| Commentary | Francois Venant de oude, from Antwerp, bookkeeper, first settled in Middelburg where his son Frans Venant de jonge was born in 1591. In the 1570s Francois Venant I collaborated with Gillis Hooftman I and Pieter Panhuys in their mercantile relations with Moscovy (Wijnroks, Handel tussen Rusland en de Nederlanden 1560-1640, p.113). He was married to Susanna l'Hermite (Briels, Vlaamse schilders, p. 394). On 19 October 1619, Franchoys Venant (I), 70, declared at the request of Pieter van Ravesteyn, as husband and guardian of his wife, that he had never received from Franchoys le bleu (the father of Jan le Bleu of R 21639) an inventory of the possessions of Lenora Venandt, his sister and the mother-in-law of Ravesteyn (NA 200, fol. 398). On 12 April 1625, Francois Venant de jonge (of R 31217 of Montias2), from Middelburgh, painter, 34 years old, assisted by his father Francois Venant de oude, living in the Breestraet, was betrothed to Agnieta Pieters, from Amsterdam, 30 years old (DTB 670/47). Francois Venant de oude owed 600 f. to Jean le Bleu (of R 27639 of Montias2), which loan had been guaranteed by Francois Venant de jonge. Jean le Bleu (of INVNO 1122 and R 27639 of Montias2) was the son of Lenora Venant, the brother of Francois Venant de oude. On 21 March 1621, Francoijs Venant, 48, and Antony Hendricksz., jeweler, 46, declared at the request of Wenzel Reijdans that, in September 1622, Abraham Decker (painter, art dealer, jeweler, broker) had told him, Venant, that the diamonds which he (Decker?) had deposited in the Bank voor Lening had been held up (NA 200, fol. 398). On 5 March 1630, Anthony Henricksz., jeweler, declared at the request of Jean Chevalier (probably of R 35838 of Montias2), merchant, that he had been asked a few days previously by a Portuguese merchant named Diego Cardoso Nunes to trade or swap a lot of diamonds against boratten (cloth). He was well aware that Chevalier, the petitioner, would not take diamonds for more than four gulden the carat and that these diamonds were worth no more (Van Dillen, Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van het bedrijfsleven R.G.P. 78(1933), p. 700). |
