▁west ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁Me use ▁still ▁has ▁some ▁traces ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁C elt ic ▁language ▁spoken ▁by ▁the ▁E bur ones . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁written ▁proof ▁of ▁W ess em ' s ▁existence ▁found , ▁according ▁to ▁Baron ▁Louis ▁de ▁Cr ass ier ▁in ▁his ▁D iction naire ▁is ▁in ▁a ▁Char ter ▁of ▁ 9 4 6 , ▁when ▁Emperor ▁Otto ▁I ▁confirmed ▁to ▁the ▁ab bey ▁of ▁G embl oux , ▁the ▁possession ▁in ▁W ess em ▁of ▁a ▁mill ▁and ▁a ▁bre wer y . ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁ab bey ▁of ▁St . ▁P ant ale on ▁in ▁C ologne ▁since ▁bishop ▁Bruno ▁left ▁all ▁his ▁assets , ▁rights ▁and ▁poss essions ▁in ▁the ▁" hof ▁W ess em " ▁to ▁the ▁ab bey ▁in ▁his ▁last ▁will ▁and ▁test ament ▁in ▁ 9 4 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 9 4 6 ▁W ess em ▁acquired ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁make ▁their ▁own ▁co ins , ▁collect ▁tax es ▁and ▁to ▁choose ▁a ▁guard ian ▁and ▁a ▁mayor . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century ▁BC , ▁W ess em ▁received ▁full ▁city ▁rights ▁and ▁from ▁then ▁on ▁suffered ▁the ▁same ▁fate ▁as ▁so ▁many ▁small ▁communities ▁in ▁Lim burg . ▁Through ▁mar ri ages , ▁agre ements , ▁war ▁and ▁inher itan cies ▁and ▁leg a cies , ▁W ess em ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁one ▁noble ▁family ▁after ▁another . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁ 1 2 1 9