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25-563: Wolfger van Amstel is named in 1105 as a scultetus (bailiff) of Amestelle (Amstelland). His son Egbert built a small castle or keep (actually more just a fortified manor house ) in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel , probably on the spot where the Sefardi cemetery Beth Haim was later sited. In 1204, this building was destroyed by the invading Kennemers . Gijsbrecht II was named the first dominus (lord) of Amestelle in 1226, but came into conflict with

50-461: A schepen is a town alderman who serves on the executive board in the municipal government. It is generally translated into English as "alderman", "municipal councillor" or "town councillor", though none of these is an exact equivalent. Historically, schepen had different functions. Each Flemish municipality has an elected town council. During the first meeting of a newly elected town council , council members vote by secret ballot to elect

75-509: A schepen was similar to an alderman or town councillor, and is usually called that in English. When acting in a judicial capacity, the schepenen were often referred to as the schepenbank . One of the functions of the schepenbank was to pass judgment on criminals, thereby functioning as a jury or magistrates' bench. In this context, they are a sort of magistrate . The phrase schout en schepenen appears in many legal documents prior to

100-461: A schout was somewhat like a modern-day mayor . The phrase schout en schepenen appears in many legal documents from before the Napoleonic period, including the civil registration of marriages. Depending on the context and in what capacity they were acting, this phrase could mean something like the "mayor and aldermen" (i.e. the town council) or it could mean "the sheriff and magistrates". Second,

125-509: A bust on the facade of the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, and also has a park in the city named after him. Cafes in Amsterdam, Breskens , Arnhem , and Majorca have been named Heren van Amstel after the dynasty. Schout In Dutch -speaking areas, a schout was a local official appointed to carry out administrative, law enforcement and prosecutorial tasks. The office was abolished with

150-614: A number of other terms used for this or similar offices in Dutch-speaking lands. The terms used included schout , baljuw , drost , drossaard , amman and meier . Perhaps the most common alternative name for this office in Dutch was baljuw . Baljuw is usually translated into English as " bailiff ". The word schout , depending on its context, can be translated variously into English, usually as sheriff , bailiff , or reeve , but strictly in their respective medieval senses. As

175-529: A result, the Dutch word is sometimes used in English (even though schout is not actually a word in English). In Dutch, the plural of schout is schouten . The Dutch word schout comes from Middle Dutch scouthete , in turn from Old Low Franconian skolthēti , and is cognate with Old English scyldhǣta , sculthēta "reeve, (medieval) bailiff", German Schultheiß , (Swiss) Schulze "bailie (magistrate)", from PGmc * skuldi-haitijō "debt-orderer". The office

200-571: Is a municipal officer in Belgium and formerly the Netherlands , where it has been replaced by the wethouder (a municipal executive). In modern Belgium, the schepen or échevin is part of the municipal government . Depending on the context, it may be roughly translated as an alderman , councillor , or magistrate . The Dutch word schepen comes from the Old Saxon word scepino 'judge' and

225-408: Is depicted in the medieval Gelre Armorial (folio 107v.) The description of the coat of arms: barry of gold and sable (black), in eight pieces, over which a motley St. Andrew's cross of silver and gules (red) in two rows. Dutch writer and playwright Joost van den Vondel based his play Gijsbrecht van Aemstel on the history of Gijsbrecht IV of Amstel and his son Jan I of Amstel . Gijsbrecht has

250-546: Is related to German Schöffe 'lay magistrate'. In early Medieval Latin used in France, it was scabinus . Originally, the word referred to member of a council of "deciders" – literally, "judgment finders" ( oordeelvinders ) – that sat at a mandatory public assembly called a ding ("thing" in English). Their judgments originally required ratification by a majority of the people present. Later, mandatory attendance ( dingplicht ) and ratification were no longer required. In Flanders ,

275-399: The schepenen from amongst their ranks. An absolute majority (more than half the votes) is required for a schepen to be voted in. Once elected, the schepenen serve with the mayor on an executive board charged with the day-to-day management of town and city affairs, and also continue to exercise their legislative powers as town councillors. The executive board is referred to in Dutch as

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300-399: The schout was responsible for public order and policing . He was responsible for investigating a crime , apprehending a criminal and presenting the criminal to the court of magistrates ( schepenen ) for judgment. He or his men checked the drinking houses, carried out conscription orders, made sure taxes were paid and enforced the law. After a criminal verdict was given, the schout

325-415: The schout was responsible for many local administrative matters in the town or heerlijkheid . The schout presided in the meetings of the schepenen . Together, the schout and schepenen made up what we would call the "town council" today. He ensured decrees were published. He sometimes represented the town or heerlijkheid in business matters or in negotiations with other towns. In these functions,

350-407: The " college van burgemeester en schepenen ". Schepenen are often assigned portfolio areas such as culture , education or city planning . They have several executive responsibilities relating to their portfolios and thus assist the mayor in governing the town or city. The total number of schepenen in a town depends on its population. A city like Antwerp has ten; whereas Herstappe ,

375-444: The Napoleonic period, including the civil register of marriages. This phrase was used in both administrative and judicial contexts. If they were acting in an administrative capacity, schout en schepenen may be expressed in English as "the mayor and aldermen" (or a similar phrase like "the mayor and councillors"). If they were acting in a judicial capacity, schout en schepenen may be expressed in English as "magistrate's court" (or

400-538: The abduction, which failed at Muiden and Floris V was killed. As a result of his participation in the coup against Floris V, Gijsbrecht IV van Amstel was banned while his goods were forfeited. He found refuge in 's-Hertogenbosch, the northern border town of the Duchy of Brabant , where he enjoyed ducal protection and received material support from his influential nephew Jan I van Cuijk. Dutch professor Pim de Boer has found indications - though no conclusive proof - that Gijsbrecht

425-630: The bench when acting as prosecutor, at which time the remaining members of the Council would function as the Court of Justice. The final schout was William Knyff, who held the office in 1674 when the colony was returned to the English. The origins of the American public prosecutor ( attorney general ) have been traced to the schout in New Amsterdam . Schout is the word usually used in Dutch, but there were

450-481: The bishop of Utrecht and was led captive into the city of Utrecht behind a horse in 1252. Arnoud of Amstel, a son of Gijsbrecht III, built the castle at IJsselstein in c.1279. His son, Gijsbert van IJsselstein, then founded the city of IJsselstein and the St. Nicolaaskerk church, where he is buried in an ornate tomb. Gijsbrecht IV (1235-1303) became a vassal of Count Floris V of Holland . Gijsbrecht subsequently became one of

475-488: The introduction of administrative reforms during the Napoleonic period. The exact nature of the office varied from place to place and changed over the course of time. In general, a schout was appointed by the lord ( heer ) of a domain ( heerlijkheid ) and acted in the lord's name in the local day-to-day administration of the domain, especially the administration of justice. A schout had three main functions: administration, law enforcement and criminal prosecution. First,

500-576: The most powerful men of Holland and as such also strived for more independence. When Floris V in January 1296 thought he could realize his expansionism at the expense of Flanders with the support of the French king, Philip IV , he made a fatal mistake. The English king, Edward I , against whose Flemish interests Floris V had entered, ordered Gijsbrecht's cousin, Jan I van Cuijk, to take the count of Holland into hostage and transfer him to England. Van Cuijk organized

525-526: The smallest community in Belgium, has only two. Since a schepen is also an ordinary town councillor, the schepen must be re-elected to remain in the office of schepen . Since 2006, Belgian citizenship has not been a requirement for the position. In the Netherlands , schepenen have been replaced by wethouders . Historically, schepenen had administrative and judicial duties in a Dutch seigneury ( heerlijkheid ). When acting in an administrative capacity,

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550-550: Was brought with the Dutch to the American colony of New Netherland . The first schout (sometimes called the schout-fiscal ) in New Amsterdam after it was granted the authority to form its own local government in 1652 was Cornelis van Tienhoven , although officers were appointed to the post from at least 1626 when Jan Lampo was appointed. The schout had a seat on the Executive Council, but no vote, and would step down from

575-560: Was later involved in the foundation of Prussian Holland . Gijsbrecht III's son Jan I (1270-1345) succeeded in occupying Amsterdam for a while in 1304, but the city was besieged and Jan finally had to flee from the city. Amsterdam temporarily lost its newly acquired town privileges and had to make massive reparations to the count of Holland. In 1994, the foundations of a castle were discovered in Amsterdam , possibly built by this family, though historians differ on this. The Amstel coat of arms

600-831: Was occasionally referred to in Latin as scultetus . The Dutch equivalent of the naval rank of Rear Admiral is called Schout-Bij-Nacht (literally, schout at night). Adolf Wilhelm Verbond Hinne or Tuan Schout Van Hinne was famous for capturing Si Pitung (The Seven Friends) in Tanah Abang, Batavia in October 1893. The Schout led an ambush and shot the fugitive during a gun fight in a cemetery. Schepenen A schepen (Dutch, pronounced [ˈsxeːpə(n)] ; pl . schepenen ) or échevin (French, pronounced [eʃ(ə)vɛ̃] , [ɛʃvɛ̃] ) or Schöffe (German, pronounced [ˈʃœfə] )

625-411: Was responsible for carrying out the sentence. In these functions, he was somewhat like a modern-day chief of police . Third, a schout prosecuted suspected criminals and presided over the sessions of the magistrates ( schepenen ) when they sat as a court. The schout was not the judge, but directed the court proceedings. In this function, he was somewhat like a modern-day prosecutor . The office

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