Catharina Hooft

Catharina Hooft Pietersdr ( born December 28, 1618 Amsterdam, † September 30, 1691 at Castle Ilpenstein ) Vrouwe the High glory of Purmerland and Ilpendam, was a personality from the Golden Age of the Netherlands.

Life

Catharina Hooft was born into the aristocratic patrician family of Hooft. She was the daughter of Pieter Jansz Hooft, this was the brother of the Amsterdam regents Cornelis Hooft and the uncle of Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, important writer. She was also, Frans Banning Cocq related to, the master Rembrandt van Rijn's painting of The Night Watch, as well as with Volkert Overlander, the builder of Ilpenstein.

At the age of 17 years Catharina Hooft married the 19 -year-older widower Cornelis de Graeff. To Catharina's transformation into one of the first ladies in the land took place at the side of this great man. The couple had two sons, Pieter and Jacob de Graeff. The two young De Graeff played in the summers in Graeffschen country house Paleis Soestdijk with the young princes William III. of Orange- Nassau, the latter King - governor of England and the Netherlands. In the municipality of Baarn, not far from the property located away on Zoestdijk, the Regent family Bicker inhabited their country houses De Eult and Hooge Vuursche, this family was closely related to Catharina, as Niederlands great statesman Johan de Witt, who was her biological nephew.

In 1664 her husband died Cornelis. Shortly after his death, Jacob wanted to Anna Christina Pauw van Bennebroek, the only daughter of the President of the Court of Holland, Adriaen Pauw, marry. But Catharina Hooft family Pauw not at all liked them did everything to prevent this marriage. Even the help of Johan de Witt took her claim to her son by this connection to make them give. With success in 1666 Jacob married with Maria van der Does, the daughter of the Hague regent.

As broke the political system of the brothers Johan and Cornelis de Witt on the internal and external enemies of the republic in Rampjaar 1672 Catharina did everything in her two sons to the new governor William III. einzuschwören of Orange- Nassau.

In 1674 Soestdijk was sold to the Orange prince, her son Jacob later moved as an officer in the Battle of Bonn against the German princes.

Miscellaneous

Catharina Hooft was already portrayed a young age, at the age of three she was together with her ​​nurse painted by Frans Hals. This painting remained until the year 1870 in the possession of the De Graeff family palace Ilpenstein. Likewise, Catharina Hooft was sitting with her husband in a carriage, painted upon their arrival in Soestdijk by Jacob van Ruisdael and Thomas de Keyser.

In 1678 Catharina inherited from Frans Banning Cocqs widow Maria Overlander the north of Amsterdam located reign of Purmerland and Ilpendam. In 1691 Catharina Hooft died on her retirement home Ilpenstein.