Antwerp

On 04 Mar 1194 King Richard "Lionheart" I of England (age 36) and his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England (age 72) sailed from Antwerp [Map] on board the Trenchemer. The royal admiral, Stephen of Turnham, who was commanding in person, had to employ experienced pilots to take her through the coastal islets and out into the estuary of the Scheldt. It was a long crossing, perhaps deliberately so, to avoid ambush. The Trenchemer was escorted by a large cog from the Cinque port of Rye [Map].

King Richard "Lionheart" I of England (age 36) and his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England (age 72) landed in England at Sandwich, Kent [Map].

                    Froissart. Nov 1337. The news of the discomfiture at Cadsant was soon spread abroad; - the Flemings said, that they were not sorry for it, as the earl had placed that garrison there without their consent or advice; nor was Jacob von Artaveld (age 47) displeased at the event. He instantly sent over ambassadors to king Edward recommending himself to his grace with his whole heart and faith. He signified to the king, that it was his opinion he should immediately cross the sea, and come to Antwerp [Map], by which means he would acquit himself towards the Flemings, who were very anxious to see him; and he imagined, if he were on that side of the water, his affair would go on more prosperously, and to his greater advantage. The king of England (age 24), upon this, made very great preparations; and when the winter was over, he embarked, accompanied by many earls, barons, and knights, and came to the city of Antwerp, which at that time was held for the duke of Brabant (age 37): multitudes came thither to see him, and witness the great state and pomp in which he lived. He sent to the duke of Brabant (age 37), his cousin, to his brother-in-law, the duke of Gueldres (age 42), to the marquis of Juliers, the lord John of Hainault, and to all those from whom he expected support and assistance, that he should be happy to have some conversation with them. They all therefore came to Antwerp between Whitsuntide and St. Johns day; and when the king had sufficiently entertained them, he was eager to know from them when they could enter upon what they had promised, and entreated them to make dispatch: for this was his reason of coming to Antwerp; ud as he had all his preparations ready, it would be a great loss to him if they were tardy. These lords of Germany had a long consultation together, and finally made this their answer:-                

                    "Dear sir, when we came hither, it was more for the pleasure of seeing you, than for any thing else; we are not yet in a situation to give a positive answer to your demand; but we will return home, and come again to you whenever you please, and give you so full an answer, that the matter shall not remain with us."
                
                    They fixed upon that day three weeks after St. John's day. The king of England remonstrated with them upon the great expenses and loss he should be at by their delays, for he thought they would all have been ready with their answers by the time he had come thither; and added, that he would never return to England, until he knew what their intentions were. Upon this the lords departed, and the king remained quietly in the monastery of St. Bernard: some of his lords staid at Antwerp, to keep him company; the rest went about the country amusing themselves in a magnificent style, and were well received and feasted wherever they came. The duke of Brabant went to Louvain [Map], and made a long stay there; thence he sent (as he had done before) frequently to the king of France (age 43), to entreat that he would not pay attention to any reports that were injurious to him, for he should be very sorry to form any connexion or alliance contrary to his interests; but the king of England being his cousin-german, he could not forbid his passing through his country. The day came when the king expected the answers from the above-mentioned lords: they sent excuses, saying, they were not quite ready, neither themselves nor their men; that he must exert himself to make the duke of Brabant prepare to act with them, as he was much nearer to France, and seemed to them very indifferent in the matter; and that an soon as they should for a certainty he informed that the duke was ready, they would pat themselves in motion, and he as soon in action as he should he.                

                    Upon this the king of England had a conference with the duke of Brabant, and showed him the answers he had received, and begged of him, hy his friendship and his kindred, that no delay might come from him, for he suspected that he was not warmly inclined to the cause, and added, that, if he were so cool and indifferent, he much feared he should lose the aid of these German lords. The duke replied, that he would summon his council. After long deliberations, he told the king, that he would he ready the moment the business required it - but that he must first see these lords; to whom he wrote, to desire they would meet him at whatever place was the most agreeable to them. The day for this conference was fixed for the middle of August, and it was unanimously agreed to be held at Halle, on account of the young earl of Hainault, who was to be there, as well as the lord John, his uncle.
                
                    When all these lords of the empire were assembled in the city of Halle, they had long deliberations together, and said to the king of England, "Dear sir, we do not see any cause for us to challenge the king of France, all things considered, unless you can procure the consent of the emperor, and that he will command us so to do on his account, which may easily be done; for there is an ordinance of a very old date, sealed, that no king of France should take and keep possession of any thing that belongs to tho empire. Now king Philip has gotten possession of the castles of Crevecoaur, in Cambresis, and of Arleux, in Artois, as well as the city of Cambray [Map], for which the emperor has good grounds to challenge him through us, if you will have the goodness to obtain it from him, in order to save our honour." The king of England replied, that he would very cheerfully conform himself to their advice.
                
                    It was then determined, that the marquis of Juliers should go to the emperor, and with him knights and counsellors from the king, and some from the duke of Gueldres: but the duke of Brabant would not send any; he lent, however, his castle of Louvain [Map] to the king for his residence. The marquis of Juliers and his company found the emperor at Nuremberg: they obtained by their solicitations the object of their mission; for the lady Margaret of Hainault (age 25), whom the lord Lewis of Bavaria (age 55), then emperor, had married, took great pains and trouble to bring it about. The marquis was then created an earl, and the duke of Gueldres (age 42), who was but an earl, was raised to the dignity of a duke. The emperor gave a commission to four knights and two counsellors in the law, who were members of his council, investing them with powers to make king Edward his vicar over all parts of the empire; and these lords took out sufficient instruments, publicly sealed and confirmed by the emperor.

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On 29 Nov 1338 Lionel Plantagenet 1st Duke of Clarence was born to King Edward III of England (age 26) and Philippa of Hainault Queen Consort England (age 24) at Antwerp [Map]. Coefficient of inbreeding 3.00%.

Around 1551 John Critz was born in Antwerp [Map].

Around 1572 Adam de Colone was born to Louis Jansz Colonia at Antwerp [Map].

On 22 Mar 1599 Anthony Van Dyck was born in Antwerp [Map].

Between 1602 and 1609 Corneilus de Neve (age 7) was born to Cornelis de Neve the Elder and Sarah Pookes at Antwerp [Map].

Around 1633 Jacob Huysmans was born in Antwerp [Map].

In 1640 Pieter Scheemaeckers was born to Father Scheemakers and Mother Verbruggen at Antwerp [Map].

Evelyn's Diary. 03 Oct 1641. Next morning, I embarked for Lillo, having refused a convoy of horse which was offered me. The tide being against us, we landed short of the fort on the beach, where we marched half leg deep in mud, ere we could gain the dyke, which being five or six miles from Lillo, we were forced to walk on foot very wet and discomposed; and then entering a boat we passed the ferry, and came to the castle. Being taken before the Governor, he demanded my pass, to which he set his hand, and asked two rix-dollars for a fee, which methought appeared very exorbitant in a soldier of his quality. I told him that I had already purchased my pass of the commissaries at Rotterdam; at which, in a great fury, snatching the paper out of my hand, he flung it scornfully under the table, and bade me try whether I could get to Antwerp [Map] without his permission; but, I had no sooner given him the dollars, than he returned the passport surlily enough, and made me pay fourteen Dutch shillings to the Cantone, or searcher, for my contempt, which I was glad to do for fear of further trouble, should he have discovered my Spanish pass, in which the States were therein treated by the name of rebels. Besides all these exactions, I gave the commissary six shillings, to the soldiers something, and, ere perfectly clear of this frontier, thirty-one stivers to the man-of-war, who lay blocking up the river betwixt Lillo and the opposite sconce called Lifkinshoeck.

Evelyn's Diary. 04 Oct 1641. We went to see the Jerusalem Church, affirmed to have been founded by one who, upon divers great wagers, passed to and fro between that city and Antwerp [Map] on foot, by which he procured large sums of money, which he bestowed on this pious structure. Hence, to St. Mary's Chapel, where I had some conference wdth two Enghsh Jesuits, confessors to Colonel Jaye's regiment. These fathers conducted us to the Cloister of Nuns, where we heard a Dutch sermon upon the exposure of the Host. The Senate-house of this city is a very spacious and magnificent building.

Evelyn's Diary. 04 Oct 1641. We sailed by several Spanish forts, out of one of which, St. Mary's port, came a Don onboard us, to whom I showed my Spanish pass, which he signed, and civilly dismissed us. Hence, sailing by another man-of-war, to which we lowered our topsails, we at length arrived at Antwerp [Map].

Evelyn's Diary. 05 Oct 1641. But there was nothing about this city which more ravished me than those delicious shades and walks of stately trees, which render the fortified works of the town one of the sweetest places in Europe; nor did I ever observe a more quiet, clean, elegantly built, and civil place, than this magnificent and famous city of Antwerp [Map]. In the evening, I was invited to Signor Duerte's, a Portuguese by nation, an exceeding rich merchant, whose palace I found to be furnished hke a prince's. His three daughters entertained us with rare music, vocal and instrumental, which was finished with a handsome collation. I took leave of the ladies and of sweet Antwerp [Map], as late as it was, embarking for Brussels [Map] on the Scheldt in a vessel, which delivered us to a second boat (in another river) drawn or towed by horses. In this passage, we frequently changed our barge, by reason of the bridges thwarting our course. Here I observed numerous families inhabiting their vessels and floating dwellings, so built and divided by cabins, as few houses on land enjoyed better accommodation, stored with all sorts of utensils, neat chambers, a pretty parlour, and kept so sweet, that nothing could be more refreshing. The rivers on which they are drawn are very clear and still waters, and pass through a most pleasant country on both the banks. We had in our boat a very good ordinary, and excellent company. The cut is straight as a line for twenty English miles. What I much admired was, near the midway, another artificial river, which intersects this at right angles, but on an eminence of ground, and is carried in an aqueduct of stone so far above the other, as that the waters neither mingle, nor hinder one another's passage.

Evelyn's Diary. 08 Oct 1641. Thus taking leave of Brussels [Map] and a sad Court, yet full of gallant persons, (for in this small city, the acquaintance being universal, ladies and gentlemen, I perceived, had great diversions and frequent meetings,) I hasted towards Ghent [Map]. On the way, 1 met with divers little waggons, prettily contrived and full of peddling merchandises, dravm by mastiff-dogs, harnessed completely like so many coachhorses; in some four, in others six, as in Brussels [Map] itself I had observed. In Antwerp [Map] I saw, as I remember, four dogs draw five lusty children in a chariot: the master commands them whither he pleases, crying his wares about the streets. After passing through Ouse, by six in the evening, I arrived at Ghent [Map]. This is a city of so great a circumference, that it is reported to be seven leagues round; but there is not half of it now built, much of it remaining in fields and desolate pastures even within the walls, which have strong gates towards the west, and two fair churches.

Evelyn's Diary. 08 Oct 1641. At near eleven o'clock, I repaired to his Majesty's (age 40) agent. Sir Henry De Vic (age 42), who very courteously received me, and accommodated me with a coach and six horses, which carried me from Brussels [Map] to Ghent [Map], where it was to meet my Lord of Arundel (age 56), Earl Marshal of England, who had requested me when I was at Antwerp [Map] to send it for him, if I went not thither myself.

In 1642 Thomas Aylesbury 1st Baronet (age 66) and his family moved to Antwerp [Map] following the execution of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 11).

On 24 Jun 1694 John Michael Rysbrack was born in Antwerp [Map].

In 1714 Pieter Scheemaeckers (age 74) died at Antwerp [Map].