Beuvry

Beuvry is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France.

Geography

A suburban town immediately southwest of Béthune, 23 miles (37.0 km) southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D945, D72 and N41 roads. Light industry and a little farming have replaced the coal mining of the past.

History

The town's name comes from beaver (in Old French, bièvre) and underwent variations on this over the centuries: Berri; Beuvri; Bevery; Bouvry and finally Beuvry.

On September 19, 1784 the Robert brothers (Anne-Jean Robert and Marie-Noël Robert) plus M. Collin-Hullin flew their hydrogen balloon, La Caroline, for 6 hours 40 minutes, covering 186 km from Paris to Beuvry. La Caroline owed its design to the work of professor Jacques Charles and Jean Baptiste Meusnier and achieved the world's first ever flight over 100 km. In the Ville de Beuvry a stone monument was erected to commemorate the 200th anniversary landing of the brothers in La Caroline on September 19, 1784. A celebration ball la ducasse "du Ballon" is now held at the end of every September. The town has been awarded the Croix de guerre twice: after World War I and again, after World War II.