| Introduction | Inventaris en beschryvingh van de goederen, middelen, Imboedel en huysraet ende andere middelen ende effecten nagelaten en metter doodt ontruijmt by wijlen Jan le Thor in syn leven bewindhebber van de geoctroijerde West Indische Compagnie alhier in Amsterdam ende Margareta Joelis sijn eerste huysvrou was, Gemaeckt ten versouck ende overstaen van Adriana Le Thor sijn oudste dochter ende Thimothe le Thor syn soon, syne voljarige kinderen, mitsgaders d'eerwaerdige godtsalige Samuel Pluvier bedienaer des Gotlijckes woorts tot Hoorn ende Jan Pietersz. winckelier tot Leeuwarden, oomen ende by testamente van de voorn. salige ouders geordonneerde ende gestelde vooghden over de onmondige kinderen van de seyde echteluijden. Beschreven door my Henrick Schaef notaris in presentie van de onderg. getuijgen, mitsgaders getaxeert en gepriseert by Susanna Anthonis en Machtelt Henrix, gesworen taxeersters binnen deser stede den 26en july 1653. Postscript: Aldus gedaen beschreven, geinventariseert ende gepriseert mits geannoteert ten overstaen als voren in presentie van Willem Kalf schilder cosyn daer ten huyse ende Johannes Henricxsz. clercq als getuijgen. The inventory was signed by Samuel Pluvier, Jan Pietersz. borduerwercker, Thimotheus le Thor, and Willem Calff. |
| Commentary | Jan or Johannes le Thor was the son of Hans le Thoor of INVNO 518 and of R 20997 of Montias2, , a jeweler and art dealer who tried to sell important paintings to Christian IV of Denmark. He was born about 1601 and died in 1652 (Dudok van Heel in Maandblad Amstelodamum 61(1974), p. 95). He was first married to Margareta Pluvier. The painter Willem Kalf, who signed the inventory, was married to Cornelia Pluvier (c. 1626-6 February 1711), the sister of Margareta Pluvier. Cornelia Pluvier was said to be a multi-talented, cultivated woman who penned, in fine calligraphy, a poem of Constantijn Huygens (H.E. van Gelder, Aantekeningen over Willem Kalf en Cornelia Pluvier Oud Holland 59(1942), pp. 37-85). On 25 November 1640, Johan le Thor and Margareta Pluvier had their daughter baptized in the N.K. in the presence of Elisabeth de Haen (DTB 42/231). On 25 February 1650, Johannes le Thor, from Amsterdam, widower of Margarete Pluvier, living on the Coningsgracht, was betrothed to Susanna Tilens, from Amsterdam, assisted by her mother Sara Lestevenon, living in the Warmoesstraet. He signed Johannes le Thor, she, Susanna Tielens (DTB 467/471). Susanna Tielens was the daughter of the cloth merchant Jan Tielens, from Vorst near Turnhout, who was first noted in Amsterdam in 1612 (Gelderblom, Zuid-Nederlandse kooplieden, p. 315). On 18 March 1634, Srs. Marten Looten, 48, and Abraham Wilmerdoncx, 29, merchants, testified at the request of the widow of Jan Tielens, that they had gone to the house of Abraham Lestevenon in the Warmoesstraet, where the Santloper hangs, to inspect 150 bales of wool, some Polish, some Russian, and estimated the prices of the sacks (NA 694B, film 4980, Not. J. Warnaerts). Abraham Lestevenon was the cousin of Anna Lestevenon who married Nicolaes Engremont (see the TEXT of R 35 of Montias1). On 11 May 1635, Sr. Abraham van Wilmerdonck on one side and Philips de Bacher on the other signed a contract regarding the disposal of certain W.I.C. shares. Marten Looten (I) and Abraham Wilmerdoncx were both portrayed by Rembrandt in 1632 and 1642 respectively (Strauss, Rembrandt Documents, pp. 85 and 448). Johannes le Thor bought jewelry at the 1637 sale of Jan van Maerlen (INVNO 270), at which time he was said to be bij Jan Jansz. den Uijl (the painter), which may mean that he was living in his house. His sureties were Gerrit van Rijssen and Hans van Solt II, son-in-laws of Jan van Maerlen. At the time of his death, Jan le Thor was living in St. Joris on the Singel (no. 372) (Dudok van Heel, loc. cit.) Note that the works of art in the present inventory were only a small part of the collection of Johannes le Thor. On fol. 227 of the inventory, a note states that all the paintings that were caused to be sold by the children by public auction in the Heere Logement on the 20 May 1653 brought the sum of f. 1,748 and 12 st. A few of these sold items are listed in the inventory without prices. |
