Erasme Louis, Baron Surlet de Chokier (November 27, 1769 - August 7, 1839), born in
GingelomGingelom is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1 2006 Gingelom had a total population of 7,847. The total area is 56.49 km² which gives a population density of 139 inhabitants per km²....
, was a Belgian politician and before the accession of
Leopold ILeopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
to the Belgian throne, was the first
RegentA regent, from the Latin regens "reigning", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Thus, the common use is for an acting deputy governor....
of
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
.
During the
Heureuse RévolutionThe Révolution liégeoise is a period of time extending from 1789 to 1795 and eventually led to the extinction of the Bishopric of Liège, after eight centuries of existence as an independent state....
of 1789, when a crowd followed the example of the
French revolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
and drove off the prince-bishop of Liège, Surlet de Chokier served in the patriotic army. When the following year this army was defeated by the Austrians at
Hasselt||-||-||}Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg. The Hasselt municipality includes the city of Hasselt and the old communes of Sint-Lambrechts-Herk, Wimmertingen, Kermt, Spalbeek, Kuringen, Stokrooie, Stevoort and Runkst.On 31 December, 2007...
and
ZutendaalZutendaal is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On 1 January 2008 Zutendaal had a total population of 6,985. The total area is 32.07 km², giving a population density of 218 inhabitants per km².-External links:...
, Surlet de Chokier was forced to flee to
BredaBreda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was a strategic military and political significance...
, only being able to return to Gingelom in 1792.
After the French annexation of
LiègeLiège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...
, Surlet de Chokier became a devoted follower of the French revolution and of
NapoleonNapoleon Bonaparte later known as Napoleon I, and previously Napoleone di Buonaparte, was a military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century.Born in Corsica and trained as an artillery officer in mainland France, Bonaparte rose to prominence...
.
Erasme Louis, Baron Surlet de Chokier (November 27, 1769 - August 7, 1839), born in
GingelomGingelom is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1 2006 Gingelom had a total population of 7,847. The total area is 56.49 km² which gives a population density of 139 inhabitants per km²....
, was a Belgian politician and before the accession of
Leopold ILeopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
to the Belgian throne, was the first
RegentA regent, from the Latin regens "reigning", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Thus, the common use is for an acting deputy governor....
of
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
.
During the
Heureuse RévolutionThe Révolution liégeoise is a period of time extending from 1789 to 1795 and eventually led to the extinction of the Bishopric of Liège, after eight centuries of existence as an independent state....
of 1789, when a crowd followed the example of the
French revolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
and drove off the prince-bishop of Liège, Surlet de Chokier served in the patriotic army. When the following year this army was defeated by the Austrians at
Hasselt||-||-||}Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg. The Hasselt municipality includes the city of Hasselt and the old communes of Sint-Lambrechts-Herk, Wimmertingen, Kermt, Spalbeek, Kuringen, Stokrooie, Stevoort and Runkst.On 31 December, 2007...
and
ZutendaalZutendaal is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On 1 January 2008 Zutendaal had a total population of 6,985. The total area is 32.07 km², giving a population density of 218 inhabitants per km².-External links:...
, Surlet de Chokier was forced to flee to
BredaBreda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was a strategic military and political significance...
, only being able to return to Gingelom in 1792.
After the French annexation of
LiègeLiège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...
, Surlet de Chokier became a devoted follower of the French revolution and of
NapoleonNapoleon Bonaparte later known as Napoleon I, and previously Napoleone di Buonaparte, was a military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century.Born in Corsica and trained as an artillery officer in mainland France, Bonaparte rose to prominence...
. In 1800, Surlet de Chokier was elected mayor of Gingelom and member of the départemental council of
Meuse-InférieureMeuse-Inférieure is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. It is named after the river Meuse. Its capital was Maastricht....
. In 1812 he became a member of the French parliament.
After the fall of Napoleon, Surlet de Chokier entered the House of Representatives of the Staten-Generaal as leader of the
SouthernThe Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and captured by France...
opposition, where his opposition to the government gave him the nickname
Surlet de Choquant. Although enobled a baron by the king in 1816, his opposition had aggravated King
William IWilliam I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
so much that the monarch personally made sure that Surlet de Chokier was not reelected in 1828.
After the
Belgian revolutionThe Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. Much of the population of the south were Catholic, French-speaking, or liberals who regarded King William...
started, Surlet de Chokier was sent by the
arrondissement HasseltThe Arrondissement of 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 CongressThe Belgian National Congress was a temporary legislative assembly in 1830, established shortly after the Provisional Government of Belgium had proclaimed Belgian independence on October 4 of that year...
. Elected Chairman of the Congress, Surlet de Chokier was active in the creation of the
Belgian ConstitutionThe Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Trias Politica. The Constitution established Belgium as a centralised unitary state...
. After the refused offer of the Belgian crown to the
Duke of NemoursLouis Charles Philippe Raphael d'Orléans, duc de Nemours was the second son of the duc d'Orleans, afterwards King Louis-Philippe of France, and his wife Marie Amalie of Bourbon-Sicilies, duchesse d'Orléans then Queen of the French...
, Surlet de Chokier was appointed Regent of Belgium on February 24, 1831, and can therefore be considered as the first Head of State of independent Belgium. He served as Regent until Leopold I took the oath as King of the Belgians on July 21, 1831.
Surlet de Chokier died in 1839 in Gingelom.