Mayors

Beginning in the early 1400's, Delft had four mayors (burgemeesters). Boitet's records begin listing mayors in 1437. The records are complete, listing four per year after 1498. Through 1725, he has a total of 1054 entries for men who served as mayor, usually multiple times.

The mayors met in a room in the Stadhuis called the mayor's chamber (burgemeesterencamer). They stored Delft's vital records, especially the charters, in a secure room off this meeting room. The suriving records from Leeuwenhoek's time are inventoried in the Oude Archief Delft.

During Leeuwenhoek's time as a city official, two of his Hogenhouck relatives, Pieter Abrahams and his son Maarten Pieters Hogenhouck, served as mayor. The latter was mayor for ten years off and on between 1700 and 1719.

The mayors were the body that officially appointed Leeuwenhoek to all of his city offices: camerbewaarder, wijkmeester-general, curateur, and wijnroeier.

The records of the mayors' decisions are in three series of volumes.

  • Keurboeken
    • books of statutes and by-laws
    • 11 volumes from c. 1500 -1806
  • Resolutieboeken van de burgemeesters
    • books of decrees
    • 15 volumes from 1537-1740 and 1751-1795
  • Register van de dagelijkse in burgemeesterskamer gegeven ordonnanties, vooral betreffende financiĆ«le zaken
    • register of daily ordinances given in the mayors' chamber, especially concerning financial affairs
    • 10 volumes from 1587-1704, 1715-1793, 1804-1811