Jemmape

Jemmape was a former French department established in territory that is now principally associated with the Belgian province of Hainaut. Its name referred to the Battle of Jemappes, a French victory over Austrian forces fought near Mons in 1792. Contemporary forms of the name included Jemmape, Jemmapes, and Jemmappes. The department was first created on 2 March 1793, during the revolutionary French occupation and administration of the Austrian Netherlands. That initial organization did not immediately become a stable long-term administrative unit. Jemmape was recreated on 1 October 1795 after the French Republic formally incorporated the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Its territory brought together areas that had previously belonged to several jurisdictions, including the County of Hainaut, Tournai and the Tournaisis, the Charleroi area of the County of Namur, and Thuin from the former Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Mons served as the department's chef-lieu and principal administrative center. The department was divided into three arrondissements—Mons, Charleroi, and Tournai—and a network of cantons. The Mons arrondissement included places such as Boussu, Chièvres, Dour, Enghien, Lens, Le Roeulx, Mons, Pâturages, and Soignies. The Charleroi arrondissement included Beaumont, Binche, Charleroi, Chimay, Fontaine-l'Évêque, Gosselies, Merbes-le-Château, Seneffe, and Thuin. The Tournai arrondissement included Antoing, Ath, Celles, Ellezelles, Frasnes, Lessines, Leuze, Péruwelz, Quevaucamps, Templeuve, and Tournai. As a French department, Jemmape formed part of the centralized administrative system introduced and maintained by revolutionary and Napoleonic France. Its administration was headed by a prefect, who acted as the senior representative of the central state. Secretaries-general and subprefects supported the prefectural structure. The subprefecture of Mons was unusual in that the prefect himself held the office until 1811, after which a separate subprefect could serve in that arrondissement. Jemmape ceased to exist after Napoleon's defeat and the withdrawal of French rule in 1814. Its territory was subsequently incorporated into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands as part of the province of Hainaut. The former department therefore survives primarily as a historical and administrative designation rather than as a current political or commercial entity.

Jemmape was created within the context of revolutionary France's expansion into the Austrian Netherlands and neighboring territories. The department's name commemorated the Battle of Jemappes, fought in 1792 near the village of Jemappes, close to Mons. The battle was an important French victory against Austria and provided the historical reference for the department's designation. Sources from the period used several spellings, including Jemmape, Jemmapes, and Jemmappes. The first creation of the department took place on 2 March 1793. This occurred while French forces were attempting to reorganize and govern territories taken from the Habsburg Netherlands. The arrangement was not immediately permanent, and the department was recreated on 1 October 1795 when the French Republic formally annexed the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. The definitive department combined lands that had previously been administered under different political systems: the County of Hainaut, Tournai and the Tournaisis, the Charleroi portion of the County of Namur, and Thuin from the former Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Mons was selected as the chef-lieu. From there, the department was organized through the French system of arrondissements and cantons. Its three arrondissements were Mons, Charleroi, and Tournai. The arrondissement of Mons covered a broad group of cantons, including Boussu, Chièvres, Dour, Enghien, Lens, Le Roeulx, two cantons of Mons, Pâturages, and Soignies. Charleroi included Beaumont, Binche, two cantons of Charleroi, Chimay, Fontaine-l'Évêque, Gosselies, Merbes-le-Château, Seneffe, and Thuin. Tournai included Antoing, Ath, Celles, Ellezelles, Frasnes, Lessines, Leuze, Péruwelz, Quevaucamps, Templeuve, two cantons of Tournai, and the surrounding administrative area. The department was governed according to the centralized model used across revolutionary and Napoleonic France. The prefect served as the highest representative of the national government. A secretary-general functioned as the prefect's deputy, while subprefects represented the administration in the arrondissements. In Mons, the prefect also held the subprefect's office until 1811, illustrating the concentration of administrative authority in the department's principal center. French rule ended after Napoleon's defeat in 1814. Jemmape was dissolved, and its territory was subsequently reorganized under the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Much of the former department became part of the province of Hainaut, linking the territory to the later administrative history of Belgium. Jemmape is consequently remembered as a short-lived French department whose boundaries roughly corresponded to modern Hainaut, rather than as a continuing territorial institution.

• 1814

  Dissolution after the Napoleonic defeat

  [1]Jemmape (department)en.wikipedia.org

  Following Napoleon's defeat, French rule ended and Jemmape was dissolved. Its territory later became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands as the province of Hainaut.

• 1811

  Change in Mons subprefectural administration

  [1]Jemmape (department)en.wikipedia.org

  Until 1811, the prefect also held the office of subprefect of Mons; the arrangement then changed within the departmental administration.

• 1795

  Recreation after annexation

  [1]Jemmape (department)en.wikipedia.org

  The department was recreated on 1 October after the French Republic formally annexed the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège.

• 1793

  Initial creation of the department

  [1]Jemmape (department)en.wikipedia.org

  Jemmape was first established as a French department on 2 March during the revolutionary occupation of the Austrian Netherlands.

• 1792

  Battle of Jemappes

  [1]Jemmape (department)en.wikipedia.org

  French forces defeated Austrian forces near Jemappes, an event that supplied the name later used for the department.

Historical French territorial administration rather than a commercial brand.

1. 1Jemmape (department)en.wikipedia.org