Witsen (also spelled ''Witzen'') is a

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

family of

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

. Its most notable member was the politician and scholar

Nicolaes Witsen Nicolaes Witsen (8 May 1641 – 10 August 1717; modern Dutch: ''Nicolaas Witsen'') was a Dutch statesman who was mayor of Amsterdam thirteen times, between 1682 and 1706. In 1693 he became administrator of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). I ...

, but many other members of the family also held leading roles in trade and politics from the Dutch Golden Age up until the French occupation of the Netherlands in the late 18th century.

History

The Witsen family probably originated in

Akersloot Akersloot is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Castricum, and lies about 9 km south of Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of Nort ...

in Noord-Holland, where Jacob Witsz was a farmer and owned a farmhouse known as ‘de Noord’. A 1774 history of the family states that the family came from Schagerwaard, which had been known as the Witsmeer (literally the Wits lake) before it was reclaimed.

Family tree

* Gerrit Jacobsz. Witsen (-1626) was an influential salt merchant trading with France, Portugal and the Baltic Sea. He was mayor of Amsterdam in 1609, 1613 and 1618. He was painted by

Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt Michiel Janszoon van Mierevelt, often abbreviated as Michiel Jansz. and the surname also spelled Miereveld or Miereveldt, (; 1 May 1566 – 27 June 1641) was a Dutch painter and draftsman of the Dutch Golden Age. Biography Van Mierevelt wa ...

. ** Aertge Witsen (1599-1652), who married

Cornelis Bicker Cornelis Bicker van Swieten (25 October 1592 – 15 September 1654), heer (lord) Van Swieten and of Kasteel Swieten, was an Amsterdam regent of the Dutch Republic during the Golden Age and a governor of the Dutch West India Company. He was also ...

, lord Van Swieten and owner of Kasteel Swieten *Cornelis Jacobsz. Witsen (-1595), who began his working life as a herring-packer but after the

Alteratie The Alteratie (Eng: Alteration) is the name given to the change of power in Amsterdam on May 26, 1578, when the Catholic city government was deposed in favor of a Protestant one. The coup should be seen in the context of the greater Dutch Revolt t ...

quickly rose to become a counsellor and

schepen A schepen (Dutch; . ') or échevin (French) or Schöffe (German) is a municipal officer in Belgium and formerly the Netherlands. It has been replaced by the ' in the Netherlands (a municipal executive). In modern Belgium, the ''schepen'' or ''éch ...

; married Marrij Jacobsz (-1593). **Jonas Cornelisz. Witsen (1566-1626), mayor of Amsterdam in 1619, 1623 and 1624 and governor of the

Noordsche Compagnie The Noordsche Compagnie ( en, Northern Company) was a Dutch cartel in the whaling trade, founded by several cities in the Netherlands in 1614 and operating until 1642. Soon after its founding, it became entangled in territorial conflicts with En ...

, the

New Netherland Company New Netherland Company () was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Following Henry Hudson’s exploration of the east coast of North America on behalf of the Dutch East India Company in 1609, several Dutch merchants sent ships to trade wit ...

and the Dutch West India Company. He traded with

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...

, Palestine and Guinea and was also active alongside his brother Jan and his uncle Gerrit in trade with Russia. He lived on the Singel and in 1590 married Weijntje Jansdr. Swaeroogh. He, Frans Hendricksz. Oetgens and Barthold Cromhout speculated on the Third Increase in Amsterdam, mainly around the Haarlemmerdijk and the Westelijke Eilanden. He was also painted as a captain (with

Volkert Overlander Volkert Overlander (also ''Volcker'' and ''Volckert Overlander''; 7 October 1570 – 18 October 1630) was a Dutch Nobility, noble, jurist, ship-owner, merchant and an Amsterdam Regenten, regent from the Dutch Golden Age. Biography Volkert was born ...

as his lieutenant) by

Cornelis van der Voort Cornelis van der Voort or van der Voorde (1576 – buried on 2 November 1624) was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter from the early 17th century. Life Very little is known about Van der Voort's early life. He was born in Antwerp; his father wa ...

. His daughter Marritje of Maria Witsen (1597-1683) married Gerrit Hudde, lived on the Singel.

Johannes Hudde Johannes (van Waveren) Hudde (23 April 1628 – 15 April 1704) was a burgomaster (mayor) of Amsterdam between 1672 – 1703, a mathematician and governor of the Dutch East India Company. As a "burgemeester" of Amsterdam he ordered that t ...

was her son ***Cornelis Witsen (1599-1646) was secretary to Cornelis Haga, the Dutch Republic's first ambassador to the Ottoman Sultan and from 1628 its consul in Aleppo. He and Salomon Sweers left for the east in 1640, in 1641 he was on the 'Raad van Indië'; in 1642 and 1644 he was one of the backers of

Abel Tasman Abel Janszoon Tasman (; 160310 October 1659) was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first known European explorer to reach New ...

's expedition; he died as governor of the

Banda Islands The Banda Islands ( id, Kepulauan Banda) are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about south of Seram Island and about east of Java, and constitute an administrative district (''kecamatan'') within the Central ...

. ***Jan (1603-1636?), died unmarried ***Jacob (1605-) **Jan Cornelisz. Witsen (1569-1636); in 1597 married Margrieta Oetgens. They had three children: *** Petronella *** Maria *** Cornelis Jan Witsen (1605-1669); in 1634 married Catherina Claesdr. Gaeff, alias Opsie; lived at Herengracht 165; he had financial problems maintaining his status as a gentleman and caused Rembrandt's bankruptcy; Hans Bontemantel caricatured him as a useless drunk; around 1663 the family moved to Keizersgracht 327. In 1667 he was reluctantly appointed a

schout In Dutch-speaking areas, a ''schout'' was a local official appointed to carry out administrative, law enforcement and prosecutorial tasks. The office was abolished with the introduction of administrative reforms during the Napoleonic period. Fu ...

. ****Jan Witsen (1636-1676) married; city secretary; built up a notable cabinet of curiosities. ****Lambert Cornelisz. Witsen (1638-1697); appointed captain at a young age; in 1666 in service of

John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen John Maurice of Nassau (Dutch: ''Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen''; German: ''Johann Moritz von Nassau-Siegen''; Portuguese: ''João Maurício de Nassau-Siegen''; 17 June 1604 – 20 December 1679), called "the Brazilian" for his fruitful period a ...

; joined the local civic guard in 1676; lived near Oudemanhuispoort married Sara Nuijts in 1669, with whom he had eleven children: *****Lambert Witsen (1681-1746) a bachelor, was from 1697 an officer in the civic guard and the last Witsen to live at Keizersgracht 327; his will included 82 paintings. *****Nicolaes Witsen (II) (1682-1746) married Anna Catharina Tulp, a daughter of

Dirck Tulp Dirck or Diederik Tulp (1624–1682) was the son of the surgeon professor Nicolaes Tulp and involved in the Dutch East India Company and the Schutterij, Civic guard. Dirck Tulp visited Moscovia with his father-in-law; he was painted in 1653 by P ...

. He lived Herengracht 550. In 1720 he remarried Johanna Eleonora Huydecoper. He inherited his uncle Nicolaas Witsen (I)'s library but was only moderately interested; 2,300 books were auctioned in 1728 and 1747. ******Nicolaes Witsen (III) the younger (1709-1780) inherited the manuscripts collected by several family members; sold at auction in 1761. Appointed as captain of the cavalry of civic guard in 1747. He traded in bonds and moved from Singel 210 (in 1742) to Westermarkt. ******Lambert (1721-) ****

(I) (1641-1717) traveled to Russia in the company of

Jacob Boreel Jacob Boreel (1 April 1630, in Amsterdam – 21 August 1697, in Velsen) was an ambassador in France, sheriff and burgomaster of Amsterdam in 1696. Between 1664 and 1665 he travelled through Russia with his friend Nicolaes Witsen. In 1679, he bec ...

in 1664. Thirteen times

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

, author of a book about shipbuilding, and

Tartary Tartary ( la, Tartaria, french: Tartarie, german: Tartarei, russian: Тартария, Tartariya) or Tatary (russian: Татария, Tatariya) was a blanket term used in Western European literature and cartography for a vast part of Asia bound ...

, cartographer of Siberia, collector of curiosities, books on theology, history and linguistics. He facilitated the young Peter the Great's famous visit to Holland, the

Great Embassy The Grand Embassy (russian: Вели́кое посо́льство, translit=Velíkoye posól'stvo) was a Russian diplomatic mission to Western Europe from 9 March 1697 to 25 August 1698 led by Peter the Great. Description In 1697 and 1698, Pe ...

and the expedition of Willem de Vlaming to Australia. He was an expert on Ethiopia; manager in the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

, involved in the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, who pushed the idea to plant coffee in the Dutch colonies. In 1674 he married a minister's daughter Catharina de Hochepied from Sluis; their six children died young and they instead adopted the children after the death of his brothers. In 1711 he moved to the

Gouden Bocht The Gouden Bocht (English: "Golden Bend") is the most prestigious part of the Herengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands, between Leidsestraat and Vijzelstraat. Until 1663 the Herengracht reached as far as the present Leidsegracht. From that year o ...

, either at Herengracht 440 or 479. After Witsen's death, his notes were considered lost for a long time. In 1886 did it become known in the Netherlands that copies of Nicolaas Witsen's diary and notes were kept in Paris; 300 years later a book was published: Nicolaas Witsen. Moscovische Reyse, 1664—1665. 's-Gravenhage, 1966—1967. ****Cornelis Witsen (1645-1680); army captain who never married; died due to a fall from his horse ****Jonas Witsen (1647-1675) laid the foundation stone of the new stadhuis op de Dam, and possibly for

's Lands Zeemagazijn s Lands Zeemagazijn ("National Sea Arsenal") is a 17th-century building in the Oosterdok near Kattenburgerplein in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, which served as arsenal of the Admiralty of Amsterdam. Designed by Daniël Stalpaert and constru ...

; he travelled widely and was very cultured; he was painted by

Jan Lievens Jan Lievens (24 October 1607 – 4 June 1674) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who was associated with his close contemporary Rembrandt, a year older, in the early parts of their careers. They shared a birthplace in Leiden, training with Pieter La ...

. He married Sara van Raey in 1675, but died two weeks later. ***** Jonas Witsen (1676-1715); baptised eight months after his father's death; adopted by his uncle, collected paintings and gained three plantations in Suriname thanks to his marriage to his first wife Elisabeth Basseliers; lived as mayor at Keizersgracht 674; in 1704 remarried to Isabella Maria Hooft; had one daughter: ******Catharina Witsen; married Gerrit Hooft Gerritsz ******Jonas Witsen (1705-1767); counsellor to the Admiralty for the

Noorderkwartier Noorderkwartier (; en, Northern Quarter) is a historical term referring to the part of the former Dutch province of Holland north of the river IJ, covering the regions Kennemerland, Zaanstreek, Waterland and West Friesland and now part of the ...

; in 1731 married Alberta Maria Pels; colonel in the civic guard; mayor in 1765; lived at Keizersgracht 672, now the

Museum Van Loon Museum Van Loon is a museum located in a canalside house alongside the Keizersgracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The museum is named after the family Van Loon that lived in the house from the 19th century. History The canal house where the muse ...

. *******Jonas Witsen (1733-1788); in 1761 married Anna Maria van Marselis. From 1771 he lived in the house of

Gerrit Braamcamp Gerrit Braamcamp (18 November 1699, in Amsterdam – 17 June 1771, in Amsterdam) was a successful Roman Catholic distiller, timber merchant, and art collector from the Netherlands. One of the most important merchants in Amsterdam, he built a ti ...

on the

; in 1770 he sold four plantations in Suriname. ********Jonas Witsen (1765-1795); in 1793 married the actress Johanna Susanna van der Stel *********Jonas Witsen (1795-1877); in 1818 married Helena Meijlant **********Jonas Jan Witsen (1819-?); in 1848 married Jacoba Elisabeth Bonekamp *********** Willem Witsen (1860-1923); in 1893 married Elisabeth van Vloten, daughter of :nl:Johannes van Vloten, but divorced her a few years later; in 1907 married Augusta Maria Schorr ************Erik Witsen (1896-1982); in 1925 married Catharina Franciska van den Broek, daughter of Antonius van den Broek *************Jenno Witsen (1927-); in 1957 married Ineke de Leede ******Nicolaas Witsen Jonasz (1707-1739); in 1734 married Constantia Hooft; lived at

Herengracht The Herengracht () is the second of four Amsterdam canals belonging to the canal belt and lies between the Singel and the Keizersgracht. The Gouden Bocht (Golden Bend) in particular is known for its large and beautiful canal houses. History Th ...

550; father of *******Hester Witsen (1736-1771); in 1756 married Pieter Elias.{{in lang, nl http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=SHOW&db=jansenk&recno=264491

History

Family tree

References