Background
Clara was the daughter of January Heyndrixzn.
Clara was the daughter of January Heyndrixzn.
Van der Meer (died 1596), a high-ranking city official and burgemeester in Delft. Following her death on 4 August 1615, she was interred on 8 August in the Oude Kerk in Delft, where her prominent tomb is visible still. A payment was made to each relation upon their wedding.
Originally a considerable sum of money, the amount paid dwindled over the centuries as a result of inflation and the increasing number of "relations." In the early 20th century the Dutch government retained an official whose responsibilities included maintaining the pedigree of Clara van Spaerwoude"s family and disbursing the funds to qualifying relatives.
By the 1920s the fund still held half a million guilders, but the payment per relation had dwindled to the equivalent of €11.35. In 1922 the Dutch government passed a law liquidating the balance of the fund and dispensing it among the poorest 10% of adult van Spaerwoude relations.
