The morning call., 1894-12-23
DUTCH NOBILITY.
Always Celebrated for It's
Loyalty.
MEMBERS DID NOT EMIGRATE
The False Claim of the Ancient
Knickerbocker Families.
Blue Blood.
MEMBERS DID NOT EMIGRATE

selves Knickerbockers are descendants of
Dutch mobiles. This is mistake, for the
knickerbOckers cannot prove that their
ancestors belonged to the Dutch nobility.
Open the bluebook of Holland. Among the
a5O names there written not one is borne
Oy KnickerbOcKer. Does this mean that
they we're all of obscure origin? Not nee
essarily, but the majority of the first Dutch
| colonists In New Amsterdam were modest
| burghers CT small farmers. However,
there were few Government officials who
ranked with the patrieians and had coats
Of arms. In Holland DatrIcian is not q
nobleman, although nObleman may be a
patrcian. A patrieian is ore whose an
| cestOrs for generations have been magis-
rrates or have held high positions under
the Government. In fact, a patrician Is a
notable burgher. Whereas in Olden time
| there were corps eQuestres, patricians were
not admitted in these corporations. The
corps equestres were composed exclusively
| of mobiles and these had the first places in
| all ceremonies. Each of the united prov
| Inees had a corps equestre, and in the
! States General of the Dutch republic these
| corps equestres were represented by sew
eral members. Although these members
| did not mum Der more than oDe-third of the
/ States General of so much importance was
| their decision that their united vote could
! prevent any bill from becoming law.
| 1t Is. moreover. very easy to understand
| why the Knickerbockers have no Dutch
! blue blood in their veins; the mobiles oil the
! Netherlands remained always with the
! Princes Of Orange, and took part in the
| wars, first against Spain, then against
| France and England. They did not wish
| 10 seek fortune IN The colonies, for they
| preferred To defend their property and
increase their patrimouy in the Neither
| lands Although these Dutch mobiles were
| brave warriors and skillful dirlOmatlsts.
| they were neither sailors nor explorers.
| The Dutch sea heroes ike the TrOmps,
De Ruyters and Peter Helms, were men
| OF modest birth, and those who peopled
the colonies, acquired by these valiant
seamen, were honest, mIddle-class people,
more or less wealthy, more or less WELL
educated; never were the sclOns OF noble
houses.
l have said that in Holland there are
| about $50 noble antilles. but among these
We find very few names celebrated at the
time of the Counts Horn and Egmout.
| The families of these two heroes, both
! victims Of Cardinal Granville, were ex-
| Iinct long ago. Among the Dutch mobiles
| there are many who possess lands and
| titles in other European countries. In the
! last century one had no conception OF
| patriotism, as it IS understood to-day. The
| soldier and diplomatic served one country
Thus they obtained lands and titles in
many realms. Among others may men,
| ton the Bentwicks, Van der GolZ, Mac
| kays, Puttkamers, ETC., who by alliance
and territorial possessions belong TO two
| countries. There ara even cases where
| Dutch n0blemen hold official position in
different Countries. The chief of the Dutch
/ family Of Bentinck. Count William Bent
lack, is a British subject by birth and
! secretary of embassy In the Foreign
| Office. In Germany be is known as Count
| Alden burg-Bertinck and erlaucht, which
| gives him equality with the mpun bers of
sovereign German houses aud right to
| seat in the House of Lords in Wurtem-
| berg. But in spite of his position in q
! land and Germany Count Bantinck gem
| orally Ewes at his castle of Middachten in
| Gelderland or at his house in the Langs
| Workout, The Hague.
| The Count Won Rechteren-Lemping,
| chief of Netherland feudal house. which,
like that of Bentinek, dates from the
| thirteenth century, is cham berIain of the
| Queen of Holland. and by decision of the
] Germanic confederation, dated February
| IS, 1929. he is erlaucht in Bavaria where
| he possesses several estates. The Per-
ponehers, Van der GoZ, and Bulow, are
| both Dutch and Prussian, and there
are several Counts of Llmburg Stlrum,
| Van Zuylen. Van NljVelt and Du MORceau,
| who are Belglans, while other members OF
these same families are Dutch. The
| present laws, concerning the Dutch no.
bility. date from the epoch when the king
! dom of the Netherlands included Belgium
! and HOlland. Ia 1888 King Leopold | Of
Belgium confirmed the titles granted or
recognized by William | of the Neither
| lands. and II is worthy OF notice That the
titles CT Prince. Duke, Marquis, and VS.
count were only given by William l TO
Belgians. Dutch nobility to-day is COM
posed of Counts, BarOns and joBkheers.
| title uniransIasaDle and derived from two
old Dutch words. meaning young lord"
Duel titles are divided into two catego-
| rieS-those which are transmitted by right
| o I primoge niture, and those which are given
to all legitimate descendants, male and
! female. In contrast to Enelish laws all
Dutch noblewomen lose their titles when
they marry, but, OF course, the wife of
nobleman bears her hus band's title.
| According to articles 81 and So of the pres
ent Dutch constitution the soYer-
eign alone can confer nobility: no.
| bility granted by foreign prince
cannot be accepted by Dutch
subject, and the ruler of the NetherIan DIS
| cannot confer title on a foreigner. To
this law only one exception has been made,
and that was in favor of Wellington wi ON
William created Prince of Waterloo.
When Louis BonapaTte was King of
| Holland. with his first Cham 0erlain,
Baron Van Pallandt, he proposed law
/ concerning the nobility of his kingdom.
| By this law heredity was only indispeus-
able in the royal family. Louis believed
| that the son of a gentleman, il he had no
merit other than Lis birth, should not In-
herit the nobility of his father, but NapO-
leon compelled his brother TO repeal THIS
law. In 1915, King VILLAIN Withdrew all
the patents of nobility conferred by the
| Bonapartes. and Instituted supreme
/ Council of Nobility; the mission Of this
council was to examine the validity OF
/ titles claimed by those who descended
/ from families, noble before the creation
Of the Republic Of the United Provinces.
When, in 1858. William Of Orange sailed
for England he was accompanied by sew
| eral Dutch mobiles and Datrl -isns. among
them Bentinck and Keppel. The first was
| created Earl of Portland and founded the
family of Dukes OF Portland. In 1896
Keppel, a patrician from Amsterdam, be-
came Earl of Albemarle. and the present
Earl is his direct descendant Strange
that the Dutch Keppels Of to-day are not
| mobiles.
After the revocation of the Edict Of
Nantes, many French noble families took
refuge 10 Holland. and to-day their de-
scendants are held in high esteem. /
might mention the Barons CollOs DIS
cury. Barons du Tour van BelIinchare. the
! bA