Cornelis Chastelein

Cornelis Chastelein (10 August 1657 – 28 June 1714) was born of a notable merchant family. He was the youngest member of a family of eight children. His father, Anthony Chastelein, arrived to the Netherlands from France as a huguenot, and a member of the Dutch East India Company. His mother, Maria Cruydenier, was the daughter of the mayor of Dordrecht who served for the Dutch West India Company.

On 24 January 1675, 17-years-old Cornelis Chastelein boarded the Ship's ’t Huis te Cleeff and arrived at Batavia on 16 August 1675. In Batavia, Chastelein worked as an accountant in service of the company.

Weltevreden In 1704, Chastelein bought another land which later he named Weltevreden. In this new estate he established the first experimental coffee plantation in the Indies, as well as the first Indies zoo. In the estate of Depok he created a pepper plantation. It can not be a coincidence that Chastelein had let this family work in Depok, slave families like Laurens and Loen from Ambon. During the period he wrote a dissertation in which he established an ethical manifestation against the Dutch East India Company's merchant politics, especially toward Governor General Willem van Outhoorn, who was in favor of aggressive trade policy.