Abbeville

Abbeville, a prosperous manufacturing town of France, in the dep. of Somme, stands on the river Somme, 12 miles from its mouth, and 49 miles S. of Boulogne. It is built partly on an island, and partly on the banks of the river; the streets are narrow and ill paved; and the houses, some of them picturesque, are built mostly of brick and wood. The west front of the church of St Wolfram, commenced in the reign of Louis XII., is a splendid example of the Flamboyant style, with noble portals and covered with rich tracery. Ruskin speaks of Abbeville as 'the preface and interpretation of Rouen' in respect of its architecture. The museum has a rich collection of antiquities. The chief manufactures of Abbeville are woollen cloths, carpets, linens, sacking, and sugar. It has some coasting trade. Near Abbeville were found, in 1841, the flint implements, associated with the remains of the mammoth and rhinoceros, which have such an important bearing on the controversy as to the antiquity of man. Pop. (1881) 19,283; (1891) 19,772.