| Commentary | Pieter Lefebvre I, born in Doornik about 1576, lived in Amsterdam at least since 20 October 1602 when, with his wife Catherine le Maijre, he had his daughter Catharina baptized in the N.K. in the presence of Janneken Milloents and Robert Luykas (DTB 38/972). On 30 September 1608, Pieter (II), son of Pieter le Fevre and Margreete (an error for Catharina?) le Fevre, was baptized in the same church (DTB 39/165). Samuel, the son of Pieter Lefebvre and Catharina le Maire (of R 25248), was baptized on 31 June 1610 in the presence of Marie Garnier (DTB 39/209). On 23 October 1616, Pieter le Febure and his wife Catrijna Lemaijre had their son Abraham baptized in the O.K. in the presence of Hans Lemaijre and Elisabeth Charette (DTB 5/198). Hans Lemaijre (Lemaire), the gilder-leather maker of R 20171, was almost certainly the brother of Catharina Lemaire. Pieter Lefebvre dealt in civets, tobacco and perfume and was a gold- and silver-chain maker (goud- en zilverdraadtrekker). He lived in het Wapen Venetie on the Kalverstraat. In 1631, Pieter Lefebre (I?) paid a tax of 30 f., at which time he was indeed living on the West side of the Kalverstraet (Kohier, fol. 271v, p. 62). He was an occasional buyer at the Orphan Chamber auctions (e.g. R 27387 of Montias2). He seems to be identical with the individual named Pieter le Febure who sold Anthony Claesz. de Jonghe of R 21180 of Montias2 a copper mill in 1611 (M.J. Bok, letter of 3 February 2000). Abraham le Febure was a buyer at the auction sale of his father's estate in 1637 (R 25244 of Montias2). On 11 January 1618, Pieter le Febvre, from Doornik, widower of Catharina le Mair, living in the Calverstraet, was betrothed to Nicole Wimer, widow of Nicolaes Hespel (DTB 422/130). Nicole Wimer (or Wijmer) was the sister of Pieter Wijmer of R 28340 of Montias2 and of Jenne (Joanna) Wijmer, who married Guilliamme Six. These last two were the parents of Willem Six of R 25271 of Montias2. Nicolaes Hespel was the father of Samuel Hespel of R 25237. On 5 April 1623, Pieter le Febure(I), Carel Cotteman, and Pieter Gaillard, all gouttreckers, made a deposition concerning the two standard qualities of gold and silver mesh (Van Dillen, Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van het bedrijfsleven R.G.P. 78(1933), p. 542). On 18 June 1633, Abraham le Febure (I), 56, and Pieter le Febure (I), 48, appeared together in a deposition (NA 649B). They may have been brothers or cousins. Abraham le Febure I was the father of Magdalena le Febure who married Johannes van Heusden II, the son of Johannes van Heusden of R 36233. On 31 January 1635, an inventory of the gold-drawing equipment was taken of the insolvent Pieter Lefebvre de jonge, living on the Roosegracht, where de gouttreckerswinckel uythangt (Van Dillen, Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van het bedrijfsleven, R.G.P. 144(1974), p. 81). This inventory probably belonged to Pieter le Febure II, the son of Pieter le Febure I of the present inventory. He was 29 years old when he was buried, coming from the Heijligewegspoort, on 26 October 1636, leaving two children (DTB 1130). Pieter le Febure I was buried on 4 November 1636. Two days later, Garbrant van Warmenhuysen, Notary in The Hague, in his quality as husband of Susanna le Febure, the daughter of Pieter le Febure (I) and his co-heiress, named Hans le Maire (cited above) to request, on behalf of the ordinary heirs of Pieter le Febure, an accounting from Josias Marschal, pursuant to a contract signed in 1635, concerning a shipment of goods to the West Indies (NA 521, film 4861, Not. Westfrisius). An inventory (unassessed) of the goods of Pieter le Febure, last widower of Nicoltje Wymers, was taken on 4 to 6 February 1637. This inventory contained at least 16 items in common with the present sale. The remaining items were too vaguely described to permit a secure identification. In any case the family portraits in the inventory were missing from the sale (NA 564A, Not. Westfrisius). On 16 February 1637, Garbrant van Warmenhuysen declared, on behalf of Jeremias Hachgens (of R 25243 of Montias2), his brother-in-law, that he had transferred an obligation for 183 f., obtained from the late Pieter le Febure (I), to Hachgens (Hagens) (ibid.) Jeremias Hagens was the husband of Catharina le Febure (born 1602), the sister of Susanna le Febure. On 1 December 1637, Jan (Hans) le Maire (of R 20171) and Willem Six (of R 25271) appeared before the Orphan Chamber and declared that Anneken, 18, the daughter left by Pieter le Febure (I), goudraettrecker, was entitled to 1184 f. for the inheritance from her uncle Pieter Wymer (of R 28340) (WK 5073/789). Pieter le Fevre I was also the father of Jacques le Fevre of R 27452 of Montias2 (who is not mentioned in the otherwise fairly complete genealogy of Pieter le Febure I and his family by I. Prins in Economisch-Historisch Jaarboek 20(1936)). A third individual named Pieter le Febure (III) was married to Sara Briels in 1632 and after her death to Margaretha Steets, born in Salisbury, England. He appeared before the Orphan Chamber on 2 July 1633 on behalf of his 8-weeks old son (WK 5073/789). Pieter le Feber IV (who seems to be distinct from the other three) was an apothecary who was married to Magdalena Jouderville. After his death, she remarried with Juliaen Teniers (of INVNO 557). Abraham le Febure I, who was the cousin of Pieter le Febure I, born in 1581 in Antwerp, also lived in Amsterdam since 1604. He was a barber and surgeon and a dealer in civet living in the Niezel. His daughter Maria Abrahams married Pieter van Beyerlant (1632-c. 1668), the son of Abraham Willemsz. van Beyerlant, civet dealer, of R 33141. On 14 November 1623, Pieter Lefebure (I), Denis Denijsz., Harmen Reyniersz., Pieter Denijs, brewer, and Abraham Lefebre, surgeon, committed themselves to delivering to Diego Gomes da Costa, Matias Rodrigues Cardoso and David Abeniacar, Portuguese merchants, for the duration of several years, all the civet that they could gather (Van Dillen, Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van het bedrijfslven R.P.G. 78(1933), p.511). |
