Escaut (department)

Template:Infobox former country Escaut ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}, Template:Langx) 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Before annexation by France, its territory was part of the County of Flanders and the Dutch Republic (Staats-Vlaanderen).

File:Departments of French Empire Escaut 1811.svg

Escaut within the northern French Empire (1811)

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):<ref name=b>Template:Cite book</ref>

• Gand: Cruyshouthem, Deynse, Evergem, Gand (4 cantons), Loochristi, Nazareth, Nevèle, Oosterzeele, Sommergem and Waerschoot.
• Termonde: Alost (2 cantons), Beveren, Hamme, Lockeren, Saint-Gillis, Saint-Nicolas, Tamise, Termonde, Wetteren and Zèle.
• Eccloo: Assenède, Axel, Capryck, Eccloo, L'Écluse, Hulst, Oostbourg and Yzendick.
• Andernarde: Andernarde (2 cantons), Grammont, Herzèle, Maria-Hoorebecke, Niderbrakel, Ninove, Renaix and Sotteghem.

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
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||18 September 1808||Guillaume Charles Faipoult de Maisoncelles
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||12 March 1813||Frédéric-Christophe d'Houdetot
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||23 March 1813||Jean François Marie Delaître
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||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
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||1 January 1801||Étienne Lehodey de Saultchevreuil
3 January 1801	5 July 1803	Claude Joachim Gréban de Saint Germain
?? ?? 1805<ref name='d' />	30 May 1814	P. Tinel

Subprefects of Andenarde

Term start	Term end	Office holder
1 May 1800<ref name=d>Template:Cite book</ref>	15 January 1809	Constantin Beyens
15 January 1809<ref name='d' />	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<ref name='d' />	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<ref name='d' />	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<ref name='d' />	15 September 1800	Aubert
15 September 1800<ref name='d' />	26 November 1802	Robert
26 November 1802<ref name='d' />	14 January 1803	François Pierre Eversdyck
14 January 1803<ref name='d' />	24 September 1803	André Etienne Bazenerye

Subprefects of Termonde

Term start	Term end	Office holder
1 May 1800<ref name='d' />	30 May 1814	Alexandre François Devos d’Ersele