Diederik Jansz. Graeff - Family de Graeff

Family De Graeff

During the Dutch Golden Age, the De Graeff family were very critical of the Orange family’s influence in the Netherlands. Together with the Republican-minded family Bicker, the De Graeffs strived for the abolition of stadtholdership. They desired the full sovereignty of the individual regions in which the Republic of the United Seven Netherlands were not ruled by a single person. Instead of a sovereign (or stadtholder) the political and military power was lodged with the States General and with the regents of the cities in Holland. Diederik Jansz.

Graeffs parents were Jan Pietersz Graeff, a rich cloth merchant and advisor of Amsterdam, and Stein Braseman. His older brother was Lenaert Jansz de Graeff, perhaps ident with "Monseigneur de Graeff", a captain of the Sea Beggars in the Capture of Brielle. Diederik was married to Agnies Pietresdr van Neck. Among their children were:

• Weyntje Dircksz (de) Graeff - married to Jacob Boelens Loen
• Jan Dirksz Graeff (?-1627) lived and died at his Landhouse Vredenhof near Voorschoten;
• Jacob Dircksz de Graeff (1570–1638) - Regent of Amsterdam, Lord of the semisouveain Lordship Zuid-Polsbroek etc.
• Pieter Dircksz Graeff (1573–1645) - since 1620 Lord of Engelenburg, near Brummen and advisor of the city of Amsterdam. Pieter drives in 1613 to Palestina and visited the Holy Grave in Jerusalem. He lives at the Fluweelenburgwal at Amsterdam.
• Cornelis Dircksz Graeff - schepen van Dorp; married with N. N. Vercroft (van Crocht)