Lenaert Jansz de Graeff (

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, – in Exile, ) belonged to the powerful Amsterdam patriciate. He was one of the leaders of the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

at Amsterdam, vice-general-captain of Amsterdam, friend of

Henry, Count of Bréderode Henry (Hendrik), Lord of Bréderode (December 1531 – 15 February 1568) was a member of the Dutch noble family Van Brederode and an important member during the Eighty Years' War. He was named the "Grote Geus" or the "big beggar". Biography ...

, the "Grote Geus", and according to a family tradition ident with "Monseigneur de Graeff", a captain of the

Sea Beggars Geuzen (; ; french: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (; ; frenc ...

during the

Capture of Brielle The Capture of Brielle by the ''Geuzen, Watergeuzen'', on 1 April 1572 marked a turning point in the uprising of the Seventeen Provinces, Low Countries against Spain in the Eighty Years' War. Militarily the success was minor as the port of Briell ...

. In recent historical books, De Graeff is treated as one of the leaders of the Sea beggars. His character was also used in a historical novel about ''De Grote Geus''.

Biography

Family

Lenaert Jansz de Graeff was a member of the patrician family

De Graeff De Graeff (; also: '' De Graef, Graef, Graeff, Graaff'', Graaf and ''De Graeff van Polsbroek'') is an old Dutch patrician and noble family, The Amsterdam line of the family played an important role during the Dutch Golden Age. They were at the ...

and the son of Jan Pietersz Graeff, a rich cloth merchant and member of the City government of Amsterdam, and his wife Stein Braseman. The family belonged to the

Reformed Church Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

, a fact that made Lenaert and his brother Dirck Jansz Graeff work in a social-political direction. Lenaert was married to Griet Jansdr Duivens. The couple had four children: * Steyntje Leonardsdr de Graeff (Stijn Leenaertsdr Graeff) born 1550, married to Ellert Hendricksz Rooclaes (Roclaas) (died March 1610) * Pieter Leonardsz de Graeff (Pieter Leenaertsz Graeff) born 1551, married; unknown descendants * Jannetje Leonardsdr de Graeff (Jannetge Leenaertsdr Graeff), married to Hillebrand Jorisz (5 September 1559 – 27 May 1632) * Jan Leonhardsz de Graeff, unknown if he ever married and / or had descendants

Carriere

Amsterdam

De Graeffs profession was a merchant, he bought and sold steel at his house ''De Keyser'' in a street, now called

Damrak The Damrak is an avenue and partially filled in canal at the centre of Amsterdam, running between Amsterdam Centraal in the north and Dam Square in the south. It is the main street where people arriving at the station enter the centre of Amsterda ...

. Like his brothers Jan,

Dirck Dirck is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Dirck Barendsz (1534–1592), Dutch Renaissance painter from Amsterdam *Dirck Bleker (1621–1702), Dutch Golden Age painter *Dirck Coornhert (1522–1590), Dutch writer, philosopher, ...

and Jacob, Lenaert was one of the richest persons of Amsterdam. In 1564 Lenaert was a member of a delegation who spoke with the Spanish

Regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

about the political situation in Amsterdam and the province Holland. In 1567 he was against

Charles de Brimeu Charles de Brimeu (1524 or 1525 – 1572 in Zwolle), was the last count of Meghem, lord of Humbercourt, of Houdain and Éperlecques. He was grandson of Guy of Brimeu, who was beheaded in Ghent. He became the last ceremonial Hereditary Marshal of ...

s entry in Amsterdam. In March of that year, backed by a large part of the bourgeoisie

became the ''Generalcaptain'' of the city. A contract, who backed up that election was signed at De Graeffs house ''De Keyser''. Lenaert Jansz de Graeff became his friend and advisor, and vice-general-captain of Amsterdam, at the head of a newly formed squad of 400 citizens. In the next month Brederode departed, and the Spanish General Philippe de Noircarmes became the military leader of Amsterdam, and De Graeff lost his position. In August — at the arrival of

Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba (29 October 150711 December 1582), known as the Grand Duke of Alba (, pt, Grão Duque de Alba) in Spain and Portugal and as the Iron Duke ( or shortly 'Alva') in the Netherlands, was a Sp ...

— he left the city with his second wife Griet Hendriksdr Rooclaas, because he was suspected of Calvinist leanings. De Graeff have moved to

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

, and from there to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, where he stayed with other exiles from Holland.

Sea Beggars

According to a family Tradition De Graeff was one of the

(Watergeuzen). He appears for the first time in the fleet of the Watergeuzen in the autumn of 1571 as "Monsieur de Graeff van Brugge". He first plunders a ship from Emden under St. Maartenseiland, which came from

Brouage Hiers-Brouage () is a former commune in the Charente-Maritime department, southwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Marennes-Hiers-Brouage. History Brouage was founded in 1555 by Jacques de Pons on the Bay ...

loaded with salt. The ship was towed with crew and cargo to

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

, and held there for seven weeks, until the ration of 200 kronen was paid at Dover. Next year De Graeff equipped a few ships, after which he joined the fleet of Lord Lumey, and took part as one of the captains in the

on 1 April 1572. He was deputy to Lord Lumey, along with

Willem Bloys van Treslong Willem Bloys van Treslong (1529 – 17 July 1594) was a nobleman from the Southern Netherlands and military leader during the Dutch war of Independence. He was best known as one of the leaders of the Sea Beggars who captured Den Briel on 1 April ...

.1572: Een kanteljaar in de Tachtigjarige Oorlog, by Arnout van Cruyningen
/ref> There is no further news of his life. Lenaert Jansz de Graeff died in exile before the year 1578.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graeff, Lenaert Jansz de 1530s births 1570s deaths Lenaert Jansz de, Graeff Nobility from Amsterdam Dutch people of the Eighty Years' War (United Provinces)