- Antiquity :
- There is a human occupation in the municipality of Mérinchal since ancient times. This human occupation dating back to the times of the Celts: place names of some villages remember their presence. Thus, the place name The Bessaude that is found in documents from 1841 (which corresponds to the present village of Bessède) means "birch wood" in the Gallic period, which suggests further that the first houses of the village were built on the site of an old birch grove cleared. One can also think that the location of the hamlet Lake, current deformation of the former village name Le Luc in the Middle Ages, there would have been a sacred grove to the Gallic period, according to its literal translation, which could have been conducted ceremonies animated by the druids. We know that more Maresches (name appearing in documents from 1357), former main town of Mérinchal, dated from the Gallic time, as the old town of Breulh. On the other hand, the Chaupeyre site (1623) or Chaupeix (1760) according to the documents, referring to a large stone standing after his Gallic meaning. In fact, near this place was a dolmen which the table was carried by four tall pyramid-shaped stone of 1.50 m (this dolmen was destroyed in 1826). We think he was certainly a head of Gallic tomb. Finally, in 1865, a Celtic stone ax was found in a field Mérinchal and given to the Museum of Clermont.
- The Gallo-Roman period has also left its mark on the town. Thus, an old Roman road crossing the town from north to south. Via strata, or via strada Eygurande joined in Bourges, and had a post office in Estrade (term that means a Roman gravel road) became Létrade since at least 1842. Not far away, a Roman colonist named Marillius or Marillus, settled his property, which took its name Marillanicas, has meanwhile become the village Maliangeas the Middle Ages, then Marlanges (at least since 1686 according to a document), its current name. In addition, funeral urns were discovered in this village in the past. There were also a Gallo-Roman agricultural over pruny, which survived until the Middle Ages, and whose name, Le Coudert or Couderc, also informs us that the use of the property it was shared. There was also a Gallo-Roman village on the old road to La Bessède in L'Herault, now destroyed, which is found in medieval fortified site in the name Commandange (meaning "Commander"). For story, according to legend, the fountain of the hamlet had been poisoned mortally; only two girls survived and took refuge in the village of Bessède. From an archaeological point of view, it was discovered in 1883 in the trench Cross Marchon three rough stone urns; and in 1860, had been found near where a Roman brick wall, vases, medals and nearly Castle de la Mothe.
- Middle Ages and Ancien Regime:
- The history of the town Mérinchal is very rich in the Middle Ages. The villages that already existed will experience changes. The Bessède becomes an area known he had become a fief belonging in 1711 to Margaret of Ségonzat. This is also the case for Le Luc (now Lake), which in 1763 was a fief belonging to the family of Bosredont; for Marillanicas, has meanwhile become the village Maliangeas the Middle Ages, then Marlanges, which belonged in 1789 to the Marquis Francois de Bosredont, lord of this place; for Chaupeyre, became a stronghold belonging to Antoine's in 1623 Plantadis; for the Roman village Montalonc, who in 1750 was a dependency of the land of Jeauffreix Henri du Bourg. Commandange ("Commander") in the Middle Ages and Commandery had become a fortified site. We found a circled cross it (Order of Malta) and a cross mash (Knights Templar). Its destruction in 1620, according to legend, was made following the poisoning of a fountain which only two girls survived, then refuge in La Bessède. Not far away, Hilarius, now Layral in 1357, was a parish church (the parish is under the patronage of St. Agnes) and a cemetery as a document of the same year. It is in this cemetery that were buried leper Lazareix. A priory there was built in 1357 or 1392, depending on Abbey Chambon, or forming part of the archipêtré of Herment, according to the documents.
- The Cares village (now The Cher for at least 1760) appears in the sixth century, whose name priori is the name of the river Cher, near which it is located (place name meaning "pebbles"). He stood down in the Middle Ages, at a place called "The Thistles." We know that there has been in the High Middle Ages, Lagorsse ("fortified Site"), an ancient village that was destroyed above the village on the road Parjadis Montalon, a feudal mound 60 m circuit and from 10 to 12 m in height surrounded by a moat.
- In the Middle Ages, the town of Mérinchal begins to draw more accurately. The two villages of the Gallic period, Maresches (name that appears in documents from 1357 and meaning "marshy place") and Breulh (which appears as such in 1157, and then as "Breul" in 1600 and that means "palisade enclosed hamlet in the middle of a wood"), which each have a church with more Maresches a cemetery become villages of Mérinchal. Until 1357, that is Maresches which is the main town of Mérinchal and from then until 1628, the village becomes Breulh Mérinchal and extends from the top of Fary to Miépeix. The very name of Mérinchal begins to appear: Mairenchalm in 1150, Mayrenchalm in 1231 Marenchal in 1357, Mérinchalm in 1535, and it means "rocky mountain surrounded by marshes." It designates the fortifications that surround the two villages, which consist of two feudal castles, moats, a lookout post and speakers. The first of the feudal castles, the Château de Beauvoir (1249, means "beautiful view") was at the top of the town. There was a gap and it was defended by towers. The second castle is the current castle de la Mothe (Motte or in a document from 1605, "the mothe" is Old French mound topped generally a wooden fort, but which has become synonymous with fortress Middle Ages), which was built in the twelfth century by the Knights Templar. The Château de la Mothe was a chapel and a stately suite with hunting lodge on a site where currently found Pharmacy (cited in a 1357 text as being named "La Chapelle"). The lookout was located above the castle de la Mothe, La Gardeiche (literally means lookout post, later, it became the name of the neighboring agricultural field that once belonged to the castle (appears in a document 1605).
- Earth and lordship Villelume belonged to William Villelume knight Villelume Lord, who met in 1096 and went with such force on the walls of Jerusalem that Godfrey of Bouillon gave him weapons, a flag taken from the infidels. His descendants lived Villelume until the destruction of the castle by the English, while the English had seized the castle Sermur not far from that of Villelume. First winner Villelume Josselin, defeated them in the plain of Mondayraud near Mérinchal. They were buried there, the stones covering the graves were still visible in 1844 (priest of the relationship Mérinchal) and are called "stones of dead soldiers." In the second battle, the Villelume were defeated, took their castle and burned by English with everything in it (around 1337). Josselin retired to his castle to Barmontet Verneugheol (Puy-de-Dôme). Land and lordship of Villelume remained in the agnatic descendants passed by marriage of 30 May 1685 to Jean-François Bosredon whose daughter Jeanne Bosredon lady wife Villelume November 8, 1704 Stephen Dougnon. Their son Maximilian married Marguerite Aymée Deneufvy in 1743: this union was born Marguerite Dougnon lady Villelume who married March 5, 1764 François Reynouard and whose descendants retain the land Villelume until 26 January 1917.