Jacobus Louw, b5

When he made his will on the 4th July 1713 he was described as on his sick bed, so he presumably died not long after this, given that we know he died before 1st Aug 1713 when, in the contract drawn up between Beatrix Weijman and Maria van Brakel, the latter is described as 'the widow of the late Jacobus Louw'.

He was one of the main organisers, with his brother-in-law Adam Tas, of the petition against the corruption and opression excercised by the Governor, Willem Adriaan van der Stel, which was drawn up in early 1706 and sent to the Council of Seventeen in Amsterdam. In March and April the ringleaders were arrested and questioned.

Their tribunal, the Council of Justice, whose members had been appointed on this occasion by the Governor, consisted entirely of the people they accused in their petition.

He was summonded to the Castle on the 14th April but he refused to sign a recantation or to be questioned by the Landdrost, Starrenburg, who was usurping the office of the Independent Fiscal. As a result he was imprisoned until 18th April when he was again examined by Starrenburg. He answered two questions, refusing any others and was returned to prison. Questioned again on 4th June, he answered a string of questions and was then asked to sign a recan- tation express his regret: he refused. He was sent back to prison and did not reappear again until 1st September, when he answered more questions.

Source: http://www.ballfamilyrecords.co.uk/louw/I025.html