Érasme-Louis, Baron Surlet de Chokier (27 November 1769 – 7 August 1839), born in
Liège, was a Belgian politician and, before the accession of
Leopold I to the Belgian throne, was the first
Regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
of
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
During the
Liège Revolution
The Liège Revolution, sometimes known as the Happy Revolution (french: Heureuse Révolution; wa, Binamêye revolucion), against the reigning prince-bishop of Liège, started on 18 August 1789 and lasted until the destruction of the Republic ...
of 1789, when a crowd followed the example of the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
and drove off
Prince-Bishop of Liège César-Constantin-François, Surlet de Chokier served in the patriotic army. When the following year this army was defeated by the Austrians at
Hasselt and
Zutendaal
Zutendaal (; li, Zietendaol; in English sometimes also referred to as "Sweet Valley") is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On 1 January 2017 Zutendaal had a total population of 7,269. The total area is 32.07 km2, giv ...
, Surlet de Chokier was forced to flee to
Breda
Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...
, not being able to return to his estate at
Gingelom
Gingelom () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On 1 January 2006 Gingelom had a total population of 7,847. The total area is 56.49 km2 (21.81 sq mi) which gives a population density
Population density (in agricul ...
until 1792.
After the French annexation of
Liège, Surlet de Chokier became a devoted follower of the French revolution and of
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
. In 1800, Surlet de Chokier was elected mayor of Gingelom and member of the départemental council of
Meuse-Inférieure
Meuse-Inférieure ( "Lower Meuse"; ; ) was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire in present-day Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. It was named after the river Meuse. Its territory corresponded largely with the present- ...
. In 1812, he became a member of the French parliament.
After the fall of Napoleon, Surlet de Chokier entered the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
of the
Staten-Generaal
The States General of the Netherlands ( nl, Staten-Generaal ) is the supreme bicameral legislature of the Netherlands consisting of the Senate () and the House of Representatives (). Both chambers meet at the Binnenhof in The Hague.
The State ...
as leader of the
Southern opposition, where his opposition to the government gave him the nickname ''Surlet de Choquant''. Although he was made a baron by the king in 1816, his opposition had angered King
William I
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...
so much that the monarch personally made sure that Surlet de Chokier was not re-elected in 1828.
After the
Belgian Revolution started, Surlet de Chokier was sent by the
Arrondissement of Hasselt
The Arrondissement of Hasselt ( nl, Arrondissement Hasselt; french: Arrondissement de Hasselt) is one of the three administrative arrondissements in the Province of Limburg, Belgium.
It is both an administrative and a judicial arrondissement. ...
as a deputy to the
National Congress. Elected Chairman of the Congress, Surlet de Chokier was active in the creation of the
Belgian Constitution
The Constitution of Belgium ( nl, Belgische Grondwet, french: Constitution belge, german: Verfassung Belgiens) dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility ...
. After the
Duke of Nemours Duke of Nemours was a title in the Peerage of France. The name refers to Nemours in the Île-de-France region of north-central France.
History
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Lordship of Nemours, in the Gatinais, France, was a possession of t ...
refused the Belgian crown that had been offered to him, Surlet de Chokier was appointed Regent of Belgium on 24 February 1831. He served as Regent until Leopold I took the oath as King of the Belgians on 21 July 1831.
Surlet de Chokier died in 1839 in Gingelom.
Heraldry
External links
Erasme, Louis Surlet De Chokier (1769 - 1839) (French National Assembly)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Surlet De Chokier, Erasme Louis
1769 births
1839 deaths
Barons of Belgium
Barons of the Netherlands
Members of the National Congress of Belgium
People from Limburg (Belgium)
People of the Belgian Revolution
Regents of Belgium
Politicians from Liège
19th-century Belgian politicians
People of the Liège Revolution