Jan Bicker
Introduction '''Jan Gerritsz. Bicker''' (1591–1653) was a merchant, mayor (burgomaster) and a member of the Bicker family, an influential patrician family of regenten from Amsterdam.De Bickers were part of the ''staatsgezinde partij'' (the pro-republican party) and opponents of the stadtholders, who belonged to the House of Orange-Nassau. Jan Bickers son-in-law, the influential Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt practically controlled the Republic during the First Stadtholderless Period in 1650–1672.
Biography === Bicker Family ===Overview of the personal family relationships of the Amsterdam oligarchy between the regent-dynasties Boelens Loen, De Graeff, Bicker (van Swieten), Witsen and Johan de Witt in the Dutch Golden Age The Bicker family was one of the oldest patrician families of Amsterdam and belonged to the leading regent-oligarchy. They were a major trading family involved in the pelt trade with Muscovy and supplying ships and silver to Spain. The Bickers were the most powerful family in Amsterdam and decisively determined the fortunes of the city. The Bicker-De Graeff family-faction became the strongest competitor in the years after the Dutch uprising. Through their work on the Amsterdam City Council and the Dutch East India Company, the Bickers gained enormous influence on politico-economic self-determination in the young Dutch Republic due to the city's position of economic power within the Republic. Jan Bicker was a son of Gerrit Bicker and Aleyd Andriesdr Boelens Loen. Gerrit was a wealthy patrician, politician, international grain merchant and beer brewer. and threw his work in the Amsterdam Vroedschap and as one of the founders of the East India Company, he was able to launch the careers of his sons, grandchildren and nephews. Jan's oldest brother Andries Bicker ruled the city administration for a long time and was mainly supported and carried by him and their other two brothers Jacob and Cornelis Bicker, his uncle Jacob Dircksz de Graeff and his cousin Cornelis de Graeff. The Bicker brothers had a firm grip on world trade, trading on the East, the West, the North and the Mediterranean. Jans' uncle Laurens Bicker was one of the first to trade on Guinea and seized four Portuguese ships in 1604.Jan Bicker was married to her cousin Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek, a sister of the burgomasters and statesmen Cornelis and Andries de Graeff. Five daughters were born from this marriage:* Elisabeth Bicker (1630–1660) married Jacobus Trip, a wealthy arms dealer* Geertruida Bicker (1634–1702) married Jean Deutz, a rich Banker and Investor of Amsterdam* Wendela Bicker (1635–1668) married Johan de Witt* Cornelia Bicker (1638–1665), married her full cousin Gerard Bicker (I) van Swieten* Jacoba Bicker (1640–1695) married her full cousin Pieter de Graeff=== Career ===Like his ancestors, Jan Bicker was a wholesaler and traded with the Spaniards in Italy and the Levant. He also worked as a master shipbuilder. In 1626 he became director of the Levantine trade. With a fortune of 727,000 guilders, Bicker was one of the richest people of the Golden Age.Jan Bicker was the cities inspector of the ropes and in 1647 he became Schepen of Amsterdam, and, together with his brothers Cornelis and Andries, exerted a great influence on the political climate in Holland. The Bicker family was strictly Protestant and focused on Amsterdam's economic boom. The brothers were never burgomaster of Amsterdam at the same time, but they had made agreements about an alliance, the so-called ''Bickerse ligue''. From the later 1630s she came into opposition to the stadtholders who came from the House of Orange. This political group included seven members of the Bicker family, all of whom held political offices at the time. In addition to Johan Bicker, his brothers Andries, Jacob and Cornelis Bicker, also Andries' son Gerard Bicker, and their more distant cousins, the brothers Jacob Jacobsz Bicker (1612–1676; he was also the husband of Andries' daughter Alida Bicker) and Hendrick Jacobsz Bicker (1615–1651) belonged on this.During the 1640s, the republican elite of the province of Holland, the brothers Andries, Cornelis, Jacob and Jan Bicker Jacob de Witt and the brothers Andries and Cornelis de Graeff advocated an end to the Eighty Years' War with the Kingdom of Spain and a reduction in land forces. This ongoing state of war prevented the economic growth and social development of the Republic of the United Netherlands. Also, this state of war strengthened the atadtholder's power as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, something the Republicans did not want. This intensified the conflict between them and the governor Frederick Henry of Orange and the Reformed Hollands. In 1648, due to the immense political pressure from the entire ''Bicker-De Graeff Clan'' the United Netherlands entered into peace negotiations with Spain in order to end the Eighty Years' War with the Peace of Münster.After the peace treaties and the reduction of the land forces, the political opposition to the House of Orange and in particular to the new stadtholder Wilhelm II, who wanted to make the city of Amsterdam docile in 1650 by means of a coup d'etat, deepened. The military enterprise, the Attack on Amsterdam, failed as the prince's army was lured into the swamps around Amsterdam in stormy weather, and Wilhelm died shortly afterwards of smallpox. Cornelis de Graeff, who was intent on balancing the power blocs, caused the Bicker family to be excluded from all public offices, which was withdrawn a short time later. When Andries Bicker died in 1652, Jan Bicker was given the position of burgemeester in 1653, but did not keep it for long due his death.===Possessions===Bickerseiland Jan Bicker owned various country estates near Amsterdam - ''De Eult'' and ''Hooge Vuursche'' in Baarn, as well as the country houses ''Akerendam'' and ''Duyn Wijck'' in Beverwijk. Around 1631 he owned his own island within the city of Amsterdam – ''Bickerseiland'' – on which he had a high tower built so that he could watch his ships entering and leaving the harbor from there. He owned also a cityhouse at Keizersgracht 221.Several ownerships of Jan Bicker, amongst which the countryhouse 'De Eult' in Baarn, eventually later fell into the hands of the stadtholders.
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