Lys (department)

Lys ([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.

Department of Lys
Département de la Lys (French)
Departement Leie (Dutch)
1795–1814
Flag of Lys
Lys and other annexed departments
Lys and other annexed departments
StatusDepartment of the French First Republic and French First Empire
Chef-lieuBruges
51°12′N 3°13′E
Official languagesFrench
Common languagesDutch
Historical eraFrench Revolutionary Wars
• Creation
1 October 1795
• Treaty of Paris, disestablished
30 May 1814
Population
• 1784[1]
444,260
• 1804[1]
461,659
• 1805[2]
471,689
• 1812[3]
491,143
Preceded by		Succeeded by
County of Flanders
West Flanders
Today part of

The department was subdivided into the following four arrondissements and cantons (as of 1812):[3]

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 1804François Marie Joseph Justin de Viry
9 February 1804[6]12 May 1808François Bernard de Chauvelin
30 November 1810[7]25 August 1811Pierre Amédée Vincent Joseph Marie Arborio-Biamino
25 August 1811[8]30 May 1814Jean 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 1814Auguste 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 1814Delanghe

Subprefects of Courtray
Term start Term end Office holder
25 April 1800[9]3 May 1801Jean Baptiste De Burck
3 May 1801[9]3 May 1802Constant
3 May 1802[9]30 May 1814Antoine Alexis Joseph Picquet

Subprefects of Furnes
Term start Term end Office holder
25 April 1800[9]1 September 1801Van den Bussche
1 September 1801[9]3 May 1802Antoine Alexis Joseph Picquet
3 May 1802[9]25 March 1807Philippe Jacques Herwyn
25 March 1807[9]21 September 1808Nicolas Charles Joseph Dubois
21 September 1808[9]8 April 1813Delaëter
8 April 1813[9]30 May 1814F. Heim

Subprefects of Ypres
Term start Term end Office holder
25 April 1800[9]30 May 1814Arnould Claude Gallois

References
  1. Mémoire statistique du département de la Lys. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1804. pp. 1–29.
  2. Annuaire du Département de la Lys. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1805. p. 128.
  3. Almanach Impérial. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1812. p. 427.
  4. Duvergier, Jean-Baptiste (1835). Collection complète des lois, décrets, ordonnances, réglemens et avis du Conseil d'état, t. 8. p. 300.
  5. Archives Nationales. "VIRY, François Marie Joseph Justin de". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  6. Archives Nationales. "CHAUVELIN, Bernard François de". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  7. Archives Nationales. "BIAMINO ARBORIO, Pierre Amédée Vincent Joseph Marie". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  8. Archives Nationales. "SOULT, Jean François". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  9. Tulard, Jean & Marie-José (2014). Napoléon et 40 millions de sujets: La centralisation et le premier empire. p. 1833. ISBN 9791021001480.
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