Lys (French: [lis], Dutch: Leie) was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire in present-day Belgium. It was named after the river Lys (Leie). It was created on 1 October 1795, when the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège were officially annexed by the French Republic.[4] Prior to this annexation, its territory was part of the County of Flanders. Its Chef-lieu was Bruges.
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Lys within the northern French Empire (1811)
The department was subdivided into the following four arrondissements and cantons (as of 1812):[3]
- Bruges: Ardoye, Bruges (5 cantons), Ghistelles, Ostende, Ruysselede, Thielt and Thourout (2 cantons).
- Courtray: Avelghem, Courtray (4 cantons), Haerelbeke, Ingelmunster, Menin, Meulebeke, Moozeele, Oost-roosebeke and Roulers.
- Furnes: Dixmude, Furnes, Haeringhe and Nieuport.
- Ypres: Elverdinge, Hooglede, Messines, Pashendaele, Poperinghe, Wervicq and Ypres (2 cantons).
After Napoleon was defeated in 1814, the department became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its territory corresponded perfectly with the present-day Belgian province of West Flanders.
Administration
Prefects
The Prefect was the highest state representative in the department.
| Term start
|
Term end
|
Office holder
|
| 2 March 1800[5] |
9 February 1804 |
François Marie Joseph Justin de Viry
|
| 9 February 1804[6] |
12 May 1808 |
François Bernard de Chauvelin
|
| 30 November 1810[7] |
25 August 1811 |
Pierre Amédée Vincent Joseph Marie Arborio-Biamino
|
| 25 August 1811[8] |
30 May 1814 |
Jean François Soult
|
General Secretaries
The General Secretary was the deputy to the Prefect.
| Term start
|
Term end
|
Office holder
|
| 2 March 1800[3] |
30 May 1814 |
Auguste Henissart
|
Subprefects of Bruges
Until 1811, the Prefect also held the office of Subprefect of Bruges.
| Term start
|
Term end
|
Office holder
|
| 14 January 1811[9] |
30 May 1814 |
Delanghe
|
Subprefects of Courtray
| Term start
|
Term end
|
Office holder
|
| 25 April 1800[9] |
3 May 1801 |
Jean Baptiste De Burck
|
| 3 May 1801[9] |
3 May 1802 |
Constant
|
| 3 May 1802[9] |
30 May 1814 |
Antoine Alexis Joseph Picquet
|
Subprefects of Furnes
| Term start
|
Term end
|
Office holder
|
| 25 April 1800[9] |
1 September 1801 |
Van den Bussche
|
| 1 September 1801[9] |
3 May 1802 |
Antoine Alexis Joseph Picquet
|
| 3 May 1802[9] |
25 March 1807 |
Philippe Jacques Herwyn
|
| 25 March 1807[9] |
21 September 1808 |
Nicolas Charles Joseph Dubois
|
| 21 September 1808[9] |
8 April 1813 |
Delaëter
|
| 8 April 1813[9] |
30 May 1814 |
F. Heim
|
Subprefects of Ypres
| Term start
|
Term end
|
Office holder
|
| 25 April 1800[9] |
30 May 1814 |
Arnould Claude Gallois
|
References
- ^ a b Mémoire statistique du département de la Lys. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1804. pp. 1–29.
- ^ Annuaire du Département de la Lys. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1805. p. 128.
- ^ a b c Almanach Impérial. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1812. p. 427.
- ^ Duvergier, Jean-Baptiste (1835). Collection complète des lois, décrets, ordonnances, réglemens et avis du Conseil d'état, t. 8. p. 300.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "VIRY, François Marie Joseph Justin de". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "CHAUVELIN, Bernard François de". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "BIAMINO ARBORIO, Pierre Amédée Vincent Joseph Marie". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "SOULT, Jean François". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Tulard, Jean & Marie-José (2014). Napoléon et 40 millions de sujets: La centralisation et le premier empire. Tallandier. p. 1833. ISBN 9791021001480.
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