Allart Pieter van Jongestall

Allart Pieter van Jongestall, also spelled Allard Pieter van Jongestal (12 August 1612 in Stavoren – 9 November 1676 in Hallum) was a Dutch jurist and diplomat. He was president of the Hof van Friesland (High Court of the province of Friesland) and represented the States-General of the Dutch Republic in the negotiations of the Treaty of Westminster and the Treaty of Breda (1667) which ended the first two Anglo-Dutch Wars.

Life Jongestall was born Pieter van Jongestall, the son of Wijbrand van Jongestall (a schepen, or burgemeester of his native Stavoren, and a member of the Admiralty board of Friesland ). His mother's maiden name was Viersen. He studied Roman-Dutch law and Literature at the University of Franeker between 1631 and 1634. In 1634 he first studied at the University of Leiden and later obtained a Doctor Juris-degree in France. and his son Gellius Wybrandus, Grietman of Hemelumer Oldephaert. The family lived on the Ondersma State (also called Jongestall State ) near Hallum. When his adoptive father resigned his seat in the Court, Jongestall succeeded him in November 1637. He was appointed president-councilor of the Court on 20 March 1655 and remained in this office until his death in 1676.

In 1644 he represented the States of Friesland in the States-General and in 1651 at the Grote Vergadering (constitutional convention) in The Hague, which introduced the First Stadtholderless Period in the history of the Republic.

Jongestall was kept out of the secret negotiations between Cromwell and Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt about the Act of Seclusion. He was therefore not aware of the secret annexe to the Treaty of Westminster (1654) which resulted therefrom. This may have convinced him to resign his embassy later in 1654, when the secret became public knowledge and a scandal ensued. knighted him, for diplomatic services rendered in the course of Anglo-French attempts to arrive at closer ties, that would eventually result in the Anglo-French alliance of 1655 and the Anglo-Spanish War (1654–60).

After the Second Anglo-Dutch War, which the Republic fought with the successor state of the Commonwealth, Jongestall was again selected to be one of the peace commissioners to negotiate with king Charles II of England. These negotiations resulted in the Treaty of Breda (1667). After this diplomatic mission he was apparently not used for later missions. wrote an allocutio funebris:

Coat of arms Argent, tree Vert with fleurs de lis Or, in dexter base a hound Gules its dexter forepaw resting on the tree, and in sinister base a hart Gules its sinister forepaw also resting on the tree.

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