Joan van Hoorn

Who was Joan van Hoorn?

Joan van Hoorn was Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1704 until 1709.

Joan van Hoorn was born on 16 November 1653, son to the wealthy Amsterdam gunpowder manufacturer, Pieter Janszn van Hoorn and his wife Sara Bessels, a grandchild of Gerard Reynst. As the gunpowder trade was no longer doing so well, his influential friends got him named as Counsellor-extraordinary to the Dutch Council of the Indies. The whole family left for the Indies in 1663, including Joan.

In 1665, when he was still only 12 years old, Joan van Hoorn was already Under-assistant in the Dutch East India Company. From July 1666 until January 1668, he accompanied his father on a mission to China, where he was received by the Kangxi Emperor. Thereafter, Van Hoorn made rapid progress in his career. He became Assistant in 1671, Underbuyer in 1673, Buyer and First Clerk to the general secretarial function in 1676. He was made Secretary to the High Government of the Indies in 1678. On 11 August 1682 he became Counsellor-extraordinary to the Council of the Indies. In that same year he was sent on a visit to Bantam. He was also named President of the Weeskamer. In 1684, he became President of the College van Heemraden. A further visit to Bantam took place in 1685, following which he was named full Counsellor of the Indies.