Gerard Pietersz. Hulft
Encyclopedia
Gerard Pietersz. Hulft (Amsterdam, 12 December 1621 - Colombo, 10 April 1656), was a friendly and intelligent Dutch general. In 1655 he was sent with a fleet to Ceylon and died in action.
at the Lastage
, a neighborhood near the port of Amsterdam
. After concluding his law studies Gerard Hulft was made Secretary to the City Council
in 1645, a position he held until 1653. He served under Johan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen
, Andries Bicker
, and Cornelis de Graeff
. In 1652, a merchant vessel in which he had invested a fortune, was captured by the British. In the ensuing war Hulft hired and kept at his own expense a group of 24 sailors along which he served under Admiral Witte de Witt
(1654). After the war he lost his job as Secretary due to an administrative conflict with the burgomaster
s, when he refused to change the wording. He seemed to have been a friend of Govert Flinck
, who painted his portrait before his departure to the East.
Enlisting with the VOC
, where his brother Joan was a governor, he left for Batavia in April 1654, carrying letters nominating him either as Governor-General or Director-General of the Indies. Upon his arrival in Batavia in October, after a six month journey, he joined the Council of Indies. In August 1655 the shrewd Joan Maetsuycker
sent him with eleven ships and 1120 soldiers to Ceylon.Balbian Verster, J.F.L. (1932) Gerard Hulft 1621 - 1656, p. 141. In: Yearbook Amstelodamum. His mission was to crush the Portuguese utterly. Hulft arrived in mid September in Negombo
. During his staying in Ceylon he maintained cordial relations with Rajasinghe II of Sri Lanka, the most powerful king of the island.
Hulft marched from Maggona and fought the Portuguese in the vicinity of the Panadura Moya Kata The Dutch took the fort of Kalutara
by surprise and laid siege to the city of Colombo
, in October 1655. On their first attack on 12 November, the Dutch lost 300 people, and 350 were seriously wounded. Half a year later Hulft died in action, being hit from the townwall by an arquebus
in his right shoulder. This happened a month before the surrender of Colombo and two weeks after his visit to the Royal Palace, as described by the Dutch minister and orientalist Philippus Baldaeus
. His corpse was decorated with flowers and fruits and transported to Galle
. His ensign
Pieter de Bitter
brought the news to Batavia.
Life
Hulft was born as the youngest son of the brewer Pieter Hulft, and member of the Civic GuardCivic Guard
Civic Guard may refer to:* Garda Síochána in Ireland* Schutterij in the Netherlands...
at the Lastage
Lastage
Lastage is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands....
, a neighborhood near the port of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. After concluding his law studies Gerard Hulft was made Secretary to the City Council
Vroedschap
The vroedschap was the name for the city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a vroedman, literally a "wise man"...
in 1645, a position he held until 1653. He served under Johan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen
Joan Huydecoper I
Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen took over the family tannery business and the trade in pelts and armaments. The name Huydecoper means literally 'buyer of pelts'. Huydecoper had a prosperous political career: first he was elected to the vroedschap of Amsterdam...
, Andries Bicker
Andries Bicker
Andries Bicker was a wealthy merchant on Moscovia, a member of the vroedschap, the leader of the Arminians, an administrator of the VOC, representative of the States-General of the Netherlands and colonel in the Civic guard...
, and Cornelis de Graeff
Cornelis de Graeff
Cornelis de Graeff, also Cornelis de Graeff van Polsbroek was the most illustrious member of the De Graeff family. He was a mayor of Amsterdam from the Dutch Golden Age and a powerful Amsterdam regent after the sudden death of stadholder William II of Orange...
. In 1652, a merchant vessel in which he had invested a fortune, was captured by the British. In the ensuing war Hulft hired and kept at his own expense a group of 24 sailors along which he served under Admiral Witte de Witt
Witte Corneliszoon de With
Witte Corneliszoon de With was a famous Dutch naval officer of the 17th century.- Early life and childhood :...
(1654). After the war he lost his job as Secretary due to an administrative conflict with the burgomaster
Burgomaster
Burgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...
s, when he refused to change the wording. He seemed to have been a friend of Govert Flinck
Govert Flinck
Govert Teuniszoon Flinck was a Dutch painter of the Dutch Golden Age.-Life:Born at Kleve, he was apprenticed by his father to a silk mercer, but having secretly acquired a passion for drawing, was sent to Leeuwarden, where he boarded in the house of Lambert Jacobszoon, a Mennonite, better known...
, who painted his portrait before his departure to the East.
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
, where his brother Joan was a governor, he left for Batavia in April 1654, carrying letters nominating him either as Governor-General or Director-General of the Indies. Upon his arrival in Batavia in October, after a six month journey, he joined the Council of Indies. In August 1655 the shrewd Joan Maetsuycker
Joan Maetsuycker
Joan Maetsuycker was Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1653 to 1678.Maetsuycker studied law in Leuven, and was a lawyer first in The Hague, and later in Amsterdam. From 1636, he lived in the Dutch East Indies...
sent him with eleven ships and 1120 soldiers to Ceylon.Balbian Verster, J.F.L. (1932) Gerard Hulft 1621 - 1656, p. 141. In: Yearbook Amstelodamum. His mission was to crush the Portuguese utterly. Hulft arrived in mid September in Negombo
Negombo
Negombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
. During his staying in Ceylon he maintained cordial relations with Rajasinghe II of Sri Lanka, the most powerful king of the island.
Hulft marched from Maggona and fought the Portuguese in the vicinity of the Panadura Moya Kata The Dutch took the fort of Kalutara
Kalutara
Kalutara is a resort town located approximately 40 km south of Colombo in Sri Lanka.- Overview :Once an important spice-trading center, the city's name is derived from the Kalu Ganga River . In the 11th Century, the town was temporarily made a capital on the orders of a South Indian Prince...
by surprise and laid siege to the city of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, in October 1655. On their first attack on 12 November, the Dutch lost 300 people, and 350 were seriously wounded. Half a year later Hulft died in action, being hit from the townwall by an arquebus
Arquebus
The arquebus , or "hook tube", is an early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. The word was originally modeled on the German hakenbüchse; this produced haquebute...
in his right shoulder. This happened a month before the surrender of Colombo and two weeks after his visit to the Royal Palace, as described by the Dutch minister and orientalist Philippus Baldaeus
Philippus Baldaeus
Father Philippus Baldaeus, Baelde or Philip Balde was a Dutch minister. He went to Jaffna, Ceylon with an invading Dutch force during 17th Century. As the first European he documented the life, language and culture of Tamil people, living in the north of the island...
. His corpse was decorated with flowers and fruits and transported to Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
. His ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
Pieter de Bitter
Pieter de Bitter
Pieter de Bitter was a 17th century Dutch officer of the Dutch East India Company. On 12 August 1665 he won the Battle of Vågen against an English flotilla commanded by Thomas Teddiman....
brought the news to Batavia.
External links
- http://www.lankalibrary.com/geo/dutch/dutch5.htm
- http://vocwarfare.net/thesis/3/political-interaction