Grand pensionary

The grand pensionary (Dutch: raad(s)pensionaris) was the most important Dutch official during the time of the United Provinces. In theory he was only a civil servant of the Estates of the dominant province among the Seven United Provinces: the county of Holland. In practice the grand pensionary of Holland was the political leader of the entire Dutch Republic when there was no stadtholder (in practice the Prince of Orange) at the centre of power.

The Dutch name raad(s)pensionaris literally translates as "councillor or advisor pensionary". Indeed, other provinces could also have a raadspensionaris, e.g. Zeeland, but only the one of Holland was considered by foreign powers to be of any importance, so they called him the grand pensionary.

The position of the grand pensionary was in many ways similar to what through later political and constitutional developments came to be a prime minister.

The office of grand pensionary

The office started in 1619 and replaced the title of land's advocate. When there was a stadtholder, then the grand pensionary was often the second leader of the republic. Being the raadspensionaris of Holland, the grand pensionary acted as the chairman of States of Holland. He was appointed by the Estates and could be fired instantly by the Estates. A decision of the Estates was made by a summarizing of all the statements of the delegates by the grand pensionary, with an implicit conclusion about what collective decision had been made. He had the first say on a subject during a meeting of the Estates and controlled the agenda. This way, if he was a competent man, he could control the entire decision-making process, especially as one of his "duties" was to represent the ten members of the nobility delegates (the ridderschap) in their absence and phrase the single opinion they as a body had the right to express. The office existed because all delegates of the States were, although ranked according to ancient feudal hierarchy, still basically equal (pares) and none among them could thus act as a head.

The Batavian Republic first abolished the office but in its last year, 1805–1806, the title had to be reinstituted on orders of Napoleon as part of a number of measures to strengthen the executive power; Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck thus acted for a short time as the last grand pensionary. He officially functioned as a president of the entire Republic, not just of Holland.

Grand Pensionaries

The most famous and most significant grand pensionary was Johan de Witt, who held the office between 1653 and 1672. Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, who played an extremely important role in the Dutch struggle for independence should also be mentioned, though he held the position when it was still called "land's advocate".

  Unknown/neutral
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Paulus Buys
(1531–1594)
1572 16 March
1584
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
(1547–1619)
16 March
1586
12 May
1619
Andries de Witt
(1573–1637)
12 May
1619
1621
Anthonie Duyck
(1560–1629)
1621 1629
Jacob Cats
(1577–1660)
1629 1631
Adriaan Pauw
(1585–1653)
1631 1636
Jacob Cats
(1577–1660)
1636 1651
Adriaan Pauw
(1585–1653)
1651 30 July
1653
Johan de Witt
(1625–1672)
30 July
1653
4 August
1672
Gaspar Fagel
(1634–1688)
20 August
1672
5 December
1688
Michiel ten Hove
(1640–1689)
5 December
1688
24 March
1689
Anthonie Heinsius
(1641–1720)
27 May
1689
3 August
1720
Isaac van Hoornbeek
(1655–1727)
12 September
1720
17 June
1727
Simon van Slingelandt
(1664–1736)
17 July
1727
1 December
1736
Anthonie van der Heim
(1693–1746)
4 April
1737
7 July
1746
Willem Buys
(1661–1749)
7 July
1746
23 September
1746
Jacob Gilles
(1691–1765)
23 September
1747
18 June
1749
Pieter Steyn
(1706–1772)
18 June
1749
5 November
1772
Pieter van Bleiswijk
(1724–1790)
18 June
1772
5 November
1787
Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel
(1736–1800)
9 November
1787
9 February
1795


Other provinces also had pensionaries. A list of some of them can be found here.

See also

References

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