Salomon Sweers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Salomon Sweers (15 June 1611 in Nijmegen – 2 March 1674 in Amsterdam) was a bookkeeper and a counsel for the Dutch East India Company. His younger brother was Admiral Isaac Sweers employed by the Admiralty of Amsterdam.
Salomon Sweers was the son of Aernout Sweerts, a member of the vroedschap, and Alida van Bronckhorst. In 1628 the family moved to Amsterdam, when his father became a representative in the East India Company.
East India period
Seventeen-year-old Salomon joined the East India Company or Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie as a clerk.[1] In 1632 Sweers left for the East, under the command of Antonie van Diemen, who protected him.
In 1638 in Batavia he married Catharina Jans, a widow from Hoorn. Together they paid a visit to their homeland. In 1640 he undertook a second journey to Batavia, being appointed to the Council of the Indies.
Together with Antonie van Diemen, Cornelis Witsen, Cornelis van der Lijn and Joan Maetsuycker, Sweers was involved in the two expeditions of Abel Tasman. Tasman named several islands after members of the Council, as here can be seen. In 1646 he left Batavia again, after being accused of "private trade", having in secret shipped valuables to the Dutch Republic. He was fired. Frederick Coyett took charge of his goods.
