| Commentary | Anna van Apperlo married Nicolaes Ruts in Cologne in 1608, after the death of Ruts's first wife Cornelia Ruts, whom he had married in Ebersfelt in 1594 (Van Eeghen, Voor wie schilderde Rembrandt het portrait van Nicolaes Ruts ?, Maandblad Amstelodamum 64(1977), p. 97). From the first marriage, the following children were born: Susanna, married Joannes Boddens (INVNO 398); Caspar, alive in 1631; Nicolaes II (cited in the NOTES to R 25999) did business in company with David Martens; Isaack, stayed some time in Moscow; Abraham, doctor in medicine; Magdalena, married Gillis Ruts II (of R 24918 of Montias2); Agneta, married John Butler; David Nicolaesz., active in the Russian trade, married Maria de Moucheron, who was apparently, the daughter of Melchior de Moucheron (probably of R 31230 of Montias2); and Anna, who married Jan de Putte, cited in the NOTES to R 21322; after his death she remarried with Pieter van der Hagen in 1636. The Mennonite merchant Nicolaes Ruts was portrayed by Rembrandt in 1631. The portrait was acquired by Susanna (Catharina) Ruts, a daughter of David Ruts II. She was the sister of Gillis Ruts II, who had married Magdalena Ruts, the daughter of Nicolaes Ruts and Annetge van Apperloo. Susanna Catharina married Hendrick Swellengrebel who did business in Moscow, working for Jacques Bernarts (Wijnroks, Handel tussen Rusland en de Nederlanden, 1560-1640, p.256). David Ruts, a brother of Magdalena Ruts, was also a buyer at auction (R 37816 of Montias2). On 30 June 1643, Anneken van Apperlo, 58, declared at the request of the merchant Robert Gossart that she had bought various drugs (drogen) at certain auctions. Sara and Catarina Ruts (children of Jacques Ruts?) signed as well as Ann van Apperlo (NA 997, film 1882, Notary Gerrit Coren). It is not known how Jacques Ruts was related to Nicolaes Ruts, the late husband of Anna Apperloo (there is no evidence that he was any one of his sons). |
