Pieter Dircksz Graeff Explained

Pieter Dircksz Graeff (* 1574 in Amsterdam, † 27 July 1645 ibid) was a descendant of the Dutch regent family De Graeff. The Lord of Engelenburg was born as the third son of Dirk Jansz Graeff and Agniet Pietersdr van Neck.^[1]

Life

Pieter Dircksz Graeff remained unmarried. In contrast to his Protestant family, he may was a follower of the catholic Religion.^[2] In Amsterdam he lived in a town house on the Fluweelenburgwal. In 1620 he bought the castle of Engelenburg (near Herwijnen at Gelderland) together with the associated manor^[3] from Jonker Willem Johansz van Gent.^[4] On December 30 of that year he was enfeoffed with this knightly court (Ridderhofstad) and seigniory.^[5] After his death, the husband of his niece Christina de Graeff (1609-1679), Jacob Bicker, was bequeathed the rights to the estate.^[6]

In 1613 he had made a journey to the Holy Land.^[7] In Jerusalem he received a document, which was prepared by the Franciscan friar Angelus a Messana, and which describes his visit to Christie's tomb. The document also includes the names of a number of the religious sites he visited there.^[8] Today the same is in the Amsterdam City Archives of the De Graeff family.^[9] He also traveled the historic caravan route from Jerusalem to Cairo with the Swiss Hans Jakob Ammann and two Italian travel companions.^[10] His burial place is in the Oude kerk.^[11] In his book Ammann named him "Edel und Vest Herr Peter Graffe" (noble and firm lord Peter Graffe).^[12]

Coat of arms

Pieter Dircksz Graeff's ancient 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)

Since 1620, Graeff, as owner of the lordship of Engelenburg, has increased this with a blue Heart shield, charged with a silver castle, from which emerges a rising silver angel with outspread wings.

Trivia

• Pieter Dircksz Graeff (Pieter Dircksz de Graeff van Engelenburg) was mistakenly named as mayor of Amsterdam (as were other people in his family).^[13] He was not a member of the Vroedschap, the council or any other municipal government office.^[14]
• There is a painted portrait of Graeff with his coat of arms.^[15]

Literature

• Ammann, Hans Jakob: "Hans Jakob Amman genannt der Thalwyler Schärer und seine Reise ins Gelobte Land". Zürich: Polygraph. Institut A. G. 1919 (Faksimile of the book from 1630)

Notes and References

1. https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/molh003nieu02_01/molh003nieu02_01_1038.php Biography of Dirck Jansz Graeff at "Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek" . Deel 2 (1912) by P.J. Blok, P.C. Molhuysen
2. https://www.amsterdam.nl/stadsarchief/stukken/godsdienst/heilige-land/ Stadsarchief Amsterdam, "Naar het Heilige Land"
3. https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/molh003nieu02_01/molh003nieu02_01_1038.php Biography of Dirck Jansz Graeff at "Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek" . Deel 2 (1912) by P.J. Blok, P.C. Molhuysen
4. https://www.ebidat.de/cgi-bin/ebidat.pl?id=2191 Engelenburg at EBIDAT - Die Burgendatenbank
5. Geschiedenis van het Amsterdamsche Regentenpatriziats, p 100, by Johan Engelbert Elias (1923)
6. https://www.angelfire.com/mt/hist/History1.html Engelenburg at History of Herwijnen, part 1
7. https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/molh003nieu02_01/molh003nieu02_01_1038.php Biography of Dirck Jansz Graeff at "Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek" . Deel 2 (1912) by P.J. Blok, P.C. Molhuysen
8. https://www.amsterdam.nl/stadsarchief/stukken/godsdienst/heilige-land/ Stadsarchief Amsterdam, "Naar het Heilige Land"
9. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: Archief van de familie De Graeff
10. http://digitale.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/vd17/content/titleinfo/11442386 Reiß in das Gelobte Land, Zürich 1618
11. https://books.google.com/books?id=CpMSAAAAYAAJ&dq=Adriaan+Claesz+graeff+pieter+de+graeff&pg=RA4-PA131 De Neederlandse Leeuw, 1898, Genealogie van het geslacht "De Graeff", p 132
12. Ammann, Hans Jakob: "Hans Jakob Amman genannt der Thalwyler Schärer und seine Reise ins Gelobte Land". P 158. Zürich: Polygraph. Institut A. G. 1919 (Faksimile of the book from 1630)
13. https://books.google.com/books?id=Bo_dCgAAQBAJ&q=Pieter+dircksz+graeff+Engelenburg Buitenplaatsen in de Gouden Eeuw: De rijkdom van het buitenleven in de Republiek, p 83, by Y. Kuiper, Ben Olde Meierink, Elyze Storms-Smeets
14. https://books.google.com/books?id=kHxjAAAAcAAJ&q=Pieter+dircksz+graef+Engelenburg Beschryvinge van Amsterdam, haar eerste oorspronk uyt den huyze der heeren ... (1665)
15. https://books.google.com/books?id=m6SPwBkWZ6EC&q=Pieter+de+graeff+Engelenburg Catalogus der tentoonstelling van portretten en voorwerpen betrekkingen ..., p 281