Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck

Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck (ca.1680)

Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck (also: Sommelsdijk) (The Hague, 20 August 1637 - Paramaribo, 19 July 1688) was the first governor of Suriname after the establishment of the Society of Suriname in 1683. He was governor from 28 November 1683 until he was murdered on 19 July 1688. Van Aerssen belonged to one of the richest families of the Dutch Golden Age.

Van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck was Lord of Sommelsdijk, Plaat, Bommel, and Spijk. Through his French wife Margaret, he was Marquis of Saint André Montbrun and Ferrassières.^[1]

He was the fourth generation of a line active in Dutch politics. After a political career in the Netherlands, in 1683 he became tired of Dutch public affairs. Accordingly he acquired a one-third share of the Society of Suriname, the other shareholders being the Dutch West India Company and the city of Amsterdam. At that time Suriname was a very small colony which was torn by religious sectarianism.

References

1. ^ http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/wolb002gesc01_01/wolb002gesc01_01_0005.php

Persondata
Name	Aerssen Van Sommelsdijck, Cornelis Van
Alternative names
Short description	First governor of Suriname
Date of birth	20 August 1637
Place of birth	The Hague, Netherlands
Date of death	19 July 1688
Place of death	Paramaribo, Suriname