Cormoret
Origin of the name Cormoret
The village is named on 25 February 1178 as « Cormoret », in a bull of Pope Alexander III. Its name remains unexplained.[1][2]
Founding of Cormoret
Cormoret belonged to the lordship of Erguël, in the prince-bishopric of Basel. The chapter of Saint-Imier held property here from the late 12th century, and the bishop of Basel remained overlord when the counts of Neuchâtel granted the village as a fief. The village has always formed a single parish with Courtelary. Mills and forges worked at the place called Le Torrent, and the plentiful water of its springs now supplies drinking water to Saint-Imier, Courtelary and the Franches-Montagnes.[1][2]
History of Cormoret
1178. A bull of Pope Alexander III names Cormoret for the first time.[1][2]
Late 12th century. The chapter of Saint-Imier holds property in Cormoret.[1]
1317. Rudolf IV, Count of Neuchâtel, grants the village and its people as a fief to Jean Compagnet of Courtelary.[1]
1372. The parish of Courtelary-Cormoret is founded.[1][2]
1437. Mills are licensed on the Petit-Torrent and the Grand-Torrent.[2]
1530. The parish adopts the Reformation.[1]
1597. The mill of Cormoret is built.[2]
1710. On 3 June a villager, Madeleine Liengme, is executed for witchcraft.[2]
1795. On 8 June a fire destroys nine houses.[1][2]
1797. On 15 December French troops occupy Erguël. Cormoret joins the canton of Courtelary, department of Mont-Terrible.[2]
1853-1854. The burghers' commune separates from the residents' commune. The municipality is created on 1 January 1854.[1][2]
1863-1864. Fire destroys the school and four houses on 9 and 10 May 1863. A new school is built the following year.[2]
1874. The Sonceboz-Les Convers line opens, but trains do not stop at Cormoret.[2]
1880. A chapel is built for the Free Church. It remains attached to the Free Church of the canton of Vaud until 1965.[1]
1885. On 5 September Cormoret opens the first electric public street lighting network in Switzerland.[1][2]
1890. The village finally gets its station, opened in June.[1][2]
1891-1892. Agreements with Saint-Imier govern the use of water from La Raissette.[2]
1932-1933. The Le Torrent factory burns down on the night of 13 to 14 August 1932. It is rebuilt in 1933.[2]
1983. The village's last watch factory closes.[1]
Population of Cormoret
Sources and references: [1][2][3]
| 1800 | 275 |
| 1818 | 319 |
| 1850 | 478 |
| 1900 | 669 |
| 1950 | 663 |
| 2000 | 530 |
| 2025 | 504 |
Historic sites in Cormoret
Listed farmhouses. Despite the fire of 1795, the village keeps some thirty listed farmhouses from the 16th to the 19th century.[1]
Free Church chapel. Built in 1880, it belonged to the Free Church of the canton of Vaud until 1965.[1]
Springs. Water from the Cormoret springs supplies Saint-Imier, Courtelary and the Franches-Montagnes. The pumping station of the Le Torrent spring dates from 1968-1969.[1][2]
Remains in Cormoret
The upper mill. One of the village mills. It stops working and is abolished in 1779.[2]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Cormoret » (Anne Beuchat-Bessire), version du 02.03.2004
- Chronologie jurassienne, « Cormoret » (entrées datées avec renvois aux archives et à la presse régionale)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025
Other villages near Cormoret
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