Willem van Ruytenburch

Willem van Ruytenburch, lord of Vlaardingen and Vlaardingen-Ambacht (1600–1652) was a member of the Dutch gentry and Amsterdam patriciate of the Dutch Golden Age. He became an alderman of Amsterdam and joined the Schutterij (city guard) of Frans Banninck Cocq. Willem was featured, as a lieutenant, in Rembrandt's 1642 painting The Night Watch for which he is now probably most famous.

Biography Ancestry and early life Willem van Ruytenburch came from a family of spice merchants, involved in the Eastern trade. Pieter married Aeltge Pietersdr, an offspring of the Amsterdam Bicker family. Willem had two sisters, Anna van Ruytenburch (1589-1648) who married Adriaen Pauw, Grand Pensionary of Holland, and Christina van Ruytenburch (1591-1666), who married his brother Reinier Pauw, President of the High Council of Holland, Zeeland and West Friesland.

In 1606, Pieter bought a house on Warmoesstraat in Amsterdam that he renamed "Ruytenburch". As a mark of his status he adopted this as his new family name. In 1611 Pieter purchased the manor of Buitenweide (modern-day ), in Vlaardingen, from Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg, for 26,000 guilders. The manor allowed Pieter and his descendants to use the title Lord of Vlaardingen and Vlaardingen-Ambacht. The manor also gave the holder the right to appoint half of the Vlaardingen vroedschap (council), which was resented by some as the van Ruytenburchs were considered outsiders. The van Ruytenburchs also had the right to serve as judges, a potentially lucrative position in which they could collect fines, and wind rights over much of the area. a woman from a notable Amsterdam family. Adriana van Ruijtenburgh (1629-1701), married in 1648 with Willem Cornelisz Hartigvelt, vroedschap, schepen and mayor of Rotterdam, and later with Aldert van Driel (born 1629) Albert Willemsz van Ruytenburgh (1630-1688), married Wilhelmina Anna van Nassau-Beverweerd (1638-1688), daughter of Lodewijk van Nassau-Beverweerd and Isabella Countess of Hornes. Through his marriage he was linked to the high english aristocracy, representative a brother-in-law to Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Grafton, illegitimate son of King Charles II of England Jan van Ruytenburgh (1635-1719) advisor if the Admiralty of 't Noorderkwartier between 1681 and 1719, Hoogheemraad of Delftland. Married to Catharina van der Nisse (1635-1722), daughter of Gillis van der Nisse (1616-1657) burgemeester van Goes en Geertruid Simonsdr. van Alteren (1613-1639). Gerard Constantin van Ruytenburgh (1649-1701) Elisabeth van Ruytenburgh (died 1697), married in 1650 with Amilius Adriaensz Cool, vroedschap, schepen and mayor of Gouda, Hoogheemraad of Schieland

Willem's father Pieter died in 1627 and he inherited his estates and titles. Soon afterwards Willem constructed a new house, named Het Hof, on a country estate.

The men featured in the painting, all part of Cocq's company, paid a total of 1,600 guilders to Rembrandt (an average of 100 guilders each) with the payments increasing with their prominence in the piece. Willem, because of his positioning and dress, is particularly prominent. So much so that some observers might mistake him for the commander of the company, though Cocq's position is affirmed by a red sash and directing arm. The Delphi Classics collection of Rembrandt's work suggests that Rembrandt portrays Willem's vanity through his clothing, but ensured that the shadow cast by Cocq's arm falls on Willem as a sign of the captain's superiority.

The Vlaardingen Museum considers Willem van Ruytenburch perhaps the most famous former resident of the city. Willem's descendants remained as (minor gentry) in Vlaardingen until 1830, when the Het Hof estate was sold to the city and demolished. The van Ruytenburch burial vault at Grote Kerk was cleared not long after the estate was sold.