Adolf van Meetkercke [ a] (1528–1591) (Latin : Adolphus Mekerchus ) was a Flemish diplomat and humanist.
Adolf van Meetkercke, engraving by James Basire .
Life
He was born in Bruges , into a wealthy family of the nobility.[ 1]
In 1577, after the Pacification of Ghent , he travelled to England on a diplomatic mission concerned with the First Union of Brussels , with the Marquis of Havrech (Havré), Charles Philippe de Croÿ (1549–1613).[ 1]
In 1580, he became a Protestant convert.[ 2] He accompanied Philip Marnix of St. Aldegonde to France, to negotiate the Treaty of Plessis-les-Tours with François of Alençon . He was then appointed as chairman of the Flemish governing council.[ 1] His support for Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in 1587 led to his becoming an exile in England, leaving with Hadrian Saravia . This followed a failed plot to mount a coup in Leiden on behalf of Leicester.[ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
He died in London in 1591^ .
Works
Hubert Goltzius published his translations of Moschus and Bion of Smyrna in 1565.[ 6]
De veteri et recta pronuntiatione linguae Graecae commentarius
He wrote a commendatory poem for the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum of Abraham Ortelius .[ 7]
Family
He married the widow of Jean Wijts of Bruges.[ 8] With Jacoba Cerbina he had four sons: Adolf, Nicolaas, Anthony, and Baldwin.[ 3] Nicolaas and Baldwin were killed at the siege of Deventer , Anthony at Zutphen .[ 9]
Margaret, daughter of John Lichtervelde, was his second wife; Edward Meetkerke , an English clergyman, was his son with her.[ 3] His daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Westfield .[ 10] There was another daughter of this marriage, Salome.[ 1]
Notes
^ There are numerous variants, in particular found in the English State Papers; Meetkerke, Meetkerk, Meetkirk, Meddykyrk, Medekerk, Medkerke, Midkerke, Meetkerque, Meetquerque, Metkerke, Mettkerke, Mekerke, Merkerke etc.; Mekerchus, Medkerkius, Metkerkius. Also Adolph or Adolphus.
References
^ a b c d s:de:ADB:Meetkercke, Adolf van (in German)
^ Nijenhuis, Willem (1980). Adrianus Saravia (ca. 1532–1613): Dutch Calvinist, First Reformend Defender of the English Episcopal Church Order on the Basis of the Ius Divinum . BRILL. p. 102. ISBN 90-04-06194-0 .
^ a b c Larminie, Vivienne. "Meetkerke, Edward". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi :10.1093/ref:odnb/18512 . (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^
^ Vigne, Randolph; Littleton, Charles (2001). From Strangers to Citizens: The Integration of Immigrant Communities in Britain, Ireland, and Colonial America, 1550–1750 . Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-902210-85-8 .
^ Waterschoot, Werner (2002). Schouwende fantasye: opstellen . Academia Press. p. 205. ISBN 978-90-382-0316-4 .
^ Cosgrove, Denis E. (2003). Apollo's Eye: A Cartographic Genealogy of the Earth in the Western Imagination . JHU Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-8018-7444-4 .
^ Devreese, Jozef T.; Berghe, Guido Vanden (2008). 'Magic is No Magic': The Wonderful World of Simon Stevin . WIT Press. p. 297. ISBN 978-1-84564-391-1 .
^ Burke, Bernard ; Burke, Ashworth Peter (1894). A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland . London: Harrison. p. 1373 – via Internet Archive.
^ "Westfield, Thomas" . Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
External links
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