Book: Digitalized by Google.
The full name is: "Collection of Edicts, Resolutions
and other Authentically Pieces in connection with the important
events that happened in the month September of the year MDCCLXXXVII,
before and after, in the Commonwealth of the United Netherlands".
Of course, the first question that comes to mind is :
what happened in September 1787? Well, what happened is connected
to William V of Orange. William V was stadtholder of the Netherlands,
the most important function inside the Republic. Actually
it was a function similar to a regent in a monarchy; only
the appearance of being a Republic remained. In 1780 the Fourth
Anglo-Dutch War started - which was a war between England
and the United Provinces or Dutch Republic. The Dutch Republic
lost this war. William V was accused of having sympathies
for England. The Patriots, (opponents of the Orange House)
took over government over the province Holland. They tried
to break the power of William V by taking a few very crucial
positions. In 1785 he lost his command over a garrison in
's-Gravenhage. William moved his court to Guelders, a province
remote from the political centre, but took no further action.
A year later they seized his position of captain-general.
This was against the wishes of his wife Wilhelmina who tried
to travel to The Hague. This was on June 28, 1787. Her travel
plans were leaked and in Gouda the Freikorps (voluntary army)
caught her with sabres. She was then taken to a nearby farm.
In the evening the Committee of defence arrived, and they
denied her entry without the permission of the states of Holland.
The next day she returned to her house, furious. She wrote
a letter to her brother Frederick William II, the fourth king
of Prussia. Wilhelmina and her brother viewed what happened
as an insult. Frederick sent in an army to attack the dissidents,
an army of 20,000 soldiers. This was on September 13, 1787.
On September 18, 1787, William V was restored to all his previous
positions.
The book we are showing contains important pieces about
all these events. On the pages 1 till 10 is a request of the
city Hoorn. In the enclosure are two letters. A letter to
William V and a letter to his wife Wilhelmina. In both letters
God's name is written.
