Escaut (department)

Department of Escaut
Département de l'Escaut (French)
Departement Schelde (Dutch)
1795–1814
Escaut within the northern French Empire (1811)
Escaut within the northern French Empire (1811)
StatusDepartment of the French First Republic and the French First Empire
Chef-lieuGhent
51°3′N 3°44′E / 51.050°N 3.733°E / 51.050; 3.733
Official languagesFrench
Common languagesDutch
History 
• 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
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
County of Flanders
Generality Lands
East Flanders
Today part of

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).

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]

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

Prefects

The 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

The 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

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

This 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

Until 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

This 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

Term start Term end Office holder
1 May 1800[9] 30 May 1814 Alexandre François Devos d’Ersele

References

  1. ^ a b Almanach Impérial. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1812. p. 400.
  2. ^ a b c d Mémoire statistique du département de l'Escaut. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1804.
  3. ^ Duvergier, Jean-Baptiste (1835). Collection complète des lois, décrets, ordonnances, réglemens et avis du Conseil d'état, t. 8. p. 300.
  4. ^ Archives Nationales. "FAIPOULT DE MAISONCELLES, Guillaume Charles". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  5. ^ Archives Nationales. "HOUDETOT, Frédéric Christophe d'". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  6. ^ Archives Nationales. "DELAITRE, Jean François Marie". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  7. ^ Archives Nationales. "DESMOUSSEAUX DE GIVRÉ, Napoléon Jean-Évangéliste Émilien". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  8. ^ BNF. "Étienne Lehodey de Saultchevreuil (1754-1830)". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  9. ^ 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.