Escaut (French: [ɛsko], Dutch: Schelde) was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire in present-day Belgium and Netherlands. It was named after the river Scheldt (Escô, Schelde), which is called the Escaut in French. It was created on 1 October 1795, when the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège were officially annexed by the French Republic.[3] Before annexation by France, its territory was part of the County of Flanders and the Dutch Republic (Staats-Vlaanderen).
Department of Escaut | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1795–1814 | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
 Escaut and other annexed departments | |||||||||||
| Status | Department of the French First Republic and the French First Empire | ||||||||||
| Chef-lieu | Ghent 51°3′N 3°44′E / 51.050°N 3.733°E | ||||||||||
| Official languages | French | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Dutch | ||||||||||
| Historical era | French Revolutionary Wars | ||||||||||
• Creation | 1 October 1795 | ||||||||||
• Treaty of Paris, disestablished | 30 May 1814 | ||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||
| 1812[1] | 3,570 km2 (1,380 sq mi) | ||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||
• 1789[2] | 583,059 | ||||||||||
• 1799[2] | 594,617 | ||||||||||
• 1800[2] | 602,072 | ||||||||||
• 1812[1] | 636,438 | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | |||||||||||
The Chef-lieu of the department was Ghent (Gand in French). The department was subdivided into the following four arrondissements and cantons (as of 1812):[2]
- Gand: Cruyshouthem, Deysne, Evergem, Gand (4 cantons), Loochristi, Nazareth, Nevèle, Oosterzeele, Sommergem and Waerschoot.
- Termonde: Alost (2 cantons), Beveren, Hamme, Lockeren, Saint-Gillis, Saint-Nicolas, Tamise, Termonde, Wetteren and Zèle.
- Eccloo: Assenède, Axel, Capryck, Eccloo, L'Écluse, Hulst, Oostbourg and Yzendick.
- Andernarde: Andernarde (2 cantons), Grammont, Herzèle, Maria-Hoorebecke, Niderbrakel, Ninove, Renaix and Sotteghem.
After Napoleon was defeated in 1814, the department became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its territory corresponded with the present Belgian province of East Flanders and the Dutch region of Zeelandic Flanders.
Administration
editPrefects
editThe Prefect was the highest state representative in the department.
| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 2 March 1800[4] | 18 September 1808 | Guillaume Charles Faipoult de Maisoncelles |
| 18 September 1808[5] | 12 March 1813 | Frédéric-Christophe d'Houdetot |
| 12 March 1813[6] | 23 March 1813 | Jean François Marie Delaître |
| 23 March 1813[7] | 30 May 1814 | Napoléon Jean-Évangéliste Desmousseaux de Givré |
General Secretaries
editThe General Secretary was the deputy to the Prefect.
| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 23 May 1800[8] | 1 January 1801 | Étienne Lehodey de Saultchevreuil |
| 3 January 1801 | 5 July 1803 | Claude Joachim Gréban de Saint Germain |
| ?? ?? 1805[9] | 30 May 1814 | P. Tinel |
Subprefects of Andenarde
edit| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1800[9] | 15 January 1809 | Constantin Beyens |
| 15 January 1809[9] | 30 May 1814 | Joseph Charles Emmanuel Van Ertborn |
Subprefects of Eccloo
editThis subprefecture was created in 1803, replacing Sas-de-Gand.
| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 24 September 1803[9] | 30 May 1814 | André Etienne Bazenerye |
Subprefects of Gand
editUntil 1811, the Prefect also held the office of Subprefect of Gand.
| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 14 January 1811[9] | 30 May 1814 | Pierre Louis Joseph Servais van Gobbelschroy |
Subprefects of Sas-de-Gand
editThis subprefecture was replaced by Eccloo in 1803.
| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 1 June 1800[9] | 15 September 1800 | Aubert |
| 15 September 1800[9] | 26 November 1802 | Robert |
| 26 November 1802[9] | 14 January 1803 | François Pierre Eversdyck |
| 14 January 1803[9] | 24 September 1803 | André Etienne Bazenerye |
Subprefects of Termonde
edit| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1800[9] | 30 May 1814 | Alexandre François Devos d’Ersele |
References
edit- ^ a b Almanach Impérial. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1812. p. 400.
- ^ a b c d Mémoire statistique du département de l'Escaut. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1804.
- ^ Duvergier, Jean-Baptiste (1835). Collection complète des lois, décrets, ordonnances, réglemens et avis du Conseil d'état, t. 8. p. 300.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "FAIPOULT DE MAISONCELLES, Guillaume Charles". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "HOUDETOT, Frédéric Christophe d'". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "DELAITRE, Jean François Marie". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "DESMOUSSEAUX DE GIVRÉ, Napoléon Jean-Évangéliste Émilien". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ^ BNF. "Étienne Lehodey de Saultchevreuil (1754-1830)". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tulard, Jean & Marie-José (2014). Napoléon et 40 millions de sujets: La centralisation et le premier empire. Tallandier. p. 295. ISBN 9791021001480.