Renier van Tzum

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Renier van Tzum (Tzum, c. 1600 – IJlst, September 21, 1670), also known as Tzom or Reijnjer van't Zum,^[1] was a merchant/trader and official of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC).^[2]

Early life

Van Tzum was born in the Frisian village Tzum or Tzom. He was the son of Marten Jansz, a captain in the Admiralty of Friesland.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Van Tzum began working for the VOC in 1629.^{[citation needed]}

Siam

Van Tzum was sent to Siam in 1629.^{[citation needed]}

In 1643 he was appointed chief factor. He collaborated with Johan van Twist in Dutch Malacca, François Caron in Formosa, and the factors in Persia and at the Coromandel Coast. ^{[citation needed]}

Japan

See also: Dutch missions to Edo

Van Tzum as the VOC opperhoofd or chief factor in Japan starting 24 November 1644 and ending 27 October 1646^[2]

During his time as head of the Dutch traders, he travelled to Edo. He departed from Nagasaki on December 31, on a ship with six fellow Dutchmen. They reached Edo on February 7.

As presents Van Tzum handed over Spectacles, magnifying glasses, optical lenses, also ones that could be used in a darkroom, and medicines. On February 12 he met with Inoue Masashige.^{[citation needed]}

In Edo, Van Tzum was asked if he had come to Edo with gifts to thank the shogun for the release of the Dutch prisoners or if he had come to pay his respects in the usual manner.^[3] Van Tzum answered that he had come to do both, but this answer did not satisfy the bakufu. On March 8, Inoue informed van Tzum that the Dutch did not appear to adequately value the release of the Dutch prisoners.^[2]

Upon his return to Nagasaki, the chief factor was informed by the interpreters that Nanking had been occupied by the Ching Dynasty and that Ikkan had sent a request for military support to the bakufu. Two junks arrived in Nagasaki from Nanking. The crew members of these junks had been forced to wear pigtails. The bakufu prohibited any dealings with ships from Nanking.^{[citation needed]}

Van Tzum handed over the factory to his successor, Verstegen, on October 7, 1646. Three weeks later he left Japan. In January 1747 he left Batavia on the Haerlem. The ship was lost in storm near Table Bay in March. Sixty men settled for one year on the mainland, but Van Tzum had sailed back earlier on one of the other two ships. Back in Europe he settled in Cornjum where he married in 1648.^{[citation needed]}

In 1654 he moved to IJlst and became a member of the vroedschap. He was appointed burgomaster, deputee to the States of Friesland and in a board, checking the provincial finances.^{[citation needed]}

References

Tombstone of Reynier van Tzum and his wife

↑ Opperhoofden in dienst van de VOC op Hirado en Deshima at Uchiyama.nl; retrieved 2013-2-6.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Historigraphical Institute (Shiryō hensan-jo), University of Tokyo, "24 November 1644-27 October 1646 (Volume Nine)"; retrieved 2013-2-6.
↑ Hesselink, Reiner H. (2002). Prisoners from Nambu: Reality and Make-Believe in Seventeenth-Century Japanese Diplomacy, pp. 134.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by ---	VOC Opperhoofden in Siam 1643-1644	Succeeded by ---
Preceded by Pieter Overtwater	VOC Opperhoofd at Dejima 1645-1646	Succeeded by Willem Verstegen

Persondata
Name	Tzum, Reijnjer
Alternative names
Short description	Dutch businessman
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	1670
Place of death

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