Egbert Jans van Leeuwarden

Egbert Jans van Leeuwarden (* 1608 in Leeuwarden , † February 1674 in Utrecht ) was a Dutch watchmaker in Utrecht.

Life and horological achievement

Van Leeuwarden was initially married to Grietje Vlug, with whom he lived in Amsterdam and had at least four children. On September 18, 1667, he married his second wife, Maria Helmont, in the Utrecht Cathedral . With her he has another son, Jan van Leeuwarden, who also became a watchmaker.

From 1630 van Leeuwarden initially worked in Amsterdam, from 1652 he then worked as a self-employed master watchmaker in Utrecht. From 1661 he took Simon Lachez as an apprentice, whose apprenticeship contract was extended in 1665 to teach him how to make a pendulum clock mechanism. Simon Lachez, in turn, later became the teacher of Jan van Leeuwarden.

The pendulum clock mechanism was invented by Christiaan Huygens in 1656 and was probably not brought to Utrecht until 1658 by Salomon Coster , when he set up a pendulum clock mechanism in the Domtoren . Van Leeuwarden belongs to the first generation of watchmakers who took up the principle of the pendulum clock, spread it and passed it on to later generations.

Van Leewarden died in February 1674 and was buried in the Buurkerk in Utrecht.

Preserved watches

At least two clocks have survived from his Utrecht period, a rectangular table clock and a rectangular table alarm clock.

Apprentices

Simon Lachez (1648–1723), Utrecht

Individual evidence

↑ The text of the contract read:
April 22, 1661 heeft Egbert Jans van Leeuwaerden horlogiemaecker in de Minnebroederstraet aangenomen Symon Symons om hem 't voors. (voorsegde) hantwerck te empty end sall 't leerkintsgeld betaelen end supply reetschap schorteldoeck ofte schootsveel end nor t'eynden de twee jaeren een daelder in de spaerbus end in' t voor 't huys vijff gulden .
↑ Het Utrechts Archief: Archief Burger Weeshuis, inv.nr. 768G: besteding van weeskinderen bij particulate. 1665
Egbert Jans van Leeuwaerden heeft voor den tijt van four jaeren aengenomen om (…) voort hantwerck te empty soo van groot as cleyn werck slingerwerck end sall boven vrij reetschap vrij schorteldoeck end yder jaer een daelder in de spaerbusaten nor sckes jaer . Actum ut supra Symon Symons. Egbert Jans van Leeuwaerden.

personal data
SURNAME	Leeuwarden, Egbert Jans van
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Dutch watchmaker
DATE OF BIRTH	1608
PLACE OF BIRTH	Leeuwarden
DATE OF DEATH	February 1674
Place of death	Utrecht

[1] The text of the contract read:
April 22, 1661 heeft Egbert Jans van Leeuwaerden horlogiemaecker in de Minnebroederstraet aangenomen Symon Symons om hem 't voors. (voorsegde) hantwerck te empty end sall 't leerkintsgeld betaelen end supply reetschap schorteldoeck ofte schootsveel end nor t'eynden de twee jaeren een daelder in de spaerbus end in' t voor 't huys vijff gulden .

[2] Het Utrechts Archief: Archief Burger Weeshuis, inv.nr. 768G: besteding van weeskinderen bij particulate. 1665
Egbert Jans van Leeuwaerden heeft voor den tijt van four jaeren aengenomen om (…) voort hantwerck te empty soo van groot as cleyn werck slingerwerck end sall boven vrij reetschap vrij schorteldoeck end yder jaer een daelder in de spaerbusaten nor sckes jaer . Actum ut supra Symon Symons. Egbert Jans van Leeuwaerden.