Gerrit Corver

Gerrit Corver was born in Amsterdam on 26 March 1691, the second son of Nicolaas Corver and Agneta Hasselaer. His mother later remarried a burgomaster of Amsterdam, who helped raise him. It was an upbringing for a regent's career, and that is what he got.

An early start

Corver started young. In 1707, at sixteen, he became a city commissioner; in 1716 an alderman; in 1719 colonel of the civic guard, the citizen militia; and in 1721 a delegate to the Council of State. In 1731 he was first chosen as one of the city's four burgomasters, and he was chosen nine more times after that. In the eighteenth century he belonged to the small circle of regents who ran Amsterdam. An old biography praises his wisdom and courage in defending the city's interests.

The year 1748

When Prince William IV first came to Amsterdam, Corver was among the officials who welcomed him, and again the following year. But in 1748 the mood turned. During the unrest of that year the regents were forced to hand their posts to the stadtholder. Corver was passed over, and he also had to endure the anger of the Amsterdam crowd. For him, that was the reason to give up all his city offices.

Until his death he remained master forester of the bailiwick of Brederode, an old office connected with woods and hunting. He spent his last years quietly at his country estate, Watervliet, and died on 10 October 1756. He was married to Margaretha Munter. Through their daughter Maria Margaretha he was the grandfather of Gerrit Corver Hooft, who later played his own part in Amsterdam's government.