Érasme-Louis, Baron Surlet de Chokier (27 November 1769 – 7 August 1839), born in

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far fro ...

, 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 ...

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 ...

. 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 conside ...

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 Hasselt (, , ; la, Hasseletum, Hasselatum) is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital and largest city of the province of Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is known for its former branding as "the city of taste", as well as i ...

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, g ...

, 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

, 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 wh ...

. 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 as leader of the

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

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 The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. T ...

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 ''National Congress'' is a term used in the names of various political parties and legislatures . Political parties *Ethiopia: Oromo National Congress *Guyana: People's National Congress (Guyana) *India: Indian National Congress *Iraq: Iraqi Nati ...

. 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 ...

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