Jan Heemskerk

Born July 30, 1818, in Amsterdam; died there Oct. 10, 1897. Dutch statesman.

Educated at law, Heemskerk began legal practice in Amsterdam in 1852 and became a member of the Supreme Court in Haarlem in 1854. From 1859 to 1864 he served as a deputy to the Second Chamber of the States General and from 1866 to 1868 was minister of internal affairs.

Heemskerk, a member of the Anti-Revolutionary Party, headed the government of the Netherlands from 1874 to 1877 and again from 1883 to 1888. In November 1887 Heemskerk’s government adopted a conservative constitution for the Netherlands to replace the constitution of 1848.