Bellegem / Bellenghem / Bellengim / Bellingim

Baptismal font made of limestone in the 13th century [cf. infra], listed in the Onroerend erfgoed [https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/60507] [accessed 3 May 2026]: "Vermoedelijk 13de-eeuwse gotische, arduinen doopvont." Listed and illustrated in BALaT KIK-IRPA [https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/33392] [accessed 3 May 2026] with date in the 13th century [cf. infra]: "doopvont [...] arduin [...] gothiek [...] Date: 1201 - 1300".
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 18 March 2026) informs: "Bellegem, Sint-Amanduskerk. 1111 Bellengim, 1154 Bellingim, , 1175 Bellenghem. Bellegem was first mentioned in writing in 1111, referring to the lord Morantus de Bellengim. Presumably, a parish already existed in Bellegem in 1195, given a written document mentioning a cleric. A priest is also mentioned in 1277. The right of patronage rested with the Chapter of Our Lady of Tournai. Several lordships were located within the territory of Bellegem. A similar situation is also found in the ecclesiastical sphere: in total, there were no fewer than eighteen different tithe collectors, which led to financial conflicts and lawsuits. Remains of an earlier Romanesque church structure from around 1180 are still present, particularly in the northern and southern walls of the choir and in the substructure of the crossing tower. A Gothic church was erected in the 13th century, which underwent numerous major renovations in the 17th and 18th centuries. The 16th century brought famine, a plague epidemic (1555-1556), and subsequently the religious conflicts, in which the Calvinists trouble makers were replaced by bands of Malcontents. During the Iconoclasm, the church and parish suffered greatly, including the imprisonment of the pastor. The church's leaning tower, which dated from the second half of the 17th century, was demolished and rebuilt in 1961. Subsequently, the Nine Years' War (1688-1697) raged, during which French troops, among others, regularly plundered the village. The church was neglected and fell into disrepair.
After the invasion by the French revolutionaries, the church was closed in 1792. From February 27 to March 7 1814, Bellegem was the scene of a battle between Prussian and French troops. Baptismal registers start in 1605. Octagonal, limestone, gothic, Hainaut-type baptismal font. KIK-IRPA dating is 13th c. However, to me it looks late 16th c. https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/33392"