ay ▁took ▁possession ▁of ▁W ess em ▁in ▁ 1 6 2 0 , ▁a ▁reign ▁that ▁would ▁until ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution ary ▁Army ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 0 . ▁ ▁Situ ated ▁strateg ically ▁on ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁busy ▁river ▁Me use ▁and ▁on ▁most ▁main ▁roads ▁in ▁Lim burg , ▁W ess em ' s ▁economy ▁bo omed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁centre ▁for ▁trade ▁and ▁sh ipping . ▁Rel ics ▁from ▁that ▁time ▁can ▁still ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁big ▁w are h ouses ▁and ▁storage - bar ns . ▁The ▁old ▁city ▁centre ▁is ▁well ▁preserved ▁and ▁show ▁W ess em ' s ▁rich es ▁in ▁those ▁days . ▁ ▁The ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 0 ▁pre l ud ed ▁a ▁har sh ▁time ▁for ▁W ess em . ▁The ▁government ▁and ▁juris diction ▁were ▁changed ▁at ▁the ▁will ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁r ul ers . ▁The ▁community ▁had ▁a ▁love - h ate ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁French ▁Empire ▁and ▁fl our ished ▁until ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁down fall ▁of ▁Emperor ▁Napoleon ▁I , ▁W ess em ▁became ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁a ▁status ▁it ▁still ▁has ▁now ad ays ▁with ▁a ▁short ▁interval ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 8 3 0 - 1 8 3 9 , ▁when ▁it ▁chose ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Bel gi ans ▁in ▁their ▁independence ▁struggle ▁against