The New Chronicles of Zeeland (
Dutch: ''Nieuwe Cronyk Van Zeeland'') is a
reference work published in 1700 by the historian
Mattheus Smallegange
Mattheus Smallegange (Goes, baptized December 29, 1624 - Goes, January 5, 1710) was a Dutch historian, lawyer, genealogist and translator.
He studied law in Utrecht (1638 - 1647). However, he probably didn't graduate.
In 1651 he traveled through ...
(1624 – 1710).
It is an extensive (almost 800-page long), illustrated description of
Zeeland. The ''Cronyk'' was completed in 1696, but first appeared in 1700. The years of delay were caused by disagreements between the Zeeland cities and the States of Zeeland (the regional government).
This book is a summary and continuation of other
chronicle
A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and lo ...
s published earlier by
Jacobus Eyndius
Jonkheer, Jhr. Jacob van den Eynde III (1575 – 11 September 1614) also known as Jacques van den Eynde, and better known as ''Jacobus Eyndius'', was a Dutch people, Dutch poet, scientist, historian, and captain. His best known work is the ''Chro ...
(''
Chronici Zelandiae
The Chronici Zelandiae (in full: ''Chronici Zelandiae Libri duo auctore Jacobo Eyndio, Domino Haemstede''), is a book by Dutch literature, Dutch writer Jacobus Eyndius, Jacob van den Eynde, better known as ''Jacob Eyndius''. The book was published ...
''), Johan Reygersberg and
Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn. Smallegange copied verbatim parts of the older chronicles whenever he could make use of them.
He himself collected material about the history of Zeeland. This research cost him time and money, but he received financial support from the States of Zeeland.
Much was also taken from the works of
Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn and
Olivier de Wree
Olivier de Wree (1596–1652), pen name Latinized as Olivarius Vredius, was a new Latin poet and historian from the Habsburg Netherlands.
Life
Born in Bruges on 28 September 1596, De Wree was educated at Jesuit schools there and at Douai. After t ...
.
The book deals with the political and military history of Zeeland, as well as its economy, geography and polity. Smallegange deals with all towns, fiefdoms, and a number of characters and institutions of Zeeland. The book is illustrated with maps, city and harbor views and images of buildings and country estates. Everything expresses the prosperity and wealth of the Zeeland elite of that time.
Background and publishing
The book was printed by the Middelburg printer Johannes Meertens. Meertens was a representative of the flourishing printing and book trade in
Middelburg in the 17th century. By the end of the 16th century, the city had already attracted a large number of book printers from the
Southern Netherlands. Publishers and printers did not appear in other cities in Zeeland until after 1600.
The city councils were in need of people skilled in
printmaking
Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed techniq ...
. The new political situation, in which Zeeland was a sovereign region and the cities were quite powerful, made it necessary to issue numerous printed placards and ordinances. The introduction of the Reformed faith, too, generated an increase in demand, what with the need for practical religious manuals such as the Bible and the psalm books.
In addition, there was a demand for charts, especially for the flourishing sea shipping industry. The Visscher-Roman atlas from 1655 is the best known example thereof. The production of atlases, incidentally, soon shifted to
Amsterdam, in the 17th century. Middelburg was the undisputed center of the printing press in Zeeland and its publishing houses also had a reputation that extended beyond Zeeland. Between 1550 and 1700, more than 1,300 books were published and printed in the Zeelandic capital. The peak was in the 1660s. After that, the number of books printed in Middelburg started to fall rapidly. Printers and booksellers from other major Dutch cities outnumbered the Middelburgers. The ''Cronyk'' was published when the publishing profession in Middelburg was already in decline. Nevertheless, the book is still an important work for this province.
Sequel
A second part was foreseen, but the project never materialized. Smallegange summarized this in a short ''Besluyt'', which appeared in 1704. He did write other books, however, including a number of genealogies and translations.
Literature
* Geschiedenis van Zeeland, deel 2: 1550–1700, Zwolle/Utrecht 2012, 199–295
* Arno Neele e.a., Religie en cultuur, in: Paul Brusse en Wijnand Mijnhardt (red.)
* P.J. Verkruijsse, Mattheus Smallegange (1624–1710) en zijn cronyk van Zeeland, Schiedam 1977.
* S. de Wind; Iets over Mattheüs Smallegange en zijne kronijk van Zeeland. Uit: Nehallenia, dl.1 P. 35–74 (1849)
* P.J. Verkruijsse; Rumoer rond een zeventiende-eeuws ziekbed: of, de vier versies van Mattheus Smalleganges sinnebeeld met elkaar vergeleken (Amsterdam) (1967)
* P.J. Verkruijsse; Mattheus Smallegange (1624–1710): Zeeuwse historicus, genealoog en vertaler. Descriptieve persoonsbibliografie (1983)
See also
*
:nl:Nieuwe Cronyk van Zeeland, article on the native Dutch Wikipedia
References
External links
{{Commons category-inline
Dutch folklore
Folklore of the Benelux
Dutch books
Low Countries chronicles