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Hubert Korneliszoon Poot [311]
born: January 23, 1689 in Abtswoude/Schipluiden, South Holland
died: December 31, 1733 in Delft, South Holland
He makes a good example for demonstrating some aspects of Dutch
names. His middle name, means "Kornelis' son", and follows the
patronymic naming style used until the early 1800's. His middle name,
like other patronyms, is sometimes abbreviated to Kornelisz, the "z"
implying the "zoon". However, since a family name is present, and many
people lacked a family name at this early date, the middle name is often
shortened to simply Kornelis. He is most often referred to as H.K. Poot.
Since the letters "K" and "C" are sometimes interchanged in Dutch writing,
he is also known as Cornelis(z) or H.C. Poot. Spelling was not
standardized and his first name is also spelled as Huibrecht. As you can
see, a single Dutch person may have several variations in their name.
He is often described as an uneducated commoner of humble origins.
However, the family history shows that his humble origins were over-
dramatized. H.K. Poot considered his parents' business expectations a
burden and deprecated his background. He did not attend a university,
but he did have a normal childhood education. The Poot family was not
royalty by any measure, yet it had been well-to-do and prominent for
several generations, holding positions like alderman and church master.
They were listed among the "welgeboren" or well-born. H.K. Poot was also
listed in the directory of "welgeboren", although his fame from writing
would have earned him that title. The province of Zuid Holland was well
developed and most land was owned by wealthy landholders. Few farmers
in that area owned their own land, yet his parents owned their farm and
expected him to carry on the family business. The Dutch traditionally
considered any farmer a peasant by definition, regardless of their wealth
or prominence. His father Kornelis was musically talented, and was
inspired by his son to make use of his literary skills late in life.
H.K. Poot is the most famous writer of classic Dutch poetry. His poetic
skill was self-taught, and he enjoyed the company of other authors, poets,
and artists. He grew up in the Ab(t)swoude - Schipluiden area, but traveled
to Delft frequently. He abandoned the family business and attempted to
live as a writer in Delft. After a year of liberated living, he unhappily
returned home due to a lack of money. In 1732 he married Neeltje 't Hart.
He then moved back into Delft to open a Tobacco shop. He became sick
and died from kidney disease in 1733 at the age of 44.
His first book, Gedichten (Poetry), underwent several editions and
revisions from 1716 through 1735. His most famous book,
Mengeldichten (Mixed Poetry) was first published in 1723. Additional
poems were published posthumously in the "Life of the Poets" in 1747.
Another work titled, "Het groot natuur- en zedekundigh werelttonel", was
(revised 10-2005) - Historical Poots - - page 4 -