.). There are also a few documents concerning East Flanders (Beveren), Hainaut (Tournai, Mouscron, Dottignies) and northern France (Tourcoing).
It should be noted that the Hainaut towns are noted in Dutch (e.g. Tournai => Doornik). The search in the inventory must therefore be carried out using Dutch terms.
The State Archives in Arlon have also a series of forest maps dating from the years 1618 and 1619 by Louis and Jean de Bersacques: ban and wood of Notre Dame in the Provostry of Orchimont, a wood of the gruerie of Virton, wood of Chesnel in the northwest of Marbehan, La Sarte on the River of Semois.
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Posted on 24 August 2021