Willem Kieft, Director of New Amsterdam between 1637 and 1647.

Willem Kieft was born in Amsterdam in September 1597 as the son of the Amsterdam merchant Gerrit Willemsz. Kieft and Machteld Jansdr. Huydecoper. In 1633 he was a bankrupted merchant in La Rochelle, France. In 1637 he became Director General of New Netherland.

In the notarial archives of Rotterdam we find the wine merchant Seger Gorisz., who ordered Willem Kieft in 1632/33, to buy 20 barrels of wine for him in La Rochelle (France) and paid him a thousand guilders in advance for that transaction. On 7 March 1633 Seger Gorisz. gave, before notary Adriaan Kieboom, power of attorney to Nicolaes Hermansz. van Ravesteyn, merchant in La Rochelle, to collect the wine and, if possible, the thousant guilders including damage and interest from Kieft, who was said to be fugitive.

We don't know how this incident ended, but Kieft probably got away with it; he had powerful relations in Amsterdam.

A short summery of Willem Kieft's relatives:

Parents:

Gerrit Willemsz. Kieft, born 1571, died 4 June 1622, merchant on the Oude Zijde Voorburgwal in Amsterdam; married about 4 February 1595 to Machteld Jansdr. Huydecoper, born 1573, died 9 October 1647.

Grandparents:

Willem Ysbrantsz. Kieft, merchant and owner of a malt-mill on the Singel outside the Gasthuismolenpoort in Amsterdam; married Stijn Jansdr. Ruytenburgh.

Jan Jacobsz. Bal aka Huydecoper, born 1541, died 26 April 1624, tanner and merchant in hides; married 1564 to Lijsbeth Hendricksdr. Wou, buried in the Old Church in Amsterdam 6 January 1595.

The Huydecoper family became one of the most powerful families of Amsterdam. His uncle (half-brother of his mother) Joan Huydecoper (1599-1661) was a very powerful man; in 1637 he was knighted by the Swedish Queen Christina, and from 1651 to 1660 he was 6 times Mayor of Amsterdam.

Willem Kieft's uncle (oldest brother of his father) Ysbrant Willemsz. Kieft, born in 1567, brewer in Amsterdam, married on 1 February 1587 Marij Claesdr. Boelens, daughter of Claes Boelens, Mayor of Amsterdam.

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