Escutcheon with coat-of-arms of Willem van Dam (Amersfoort 1596 - Leiden 1673), mennonite and mayor of the city of Amersfoort, depicted with coats-of-arms of his grandparents Van Dam, Leemputte (Van Leemput), Verborch, De Berges ten Essendelle. 17th century. Oil on vellum, framed in gilt frame. Good condition, frame slighly damaged. (31x14cm). On the back in ink some notes on the genealogy of the Van Dam family. Willem van Dam (Amersfoort 1596 - Leiden 1673) was a mennonite who fled in 1618 with his brother Peter to Holstein where he founded Friedrichstadt on the Eider. He was the son of Peter van Dam and Digna van Leemputte. Peter van Dam was a son of Pieter van Dam and Marie Verborch (also written as Verburgh). Digna van Leemputte was a daughter of Jan Jacobsz. van Leemputte and Catharina de Berges ten Essendelle (famous as Trijn van Leemput in Utrecht for demolishing the castle Vredenburgh in 1577). In 1616 after the death of stadhouder Maurits the political situation changed and the Van Dam brothers returned. In 1619 Willem became mayor of Amersfoort. When this city was besieged by Ernesto and his cousin Raimondo Montecuccoli on the 13th of August 1619 Van Dam decided to surrender the city a day later. Van Dam was prosecuted and banished for life for this betrayal. The Staten of Utrecht changed that verdict in 1631. In 1635 he became mayor of Amersfoort again and would serve 11 times more in this capacity. In 1648 he became member of the Staten-Generaal of the Netherlands. In the disastrous year 1671 he fled with his second wife Johanna, daughter of Rombout Hogerbeets, to Leiden, where he would die a year later. His son Pieter van Dam became lawyer ("Advocaat" ) for the VOC and secretary to the "Heren XVII." Descendants of Van Dam married with Van Zegwaart, Graafland, Pit, Wttewael van Stoetwegen. H151