Frans Banning Cocq
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Frans Banninck Cocq (sometimes incorrectly spelled as Banning), ''free lord of Purmerland and Ilpendam'' (February 23, 1605 – January 1, 1655) was a
knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
,
burgemeester Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, ) is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or executive of a city or town. The name in English was derived from the Dutch . In so ...
(mayor) and military person of
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
in the mid-17th century, the
Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...
. He belonged to the wealthy and powerful Dutch patriciate, the
regenten The ''regenten'' ( Dutch plural for ''regent'') were the rulers of the Dutch Republic from the 16th through the 18th century, the leaders of the Dutch cities or the heads of organisations (e.g. "regent of an orphanage"). Though not formally a her ...
, and is best known as the central figure in
Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...
's masterpiece ''
The Night Watch ''Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq'', also known as ''The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch'', but commonly referred to as ''The Night Watch'' (), is a 1642 painting ...
''.


Biography


Background and Family

Frans was born on February 23, 1605, as the son of Jan Jansz Cock (1575–1633), a local
pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...
of German descendant in the
Warmoesstraat Warmoesstraat ('Chard Street') is one of the oldest streets in Amsterdam, running parallel to Damrak from Nieuwebrugsteeg to Dam Square. Its origins are in the 13th century. In the 16th and 17th century it was the shopping street. During the Du ...
. His father, born in
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
, moved around 1592 to Amsterdam. Nothing is known about his grandfather. He was married to Lysbeth Fransdr Banninck (1581–1623) of Amsterdam origin. In the Amsterdam patriciate of the 16th and 17th centuries, there were two families with very similar names, the Banning(h) family, also known as Benning(h), and the Banninck family, which were not closely related to each other. The first-named family was of greater importance, since they were members of the city government for a longer period of time. Banninck Cocq's mother belonged to the less important family,D. C. Meijer: ''Frans Banning Cocq en zijn familie-album''. In: ''Eigen Haard'' 1906, No 27 from July 7, p 426–430, and No 28 from July 14, p 444–447, . and was related to Amsterdam burgomaster Cornelis Hooft. Deviating from the tradition according to which, as the first-born, he was to receive the name of his paternal grandfather, he received the first and last name of his maternal grandfather Frans Banninck (1544–1582), who died at young age. The Bannincks had been members of the Amsterdam City Council for generations and only Frans Banninck Cocq's early death, before he could reach an office, broke the tradition. In this way, the parents documented their right to continue a family tradition.S. A. C. Dudok van Heel: ''Frans Banninck Cocq's Troop in Rembrandt's "Night Watch": The Identification of the Guardsmen.'' In: ''The Rijksmuseum Bulletin'' 2009, book 57, No 1, p 42–87, . Frans was baptized on 27 February 1605 in the Oude Kerk. As his parents were not married, it caused a scandal, but on 17 September of the same year they went to the townhall to notice the marriage. Frans Banninck Cocq, who seems to have had one deaf brother, studied law in
Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...
and
Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...
between 1625 and 1627. In 1630 he married Maria Overlander van Purmerland, daughter of knight Volkert Overlander, merchant, one of the founders of the Dutch East Trading Company, a few times burgemeester of Amsterdam and Lord of Purmerland and Ilpendam. One of her sisters, Geertruid Overlander van Purmerland (1609–1634), was married to statesman and Amsterdam burgomaster
Cornelis de Graeff Cornelis de Graeff (15 October 1599 – 4 May 1664), often named ''Polsbroek'' or ''de heer van (lord) Polsbroek'' during his lifetime, was an influential regenten, regent and burgomaster (mayor) of Amsterdam, statesman and diplomat of Holland an ...
. Through his marriage Banninck Cocq got linked with the powerful Bicker and De Graeff families of Amsterdam and also to the family of
Johan de Witt Johan de Witt (24 September 1625  – 20 August 1672) was a Dutch statesman and mathematician who was a major political figure during the First Stadtholderless Period, when flourishing global trade in a period of rapid European colonial exp ...
, later Grand Pensionary of Holland. When Frans' father-in-law died, Banninck Cocq inherited his properties, including the title Free Lord of Purmerland and Ilpendam along with the castle of Ilpenstein north of Amsterdam and the canal house De Dolphijn in the city. At Ilpenstein, Banninck Cocq decorated the main hall with portraits of his wife's ancestors. The couple had no children.


Political career

From 1632 he held a large number of offices in the Amsterdam city administration. In 1632, 1633 and 1636 he became a member of the Commission for Marital Affairs. In 1634, 1635, 1641, 1643, 1644 and 1650 he was a member of the Commission for Small Affairs (Commissaris van Kleine zaken). In 1634 he succeeded his father-in-law as a member of the
vroedschap The ''vroedschap'' () was the name for the (all male) city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a ''vroedman'', literally a "wise man". An honorific title of the ''vroedschap'' was the ''vroede vadere ...
(city council). In 1637, 1640, 1642, 1645, 1646, 1648 and 1649 he was elected to
Schepen A schepen (Dutch, ; . ') or échevin (French, , ) or Schöffe (German, ) is a municipal officer in Belgium and formerly the Netherlands, where it has been replaced by the (a municipal executive). In modern Belgium, the ''schepen'' or ''échevin'' ...
. From 1638 to 1639 he was a member of the commission for the municipal loan (Commissaris van de Bank van Leening). In 1648 he was accepted as a knight in the French Ordre de Saint-Michel. In 1650 he was appointed burgemeester of Amsterdam (mayor). In 1651, 1653 and 1654 he was re-elected. He acted in close cooperation with his brother-in-law Cornelis de Graeff, leader of the state-oriented-faction De Graeff, and Johan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen.


Military career, Night watch

In 1635 Frans Banninck Cocq was a lieutenant of the Amsterdam civil guard (
militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
) of Wijk I and captain of that of Wijk II from about 1635 to about 1646. From about 1646 to 1650 he was a
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
. He is also depicted in the
Bartholomeus van der Helst Bartholomeus van der Helst (1613 – buried 16 December 1670) was a Dutch painter. Considered to be one of the leading portrait painters of the Dutch Golden Age, his elegant portraits gained him the patronage of Amsterdam's elite as well as th ...
portrait of The Governors of the Longbow Civic Guards, 1653, now in the
Amsterdam Museum The Amsterdam Museum, known until 2010 as the Amsterdam Historical Museum, is an Amsterdam-based museum dedicated to the city's past and present. Due to the renovation of its main location, the museum is temporarily located in the Amstelhof on the ...
. Banninck Cocq is primarily known today for being depicted in a painting by
Rembrandt van Rijn Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the h ...
commissioned in 1638, which shows him and his company of civil guards. Although known as ''
The Night Watch ''Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq'', also known as ''The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch'', but commonly referred to as ''The Night Watch'' (), is a 1642 painting ...
'' (1642), this is not the original title; at that time it was in fact unusual to title paintings but if indeed it had a name, the more correct one would be "The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch". The painting is notable, among other things, for its huge size: approximately 3.35 m x 4.26 m (11 ft by 14 ft).


Heritage

Frans Banninck Cocq was buried on 6 January 1655; his tomb chapel is located in the Oude Kerk.Stadsarchief Amsterda

/ref> His inheritance passed to his widow Maria Overlander van Purmerland, Maria, who named her cousin Catharina Hooft (daughter of Maria's paternal aunt Geertruid Overlander; 1577–1653) and their two sons, her nephews
Pieter de Graeff Pieter de Graeff (15 August 1638 – 3 June 1707) was a Dutch Republic, Dutch Aristocracy (class), aristocrat of the Dutch Golden Age and one of the most influential pro-state, republican Amsterdam regenten, Regents during the late 1660s and the ...
and
Jacob de Graeff Jacob de Graeff (28 June 1642 in Amsterdam – 21 April 1690 ibid) was a member of the De Graeff-family from the Dutch Golden Age. He was an Amsterdam regent and held the title as 20th Free Lord of Ilpendam and Purmerland. His political stance ...
as heirs on her death in 1678. Catharina and Jacob inherited the Lordship of Purmerland and Ilpendam, while Pieter inherited their fortune of 200,000
guilders Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' (" gold penny"). This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Rom ...
De 500 Rijksten van de Republiek: Rijkdom, geloof, macht en cultuur, von Kees Zandvliet (see #16, Johan de Graeff)
/ref> and after the death of Jacob (1690) and Catharina (1691) the lordship.


The family album of Frans Banninck Cocq

Two families with similar names existed in the Amsterdam patriciate, the Banning(h) family, also known as Benning(h), and the Banninck family, who were not closely related. The Banning(h) / Benning(h) family was of greater importance, since they were members of the city government for a longer period of time. Frans Banninck Cocq belonged to the less important Banninck family via his mother's side. Due to the similar names, there were already misspellings among contemporaries. A two-part family album created by Banninck Cocq contains numerous colored drawings and watercolors in addition to a copy of The Night Watch. It shows the genealogy of his family, with illustrations of a number of coats of arms. Numerous buildings are also shown to which Banninck Cocq had a relationship. Many of the illustrations were probably painted by himself, and the book was completed by himself around 1654. The Night Watch was probably painted by Jacob Colijns on behalf of Banninck Cocq. A number of handwritten additions were made by his nephew and later heir
Pieter de Graeff Pieter de Graeff (15 August 1638 – 3 June 1707) was a Dutch Republic, Dutch Aristocracy (class), aristocrat of the Dutch Golden Age and one of the most influential pro-state, republican Amsterdam regenten, Regents during the late 1660s and the ...
after Banninck Cocq's death in 1655. It is possible that other drawings and watercolors in the family book were also added by Colijns after Banninck Cocq's death, who also forged or falsified documents on other families related to him in De Graeff's favor. For a long time it was assumed that Banninck Cocq himself had manipulated the family albums in such a way that they proved his origin from the older patrician family. In fact, the forgeries were made in the handwriting of De Graeff, who had lost his municipal offices after the
Rampjaar In Dutch history, the year 1672 is referred to as the (; Disaster Year). In May 1672, following the outbreak of the Franco-Dutch War and its peripheral conflict the Third Anglo-Dutch War, France, supported by Münster and Cologne, invaded a ...
in 1672 and therefore also had reason and opportunity to improve his family history. The painter Colijns, who may have also painted the copy of the Night Watch in the family album, and the poet
Joost van den Vondel Joost van den Vondel (; 17 November 1587 – 5 February 1679) was a Dutch playwright, poet, literary translator and writer. He is generally regarded as the greatest writer in the Dutch language as well as an important figure in the history of Wes ...
also assisted him in manipulating this family history. The Dutch historian Johan Engelbert Elias published his two-volume history of the Amsterdam city government ''De vroedschap van Amsterdam, 1578–1795'' between 1903 and 1905. Elias did not see through De Graeff's forgeries and combined both families into one, but this could be refuted in the 21st century by new research and the completely different family crests. The family book is still owned by the De Graeff family and is on permanent loan in the Rijksprentenkabinet of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.Stichting Foundation
Rembrandt Research Project The Rembrandt Research Project (RRP) was an initiative of the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO), which is the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Its purpose was to organize and categorize research on Remb ...
(Hg.): ''A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings. III. 1635–1642.'' Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, Boston, London 1989, ISBN 978-94-010-6852-9, chapter ''A146 The Night Watch'', p 430–485.


In Popular Culture

While ''The Night Watch'' itself is widely referenced in media, some works focus specifically on Frans Banning Cocq: * "The Shooting Company of Captain Frans B. Cocq" is the fifth track of the album '' Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer'' by the prog rock band
Ayreon Ayreon is a musical project by Dutch songwriter, singer, musician and record producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen. Ayreon's music is described as progressive rock, progressive metal and power metal sometimes combined with genres such as folk music, f ...
* ''
Nightwatching ''Nightwatching'' is a 2007 film about the artist Rembrandt and the creation of his 1642 painting ''Night Watch (painting), The Night Watch''. The film is directed by Peter Greenaway and stars Martin Freeman as Rembrandt, with Eva Birthistle as h ...
'' (2007) is a film directed by
Peter Greenaway Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a British film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Mannerist painting in particular. Common traits in his films a ...
that depicts a fictionalized rendition of Cocq’s life


References


External links

*
Marriage portraits of Frans Banning Cocq and his wife Maria Overlander by an unknown painter


Succession template

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cocq, Frans Banning 1605 births 1650s deaths Nobility from Amsterdam Lords of Purmerland and Ilpendam Mayors of Amsterdam Burials at the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam