The Montias Database of 17th Century Dutch Art Inventories

Becker, Herman		printer-friendly view
Inventory #	254
Archive	Gemeentearchief Amsterdam
Call Number	4767 fol. 270-297
Date	1678/10/19
City	Amsterdam
Country	Nederland
Purpose	death inventory
Family Name	Becker
Owner Name	Becker, Herman
Owner Notes	widower of Anna Maria Vertangen
Life Dates	1617 |d 1678/09/16
Marriage Date	1659/01/03
Occupation	Merchant (largescale)
Residence	Amsterdam
Religion	Lutheran
Introduction	Staet ende inventaris van de goederen middelen ende effecten naergelaten ende metter doot ontruijmt bij wijlen Sr. Herman Becker weduwenaer van Juffr. Anna Maria Vertangen soo als de selve bij hem ende de voorn. Juff. Vertangen als weduwe en boedelhouster van zal. Sr. Gerardo Pelgrom int gemeen sijn beseten, gemaeckt en beschreven bij mij Steph(en) Pelgrom Notaris etc..ten versoecke van d'E. Mr. Cornelis Cloeck Oud Schepen deser stede als testamentaire voogt over Gillis Pelgrom naegelaten soone van de voors. E. Gerardo Pelgrom ende Juffr. Anna Maria Vertangen zal., ende Sr. Abraham van Ullenbroeck als bij den Ed. Achtb. Gerechte alhier gesurrogeerde voocht onder 't oppergesach van de Ed. H-en weesmeesteren over de drij naergelatene kinderen van de voorn. Herman Becker verweckt bij de gem. Juffr. Anna Maria Vertangen zal., ende sulcx op het aengeven van Gillis Pelgrom, Herman, Johanna ende Anna Marja Becker kinderen ende erfgenamen van de voors. Anna Maria Vertangen Postscript: Aldus geinventariseert en beschreven bij mij Nots. voornt. ten versoeck als inden hoofd deses gemelt opt aengeven van de voorgedachte Gillis Pelgrom, Herman, Johanna ende Anna Maria Becker resp-e de welcke verclaerde hun opentlijck ende naer haer beste kennisse en wetenschap te hebben gedragen, sonder haerswetens iets verswegen ofte ter quader trouwen achter gehouden te hebben....Alles oprecht gedaen binne Amsterdam desen 19 Octob. 1678 ende eenige volgende dagen tot den 23 Novemb. incluus ter presentie van Marten van Heemster ende Johannes Verdijck als getuijgen hier over gestaen. Postscript: Aldus geinventariseert en beschreven bij mij Nots. voornt. ...Gedaen desen 19 Octobris 1678 in presentie van Merten van Heemster ende Johannes Verdijck als getuijgen hier over gestaen.
Commentary	Herman Becker was born, probably in Riga, about 1617. From the early 1640s on, he was active as a freighter of ships. In 1641, 1649, and 1651, he is known to have bought interest-yielding obligations. In 1648, he stood as surety for Gerald Pelgrom II, who was married to his future wife Anna Maria Vertangen and died in 1657. (Gerald Pelgrom, like Herman Becker, was almost surely Lutheran). In March 1648, he signed a contract with Abraham de Visscher II, the son of Abraham de Visscher I of R 38665 of Montias2, to sell scheerdoeck (a type of canvas) in Riga on De Visscher's behalf. On 3 January 1659, Herman Becker was betrothed to Anna Maria Vertangen. Anna Maria already had three children from her previous marriage to Pelgrom. including a son named Paulus. From the name of this son, it may be inferred that Gerald(o) Pelgrom was the son of Paulus Pelgrom I, who in turn was the son of Geraerd Pelgrom I (both are cited, along with Paulus's brothers Stefan, Francois and Leenart in R 21249 of Montias2). The Pelgroms were also Lutheran. Paulus I and Stefan went bankrupt in 1621, after which Paulus went to live in Hamburg (Jaarboek Amstelodamum 48(1957), pp. 29-30). Gerald(o) Pelgrom's two houses on the Keisersgracht were inherited by Anna Maria and thus became Becker's property. On 17 June 1659, Becker and his newly wedded wife moved to the Keisersgracht. He had three children with Anna Maria: Herman (born about 1659), Johanna (baptized in the Lutheran Church on 15 August 1660), and Anna Maria (II) (baptized in the same church on 19 July 1661). Anna Maria I was buried on 9 November 1661 in the O.K. On 7 March 1653, Becker lent to the art dealer Johannes de Renialme (of R 8201) 1,485 f. at 5 percent interest. In the 1650s he spent some time in Riga. In the 1660s, Becker, again living in Amsterdam, became a regular money lender and probably slacked off on his mercantile activities. Among his debtors were several artists (Rembrandt, Frederik de Moucheron, Jan Lievens, Philips de Koninck, and Dominicus van Tol), some of whom -- including Rembrandt -- delivered paintings to him. Becker went to a lot of trouble to recover his money or get paintings in counterpart from Rembrandt. He also lent money to the art dealer Gerrit Uylenburg, the son of Hendrick Uylenburg of R 24428. He became sick in the summer of 1678 and was buried in the O.K. on 16 September 1678. The principal data in this TEXT are cited from the article by Hugoj Postma (see above under PUBLICATION).
Notary	Stephen Pelgrom
# of Items	231
Montias1 #	171