Lys (department)

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.

Department of Lys Département de la Lys (French) Departement Leie (Dutch)
1795–1814
Flag
Lys and other annexed departments
Status	Department of the French First Republic and French First Empire
Chef-lieu	Bruges 51°12′N 3°13′E / 51.200°N 3.217°E / 51.200; 3.217
Official languages	French
Common languages	Dutch
Historical era	French 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	Belgium

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

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. Tallandier. p. 1833. ISBN 9791021001480.