Johan Kievit

Johan Kievit

Johan Kievit (* 1627 ; † 1692 ) was a Dutch lawyer and politician.

Kievit came from a well-known Rotterdam family. In 1653 he married Alida Tromp, the daughter of Admiral Maarten Tromp and sister of Cornelis Tromp . He was a lawyer at the Hof van Holland in The Hague before going into politics and becoming a member of the Council (Vroedschap) in Rotterdam in 1659 and aldermen in 1664. He was also governor of the East India Company in Rotterdam. In 1665 he was mayor. In 1666 he became a member of the council (Gecommitteerde Raden) of the provinces of Holland and West Friesland (for Rotterdam). He was a partisan of the Orange, who had lost their governorship under the government of Johan de Witt . In 1666 he lost his post in the Council of Holland because he was using a pamphlet to defend his brother-in-law Admiral Cornelis Tromp regarding his behavior in the naval battle on St. Jacob's Day . Soon after, his involvement in the Buat conspiracy became apparent. He was able to flee to England, but was sentenced to death in absentia. In England he was favored by King Charles II and became a baron. He dealt with the planning of brickworks and the drainage of the swamps at Newmarket. When Wilhelm III. He returned to power in the Netherlands in 1672 and took part in the conspiracy to murder Johan de Witt and Cornelis de Witt , as did his brother-in-law Cornelis Tromp. Kievit became a member of the Vroedschap and pensioner of the city of Rotterdam and soon afterwards a tax lawyer of the Admiralty in Rotterdam with oversight of the customs revenue. In 1678 he bought a house in which he set up a casino. As he was accused of enriching the customs revenue, he was arrested in 1686 and banished in 1689. His daughter Debora, who was married to the Governor General of the East India Company in Batavia Cornelis Speelman , buys him free from the judgment with 20,000 guilders so that he could spend his old age in Rotterdam. His widow had to turn to the state for support in 1695.

Web links

• Biographical Portaal van Nederland