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- BIOGRAPHY
Gerrit Bicker, Pieterszoon, was born in Amsterdam in 1554, the son of Pieter Bicker and Lysbeth Mr. Laurens Jacobsdr. alias Elisabeth Benningh.
On 23 May 1580 in Amsterdam he married Alyd Andriesdochter Boelens, daughter of Andries Boelens and Alyd Claesdochter Smit. Of their children one daughter and four sons would grow up and marry.
Gerrit was one of the more important merchants of Amsterdam and was owner of the brewery 'den Sleutel' (the key) also in Amsterdam.
From 1590 to 1604 he was one of the rulers of Amsterdam. In 1594 he was one of the founders of the 'Compagnie van Verre', which was established to trade in the East Indies. In 1597 he was one of the directors of a company which prepared ships to trade in America and Peru. In 1602 he cooperated in the merging of several companies into the 'Oost-Indische Compagnie', from which he was one of the directors.
Shortly before his death, he joined a consortium of seventeen major Dutch merchants intending to trade in Northern Europe.
Gerrit Bicker died on 20 May 1604 in Amsterdam. His widow survived him for many years, dying in Amsterdam on 30 May 1630.
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