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Eyewitness accounts of deputies

Goetgevonden discloses the decisions of the States General, but does not provide insight into the considerations of the decision-makers or the atmosphere in the meeting. More can be found about such aspects in eyewitness accounts of deputies. Within the REPUBLIC project, an inventory was therefore made of the presence of such eyewitness accounts in Dutch archives. This inventory not only looked at the States General, but also at the various Provincial States colleges that sent deputies to the States General.

Until now, hardly any examples were known of deputies who kept eyewitness accounts in the Republic. This is in contrast to other countries, in particular England, where such accounts were already a popular genre in the seventeenth century, known as parliamentary diaries.

This inventory is intended as a supplement to Goetgevonden. Eyewitness accounts are rich sources. They offer a different perspective on the representative assembly than its resolutions do. Sometimes it concerns details about the meeting: who spoke and what exactly did he say? Sometimes the notes give an impression of the mood during the meetings: was there laughter, was there a buzz? They also provide insight into how deputies combined politics and private life: how (often) did they travel back and forth between The Hague and their own province, where did their families stay?

The differences between the reports are significant. This starts with the form. Some are battered copies in telegram style, others are carefully crafted net versions. In terms of content, the differences are even greater. Some reports only contain summary notes. Others are really written as a narrative.

The inventory

Below is an initial inventory of eyewitness accounts that were written during the early Republic, between 1576 and the beginning of the Second Stadtholderless Period in 1702. A similar inventory could be carried out for the Dutch Republic during the eighteenth century.

What were the selection criteria? The reports in the list below:

  • contain notes about meetings of the States General or one of the seven provincial councils of states (Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland);
  • contain notes that are provided with dates;
  • form a physical whole. In short: they are written in one or more ‘books’ (codices) or covers, so not loose papers;
  • are either written on one’s own initiative or on assignment but in the first person perspective.

The eyewitness accounts were mainly found by searching the collections of the National Archives and other archives.

In total, sixteen parliamentary diaries were found in this inventory that (mainly) relate to the States General. In addition, fourteen diaries were found that (mainly) relate to one of the provincial meetings. This list is probably very incomplete. Nevertheless, even such a small selection offers a valuable starting point for new research.

The overview below is arranged by meeting and then chronologically. Where known, the authors are mentioned. The inventories refer to the relevant archive inventory and (if available) link to a digital version of the text.

Inventory of parliamentary diaries, 1576-1702

States-General

  • 1578-1579; Anonymous (deputy of Groningen); Groningen Archives, 0002: Ommelander Archives, inv. no. 194.
  • 1587-1623; Joost van Ghiessen, deputy of Gelderland; Gelderland Archives, 0439: Houses Waardenburg and Neerijnen, inv. no. 606; link to digital version.
  • 1577-1603; Johan Baptista van Renesse tot Eerde, deputy of Gelderland; Overijssel Collection Location Zwolle, 0285.1: Association for the Practice of Overijssel Law and History (VORG), Archive Collection, inv. no. 509; link to digital version.
  • 1607-1608; Nicolaas van Berck Jansz, deputy of Utrecht; National Archives, 1231: Collection of Stray Documents, inv. no. 70.
  • 1607-1617; Guert van Benthem, secretary of Tiel; Regional Archives Rivierenland, 0001: Archives of the city council of Tiel and village council of Zandwijk, inv. no. 1164; link to digital version.
  • 1610-1620; Willem Pieck, deputy of Gelderland; Gelderland Archives, 0447: Huis Soelen, inv. no. 456; link to digital version.
  • 1616-1620; Frederik van Vervou, deputy of Friesland (and member of the Council of State); Tresoar (Frysk Histoarysk en Letterkundich Sintrum), 344: Collection of the Frisian Society, inv. no. 860; published as Some notes of the events in the meeting of the States-General in 1616-1620, ed. H. Kuipers (Leeuwarden 1874).
  • 1618-1638; Floris (II) van Pallandt, Count of Culemborg, deputy of Gelderland; Gelderland Archives, 0370: Lords and Counts of Culemborg, inv. nos. 696/1-7; link to digital version.
  • 1621-1632; Alexander van der Capellen, deputy of Gelderland; Gelderland Archives, 0467: Family van der Capellen, inv. no. 1133; link to digital version; published as Memoirs of Jonkheer Alexander van der Capellen, …, ed. Robert Jasper van der Capellen, 2 vols. (Utrecht 1777-1778).
  • (1622-)1652; Alexander van der Capellen, deputy of Gelderland; Gelderland Archives, 0467: Family van der Capellen, inv. no. 132; link to digital version.
  • (1624-)1641, Hendrik van der Capellen, deputy of Gelderland; Gelderland Archives, 0467: Family van der Capellen, inv. no. 73; link to digital version.
  • 1625; Floris (II) van Pallandt, count of Culemborg, deputy of Gelderland; Gelderland Archives, 0370: Lords and counts of Culemborg, inv. no. 723; link to digital version.
  • 1625-1688; Bonifacius van Vrijberghe, deputy of Zeeland; National Archives, 2.21.005.39: Inventory of the archive of I.J.A. Gogel, inv. no. 164.
  • 1654-1666; Johan van Merode, deputy of Holland; Gelderland Archives, 0439: Houses Waardenburg and Neerijnen, inv. no. 775; link to digital version.
  • 1660-1662; Johan van Merode, deputy of Holland; Gelderland Archives, 0439: Huizen Waardenburg and Neerijnen, inv. no. 777; link to digital version.
  • 1677-1679; Aernout van Citters, councillor of the Court of Holland and Zeeland; Zeeland Archives, 468: Family Verheye van Citters, inv. no. 47; link to digital version.

Frisian Landdag

1603-1615; Bernardus Gerbrandi Furmerius, provincial historian of Friesland; Provincial Library of Friesland (now part of Tresoar), Hs 1184; published as: Diarium Furmerii. Diary of Bernardus Gerbrandi Furmerius 1603-1615: Provincial historian of Friesland, ed. D.W. Kok (Leeuwarden 2006).

1636; Hendrik van Essen, François Herberts, Albert Sonck and Godard van Reede, commissioners of the States-General; Utrecht Archives, 1001: Huis Amerongen, inv. no. 2691.

1643-1649, 1651-1654; Willem Frederik van Nassau, stadtholder of Friesland (and Groningen and Drenthe); Royal Collections, The Hague, archive of Willem Frederik, prince of Nassau-Dietz (1613-1664), inv. nos. A25/1-11; published as Gloria parendi. Diaries of Willem Frederik, stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe, 1643-1649, 1651-1654, eds. J. Visser and G.N. van der Plaat (The Hague 1995), available via the Digital Library for Dutch Literature (DBNL).

Gelderse Landdag

1547-1628 (historical extracts); Gerrit van Arnhem, deputy on behalf of the Knighthood of Veluwe; Gelderland Archives, 0525: Huis Rosendael, inv. no. 45; link to digital version.

1658-1659; Hendrik van der Capellen, deputy on behalf of the Knighthood of Zutphen; Gelderland Archives, 0467: Family van der Capellen, inv. no. 80; link to digital version.

1684, 1692; Frederik van der Capellen, deputy on behalf of the Knighthood of Zutphen; Gelderland Archives, 0467: Family van der Capellen, inv. no. 176; link to digital version.

Groningen Landdag

(1557-)1573-1594; Frederik Coenders van Helpen, mayor of Groningen and deputy on behalf of the City and Country; Groningen Archives, 2044: Manuscripts in Octavo Register Feith, 1282–1904, inv. no. 43.

1594-1595; Anonymous; Groningen Archives, 552: Family van Swinderen and De Marees van Swinderen, inv. no. 412.

States of Holland

1602-1618; Frans Pietersz, secretary of Medemblik (some notes by mayors Jan Cornelisz Schellinger, Symon Allertsz Coster, Cornelis Mathijsz Schaegen, Simon Maertsz Lieves and Cornelis Jansz Fortuyn); Westfries Archief, 0715-02: Old archives of the city of Medemblik, inv. nos. 1-34; link to digital version.

1618-1621; Symon Maertsz Lieves, mayor of Medemblik (some notes by Pieter Nanningsz, Cornelis Mathijsz Schaegen and others, unidentified hands); Westfries Archief, 0715-02: Old archives of the city of Medemblik, inv. nos. 35-43; link to digital version.

1620-1657; Sijbrant Schot, deputy on behalf of Purmerend; Waterlands Archive, 0054: Village and city council of Purmerend, inv. nos. 325-329; link to digital version.

1622-1666; Nicolaas Stellingwerff, secretary/mayor of Medemblik; Westfries Archief, 0715-02: Old archive of the city of Medemblik, inv. nos. 44-192; link to digital version; published and commented on: https://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/stellingwerff.

1659; Joan Huydecoper, mayor of Amsterdam; Utrecht Archives, 67: Family Huydecoper, inv. no. 47; link to digital version.

States of Overijssel

None

States of Utrecht

1672-1675; Everard Booth, lord of Mijdrecht; Utrecht Archives, 759: Family Booth, inv. no. 43; link to digital version; published in: Reports of the Historical Society (1857), available via the Digital Library for Dutch Literature (DBNL).

States of Zeeland

None

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