Dirk de Graeff

Dirk de Graeff (Amsterdam, February 1, 1601 - April 26, 1637 ibid) was a Dutch 17th-century regent who belonged to the States Party.

Biography Dirk was a scion of the De Graeff family and son of Amsterdam regent and burgomaster Jacob Dircksz de Graeff and Aeltje Boelens Loen (1579-1630), daughter of Cornelis Andriesz Boelens Loen. His godparents were Pieter Dircksz Graeff and Weyntje Dircksz (de) Graeff, both siblings of his father. He grew up in the house De Keyser in the Niezel street. Like his older brother Cornelis de Graeff he studied law in Leiden and received his doctorate there. In 1626 he undertook together with his brother Cornelis and Willem Nooms, Lord van Aarlanderveen (he was the father of an illegitimate daughter named Margaretha, whom he, together with Dirk's sister Wendela de Graeff had) an extensive Cavaliersreise, which took them to Paris, Orléans, Blois, Nantes, La Rochelle, Poitiers and in 1628 brought it back to the capital. There they were warmly received by the then Swedish ambassador Hugo de Groot (Latinized Hugo Grotius). In the same year the three young men returned to their home town via Flanders.

On February 5, 1630, Dirk de Graeff married his second cousin Eva Bicker (1609-1655), daughter of Jacob Jacobsz Bicker (1581–1626), advisor of Amsterdam, and Anna Roelofsdr de Vrij (1589-1626).

Coat of arms

Dirk de Graeff's coat of arms was quartered and showed the following symbols: field 1 (left above) the silver shovel on a red background of their paternal ancestors, the Herren von Graben field 2 (right above) it shows a silver falcon on a blue background. The origin of the falcon lies in the possession of the Valckeveen estate (later the Valckenburg estate) in Gooiland field 3 (left below), same as field 2 field 4 (right below), same as field 1 helmet covers in red and silver helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben) motto: MORS SCEPTRA LIGONIBUS AEQUAT (DEATH MAKES SEPTRES AND HOES EQUAL)