Pensionaries and Secretaries
Pensionary
The pensionary (pensionaris) was the city's chief legal officer, secretary of the Council of Forty (Veertigraad), and Delft's representative and spokesman at the meetings of Holland's cities. He received a salary, or pension. Boitet's Beschrijving lists sixteen men as pensionaris after 1518, and only six during Leeuwenhoek's adult life.
1654 - 1672 Arent van der Dussen
1672 - 1678 Gaspar van Kinschot
1679 - 1689 Anthony Adriaens Heijnsius
1689 - 1690 Johan Goes van Absmade
1691 - 1698 Adriaan Baart
1698 - Hendrik Aemilius Johans van Hoornbeek
The position was permanent, so its influence was great. Kinschot, van Absmade, and Baart all died in office. Anthonij Heinsius (left) held the office during the 1680's before he moved on to become Grand Pensionary of all Holland, and thus the most powerful politician in the country.
add salary from Treasurer's accounts
City Secretaries
The city's secretary (stadssecretaris) had no doubt been a function from the beginning of the city's self-governance. The office was officially established in 1342 after Count Willem IV granted Delft a variety of rights over its own commercial affairs, including the weigh house, school, and fish market as well as a small staff. A month later, he added a city secretary, to be chosen by the city without any outside approval.
Boitet began listing the secretaries with Jacob Hendriks Duist van Voorhout in 1513, great grand-father of Leeuwenhoek's good friend Maria Duyst van Voorhout. He noted 22 more through 1713, including the two in office at the time of his writing in 1727. Some were under-secretaries. Others were pensionaris at the same time.
While Leeuwenhoek was involved with tasks at the Stadhuis and Waag, nine men were city secretary, two at a time. One of the positions was held by three successive generations of the Vockestaert family. Anthonij Heinsius became secretary at age 29, which is probably when he got to know Leeuwenhoek. Fifty years later, Leeuwenhoek was still writing letters to his old friend.
detail of page 112 of the 1661 City treasurer's account books
(click to enlarge)
Mr. Arent van der Dussen, pensionary, received a salary (wedde) of 2,000 guilders annually
and an additional 300 guilders as a housing allowance.
Mr. Hendrick Vockestaert, city secretary, received 250 guilders annually,
as noted in the Uitgeefbouck (expenses book), fol. 11v, due in December 1661.
He received no housing allowance.
