The van Cuyck family in Culemborg
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(I) Jan sr. van Cuyck
The small town of Culemborg is situated along the river Lek, on the border between the counties of Holland and Gelre. From the early 14th century onwards it developed as a trading town with a much-visited weekly market and three annual trade fairs. The castle of the lord of Culemborg was situated just outside the city walls. When Jan sr. van Cuyck arrived in Culemborg – in 1424 or just before that – the great fire of 1422 had destroyed the town. Most of the wooden houses burnt down and the fire also destroyed the church and the guesthouse. While the rebuilding was still going on, the town got caught in a conflict about the Utrecht episcopal sea. Two candidates fought for the honor: Rudolf of Diepholt and Zweder of Culemborg, brother of Jan II, lord of Culemborg. Jan of Buren supported Rudolf and attacked the town with a small army. But the inhabitants of Culemborg fiercely resisted the attack. The unfortunate Jan of Buren tried to get away, but he was caught by some women, braught to the fishmarket and chopped into pieces… The town was saved and to remember this glorious day the inhabitants organized an annual procession in which the Holy Sacrament was carried through the streets and alms were given to the poor. Jan’s first appearance in the Culemborg sources is in 1424 as gasthuismeester or administrator of the Sint-Petersgasthuis (guesthouse or hospital) of Culemborg (For all archival and other references, see: H. van Cuyck & V. Lambert, ‘De ene Cuyck is de andere niet. De familie van Cuyck in Culemborg en hun verwantschap tot de heren van Cuijk’, academia.edu). We find him again in that same function in 1427. The Sint-Petersgasthuis was a small guesthouse or hospital that sheltered poor and sick citizens and passers-by. The original early 14th century building was completely destroyed in the great fire of Culemborg in 1422; the restoration was finished in 1480. Jan van Cuyck sr. was responsible for the administration and presented the annual account of the hospital in the presence of the city council and the Lord of Culemborg. He probably owed his appointment to the city council and to the lord of Culemborg. In any case: this position was reserved for members of distinguished families. In 1439 Jan sr. was kerkmeester (churchmaster) of the Church of Saint-Barbara in Culemborg. The churchmaster controlled all the possessions and goods of the church. The Church of Saint-Barbara possessed a relic of the Holy Cross and every first Friday of the month a special mass was celebrated at the end of which the people could bring their gifts to the churchmaster. The gifts were divided between the churchmaster and the canons. On some occasions it was the churchmaster who had to lay the relic on the head of the believers. Jan van Cuyck sr. developed a successful political carreer in Culemborg and built up considerable possessions. He became mayor of the town in 1427-1429, 1432-1433, 1436-1438 and 1450-1452; in 1439 and 1445 he was alderman. In 1436 Jan van Cuyck delivered reye to the town, probably as a rent for a piece of land or a farm. He rented a large house on the market place to do business in and he built a house in the new part of town. He received money for participating in different missions. Jan sr. and his wife (we don’t know her name) had a son called Jan (jr) (II). We get a little bit of information about Jan’s wife from the agreement (1440) between Jan sr. and the count of Culemborg concerning the marriage between Jan jr. and Johanna, illegitimate daughter of the count of Culemborg. It is clear that the mother of Jan jr. is already dead at that time and that he has inherited some lands from her. Part of these lands belonged to Wouter van Overrijn. All of Wouter’s possessions were confiscated in 1400 and sold to the Arkel family. It is thus likely that Jan sr. was married to a girl from the Arkel family, maybe to Hennekyn, illegitimate daughter of Jan V of Arkel? Jan sr. died between 11 November 1451 and 15 July 1455. (II) Jan jr. van Cuyck Jan jr. van Cuyck was born in Culemborg ca. 1410. In the sources he is sometimes called “Jan Jansz.” (Jan son of Jan or Jan Janson). Like his father he became alderman (in 1443, 1445, 1446, 1447, 1449, 1451, 1454, 1455, 1456, 1458, 1461, 1462, 1464, 1465, 1469, 1472, 1474-1477, 1480, 1481, 1484) and mayor (in 1450-1452, 1456-1460, 1464-1465) of Culemborg (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 1543, 1306, 1714, 1758, 1674, 1472, 1475, 1510, 1442, 1443, 1238, 1246, 1271, 1181a, 1188, 1039, 2029, 2030, 2031, 2037, 2051. Also GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 872, 1290, 1118a, 1230, 1760a, 2051, 2075, 2094. RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg, Reg. 99, 107, 118, 123, 126, 129, 136, 142, 147, 151, 157, 158, 163, 168, 183, 198-199, 204-209, 214). Jan jr. first married Christina van der Weijde; they had no children (HUA, 26 Familie Des Tombe, inv. 336). On 7 December 1440 a marriage was arranged between Jan jr. and Johanna, illegitimate daughter of Gerard, later Gerard II, lord of Culemborg, and illegitimate granddaughter of Jan II of Culemborg (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 1117a, inv. 1787, f° 67v°-68r°). Jan sr. had a good relationship with Jan II, lord of Culemborg from 1422 to 1452. They were on the same side in the war between the co-called Hoeken and Kabeljauwen. Being a descendant of the lords of Cuijk, Jan jr. was a good match for Johanna. The good relationship between the families continued and in 1449 Jan jr. became the rentmeester or receiver of Jan II (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, inv. 3465-3467, 3477-3478). This was an important position at the court of Culemborg: Jan jr. was responsible for the lord’s finances and possessions. In order to obtain this job, one had to have a good reputation. He remained in that position until 1463. Jan jr. also was a vassal of the lord of Culemborg for different parts of land (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). He also represented the guesthouse of Culemborg in 1468 (RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg, Reg. 130). Jan jr. died in 1483; his widow, Johanna of Culemborg, died in 1497 (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). Jan and Johanna had 5 sons and 2 daughters (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 2493, 2421). - Jan jr. jr. (III) - Sweder (Zweder). Sweder is mentioned in 1487, 1491 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 2493, 2421). He is mentioned as a vassal of the Count of Culemborg in 1496, 1497 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). In 1503 he obtained a house in den Papenhoeck (part of the Ridderstraat) in Culemborg (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 2784; HUA, 85-2 Laurensabdij van Oostbroek te De Bilt, fol. 159r). He married N. Spals in Amersfoort (HUA, 26 Familie Des Tombe, inv. 336). They had a son Lambert van Cuyck, who married Aleid van Erp (before 1518). Lambert died in 1551. Lambert van Cuyck and Aleid van Erp had a daughter Johanna van Cuyck, who married Johan van Hardenbroek in 1545 (HUA, Familie van Hardenbroek). Johan van Hardenbroek and Johanna van Cuyck had two sons: Gijsbert and Lambert van Hardenbroek; and a daughter Maria, who was a nun in the Cistercian abbey of Sint-Servaas in Utrecht (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg; Jaarboek van het Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, 1965, p. 190; Leenhoven van de heren van Vianen, ‘Ons Voorgeslacht’, jrg. 40-43 (1985-1988) (Hardenbroek); HUA, 26 Familie Des Tombe, inv. 336). Sweder van Cuyck died in 1518. - Goessen was Alderman of Culemborg in 1485-1486, 1488, 1496, 1498, 1500, 1502-1503 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, 2740, 2743, 2745, 2768, 2773, 2675, 2676, 2677, 2731, 2631, 2644, 2443, 2381, 2400. RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg, Reg. 246, 252, 274). He was mayor of Culemborg in 1495-1503 (RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg, 242-248). He married (before 1486) Liesbeth (Liisbeth) van Doyenberch (Elisabeth van Doyenburg). She was the daughter of Herman van Doyenberch (alderman of Culemborg) and Alit Willem Geritsdr. She had two brothes: Jan and Peter van Doyenberch (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, inv. 8010; leenhof Culemborg). Goessen and Liesbeth had a daughter Cornelia and a son Herman (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). Cornelia: married Otto van Beesd (+ before 1529), had a daughter called Adriana, who married Rudolf van Hekeren and had a son called Evert. Herman (Harman) (+1535): alderman of Culemborg in 1529, 1530, 1532, 1533 (RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg, Reg. 372, 373, 387, 393), had a son: Gozewijn. Goessen also had a bastard son, named Jan van Cuyck: Onmondig (minor) in 1505, armlastig (needs financial support) in 1529 (RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg; HUA, 26 Familie Des Tombe, inv. 336). Goessen van Cuyck died in 1505 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). His widow Elisabeth died in 1531 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). - Giisbert (or Hubert) is mentioned in 1487, 1491 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 2493, 2421). He had no children (HUA, 26 Familie Des Tombe, inv. 336). For his studies in Rostock: see under Anthonis. - Anthonis (Anton) is mentioned in 1487, 1491, 1496, 1512 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 2493, 2421). He studied philology at the University of Rostock. He registered there on 7 June 1479 together with his brother Hubertus (Hofmeister, I, p. 213). Antonius obtained the degree of baccalaureus in the summer of 1481 (Hofmeister, I, p. 224), Hubertus in the winter of 1480 (Hofmeister, I, p. 221). Anthonius and Hubertus both obtained the degree of Magister in the winter of 1482 (Hofmeister, I, p. 231). They studied at the faculty of the Arts, one of the four traditional divisions of the teaching bodies of medieval universities, the others being Theology, Law and Medicine. The Faculty of Arts was the lowest in rank, but also the largest as students had to graduate there to be admitted to one of the higher faculties. Anthonius and Hubertus van Cuyck did not continue their education in one of the other faculties at the University of Rostock. Maybe they switched to a different university, although it is very plausible that they stopped studying after obtaining the degree of Magister. Anthonis married Aleid before 1496. Before 1526 their son Jan was born. Jan married Elisabeth and they also had a son named Jan, mentioned in 1553 and 1583 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). According to Voet van Oudheusden, Anthonis van Cuyck was drossaard of Culemborg and Hoogstraten. Anthonis died in 1526 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof). - Christina married Gevert van Merten (Goert van Meersen) (before 1491). (HUA, 26 Familie Des Tombe, inv. 336). - Aleid (Aliid) married Willem Zuermont (Suermont, Suijrmont), mayor of Culemborg (before 1491). The copple had 3 sons (Jan, Gerard, Willem) and 3 daughters (Johanna, Margaretha, Oda) (HUA, Lenen van de Proosdij van Oudmunster; GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 2493, 2421. HUA, 26 Familie Des Tombe, inv. 336. HUA, 85-2 Laurensabdij van Oostbroek te De Bilt, fol. 158 – 159). (III) Jan jr. jr. van Cuyck Jan jr. jr. was born in Culemborg in or around 1445. In the sources he is sometimes called Jan de Jonge (Jan the Younger). Jan was the son of Jan jr. (II) and Johanna, illegitimate daughter of Gerard van Culemborg (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 2421). He became alderman of Culemborg in 1487, 1488, 1491, 1492, 1493 (RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg, Reg. 218, 235, 236. GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 2493, 2421, 2525, 2529, 2434, 2438, 2251, 2272, 2029). He was mayor of Culemborg in 1493-1495 (RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg, 240-241). He is also mentioned in documents in 1497, 1506, 1510 and 1512 (GA, 0370, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 2615a; HUA, 85-2 Laurensabdij van Oostbroek te De Bilt). He held land from the lord of Culemborg in 1496 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). He is mentioned as a vassal of Walraven, lord of Brederode in 1497 (GA, 0370, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 217. See also: HUA, 85-2 Laurensabdij van Oostbroek te De Bilt, fol. 158-159.) In 1510 Jan was quarrelling with Evert Loeffszn., about a rente (annuity) on a land in Malsen (GA, 0370, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. S89). Jan had bought een camp lants gelegen op malsen in flemynxhoeff from Loeff lambertsz. and his wife Geertruyt, parents of Evert Loeffszn. Evert rented the land, but did not pay the annuity. We don’t know the name of his wife. Jan jr. jr. had a daughter and three sons: - Jan (IV.1) married Aleydis van Jutphaes van Blockhoven. See chapter: The van Cuyck family in Utrecht (in preparation). - Anthonis (IV.2) married Gauborch Pijll (Pyll), daughter of Bruno Pijll, alderman of Utrecht. See chapter: The van Cuyck family in Utrecht (in preparation). - Hendrik (IV.3) was Alderman of Culemborg in 1514-1517, 1522, 1524, 1526-1528, 1530, 1530, 1532-1534, 1540-1543 (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, Reg. 317, 319-321, 324, 326, 348, 354, 359, 361, 364, 369, 376, 384, 389, 390, 391, 393, 394, 400, 422-423, 430-431, 434, 436-439, 454, 457-458, 465, S116). From 1517 to 1539 he was mayor of Culemborg (RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg, 262-273 (city accounts 1517-1539). From 1529 to 1539 he was kerkmeester of the Sint-Janskerk (lay representative of the church of Saint-John) (RAR, Oud Archief Culemborg, 694-703). In 1507 Hendrik and his brother Jan filed a claim for compensation because of the fact that they had been held by lord Gherrit van Poelgest, knight (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, inv. 213.2). The trial was held before the court of Holland. In the documents Jan van Cuyck and Hendrik van Cuyck are called poorters van Culemborg. Hendrik was married to Anthonia Melisdr. They had at least two sons: Jan (V.3.A) and Harman (V.3.B). - Stijn is mentioned in 1509; at that time she was married to Hugo Janszn. (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). (V.3.A) Jan Hendriksz. van Cuyck Jan Hendriksz. van Cuyck was born in Culemborg. He was the son of Hendrik van Cuyck (IV.3). Jan Hendriksz. is mentioned in 1556 and 1558 as a vassal of the lord of Culemborg (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg) and in 1558 as a vassal of the lord of Acquoy (Geldermalsen) (Den Haag, Nationaal Archief, De Archieven van de Nassause Domeinraad, Inv. nr. 7974a oud (5793 nieuw). Leenboek en –register van Acquoy, 1490-1604. See also: ‘Ons Voorgeslacht’, 1968, p. 201-208 en 219-226). From 1545 tot 1552 he was Receiver general of Elisabeth van Culemborg, lady of Hoogstraten and Culemborg (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, inv. 1798-1805). Jan was her rentmeester from 1547 to 1555 (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, inv. 1506-1517). Elisabeth van Culemborg (° 1475) was the daughter of Jaspar, Count of Culemborg, Borsele, Weerden and Hoogstraten, and Johanna, daughter of Anthony, bastard of Burgundy (who was a natural son of Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy; he was legitimized in 1485). Elisabeth married Johan van Luxemburg in 1501. The marriage remained childless. After his death in 1508, she married Anthoine de Lalaing (+ 1540). They had no children, so the inheritance of Elisabeth and Anthoine was divided between Philippe de Lalaing and Erard van Pallant. Erard was the oldest son of Jan van Pallandt and Anna van Culemborg (Sister of Elisabeth). After Erard’s death in 1540, his son Floris became Elisabeth’s heir. Elisabeth died on 9 December 1555. Shortly after her death, the building of a new chapel in the church started. She had asked her rentmeester Jan van Cuyck, to promise her that he would see to it that the chapel was built. The building cost was 650 gulden. The ornaments costed 100 gulden. Jan Deys was asked to paint an altarpiece (about the painting of this altarpiece, the payment and the role of Jan Hendriksz. in this, see the article of L.M. Helmus). Elisabeth left a lot of money for the poor and mainly for the poor children. Two orphanages were founded: one in Culemborg (for 48 children) and one in Hoogstraten (for 12 children). Jan Deys made a beautiful altarpiece for the chapel of the orphanage in Culemborg, depicting Elisabeth and her two husbands. Jan Hendriksz. van Cuyck took care of the accounts regarding her inheritance (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, inv. 251-252). After Elisabeth died (1555), Jan van Cuyck became the rentmeester of Floris II of Culemborg (until 1576) (GA, 0370 Heren en graven van Culemborg, inv. 2268-2271, 3557-3569). The new lord of Culemborg had strong protestant sympathies (for more details about this period, see the chapter about Henricus Cuyckius). In April 1578 Floris forced the members of his staff to attend the protestant service in the castle on Sundays. This means that the citizens were free to choose, but the members of the count’s household were not. It is clear that Jan Hendriksz. Van Cuyck refused to participate or at least openly protested against this rule. He either decided to quit his job or was forced to leave. His possessions were confiscated. On 27 July 1578 the new rentmeester was already active. It is Dirck van Hattem, who participated in the iconoclastic fury in Culemborg in 1566. Jan Hendriksz. van Cuyck died in 1582 (HUA, Lenen van de Proosdij van Oudmunster). He was married to Hillegont (Hilligen) van Zelck (Sellich), daughter of David, before 1553 (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg; Leenboek Acquoy, Ons Voorgeslacht’, jrg. 23 (1968)). Their children were: - Wouter (born before 1553). - Cornelis (VI.3.A.1) - Jan is mentioned for the first time in 1580, as a vassal of the count of Culemborg (GA, Heren en graven van Culemborg, Leenhof Culemborg). From 1582 to 1611 he was the representative of the orphanage of Culemborg (HUA, Lenen van de Proosdij van Oudmunster). In 1597 he appears as a witness in the trial between the inheritants of Jan Hendriksz. van Cuyck against Floris I van Pallandt, count of Culemborg (GA, 0370, Heren en graven van Culemborg, inv. nr. 3964). Jan married Henrica Gerardi Krommen (+ 1617). They had eight children (HUA, 26 Familie Des Tombe, inv. 336): Gerrit, Jan, Anthonis, Lenart, Franc, Anna, Agnes, Maria, who married Peter Petersz. van Zanen in Utrecht on 20 July 1610 (HUA, DTB registers, inv. 85, fol. 131 v°). He died in 1611 (HUA, Lenen van de Proosdij van Oudmunster). - Hendrik, Bishop of Roermond. See article Henricus Cuyckius. - Anthoenis was born around 1530. From 1571 to 1573 he was responsible for the administration of the fiefs of the count of Culemborg (griffier van de leenen van het graafschap Culemborg: Gelders Archief, 0012 Gelderse Rekenkamer, inv. 7132). He died in 1573. - Alardus registered at the University of Leuven in 1563, together with his brothers Cornelius and Hendrik. - Alijdt married Mathijs Benninck. He was the secretary of Den Haag. He died before 1612. On 21 May 1580 Mathijs sold the house of his wife in de Jan Hendriksstraat in Den Haag (Den Haag, Gemeentearchief, Transportakten, 573: 1580, fol. 238v°). In 1612 she bought the house back. At that time Jacob van Mierop, griffier van de Rekenkamer (clerk of the court of auditors) of Holland was living in the house. Alijdt bought it from Johanna van Voorn, daughter of Johan Splinter van Voorn (Den Haag, Gemeentearchief, Register van Hypotheken, V, nr. 1260 (Rechterlijk Archief, 531, fol. 27-28). 1612). About a year later, she sold her house in West-Eynde, south of the Heerstraat (Den Haag, Gemeentearchief, Transportakten, 691: 1610, fol. 66). (V.3.B) Harman van Cuyck Harman van Cuyck (+ 1535) was born in Culemborg. He was the son of Hendrik van Cuyck (IV.3). He married Janna de Waal, daughter of Willem de Waal van Vronesetein, alderman and schout of Utrecht, and Heylwich van der Borch (Den Haag, Nationaal Archief, Archief van de familie Heereman van Zuydtwyck, nr. Toegang 3.20.23, inv. 637; HUA, 1321 Huis te Voorn te De Meern, inv. 5-6). Harman and Janna had a daughter Heilwig (HUA, Lenen van de Proosdij van Oudmunster). Harman became rentmeester of Beverweerd in 1514 (HUA, 69 Huis Beverweerd te Werkhoven, inv. 10). Abbreviations HUA Het Utrechts Archief (Utrecht) RAR Regionaal Archief Rivierenland (Tiel) GA Gelders Archief (Arnhem) Bibliography
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