Andries de Witt (16 June 1573, in
Dordrecht
Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Western Netherlands, lo ...
– 26 November 1637, in Dordrecht) was
Grand Pensionary of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
between 1619 and 1621.
Biography
Andries de Witt was a member of the old Dutch patrician family
De Witt. He was the oldest son of
Cornelis Fransz de Witt (1545–1622), 16-fold
burgomaster
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 ...
of Dordrecht and Johanna Heijmans. He was the uncle of
Cornelis de Witt
Cornelis de Witt (15 June 1623 – 20 August 1672) was a Dutch States Navy officer and statesman. During the First Stadtholderless Period, De Witt was an influential member of the Dutch States Party, and was in opposition to the House of Oran ...
and
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 ...
, Grand Pensionary from 1652 to 1672, who were sons of his youngest brother
Jacob de Witt
Jacob de Witt, '' heer van Manezee, Melissant and Comstryen'' (7 February 1589 – 10 January 1674) was a burgomaster of Dordrecht and the son of a timber merchant. De Witt was an influential member of the Dutch States Party, and was in opposit ...
. Andries married Elizabeth van den Honert in 1604, with whom he had 10 children.
De Witt studied law at the
University Leiden
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
, traveled to Germany, Switzerland, France and England for several years, and then held various offices in Dordrecht, finally that of
Pensionary
A pensionary (or syndic) was a name given to the leading functionary and legal adviser of the principal town corporations in the Low Countries because they received a salary or pension.
History
The office originated in Flanders. Initially, the r ...
. In the dispute between the governor
Maurice, Prince of Orange
Maurice of Orange (; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was ''stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Lordship of Frisia, Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death on 23 April 1625. Before he became P ...
and the provincial advocate
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (; 14 September 1547 – 13 May 1619), Lord of the manor, Heer van Berkel en Rodenrijs (1600), Gunterstein (1611) and Bakkum (1613), was a Dutch statesman and revolutionary who played an important role in the Dutch rev ...
, he sided with Moritz. After the arrest of Oldenbarnevelt in 1618 he managed the business of this office on a deputy basis until 1621
Anthonie Duyck
Anthonie Duyck (c. 1560 – 13 September 1629) was Grand Pensionary of Holland between 1621 and 1629.
Life
Anthonie Duyck was a descendant of a notable hollandic family which was founded in the 13th century. Anthonie was the son of Gijsbert ...
was elected Oldenbarnevelt's successor. As a Grand Pensionariy he was the successor of Johan van Oldebarnevelt, who had been executed in 1619. As a Grand Pensionary De Witt acted without initiative, without his own influence on either internal or external business. He limited himself to carrying out orders given to him by Maurice of Orange.
From 1620 until his death, De Witt was a councilor in the Dutch court
Sources
* Van der Aa, Van Harderwijk & Schote
Biographical dictionary of the Netherlands(1877), page 361. (Dutch)
Andries de Witt at "Allgemeine Deutsche Biografie" (german)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witt, Andries De
1573 births
1637 deaths
Grand Pensionaries
People from Dordrecht
De Witt family