Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek explained

Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek (Amsterdam, 10 November 1603 ibid 3 or 4 March 1656), was a patrician woman from the Dutch Golden Age. She became known as the mother-in-law of Johan de Witt.

Biography

Agneta was a scion of the De Graeff family and born as the oldest daughter of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff and Aeltje Boelens Loen (1579-1630),^[1] herself daughter of the politician Cornelis Andriesz Boelens Loen (1552-1584), great-grandson of Andries Boelens (1455–1519), a famous regent of Amsterdam. In 1625 she was married to later Amsterdam burgomaster Jan Bicker.^[2] The couple had five daughters:^{[3] [4]}

• Elisabeth Bicker (1630–1660) married Jacobus Trip, a wealthy arms dealer
• Geertruida Bicker (1634–1702) married Jean Deutz, a rich Banker and Investor of Amsterdam
• Wendela Bicker (1635–1668) married Johan de Witt^[5]
• Cornelia Bicker (1638–1665), married her full cousin Gerard Bicker (I) van Swieten
• Jacoba Bicker (1640–1695) married her full cousin Pieter de Graeff^[6]

The couple lived at their country houses De Eult at Baarn, Akerendam and Duynwijck in Beverwijk. Between the city of Amsterdam they owned a cityhause at Herengracht and an island, called Bickerseiland.^[1] In 1663/64 Agneta was painted by Wallerant Vaillant.^[7] Her tomb chapel is located at the Westerkerk.

Coat of arms

Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek's coat of arms was quartered and showed the following symbols:

• field 1 (left above) the silver shovel on a red background of their paternal ancestors, the Herren von Graben
• field 2 (right above) it shows a silver falcon on a blue background. The origin of the falcon lies in the possession of the Valckeveen estate (later the Valckenburg estate) in Gooiland
• field 3 (left below), same as field 2
• field 4 (right below), same as field 1
• helmet covers in red and silver
• helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben)
• motto: MORS SCEPTRA LIGONIBUS AEQUAT (DEATH MAKES SEPTRES AND HOES EQUAL)

Literature

• Graeff, P. de (P. de Graeff Gerritsz en Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek) Genealogie van de familie De Graeff van Polsbroek, Amsterdam 1882.
• Bruijn, J. H. de Genealogie van het geslacht De Graeff van Polsbroek 1529/1827, met bijlagen. De Built 1962-63.
• Fölting, H.P., 'De landsadvocaten en raadpensionarissen der Staten van Holland en West-Friesland 1480–1795. Een genealogische benadering. Deel III' in: Jaarboek Centraal Bureau Voor Genealogie. Deel 29 (1975 Den Haag; Centraal Bureau Voor Genealogie) p. 210-269, (213)

Notes and References

1. http://www.triomfdervrede.nl/images/andries_de_graeff_20100113.pdf Pieter C. Vis: Andries de Graeff (1611–1678) ’t Gezagh is heerelyk: doch vol bekommeringen, p 7
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=Bo_dCgAAQBAJ&dq=agneta+de+graeff+van+polsbroek&pg=PA71 "Buitenplaatsen in de Gouden Eeuw: De rijkdom van het buitenleven in de Republik" (2015); herausgegeben von Y. Kuiper, Ben Olde Meierink, Elyze Storms-S meets, p 71
3. https://theracoppens.nl/artikelen/223-de-gouden-eeuw-van-soestdijk.html De Gouden Eeuw van Soestdijk, by Thera Coppens
4. http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/retroboeken/elias/#page=363&accessor=accessor_index&source=1&accessor_href=accessor_index%2Findex_html%3FSearchSource%253Autf-8%253Austring%3DDe%2520Graeff%2520&size=605&view=imagePane Johan Engelbert Elias, De Vroedschap van Amsterdam, 1578-1795, Deel 1, p 174/75
5. https://books.google.com/books?id=e4VZAAAAcAAJ&dq=agneta+de+graeff+van+polsbroek&pg=PA173 "De werken van J. van den Vondel", book 17, p 173 (1888)
6. https://books.google.com/books?id=iCUGEAAAQBAJ&dq=agneta+de+graeff+van+polsbroek+pieter+de+graeff&pg=PT366 "De 500 Rijksten van de Republiek: Rijkdom, geloof, macht en cultuur", by Kees Zandvliet (2020)
7. http://www.ahm.nl/schilderijen/ Amsterdams Historisch Museum