Sjoerd Pijbes Wiarda was the fifteenth potestaat (or elected governor) of Friesland

Friesland

Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...

 now a province of the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

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Sjoerd Wiarda born in 1355 and died in 1410. He was the son of Pybe Wyarda and Claer van Eminga. He lived on Wiarda estate at Goutum

Goutum

Goutum is a village in the Gemeente Leeuwarden in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around the 2,630 citizens. There are two windmills in Goutum, Kramersmolen and Molen Hoogland.-Notable buildings:* The Protestant church of Goutum...

. He was the last potestaat to rule both Oostergo and Westergo.

Wiarda was the leader in the fight against the Count of Holland

Count of Holland

The Counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century.-House of Holland:The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was the son or foster-son of Gerolf, Count in Frisia...

. In 1398 he was a delegate to the convention with Willem van Beijeren

William I, Duke of Bavaria

William I, Duke of Bavaria-Straubing , was the second son of the emperor Louis IV the Bavarian from his second wife Margaret of Holland and Hainaut...

, Count of Holland. He was elected in 1399, succeeding Odo Botnia

Odo Botnia

Odo Botnia was the fourteenth potestaat of Friesland, now a province in the Netherlands.-Biography:Odo was the son of Feicko Botnia, a nobleman of Marrum, who lived on the Botnia stins . He would have been a descendant of the old Odo Botnia, who had built a stins at Marrum by 900...

 as potestaat. In 1400 he fought as a Schieringer in the Battle of Dokkum and Camminghastins.

Succession

In 1400 there were several potestaats chosen for Oostergo and Westergo because of the religious disputes between Schieringers and Vetkopers. Haring Haringsma or Haring thoe Heeg, forefather of the Harinxma family, was elected for Westergo.