Career
She was given an education in a finishing school, which was described as shallow, as was the custom for education offered in the schools for girls at that time. Because of the poverty of the family caused by the French invasion in 1795, she started to give private lessons to contribute to the income of the family. She eventually opened a small girl"s school.
In 1815, her spouse was appointed school inspector, and through him, she introduced a petition of training courses for teachers in 1816, which was, however, not accepted.
She also published several books on education, advice to women, novels, and other works. In 1821-1835, she was the editor of the paper Penelope.
Her school became one of the most notable institutes of education for women in the Netherlands. In 1832, she started philanthropic work for the betterment of the conditions of female prisoners, and in 1841, she founded the charity association Hulpbetoon aan Eerlijke en Vlijtige Armoede, which was the first women"s organization in the Netherlands.