Justinus Colyer (c. 1624 – 28 December 1682) was a Dutch politician and diplomat, who represented the Dutch Republic at the Sublime Porte.

Justinus Colyer
Dutch Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire
In office
1668–1682
MonarchMehmed IV
Prime MinisterJohan de Witt
Preceded byJoris Croock (as Minister)
Succeeded byJacobus Colyer
Personal details
Bornc. 1624
The Hague, The Netherlands
Died28 December 1682(1682-12-28) (aged 57–58)
Pera, Ottoman Empire
SpouseMaria Engelbert
RelationsElbert de Hochepied (grandson)
ChildrenJacobus Colyer
Clara Catharina, Baroness de Hochepied

Early life edit

Colyer was born in The Hague, in the Netherlands around 1624. He was the son of David Robertson (also known as Colyer)[a] and Clara van der Poll.[1] After his mother's death, his father married Jean Bruce (a daughter of John Bruce of Airth and Margaret Elphinstone). From his father's second marriage, he had a younger-half brother, Sir Alexander Colyear, 1st Baronet (father of David Colyear, 1st Earl of Portmore).[2]

His maternal grandparents were Cornelis van der Poll and Cornelia de Bije. His paternal grandparents were Helen and Jacobus Colyear (who assumed the surname Robertson and were said to be cadets of the House of Robertson of Struan).[1]

Career edit

Colyer was named ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in 1668, only the second official Dutch ambassador in Constantinople because the Dutch declined to appoint an official successor when Cornelius Haga down in 1639.[3] Between 1639 and 1668, several Dutch diplomats resided in Constantinople, but none were granted the official position of ambassador.[3]

In the fall of 1682, Colyer installed his eldest son Jacobus as the secretary and treasurer of the Dutch residence in Constantinople. Shortly after his death in 1688, his son sent a letter to Gaspar Fagel, the secretary of the States General, successfully arguing that he should be appointed as successor ambassador as his appointment would come with less financial costs than appointing an entirely new ambassador.[3]

Personal life edit

Colyer was married to Maria Engelbert. Together, they were the parents of:[4]

Colyer died at Pera on 28 December 1682.

Descendants edit

Through his daughter Clara, he was a grandfather of Elbert de Hochepied, 2nd Baron de Hochepied, who also served as the Dutch ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1747 to 1763.[6]

References edit

Notes
  1. ^ The family's surname has alternately been spelled Colyer, Colyear, Coljer, Collier or Colier, Coleyer and Cauleyer.[1]
Sources
  1. ^ a b c Bijdragen voor vaderlandsche geschiedenis en oudheidkunde (in Dutch). 1850. p. 60. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  2. ^ Society, Scottish History (1899). Publications of the Scottish History Society. T. and A. Constable. p. 319. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Boer, Bas de; Stokvis, Laurent (March 2015). Jacob Colyer: Mediating Between the European and the Ottoman World. Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  4. ^ Bijdragen voor vaderlandsche geschiedenis en oudheidkunde (in Dutch). M. Nijhoff. 1909. p. 30. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  5. ^ Molhuysen, Philip Christiaan; Blok, Petrus Johannes; Knappert, Laurentius; Kossmann, Friedrich Karl Heinrich (1918). Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek onder redactie (in Dutch). A. W. Sijthoff's uitgevers-maatschappij. p. 447. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  6. ^ a b Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. Burke's Peerage Limited. 1898. p. 1614. Retrieved 15 November 2022.