Sambre-et-Meuse

Sambre-et-Meuse ([sɑ̃bʁ.e.møz]) was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire in present-day Belgium. It was named after the rivers Sambre and Meuse. It was created on 1 October 1795, when the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège were officially annexed by the French Republic.[2] Prior to this annexation, the territory included in the department had lain in the County of Namur, the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and the Duchies of Brabant and Luxembourg.

Department of Sambre-et-Meuse Département de Sambre-et-Meuse (fr)
1795–1814
Flag
Sambre-et-Meuse and other annexed departments
Status	Department of the French First Republic and the French First Empire
Chef-lieu	Namur 50°28′N 4°52′E
Official languages	French
Historical era	French Revolutionary Wars
• Creation	1 October 1795
• Treaty of Paris, disestablished	30 May 1814
Area
1814	4,579 km^2 (1,768 sq mi)
Population
• 1814	180,655[1]
Preceded by Succeeded by Austrian Netherlands Prince-Bishopric of Liège United Kingdom of the Netherlands
Today part of	Belgium

Map of the former Sambre-et-Meuse département

The Chef-lieu of the department was Namur. The department was subdivided into the following four arrondissements and cantons:

• Namur: Andenne, Dhuy, Fosses, Gembloux and Namur (2 cantons).
• Dinant: Beauraing, Ciney, Dinant, Florennes and Walcourt.
• Marche: Durbuy, Erezée, Havelange, La Roche, Marche and Rochefort.
• Saint-Hubert: Gedinne, Nassogne, Saint-Hubert and Wellin.

After Napoleon was defeated in 1814, the department was dissolved and later became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its territory is now divided between the Belgian provinces of Namur and Luxembourg.

Administration

Prefects

The Prefect was the highest state representative in the department.

Term start	Term end	Office holder
2 March 1800[3]	17 April 1806	Emmanuel Pérès de la Gesse
3 January 1814[4]	30 May 1814	Jean Paul Alban de Villeneuve-Bargemon

Secretaries-General

The Secretary-General was the deputy to the Prefect.

Term start	Term end	Office holder
2 March 1800	?? ?? 1803	Corneille Joseph Bauchau
?? ?? 1803	30 May 1814	L.A. Fallon

Subprefects of Dinant

Term start	Term end	Office holder
23 April 1800[1]	7 April 1813	Louis Joseph Delevingne
7 April 1813[1]	30 May 1814	Claude François Prudhomme

Subprefects of Marche

Term start	Term end	Office holder
23 April 1800[1]	24 May 1800	Dewal
24 May 1800[1]	30 May 1814	Jacques François Joseph Briart

Subprefects of Namur

The office of Subprefect of Namur was held by the Prefect until 1811.

Term start	Term end	Office holder
14 January 1811[1]	30 May 1814	Edouard Auxy

Subprefects of Saint-Hubert

Term start	Term end	Office holder
23 April 1800[1]	30 May 1814	Louis Dieudonné Joseph Dewez

References

1. Tulard, Jean & Marie-José (2014). Napoléon et 40 millions de sujets: La centralisation et le premier empire. p. 354. ISBN 9791021001480.
2. Duvergier, Jean-Baptiste (1835). Collection complète des lois, décrets, ordonnances, réglemens et avis du Conseil d'état, t. 8. p. 300.
3. Archives Nationales. "PÉRÈS DE LA GESSE, Emmanuel". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
4. Archives Nationales. "VILLENEUVE-BARGEMON, Jean Paul Alban de". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.