Hillegont van Goch

Over Hillegont van Goch

• Occupation: ?
• Lived: 1613–1649
• Employer: Admiralty
• In which maritime sector did she work? War fleet

What kind of work did she do?

Van Goch was likely involved in procurement or other aspects of her husband’s work, Witte de With (1599–1658). On June 10, 1632, De With authorized her to manage all his affairs during his sea voyages. At the time, he was commander of the “Groote Visserij en Cleyne Visserij.” It is unclear whether this authorization was still valid (or was granted again later) when he returned to the Admiralty; no evidence of this has yet been found.

What else can be said about her life?

Van Goch and De With were married on May 25, 1632, in Rotterdam to Witte de With, and they were married for eighteen years, until she died in 1649. The couple had six children, and Van Goch also raised the daughter from her husband’s previous marriage. Some of her children died young. The family lived on the Haringvliet in Rotterdam and was very wealthy. Van Goch came from a family in which her father, Jacob van Goch, held an above-average social position as a silk cloth merchant and member of the Rotterdam City Council. By marrying Hillegont, De With climbed the social ladder, as he himself did not come from a wealthy background. De With was appointed vice admiral of Holland and West Friesland in 1637. Because he was often at sea, Van Goch led an independent life. She was 35 or 36 years old when she died. She was buried on May 23, 1649, possibly in the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam, although there is no trace of her there today.

*In the exhibition