James Masterton (1610-1657)
Professor of Law, University of Leiden
Jacobus Maestertius by Jonas Suyderhoef reproduced with permission of Sinebrychoff Art Museum, Helsinki, Central Art Archives, Finnish National Gallery. Photographer Hannu Aaltonen.
James Masterton, son of Adam Masterton of Scotland, was born in Flanders in 1610 and after travelling around Europe, became Professor of Law in the University of Leiden in 1630, publishing and teaching in Latin as "Jacobus Maestertius". Inclusion of a document about James in Leiden's Pilgrim Archives places him alongside the group of Calvinist refugees fleeing from religious persecution in England. Between 1620 and 1629 some of these refugees emigrated to America, the so-called Pilgrims, or "Pilgrim Fathers". His portrait was painted by Jonas Suyderhoef (1610-1686), a copy of which is in the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, San Francisco, and another in the Sinebrychoff Art Museum, Helsinki, Central Art Archives, Finnish National Gallery.
Genealogy
Although the name Adam is a common one in the Masterton family, especially in my trees labelled 'Culross' and 'Mastertons of Grange', I have found no direct link to any of the Mastertons recorded in Scotland, but this is in the very earliest period of parish records where sources are, in any case, limited. It is possible that James could have been a son of Adam Masterton of Easter Grange but there is no direct evidence of Adam spending part of his life as a merchant in Dendermonde.
JACOBUS MAESTERTIUS
Vulgo MAISTERTON, natus Teneraemondae apud Flandros anno 1610, mense Augusto, patre Adamo, ex gente apud Britannos nobili. Linguam Latinam didicit in patria: Graecam & Oratorium Bruxellae apud Augustinianos: Philosophiam partim Lovanii, partim Sedani. Jura tractavit potissimum Lovanii, ibidemque celebrem Ericium Puteanum in Politicis atque Historicis qua publice qua privatim diligentissime audivit.
Inde repetita Bruxella, & ibidem jactis Linguae hispanicae fundamentis, mox iterato Galliam, & in ea studiorum causa Aurelias ad Ligerim, indelinguae & animi gratia Angliam, atque Italiam adiit; sed hanc perlustrare impeditus, per Galliam, insciis & ignaris tunc parentibus, Lugdunum Batavorum petiit; mutataque Religione, anno 1634. die XXIV. Maii Doctor J. U. renuntiatus, quadriennio post Petro Cunaeo vivis exempto, in numerum Professorum ordinariorum a Curatoribus illius Academiae cooptatus est. Scripsit, ediditque
Differtationem de artificio Juridice disputandi. Lugduni Batavorum 1636. 8. Tractatum de S.C. Velleiano. Lugd. 1630. in 8. De Emptione & Venditione. Ibid. Sedes Materiarum illustrium, ex Libris universi Juris Selettarum. 8. Lugduni Bat. 1636. item cum augmento ibid. 1664. in 4. Dissertationem de imminuendo labore studii Juridici. Ibid. 1639. 4 Tractatus III. De Lege commissoria in pignoribus de Compensationibus : & de secundis nuptiis. Ibid. eod. anno in 8. De Justitia Romanorum Legum Libros II. Ibid. 1634 & 1647. in 12. Reposuit his, pro justitia & aequitate Conoca pugnans, libros totidem de Injustitia Legum Romanorum Cyprianus Regneri J.C. & Prof. Ultrajecti. De vi ac potestate, quam Juris Gentium Conventiones ad obligandum habent, Jure populi Romani. 4. Lugd. Bat. 1640. In laudem Patriae fuae edidit vernacule Descriptionem Urbis ac Territorii Teneramundani, una cum Consuetudinibus ac Stratutis utriusque. 4. Leydae apud Nicolaum Rosa. 1646. Promisereat etiam editionem, Analysis Juris Feudalis: Petri Castali Opera, legum summariis ac Netis illustrata: Commentaria in Pandettas ; aliaque. Sed ejus conatus mors interrupit Lugduni Bat. Kalendis Septembris 1657. aetatis anno 47. Alibi tamen lego 5. Aprilis 1658.
Bibliotheca Belgica
Valerio Andrea, Auberto Miraeo, Francisco Sweertio
Tomus Primus, Bruxelles, 1739
page 648-649
MAESTERTIUS, JACQUES
ne 1610, a Dendremonde en Flandre, originaire d'une bonne famille anglaise, du nom de Maisterton, fut distingue parmi les jurisconsultes de son temps; et il professa le droit a l'universite de Leyde depuis 1630 jusqua 1657, epoque de sa mort. Il fut ouroune, par des voyages en France, en Angleterre et en Italie, et bonnes etudes faites a Bruxelles, a Louvain et a Sedan. Ses principaux ouvrages sont: I. Tractatus De Senatus-consulto Velleiano, Leyde,1630, in-8oII. De emptione et venditione, ibid. III. Tractatus tres de lege commissoria in pignoribus; de compensationibus, de secundis nuptiis, ibid., 1639, 8o. IV. De justitia Romanarum Legum, libri II, ibid., 1634 et 1647,in-12 De vi ac potestate quam juris gentium conventiones habent ad obligandum, jure populi romani, ibid, 1640, in-4o. L'opinion enon.. dans ces deuz ouvrages, fut abattue par Cyprien Regnier d'Offerga. Maestertius avait abandonne le religion catholique pur se faire protestant.
Biographie Universelle, Ancienne et Moderne
Redige par une societe de gens de lettres et de savants
Tome Vingt-Sixieme, Paris 1820
page 99
MAESTERTIUS, (Jacques)
jurisconsulte belge, ne a Dendermonde (Flandre orientale) en 1610, mort Leyde, le 1er septembre 1657, ou le 5 avril 1658. Il appartenait a une famille anglaise du nom de Maisterton, fut distingue parmi les jurisconsultes de son temps; et il professa le droit a l'universite de Leyde depuis 1630 jusqua 1657, epoque de sa mort. Apres avoir etudie le droit a Louvain, sous le celebre Ericius Puteanus il visita la France, l'Angleterre, l'Italie, puis se rendit a Leyde, ou, ayant embrasse, en 1634, la religion protestante; il fut nomme professeur de droit. Ses principaux ouvrages sont: De Senatus-consulto Veilleiano; Leyde, 1630, in-8o; De Justitia Romanarum Legum, libri duo repetitae praelectionis; Leyde,1634, in-12; ibid., 1647,petit in-4o; - Sedes materiarum illustium, ex libris universi juris selectae, etc; Leyde, 1636, in-12; Tractatus tres, quorum primus de lege committoria in pignoribus, alter de compensationibus, tertius de secundis nuptiis, Leyde, 1639, in-8o; - Description de la ville et du territoire de Dendermonde, avec leurs coutumes et statuts (en flamand); Leyde, 1646, in-4o. E.R.
Nouvelle Biographie Generale, depuis Les Temps les plus Recules jusqu'a nos jours
Publie par MM Firmin Didot Freres sous la direction de M. Le Dr Hoefer
Tome Trente-Deuxieme, Paris 1860
page 648-649
ITEM IN THE PILGRIM ARCHIVES, LEIDEN
202a/ONA415no. 145/30-6-1661 Discharge
Parties: Antonis Ellet, squire of Rosenburch, Dodoneus van der Meer, Delft, Thomas Stafford, surgeon;
Acknowledgment of receipt of several silver and pewter objects which have been described in the document and which were part of the estate of Jacob Maestertius, knight, squire of Rosenburch, Misterton, etc., professor of law at the university of Leyden. The objects were handed to party by Johannes van Groenendijc, secretary of the Orphan Chamber in Leyden and by Philips de Croi, executors appointed in the Last Will and Testament of Maestertius dated April 21, 1658 which was executed before notary public Henric Melchiorssoon Brasser in Leyden. With this statement the executors are discharged. Together the silver objects have a value of five hundred and fifty-two guilders, nineteen stivers and eight pence. The most valuable object was appraised by Joannes van Deventer, gold and silversmith. It is decorated with the coat of arms of Maestertius. Party will arrange that upon his own death these objects will revert to those persons who are entitled to them in accordance with the aforesaid Last Will and Testament. Dodoneus van der Meer, residing in Delft, and Thomas Stafford, surgeon in Leyden, stand surety.
Witnesses: Henric Harmensz.,bookprinter,Gilles Alenson,bookprinter.
Leiden Regional Archives
Pilgrim Archives
www.pilgrimarchives.nl
Accessed 25 May 2008
Note: source identified by Heikki Mesterton
PAGE FROM DENDERMONDE CITY WEBSITE
FAMOUS DENDERMONDERS
Jacobus Maestertius
Jacobus Maestertius werd op 2 april 1610 onder de naam Sebastiaan Mesterton in Dendermonde gedoopt, als zoon van Adam Mesterton en van Anna de Bruyne. Zijn vader, een uit Schotland afkomstig koopman, was tussen 1598 en 1602 meier van Berlare en was eigenaar en waard in het Gulden Hoofd op de Grote Markt te Dendermonde.
Hij volgde de Latijnse school in zijn geboortestad en later bij de Augustijnen te Brussel. In 1626 schreef hij zich in als student aan de Leuvense universiteit. Hij volgde opeenvolgend lessen in Sedan, Parijs, Leuven en Orléans. Waarschijnlijk bekeerd tot het Calvinisme vestigde hij zich in 1631, buiten weten van zijn ouders, in Holland. Hij was toen amper eenentwintig jaar. In 1634 immatriculeerde hij zich aan de Leidse universiteit waar hij nog hetzelfde jaar promoveerde tot doctor in de rechten en twee jaar later benoemd werd tot buitengewoon hoogleraar en in 1639 tot professor ordinarius aan de rechtsfaculteit.
Maestertius huwde in februari 1647 met Maria van der Aer. Hij overleed kinderloos te Leiden op 25 april 1658 en liet een aanzienlijk fortuin na. Van Maestertius zijn een twintigtal werken bekend, meestal juridische tractaten. In 1646 publiceerde hij te Leiden De Beschryvinge vande Stadt ende Lant van Dendermonde, voor het grootste deel een vertaling van David Lindanus De Teneraemonda libri tres uit 1612, aangevuld met een heruitgave van de Costumen van de stad en van het Leenhof van Dendermonde.
Het oordeel van tijdgenoten en latere auteurs over de kwaliteit van zijn wetenschappelijk werk is niet onverdeeld gunstig. Wel was hij een eminent pedagoog die het disputatiesysteem in het Leidse rechtsonderwijs ingang deed vinden. Voor Dendermonde blijft hij ongetwijfeld de grootste jurist die in deze stad tijdens het Oud Regiem het levenslicht zag.
Jonas Suyderhoef graveerde zijn portret naar een (intussen verdwenen) schilderij van N. van Negre. Deze gravure werd door minstens drie Leidse prenthandelaars uitgegeven. Er zijn exemplaren bekend met als uitgever Jac. Lauwijck, C. Dankertz en Clement de Jonghe. Onderaan de afbeelding een vierregelig huldevers door Caspar Kinschotius.
laatst gewijzigd: 24 oktober 2008.
Very approximate translation (using Dutch-English online translation)
James Maestertius was on April 2, 1610 under the name Sebastian Mesterton baptized in Dendermonde, the son of Adam and Anna Mesterton de Bruyne. His father, a merchant from Scotland come was between 1598 and 1602 and was superintendent of Berlare owner and landlord of the Golden Capital on the Market in Dendermonde.
He attended the Latin school in his hometown and later by the Augustinians in Brussels. In 1626 he enrolled as a student at the University of Leuven. He took lessons in sequential Sedan, Paris, Leuven and Orleans. Probably converted to Calvinism, he settled in 1631 without the knowledge of his parents in Holland. He was barely twenty-one. In 1634 he matriculated at Leiden University where he was the same year doctorate in law and two years later was appointed professor in 1639 and professor at the Law Faculty ordinarius.
Maestertius married in February 1647 to Maria van der Aer. He died childless in Leiden on April 25, 1658, leaving a considerable fortune. Maestertius of his twenty works published, mostly legal treatises. In 1646 he published in Leiden, The history of Vande Stadt using Lant Dendermonde, for the most part a translation of David Lind The Anus Teneraemonda libri tres in 1612, complemented by a reissue of the costume of the city of Dendermonde and the Leenhof.
The view of contemporaries and later authors on the quality of his scientific work is not particularly favorable. However, he was an eminent educator who disputatiesysteem in education law from Leiden was found. For Dendermonde, he remains probably the greatest lawyer in this city during the Old Regime was born. .
Jonas Suyderhoef engraved his portrait to a (now lost) painting by N. Negre. This engraving was published at least three Leiden print dealers. There are examples known as a publisher with Jac. Lauwijck, C. Lauwijck, C. Dankertz en Clement de Jonghe. Clement de Jonghe and Dankertz. Below the picture a four-line verse tribute by Caspar Kinschotius.
last modified: 24 October 2008
Dendermonde City Website
Direct Link
Accessed 3 May 2010