Constant de Kerchove de Denterghem
Encyclopedia
Count Constant de Kerchove de Denterghem (Ghent
, 31 December 1790 - Wondelgem
, 12 July 1865) was a Belgian
liberal
politician. He was a son of Jean de Kerchove and Sabine della Faille d'Assenede, both descendants of Flemish nobility. He was a nephew of Jozef-Sebastiaan della Faille d'Assenede, who was burgomaster of Ghent under French rule.
As a young man Constant de Kerchove joined the French
army under Napoleon in 1810 and until 1814. He established himself in Ghent as a person of independent means and in 1816 he married Pauline de Loose.
party which preferred re-unification with the Netherlands.
On the occasion of the municipality Council elections of 1836 in Ghent, he was on the Orangist list of the Société of the Amis the l'Ordre et du Repos Public, the Orangist list of among others Charles d'Hane Steenhuyse, Hippolyte Metdepenningen
, Jean-Baptiste Minne-Barth
and Joseph Van Crombrugghe
. A year later he was appointed as alderman
and became a member of the Bureel van Weldadigheid, of which he became President in 1841. When the burgomaster Van Crombrugghe died, de Kerchove was appointed by the king as the new burgomaster of Ghent, which he would stay until 1852. Over the years he became one of the figureheads of the liberal-Catholics, together with among others Joseph Guislain
and Jules de Saint-Genois
. They formed a bridge between the opposing factions of clericals and anticlericals. Although during his rule, may crises hit the city, a number of public projects were completed which improved life in Ghent.
A number public works ensured the cleansing of the city and gave a first impetus to the elaboration of an urbanisation plan with long term objectives, such as the municipal slaughterhouse and the Guislain Institute (psychiatry) and especially the establishment of an urban education network, which laid the foundation of the present public education system of the city.
In 1854, the liberals lost the municipal elections against a list of moderate liberals and liberal-Catholics and Judocus Delehaye
became the new burgomaster. Constant de Kerckhove disappeared from the Ghent political stage. He served his term as a liberal senator (elected 1851) until 1855 and retreated to his outside stay in Wondelgem, where he died on 12 July 1865.
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, 31 December 1790 - Wondelgem
Wondelgem
Wondelgem used to be a village in East Flanders, Belgium. It is now part of the city of Ghent.-History:In the 9th century the Carolingian emperors owned a large estate in Wondelgem. Ghent has a total population of about 230,000, of which about 12,407 people live in Wondelgem.-External links:...
, 12 July 1865) was a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
politician. He was a son of Jean de Kerchove and Sabine della Faille d'Assenede, both descendants of Flemish nobility. He was a nephew of Jozef-Sebastiaan della Faille d'Assenede, who was burgomaster of Ghent under French rule.
As a young man Constant de Kerchove joined the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
army under Napoleon in 1810 and until 1814. He established himself in Ghent as a person of independent means and in 1816 he married Pauline de Loose.
Political career
He started his political career under Dutch rule in 1822, when he became deputy delegate in the provincial council and as from 1829 as an effective member. From 1824 up to 1830 he was also burgomaster of Wondelgem, where he had bought a country house some years before. In 1825, King Willem I raised him to nobility. After the independence of Belgium in 1830, he initially sided with the OrangistOrangism (Belgium)
Orangism was a political current in what is now Belgium that supported its inclusion in the short-lived United Kingdom of the Netherlands . After the secession of Belgium in 1830, Orangist sentiment in Flanders for a time sought a restoration of the United Kingdom. Some of the most prominent...
party which preferred re-unification with the Netherlands.
On the occasion of the municipality Council elections of 1836 in Ghent, he was on the Orangist list of the Société of the Amis the l'Ordre et du Repos Public, the Orangist list of among others Charles d'Hane Steenhuyse, Hippolyte Metdepenningen
Hippolyte Metdepenningen
Hippolyte Désiré Metdepenningen was a Belgian lawyer, president of the Ghent Bar Association and a politician.After Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 he became a municipal councilor on the Orangist list. In 1846 he was co-founder of the Liberal Party, which was the first...
, Jean-Baptiste Minne-Barth
Jean-Baptiste Minne-Barth
Jean-Baptiste Minne-Barth was a lawyer and Belgian Orangist politician.He was a municipality Council member and burgomaster of Ghent . Jean-Baptiste Minne-Barth became President of the University of Ghent in 1846.-Source:*...
and Joseph Van Crombrugghe
Joseph Van Crombrugghe
Joseph Van Crombrugghe was a lawyer and a politician in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and later in Belgium....
. A year later he was appointed as alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and became a member of the Bureel van Weldadigheid, of which he became President in 1841. When the burgomaster Van Crombrugghe died, de Kerchove was appointed by the king as the new burgomaster of Ghent, which he would stay until 1852. Over the years he became one of the figureheads of the liberal-Catholics, together with among others Joseph Guislain
Joseph Guislain
Joseph Guislain was a Belgian physician and a pioneer in psychiatry.-Education:Guislain started his medical studies at Ecole de Médicine and he was one of the first students to the University of Ghent; he graduated as a medical doctor in 1819.-Career:In 1828 Guislain became head of the psychiatric...
and Jules de Saint-Genois
Jules de Saint-Genois
Jules, Baron de Saint-Genois was a Belgian liberal politician, historian, librarian and professor at the University of Ghent...
. They formed a bridge between the opposing factions of clericals and anticlericals. Although during his rule, may crises hit the city, a number of public projects were completed which improved life in Ghent.
A number public works ensured the cleansing of the city and gave a first impetus to the elaboration of an urbanisation plan with long term objectives, such as the municipal slaughterhouse and the Guislain Institute (psychiatry) and especially the establishment of an urban education network, which laid the foundation of the present public education system of the city.
In 1854, the liberals lost the municipal elections against a list of moderate liberals and liberal-Catholics and Judocus Delehaye
Josse Joseph de Lehaye
Josse Judocus Joseph de Lehaye-Dael was a Belgian magistrate and liberal politician.As a politician, he was a member of the National Congress, burgomaster of Merendree, member of the municipal council and mayor of Ghent , member of the provincial council of the province of East Flanders and a...
became the new burgomaster. Constant de Kerckhove disappeared from the Ghent political stage. He served his term as a liberal senator (elected 1851) until 1855 and retreated to his outside stay in Wondelgem, where he died on 12 July 1865.
Source
- Constant de Kerchove de Denterghem (Liberal Archive)