Leonard Pierre Joseph, Viscount du Bus de Gisignies (28 February 1780 – 31 May 1849) was a soldier and politician in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Early life
He was born in Dottignies, Austrian Netherlands on 28 February 1780. He was born as Leonard Pierre Joseph Dubus, but on 14 June 1822, de Gisignies was added to his name.
He probably started to study law at Douai, but did not finish his education, because universities closed for some time during the French Revolution.
Career
Allegorical Coat of Arms on the appointment of Du Bus de Gisignies as Commissioner. Showing a Belgian and a Dutchman shake hands, while a Javanese stands behind the shield and his hands on the arms of both men. (3 February 1826)
On 22 May 1819 he became a Viscount. He was made a commander on 20 July 1823 in the order of the Dutch Lion, and would later receive on 6 July 1830 the cross in the same order.
Afterwards he had several administrative functions, first of all as Governor of the province of Antwerp on 3 April 1820 - March 1823, and from 25 March 1823 up to 9 May 1828 of the province of South Brabant (Dutch: Zuid-Brabant).
From 4 February 1826 up to 16 January 1830 he was Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (Dutch: Commissaris-Generaal) of the Dutch East Indies, for which he received an annual wages of 200,000 Guilders, with the condition that he also retained his function of governor of South Brabant. On 9 May 1828 he was appointed as Minister of State, but after the Belgian Revolution he was removed from this office on 18 October 1830. On 6 October 1830, he bought Renesse Castle in Oostmalle from Count Clement-Wenceslas de Renesse-Breidbach and renovated the castle in Empire style.
Personal life
On 20 July 1802, he married his first wife, Marie-Catherine de Deurwaerder, who died on 23 June 1836. He had 1 daughter and 5 sons from his first marriage:
Clémentine-Cathérine-François du Bus de Gisignies (Bruges, 7 August 1803-Kortrijk, 18 October 1817),
Knight Gustave-Bernard-Joseph du Bus de Gisignies (Bruges, 5 May 1807-Brussels, 23 September 1831),
._Commissaris-generaal_(1826-30)_Rijksmuseum_SK-A-3797.jpeg)
