![Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Grand_Pensionary_Johan_de_Witt.jpg)
A pensionary was a name given to the leading functionary and legal adviser of the principal town corporations in the
Low Countries
The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
because they received a
salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis.
...
or pension.
History
The office originated in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
. Initially, the role was referred to as clerk or advocate. The earliest pensionaries in the
county of Holland
The County of Holland was a State of the Holy Roman Empire and from 1433 part of the Burgundian Netherlands, from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands and from 1581 onward the leading province of the Dutch Republic, of which it remained a part ...
were those of
Dordrecht
Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after R ...
(1468) and of
Haarlem
Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
(1478). The pensionary conducted the town's legal business and was the secretary of the town council and its representative and spokesman at the meetings of the
Provincial States. The post of pensionary was permanent, and he had great influence.
In the States of the province of Holland the pensionary of the order of nobles ''(
Ridderschap
Ridder (; English: "Knight") is a noble title in Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands. Traditionally it denotes the second lowest rank within the nobility, standing below Baron, but above the untitled nobility (Jonkheer) in these countries. " ...
)'' was the foremost official of that assembly and, until the death of
Oldenbarneveldt in 1619, he was named
Land's Advocate, or more shortly the advocate. His importance was much increased after the revolt in 1572, and still more so during the long period 1586–1619 when John van Oldenbarneveldt held the office.
After the downfall of Oldenbarneveldt the office of lands advocate was abolished, and a new post, tenable for five years only, was erected in its place with the title of ''Raad-Pensionaris'' or Pensionary of the Council, usually called by English writers
Grand Pensionary. The first holders of this office were
Anthony Duyck,
Jacob Cats
Jacob Cats (10 November 1577 – 12 September 1660) was a Dutch poet, humorist, jurist and politician. He is most famous for his emblem books.
Early years
Jacob Cats was born on 10 November 1577 in Brouwershaven as son of Adriaen Cornelis ...
and
Adrian Pauw
Adriaan Pauw, knight, '' heer van Heemstede, Bennebroek, Nieuwerkerk etc.'' (1 November 1585 – 21 February 1653) was Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1631 to 1636 and from 1651 to 1653.
Life
He was born in Amsterdam in a rich merchant family; ...
, in the days of the stadtholders
Frederick Henry and
William II of Orange-Nassau had to be content with lessened powers, but in the
First Stadtholderless Period
The First Stadtholderless Period or Era (1650–72; nl, Eerste Stadhouderloze Tijdperk) is the period in the history of the Dutch Republic in which the office of Stadtholder was vacant in five of the seven Dutch provinces (the provinces of Fries ...
(1650–1672) the grand pensionary became even more influential than Oldenbarneveldt himself, since there was no prince of Orange filling the offices of stadtholder, and of admiral and captain-general of the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
. From 1653–1672
Johan de Witt
Johan de Witt (; 24 September 1625 – 20 August 1672), ''lord of Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp en IJsselvere'', was a Dutch statesman and a major political figure in the Dutch Republic in the mid-17th century, the Fi ...
, re-elected twice, made the name of grand pensionary of Holland forever famous during the time of the
wars with England. The best known of his successors was
Anthony Heinsius
Anthonie (or Antonius) Heinsius (23 November 1641, Delft – 3 August 1720, The Hague) was a Dutch statesman who served as Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1689 to his death in 1720.
Life
Heinsius was born at Delft on 23 November 1641, son of ...
, who held the office from 1688 to his death in 1720. He was the intimate friend of
William III, and after the decease of the king continued to carry out his policy during the stadtholderless period that followed. The abolishment of the office occurred after the revolutionaries transformed the "old"
Republic of the Seven United Netherlands
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
, establishing the new democratic
Republic of Batavia, supported by the French forces of the first republic in AD
1795.
Responsibilities
The advocate drew up and introduced all resolutions, concluded debates, and counted the votes in the Provincial Assembly. When it was not in session, he was a permanent member of the college of deputed councilors who carried on the administration. He was the minister of justice and finance.
All correspondence passed through his hands, and he was the head and the spokesman of the delegation, who represented the province in the
States General The word States-General, or Estates-General, may refer to:
Currently in use
* Estates-General on the Situation and Future of the French Language in Quebec, the name of a commission set up by the government of Quebec on June 29, 2000
* States Gener ...
. The conduct of foreign affairs, in particular, was entrusted almost entirely to him.
Further reading
* Robert Fruin, ''Geschiedenis der Staats-Instellingen in Nederland'', The Hague, 1901
* G. W. Vreede, ''Inleiding tot eene Gesch. der Nederlandsche Diplomatie'' (Utrecht, 1858). (G. E.)
References
*{{EB1911 , wstitle=Pensionary , volume=21 , page=122 , first=George , last=Edmundson, , author-link= George Edmundson
See also
*
Grand Pensionary
*
List of Grand Pensionaries
The following is a list of Grand pensionaries of Holland, Zeeland and the Batavian Republic. During the time of the Dutch Republic, the Grand Pensionary was the most prominent member of the government. Though officially only a civil servant of th ...
Early Modern Netherlands
Political history of the Netherlands
Positions of subnational authority