| Commentary | In addition to being a money changer, Sijmen Sijmenss (Valckenaer) was a well-known goldsmith. All sorts of goutsmits gereetschap were mentioned in the inventory as being in de solder. He was also a buyer at Orphan Chamber auction (R 21317 of Montias2). He apparently was called van den Ringen from the sign board on his house (de vijf Ringen). At the beginning of the 17th century, Sijmen Sijmensz. (or Symon Symonsz.) was one of five officially admitted changers (wisselaers) of Amsterdam. He was headman of the goldsmiths' guild in 1577, 1596, 1601, and 1603. He married, first, Belitje Ellerts van Leijenberch on 30 November 1577 in the O.K. She was the sister of Bruyn Ellerts van Lelyenberch, who in turn was the grandfather of Machtelt Andries, the wife of the painter Thomas de Keyser (of R 24468 of Montias2). Heyltje Simons, the sister of Sijmen Sijmenss, married to the goldsmith Frederick Jansz., was the mother of the coat-of-arms engraver Andries Fredericksz., whose daughter, Machtelt Andries, once again, was the wife of Thomas de Keyser (E.J. Wolleswinkel, De schoonfamilie van de (portrait) schilder Thomas de Keyser in Liber Amicorum W.A. Wijburg, Woerden, 2001, Genealogical chart and p. 322). On 16 October 1583, Symon Symonsz., goldsmith, presented to the Orphan Chamber his three children, Elbert, 7 years old, Wouter, 6, and Symon, 5, whose late mother was Belitgen Elbertsdr. In the inheritance was a house in the Warmoesstraet, de Vergulde Fuijcken (Kam, Waar was dat huis in de Warmoesstraat? 40/1). He had shortly before this date remarried. On 27 March 1583, he was betrothed to Claertje Arents (Clara Andries, Claertgen Hobben, Claertgen Willems), who died on 14 June 1627 (Wolleswinkel, loc. cit.) In 1586, he was one of the regents of the Spinhuis (Jan Wagenaar, Amsterdam vol. 2, p. 260). Sijmen Sijmenss and Claertje Arents had their daughter Engeltje baptized in the O.K. on 8 October 1587 (DTB 1/337). Their son Andries (of R 31203) was baptized in the same church on 20 January 1591, on which occasion the father was called wisselaer (money changer) (DTB 2/79). Annetge Sijmons, daughter of Sijmon Sijmonsz., was betrothed to Jan Hendricksz. Grootenhuijs, on 18 August 1627, when she was 32 years old. Jan Hendricksz. was Roman Catholic (see INVNO 469). Benjamin(a) Simons, cited in the INTRO, married Gerrit Hendricksz. (van) Meijburch, baljuw of Noorwijk (Wolleswinkel, loc. cit.) In 1602, the States General, with the consent of the Vroedschap, named Sijmon Sijmonsz. as delegate (gecommitteerde) to ensure that the regulations concerning the issue of currency (the Munt) were carried out. At the time the V.O.C. was founded, his wife Claertjen Arents invested 3000 f. in the company at his behest (Van Dillen, Het oudste aandeelhoudersregister, p. 177). On 12 August 1606, he was one of the five delegated changers consulted on the matter of the maintenance of the currency (Van Dillen, Wisselbanken, R.G.P., 59(1925), p. 8). |
