Willem Godschalck van Focquenbroch

Willem van Godschalck Focquenbroch (* probably in April 1630 in Amsterdam, † possibly July 14, 1670 in Elmina ) was a Dutch poet and playwright. He is regarded as the main representative of burlesque of the 17th century of his motherland. From his countrymen, where he is popular to this day, it is colloquially called de Focq as it also did Focquenbroch themselves in their own letters.

Life

Focquenbroch was baptized on April 26, 1640 in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, his exact birth date is unknown. His parents were the then 42 -year-old Pouwels ( Paul) van Focquenbroch and his 10 years younger wife Catrina Sweers. The father seems to have been an alternately successful merchant and trader. So he bought the house in 1644 De Zilveren Doornenkroon on the Amsterdam Anthonisbreestraat at a price of 9,800 guilders. He probably came later into financial problems because he sold the house a little later for 10,750 guilders again. The mother Catrina Sweers came from an Antwerp Zimmermann family. Their first two children, Hanneke and Paul junior, both died within their first two years of life. After Willem four children was born, brother James and three girls.

Probably the brothers attended the Latin School of Jacobus Heyblock, who belonged to the family. Focquenbroch wrote any case, a poem about Heyblock: Aen Mijn Heer Jacob Heyblock. Later studied at the Athenaeum Illustre Amsterdam Focquenbroch medicine, but could not do a doctorate in Amsterdam, so he enrolled on March 29, 1662 at Utrecht University, where he received his doctorate not four months later with his work De lue venerea about STDs.

Little is known about his life at that time and his circle of friends. Probably he has devoted some of his former poems student friends like John van Bersingen, Johannes van Royen or Aernout van Overbeke. It is certain that John Ulaeus was one of his best friends and he maintained friendly contacts with Johannes van den Bergh. He devoted Various poems Maria van Sypesteyn, with whom he maintained a possibly romantic relationship. He was also in correspondence with Constantijn Huygens, with whom he joined but probably no further relationship.

It is known that Focquenbroch from 1668, scored two years after the death of his father, own income as a physician, but not sufficient for a satisfactory life. In order to earn better to Focqenbroch applied in the same year in the WIC (West India Company ) and was sent as a kind of customs officer to the Gold Coast of Ghana, where he claimed the Portuguese fort of São Jorge da Mina at Elmina, which the Dutch in 1637 had conquered many failed previous attempts, his job and much higher salaries than previously achieved. Its main task was to lorredraaiers, vessels operated without official authorization trade, raise and condemn the holder. He was also responsible for maintaining the general order under the WIC staff at the Fort. Focquenbroch now called itself ' de tweede persoon van een small koninkrijk " ( deputy ruler of a small kingdom ), but he stood in rank just behind the governor.

John Ulaeus received several letters from Focquenbroch from Elmina. The first letter had a cheerful tone, but that quickly changed. Already in his second letter, he wrote:

" De Focq " felt very lonely, and as yet dies his mitgereister nephew Philip van Heeden, he feels at the end. Likely he died shortly afterwards one of the many epidemics that in Elmina overtook the occupiers at the time. His exact date of death is not known, but it must be 1670-1673. In papers of the WIC there are vague hints that there had been around 14 July 1670, the official document confirming this has been lost. It is known, however, that after 1670 the function of the tax officials had been vacant in Elmina.

Works

  • De verwarde jalousy, Blyspel. Amsterdam: Jacob Lescaille, 1663rd
  • Klucht van de weyery. Amsterdam: Jacob Vinckel, 1665th
  • Klucht Hans van Keyenvresser. Amsterdam: Jacob Vinckel, 1665th
  • Thalia, of geurige sanggoddin. Amsterdam: Johannes van den Bergh, 1665th
  • Een Hollandse vuystslagh, op een Brabandsche koon. Z.pl..
  • Verdubbelt zegensangh, the muses negen. Amsterdam: Johannes van den Bergh, 1666.
  • De herder van Virgilius Maro sang. Amsterdam: Johannes van den Bergh, 1666.
  • Thalia, of geurige zanggoddin, tweede deel. Amsterdam: Johannes van den Bergh, 1668 / 1669th
  • Min in't lazarushuys, Blyspel. Amsterdam: Jacob Vinckel, 1674th
  • Afrikaense Thalia, of het derde deel van de geurige zanggodin. Amsterdam: Jan ten Hoorn, 1678th
Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam Sexually transmitted disease Integrated Authority File
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