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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 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1795–1814 | |||||||||
 Lys within the northern French Empire (1811) | |||||||||
| Status | Department of the French First Republic and French First Empire | ||||||||
| Chef-lieu | Bruges 51°12′N 3°13′E | ||||||||
| Official languages | French | ||||||||
| Common languages | Dutch | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• 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 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | |||||||||
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.
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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
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 |
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