Isaac Le Maire: Difference between revisions

Isaac Le Maire<ref>The name has many spelling variants, f.i. Lameer or Lemaire. In modern history only the name ''Le Maire "used.''</ref> was born in 1558 or 1559 in Antwerp. His father (Jacques le Maire) and his uncle (Adam le Maire) were merchants from Tournai who became citizens of Antwerp in 1555. The le Maire-family traded with the Baltic (Narva) within a wider network of traders with roots in Tournai like the Van de Walle family. Isaac would eventually become the brother-in-law of Jacques van de Walle, a pioneer in the trade with Russia and Archangel. <ref>Wijnroks, E.H. (2003) ''Handel tussen Rusland en de Nederlanden, 1560-1640'' Hilversum: Verloren</ref>. Isaac had four brothers, three of whom were merchants.<ref>Around 1600 Isaacs brother Pieter Le Maire was appointed agent for Isaac in Hamburg, together with Andries Silmer and Jacques Bernarts. David le Maire established himself in 1604 in Livorno, and when he died in 1617 he was replaced by Isaacs third brother, Solomon le Maire. Wijnroks pp. 254-255</ref> Already in 1584 he was registered in Antwerp as a wealthy grocer. At the time, he was also captain of the company of the Antwerp [[schutterij|militia]]. He rented the house of ''Bourgognien Schilt'', but in 1585 after the [[fall of Antwerp]] he fled to the northern Netherlands.