History of the Van Citters Family
The Dutch East- & West-India Companies Van Citters and Dutch history
Aernout van Citters
was ambassador in London at the time that William III of Orange
accepted the English throne in 1689 and became king of England.
Aernout was one of the four ambassadors of the Dutch Republic at the time.
The ambassador for England came traditionally from Zeeland as this
province had important affairs to be protected in England.
It should be noted that the ambassador in his position
protected the affairs of the Republic rather then of the Royal family.
Therefore two extra-ordinary envoys were appointed, van Bentinck
to represent the Stadholderand Coenraad van Beuningen to safeguard
the rights of the city of Amsterdam. His son Willem
I van Citters
was representative for Zeeland in 1747. Since the death of
William III in 1702 the seven provinces were not governed by one Stadholder as William and
Mary had not left any successor. This position suited the provinces of Holland and Zeeland,
dominated by their 'regent' families, very well as they had the power without any formal head
of state. The other provinces governed by nobility favoured the Stadholder for the provinces
Friesland Groningen, Drente and Gelderland, William Casimir of Orange Nassau, a far
relative of William III.
In 1747 the more traditional (royalist) provinces wanted to put Willem Casimir a remote
relative of William III the head of the province of Friesland in the position of Stadholder.
Normally the voting power of Holland and Zeeland would have blocked the proposal of the
remaining five provinces. However Willem I van Citters was the opinion that the Netherlands
would benefit from a more centralised power and put his influence to work in Zeeland so that
Zeeland voted in favour to establish Willem Casimir as Stadholder, William IV.
Origin Family Name
15th, 16th and 17th century
18th century
19th century
The Overseas Companies
Aernout van Citters
Willem I van Citters
Willem II van Citters
Branches
Origin Family Name
The family tree commences with Cornelis van Ceters (~1425), who owned a
house at the "Haeghdyk" in the town of Breda. The hamlet "Ceters" -
presently written "Seters"- is situated five miles east of Breda in the
province of Noord-Brabant. The Ceters Hamlet evidently derives its name
from Cedar trees in the nearby woods.
It is not clear why Aernout van Citters(1633-1696) commenced writing his name differently from his father Aarnout van Ceters(portret), Lord of Gapinge
(1561-1634) and from his half-sister Martrijntje (portret) and half-brothers who continued to use the original van Ceters name.
The family Arms resembles the Coat of Arms of the (extinct) family van Daelhem (from the House of van Arckel) Lords of seignory Dongen which
included the hamlet of Ceters. So it is not certain whether the van Ceters
family descent from a junger van Daalhem-son or from a bastard.
15th, 16th and 17th century
From 1425, the van Ceters family lived for some generations in the town of
Breda, where Cornelis Jacobzoon van Ceters was a mayor in 1522.
His son Cornelis Corneliszoon van Ceters, became poorter (a citizen)
of the city of Antwerp in 1549, which was the most important city in Europe,
north of Paris and the centre of the textile trade at the time.
He made a fortune trading in textiles.
Because of the troubles (between Catholics and Protestants) in Antwerp,
part of the family moved to Middelburg in 1589.
Other members of the family are believed to be living in Belgium under
the name Van Seters.
The family acquired property and the seignory of Gapinge in 1610 in Zeeland.
Because of marriage into the ruling families of Zeeland,
the family gained influence and wealth during the seventeenth century.
The Van Citters family soon became one of the most important families
in Zeeland; Zeeland was second in importance to the province of
Holland in the Dutch Republic till 1795.
18th century
In the
18th century
Caspar van Citters (portret) and his brother Willem I van Citters were
able to improve their position being relatives to the two rivalling fractions,
so that they became the principle family in Middelburg.
In the middle of the century they were principal shareholders of both the
Dutch East Indian Company(VOC), (the first listed multi-national
company in the world) and the West Indian Company (WIC). Several members were
directors of the board (Heeren XVII) of the VOC.
During the eighteenth century the family had been able to maintain and
extend their position in Zeeland, as six or seven family members dominated
several of the most important institutions in the province.
.In 1767 Willem II van Citters declined the position of "first
representative of the nobility of Zeeland" as he had conflicting
interests with the Stadholder. He was able to place his
favourites like Van Borssele in this position and was able to
influence state affairs through Van der Spiegel, Grand Pensionary of
Holland and West-Friesland, who has been his protegee since (orphan)boyhood
.
The Overseas Companies
In the middle of the century they were principal
shareholders of both the Dutch East India Company(VOC),
(the first listed multi-national company in the world) and
of the West India Company (WIC). Several family members were directors
of the board (Heeren XVII) of the VOC. In the management of the Dutch West India
Company (WIC 1640-1740 ) however, there has been no involvement at all.
During four years after the foundation of the Middelburgse Commercie
Compagnie (MCC 1720-1755) the Middelburgh Mayor Willem I van Citters
was in the chair of that company.
In those four years there has been no trading in the Caribean.
.19th century
In the 19th century the family lost its power as the Netherlands lost temporarily its
overseas empire and the two Dutch trading companies the Dutch East Indian Company (VOC)
and the West Indian Company (WIC) had gone bankrupt.
Pieter Damas van Citters was refused the position of Governor of Zeeland in 1848, the first
representative was replaced by the function of governor in the new statutes of The
Netherlands, as the family to much aristocratic influence in the province.
During the eighteenth century three members of the van Citters family have
had an influence on the Dutch history:
Aernout van Citters
Willem I van Citters
Willem II van Citters
In 1787 the Netherlands like many other European countries were in turmoil. The country was
split in the republicans in several provinces, like Holland and a significant part of Zeeland and
the royalist eastern part of the Netherlands where the Dutch nobility had their influence.
Willem II van Citters, son of Willem I van Citters and secretary of the Stadholder , and his
nephew Willem Aernout van Citters, grandson of Willem I van Citters and mayor of
Middelburg, used their influence (and English money) to convince the other representatives
for Zeeland to vote in favour of William V of Orange-Nassau.
As the other provinces were divided the votes of Zeeland made sure that The Netherlands is
up to this moment a kingdom.
.
Branches
The family has three main branches (with the respective sons of the ambassador: Aernout
(raised to nobility 1815), Casper (raised to nobility 1817) ,Willem I) of which the oldest two (Aernout, Casper)
have died out in the male line.
The youngest branch can be divided in the Walcheren (raised to nobility in 1828) (after the former
island Walcheren with capital Middelburg) stake of which most of the family members are
still living in the Netherlands. Of the 'Zuid-Beveland" (after the former island Zuid Beveland
with capital Goes) stake (raised to nobility 1872) all family members in the male line have moved to
the United States. The last female member (Sofie) died in 1958.