Marre, Jan Harmenszoon de (August 23, 1696 - January 19, 1763)

Jan Harmenszoon de Marre (August 23, 1696 - January 19, 1763) was a Dutch navigator, writer, and VOC agent active in the 18th century. De Marre was born in Amsterdam. While he received limited schooling, he associated himself from 1708, at age 12, with the United East India Company (VOC). He spent 23 years with the VOC, rising to ship captain, and vice-admiral. When he retiruned from active voyaging, the became the Examiner of the Amsterdam Chamber of the East Indies Company. In 1744, he was instructed to help Johannes II van Keulen (1704 - 1755) compile and construct secret VOC nautical charts of the East Indies into a new sixth volume of the Zee-Fakkel, which was published in 1753 - the first-time secret VOC hydrography saw print. Although his contribution to cartography was groundbreaking, de Marre is better known as a playwright and poet, his most famous works being Eerkroon voor de Caab de Goede Hoop, Batavia, and Jacoba van Beieren. He died in Amsterdam in 1763.