Mervelier
Origin of the name Mervelier
Name origin: first mentioned around 1184 in the form « Morswilre »; « Maertwiler » is found in 1489 (to be cross-checked). The old German name is « Morschwil ». The name is said to combine a Germanic male personal name, perhaps « Modheri », with Late Latin « villare » (estate, group of farms) (to be cross-checked). The inhabitants bear the nickname « Gravalons » (to be cross-checked).
Founding of Mervelier
Mervelier stretches along La Scheulte, in the eastern part of the Val Terbi, at the foot of the Scheulte pass, on the road from Delémont to Balsthal. No founder is known; the village appears in the records around 1184. It was part of the provostry of Moutier-Grandval, in the Prince-Bishopric of Basel, and more precisely of the area called Sous-les-Roches, which remained Catholic after the Reformation. It belonged to the parish of Montsevelier until it became a parish itself in 1771, shortly before the Saint-Rémi church was built. Part of the Bernese district of Moutier from 1815 to 1976, it then moved to the district of Delémont, and later to the canton of Jura. Its economy relied on farming and fruit growing, supplemented in the 19th and 20th centuries by silk weaving and some watchmaking.
History of Mervelier
around 1184. First mention, in the form « Morswilre ».
Middle Ages-1792. Mervelier is part of the provostry of Moutier-Grandval (Prince-Bishopric of Basel), in the Sous-les-Roches area, which remains Catholic after the Reformation. The village belongs to the parish of Montsevelier.
1489. Mention in the form « Maertwiler » (to be cross-checked).
1770-1772. Construction of the Saint-Rémi church, set apart from the village.
1771. Mervelier becomes a parish, which also includes Schelten.
1793-1813. The village belongs to the French departments of Mont-Terrible, then Haut-Rhin.
1815. Mervelier passes to the canton of Bern, in the bailiwick and later the district of Moutier.
1841-1842. Alteration of the Saint-Rémi church.
1853. Mervelier becomes a mixed municipality.
19th century. Famines drive part of the population to emigrate overseas, with the help of municipal subsidies (to be cross-checked). Silk weaving develops alongside farming.
1874-1935. The parish of Mervelier also includes Montsevelier.
1927-1928. Construction of the Neuve-Vie chapel (to be cross-checked).
1945. Construction of the chapelle de la Paix (to be cross-checked).
1975. In the plebiscite of 7 September 1975, the municipality chooses to join the future canton of Jura (to be cross-checked).
1976. Mervelier leaves the district of Moutier for that of Delémont.
1979. Mervelier becomes part of the new canton of Jura.
Population of Mervelier
| 1818 | 377 |
| 1850 | 490 |
| 1900 | 433 |
| 1950 | 539 |
| 2000 | 585 |
| 2010 | 551 |
| 2020 | 514 |
| 2025 | 523 |
Historic sites in Mervelier
Saint-Rémi church. Parish church built in 1770-1772 apart from the village, with a monumental ashlar facade; altered in 1841-1842, it illustrates the transition from late Baroque to Neoclassicism.
Neuve-Vie and Paix chapels. Two 20th-century chapels, built in 1927-1928 (Neuve-Vie) and in 1945 (chapelle de la Paix) (to be cross-checked).
Scheulte pass. The village stretches along La Scheulte, at the foot of the pass of the same name, on the old road linking Delémont to Balsthal.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Mervelier » (François Kohler)
- Wikipédia, « Mervelier » (français)
- Wikipedia, « Mervelier » (allemand)
- Statistique Jura, tableau JU-T.01.01.03, population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025
- geo.admin.ch (swisstopo), recherche de lieux « Mervelier »
Other villages near Mervelier
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