Boncourt
Origin of the name Boncourt
The village appears in 1140 as « Bononis Curia ». The former German name is « Bubendorf ». What the name means is not yet known.
Founding of Boncourt
Neither the founder of Boncourt nor the date of its creation is known. The village is recorded in 1140. In the Middle Ages it shared the fate of the mairie of Ajoie, incorporated into the prince-bishopric of Basel at the end of the 13th century. In the same century the counts of Montbéliard built Milandre castle on its territory. For a long time Boncourt belonged partly to the bishopric of Basel and partly to the lordship of Delle, held by the dukes of Austria and later by the French crown. The village owes its modern growth to the tobacco factory of Martin Burrus, who came from Alsace, and to the railway.
History of Boncourt
1140. First recorded: « Bononis Curia ».
13th century. The counts of Montbéliard build Milandre castle. The lower part of the church tower also dates from this century.
Late 13th century. Boncourt shares the fate of the mairie of Ajoie, incorporated into the prince-bishopric of Basel.
Ancien Régime. Boncourt belongs to the mairie of Bure. The parish, in the diocese of Besançon, also includes Joncherey (France).
1674. French troops under Marshal Turenne destroy Milandre castle; only the tower survives.
17th-18th centuries. The de Staal family owns the La Cour estate.
1779. End of the division between the bishopric of Basel and the lordship of Delle. The parish leaves the diocese of Besançon.
1781. The bridge of the Milandre mill is rebuilt in masonry by Jean-Jacques Plomb, under the supervision of the architect Pierre-François Paris.
1792-1815. Boncourt belongs to the French departments of Mont-Terrible, then Haut-Rhin.
1814. Martin Burrus founds a tobacco factory.
1815. Union with the canton of Bern (bailiwick, then district of Porrentruy).
1832. The owner J. Kilcher has the mill bridge repaired, hence its name, Pont Kilcher.
1836. Boncourt becomes a mixed municipality.
1872. Opening of the railway, which speeds up the growth of the Burrus factory and the village.
1979. Boncourt becomes part of the new canton of Jura (district of Porrentruy).
1990. 61 % of the working population is employed in industry. The Burrus factory at times employed more than 500 people.
Population of Boncourt
| 1818 | 454 |
| 1850 | 647 |
| 1900 | 932 |
| 1950 | 1'299 |
| 1970 | 1'528 |
| 2000 | 1'358 |
| 2010 | 1'300 |
| 2025 | 1'159 |
Historic sites in Boncourt
Church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul. The lower part of its tower dates from the 13th century. It holds important Baroque furnishings from the workshop of the Breton brothers.
Milandre tower. Last remnant of the castle built in the 13th century by the counts of Montbéliard, on a cliff above the Allaine.
Milandre caves. Karst network more than 10 km long carved by an underground river, the Milandrine, whose waters emerge at the Bâme (flood outlet) and at the Saivu spring. The caves are not open to the public.[2][3]
Pont Kilcher. Bridge of the Milandre mill, rebuilt in masonry in 1781 and repaired in 1832 by J. Kilcher, as an inscription on a pier records.
Old wash house. Fully restored wash house that once adjoined the farm, now demolished, of Martin Burrus, founder of the tobacco factory.[2]
Remains in Boncourt
Milandre tower. Milandre castle, built in the 13th century by the counts of Montbéliard, was destroyed in 1674 by French troops under Marshal Turenne. Only its tower is still standing.
Legends of Boncourt
The fairy Arie, Lady of Milandre. According to tradition, the deep caverns of the Milandre caves are the home of the fairy Arie. On summer evenings, hidden from view, she bathes in the waters of the Bâme and then turns into a vouivre to keep thieves away. Her iron chest is said to hold gold and diamonds.[2]
The White Lady of the tower. Every hundred years a White Lady is said to appear at the top of the Milandre tower, watching for a rescuer who has never come.[2]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Boncourt (JU) » (Bernard Prongué), version allemande lue
- Commune de Boncourt, « Lavoir et grottes de Milandre »
- Société jurassienne d'émulation, Cercle scientifique, excursion « La Milandrine » (2024)
- Statistique Jura, tableau JU-T.01.01.03, population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025
- geo.admin.ch (swisstopo), recherche de lieux « Boncourt »
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Boncourt
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