Jacob Dircksz de Graeff

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Jacob Dircksz de Graeff
Diederik Jansz. Graeff
MotherAgnies Pietresdr van Neck

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff,

States Faction[1] and was an influential Amsterdam regent and burgomaster (mayor) of the Dutch Golden Age
.

De Graeff was known for his "free-thinking", "republican" attitude but also for his "fame-seeking".

William "the Silent" of Orange. His sons were influenced by their father's antagonistic attitude towards political issues. The proponents of the De Graeff family has shown they had an eye for national politics and tried to find some balance between the House of Orange and the Republicans. They were against too much influence of the church on political issues.[2]

In addition to his political activities, De Graeff also conducted scientific experiments and research and ran a chemical laboratory. He maintained a close collaboration with Constantijn Huygens and via him also with René Descartes.

Biography

Political background

During the

States General and with the regents of the cities in Holland. Jacob de Graeffs two sons Cornelis and Andries de Graeff became the strongest Dutch regents during the First Stadtholderless Period.[1][8]

Family

Genealogy
Witsen and Johan de Witt in the Dutch Golden Age
Descendants of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff and Aeltje Boelens Loen

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff was born in

Oude Kerk. In 1597 he married Aaltje Boelens Loen[9] (27 February 1579 at Emden; † 29 August 1630 at Amsterdam), daughter of the politician Cornelis Andriesz Boelens Loen, descendant of Andries Boelens (1455–1519), a famous regent of Amsterdam. The couple had six children reaching adulthood:[10][11]

Feudality

Deed of Fief of the States of Holland for the tithe in Rietveld, Poldertienden (Oliviersblok), Groot-Rietveld, Klein-Rietveld, Tournooisveld, Oudeland and Bredeveld (Bredeveld) in 1616

On September 18, 1610, Jacob Dircksz de Graeff acquired the

Nieuwer-Amstel, Osdorp and Amstelveen,[14] but not the owner of these glories. Rather, the city of Amsterdam bought them in 1529 from Reinoud III van Brederode,[15] and then gave it in fief to one of their council members. He was also chieflandholder of the Zijpe- en Hazepolder, Watergraafs- and Wiemermeer.[14] He also had the tithe in fief at Rietveld, Poldertienden (Oliviersblok), Groot-Rietveld, Klein-Rietveld, Tournooisveld, Oudeland and Bredeveld
(Bredeveld).

Coat of arms

Coat of arms
Ancient coat of arms (variant divided and not quarterd)
Personal coat of arms (shown without the heart shield who shows the three silver rhombuses on red of the Free Lordship of Zuid-Polsbroek)

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff's coat of arms of origin was possibly still divided (and not quartered) and showed the following symbols:

  • field 1 the silver shovel on a red background of their paternal ancestors, the Herren von Graben
  • field 2 it shows a silver falcon on a blue background. The origin of the falcon lies in the possession of the Valckeveen estate (later the Valckenburg estate) in
    Gooiland
  • helmet covers in red and silver
  • helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben)

The personal coat of arms of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff (since 1610?) is quartered with a heart shield and shows the following symbols:

  • heart shield shows the three silver rhombuses on red (originally from the family Van Woerdern van Vliet) of the High Lordship Zuid-Polsbroek
  • field 1 (left above) shows the silver shovel on red of their paternal ancestors, the Herren von Graben
  • field 2 (right above) shows a silver falcon on a blue background. The origin of the falcon lies in the possession of the Valckeveen estate (later the Valckenburg estate) in Gooiland
  • field 3 (left below), same as field 2
  • field 4 (right below), same as field 1
  • helmet covers in red and silver
  • helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben)
  • motto: MORS SCEPTRA LIGONIBUS AEQUAT (DEATH MAKES SEPTRES AND HOES EQUAL)
  • Ancient coat of arms Jacob Dircksz de Graeff quartered
    Ancient coat of arms Jacob Dircksz de Graeff quartered
  • Gravestone of Jacob and his father Diederik Jansz. Graeff at Amsterdam's Oude Kerk
    Gravestone of Jacob and his father
    Diederik Jansz. Graeff at Amsterdam's Oude Kerk

Career

First political period

After the death of De Graeff's father in 1589, his father's friend

Calvinist faction under Reynier Pauw
crystallized in the Vroedschap, to which De Graeff and his ally Hooft kept their distance, and thus diminished their own influence.

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff, engraving by Jacobus Houbraken (18th century)

During his councillorship in the

Maurice of Nassau viewed this policy as a challenge to his authority as commander-in-chief of the States Army. On 23 August 1618, by order of the States-General and forced by François van Aerssen, Oldenbarnevelt and his chief supporters such as Grotius, Gilles van Ledenberg, Rombout Hogerbeets were arrested. De Graeff was therefore expelled from the government after Oldenbarnevelt's disempowerment and his subsequent beheading in 1618, on the initiative of the stadholder Maurits of Orange and the Amsterdam regent Reynier Pauw.[9] His place had been taken by Pauw's protegee, Albert Burgh.[9]
De Graeff lost his political position in the government for some years.

Natural sciences

After his interim retirement from politics, De Graeff dedicated himself to scientific experiments and research.[18] He ran a chemical laboratory in Amsterdam together with his friend Pieter Jansz Hooft.[16] There they tried to invent a perpetual motion machine. There are claims that Cornelis Drebbel presented this device to the court of the English King James I and it was accidentally broken by the queen.[19] In the field of science and natural history, De Graeff and Hooft maintained a close collaboration with Constantijn Huygens and via him also with René Descartes.[20][21] He was also a scholar of the Amsterdam Latin School.[14]

Second political period

After the death of Maurits of Oranje[16] in 1625 and the political collapse of the orangist Reynier Pauw in 1627 Jacob Dircksz de Graeff returned to power again. In 1628 he was re-elected burgomaster and in 1630 re-elected Vroedschap.[9] During the late 1620s and the 1630s he controlled the city's politics in close cooperation with his nephew Andries Bicker.[9] Together with Bicker he was also the leader of the Arminian faction of the city.[6] In contrast to Pauw, both took a liberal stance.[22] In the early 1630s, the state party, weakened since Oldenbarnevelt's execution, was revived by them. Together, De Graeff and Andries Bicker led the city to its temporary peak of power in the years that followed. Both were remonstrants and helped the religious minority to gain relative recognition. De Graeff was also known as a very liberal ruler who did not hide his religious convictions and republican sentiments.[2] Altogether he was burgomaster of Amsterdam six times.[9] During this time, De Graeff was repeatedly offered the post of Gecommitteerde Rad der Holland und West-Friesland in The Hague, which he never accepted.[23] In 1631, he initiated the political career of his protégé Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen at the Vroedschaper elections.[24] Furthermore, in 1632 he was appointed to the hoofdingeland van de Watergraafs- en Wienermeer.

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff's tombstone in Amsterdam's Oude Kerk

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff was one of the wealthiest residents of Amsterdam; his cash assets at the time of death totaled 270,000

council.[1][8] His granddaughter Wendela Bicker married the important statesman Grand pensionary Johan de Witt
.

Trivia
Jacob Dircksz de Graeff
Born: 1569/1571 Died: 6 October 1636
Preceded by Free Lord of Zuid-Polsbroek
1610–1638 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Nieuwer-Amstel, Osdorp and Amstelveen

1604–1624/1638 		Succeeded by
Andries Bicker and Cornelis de Graeff

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Triomf der Vrede (nl)". Archived from the original on 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  2. ^ a b c Pieter C. Vies: Andries de Graeff (1611–1678) ’t Gezagh is heerelyk: doch vol bekommeringen. P 6 at the Wayback Machine (archived 2012-03-01) (PDF; 2,7 MB)
  3. ^ Eelco Beukers: Geschiedenis van Holland, book 2, chapter 2, p 44 (Google Books).
  4. ^ Biography Andries Bicker at the dutch DBNL
  5. ^ Google: De Republiek: 1477-1806, by J.I. Israel
  6. ^ a b Google: Geschiedenis van Holland, Part 2, book 2, from Eelco Beukers
  7. ^ Jonathan I. Israel: The Dutch Republic – Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall – 1477–1806. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1995, ISBN 0-19-873072-1, S. 494.
  8. ^ a b Pieter C. Vies Andries de Graeff (1611-1678) `t Gezagh is heerelyk: doch vol bekommeringen Archived 2012-03-01 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Biography of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff at Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 2 (1912), by P.J. Blok and P.C. Molhuysen
  10. ^ Croockewit: Genealogie van het geslacht de Graeff (1898), Sp. 132 ff.
  11. ^ Joost van den Vondels: Op Den Edelen En Gestrengen Heer Jakob de Graeff. (Google Books).
  12. ^ Croockewit: Genealogie van het geslacht de Graeff, p 132, and Elias: De vroedschap van Amsterdam (1963), p 266
  13. ^ J. L. van der Gouw: Korte geschiedenis van de grenzen van de provincie Zuid-Holland (1963), Kap. III: De definitieve vorm van het graafschap (1300–1795)
  14. ^ a b c Jacob Dircksz de Graeff at Historische Geslachtswapens
  15. ^ Nierop: The nobility of Holland (1993), p 155.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g A.J. van der Aa Jacob de Graeff in: Biographisch woordenboek der Nederlanden. Deel 7
  17. ^ Eeghen, I.H. van (1969) De Restauratie van het voormalige Anslohofje, p. 200. In: Maandblad Genootschap Amstelodamum.
  18. ^ Bijdragen voor vaderlandsche geschiedenis en oudheidkunde. book 1, 1837–Nijhoff, p 81 (books.google.com).
  19. ^ G. van Enst Koning: Het Huis te Ilpendam en deszelfs voornaamste Bezitters. Uit echte bescheiden. In: De Gids – Nieuwe Vaderlandsche Letteroefeningen, Jg. 1837, S. 322–331 Online-version Dutch DBNL
  20. ^ Briefwisseling Constantijn Huygens 1608–1687 (PDF; nl; 989 kB)
  21. ^ DBNL Jaarboek van de Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde, 1936
  22. ^ Dutch Overseas Empire, 1600–1800, p 19/20, by Pieter C. Emmer, Jos J.L. Gommans (2020)
  23. ^ Joost van den Vondel, Jakob van Lennep: De werken van Vondel, in verband gebracht met zijn leven, en voorzien van …. P 469
  24. ^ Gary Schwartz: Rembrandt: his life, his paintings: a new biography with all accessible paintings illustrated in colour. p 146.
  25. ^ Joost van den Vondel: Op den here Jacob de Graef, heer van Polsbroek, burgemeester van Amsterdam Online-version at the dutch DBNL
  26. ^ Krone der Welt by Sabine Weiß
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jacob Dirckszoon de Graeff.

Literature

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