De Witt, Jan (1625-1672)

Dutch statesman and republican. He opposed the dynastic claims of the House of Orange and sought to abolish the office of stadholder. He negotiated the Treaty of Breda in 1667, ending the Second Anglo-Dutch War, and a triple alliance between Holland, Britain, and Sweden in 1668. When Louis XIV of France invaded the United Provinces of the Netherlands in 1672, the people appointed the Prince of Orange commander of the Dutch forces and De Witt resigned.

He was murdered by an angry crowd when he went to meet his brother, Cornelius, on his release from prison.

De Witt was born in Dort, the son of Jacob de Witt, a burgomaster of Dort and deputy to the states of Holland. He was elected grand pensionary of Holland 1653-72. In 1654 he negotiated a treaty with Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of Britain, with a secret proviso that no member of the House of Orange should be made stadholder. On the accession of Charles II to the throne of Great Britain the treaty of peace was rendered void and war broke out again between the two countries in 1665.