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Frederik s'Jacob

Frederik Albert s'Jacob (25 February 1822 – 3 April 1901) was the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 12 April 1881 to 20 January 1884.[1]

Early biography and family

Frederik s'Jacob was born in The Hague on February 25, 1822. He was a member of the patrician s'Jacob family and a son of Frederic Bernard s'Jacob, who served as a member of the Dutch House of Representatives (1815–1819) and secretary of the Council of State, and Maria Petronella Rochussen (1792–1848).

s'Jacob educated at the Royal Naval Institute in Medemblik, and was later appointed as midshipman first class. He then served for various positions in the Navy, including participating to fight in the Dutch intervention in Bali, for which he was awarded the Military Order of William.[2]

He only had one surviving son, Frederik Bernard 's Jacob, who later became mayor of Rotterdam in 1893.

Career

On November 1880, King William III, to the shock of the Dutch people, appointed the 58-year-old businessman and sugar manufacturer s'Jacob to be governor-general of the Dutch East Indies.[3]

During his reign as Governor-General, the Dutch East Indies were hit by several devastating diseases and disasters, most notably a cholera outbreak in Java, and an eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in the Sunda Strait, the latter devastating the islands for decades. However, he achieved industrializing the East Indies, most notably by building a railway network and introducing the telephone to the islands.

In 1883, the English steamship Nisero ran aground off the west coast of Aceh, and the crew was captured and kidnapped. Only after a failed attempt to free them by force did this succeed after difficult negotiations. An interpellation was held in the Lower House about this affair.

Billiton affair

In 1883, s'Jacob extended the Billiton Maatschappij's (now known as BHP) concession for tin and oil mining by 75 years; the original concession was for 40 years. This decision - and the approval granted by minister De Brauw - was severely criticized in the Lower House, which led to the De Brauw's resignation. s'Jacob resigned his duties shortly thereafter. A report found further economic ties with King William III and Princess Sophie, and the Dutch government forced the former to end his shares.

References

  1. ^ (in Dutch) F. s' Jacob, Parlement & Politiek. Retrieved on 17 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Frederik 's Jacob (1822 - 1901)". October 27, 2021.
  3. ^ Simon Winchester (April 1, 2003). Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded.
Political offices
Preceded by Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
1881–1884 		Succeeded by