Mysterious, historical fact: who were the damsels Otte and what did they do in Zoetermeer?

Anyone who takes a look at the history of Zoetermeer often comes across the name Otte van Egmond. You will also encounter the surname in the Van Egmondstraat in Palenstein. Who was, or rather, who were these damsels Otte?

Jonkvrouw Otte, or Otte van Egmond, is a name that you can often encounter in the history of Zoetermeer. After Otte van Egmond, daughter of Ambachtsheer Willem van Egmond, another influential Otte van Egmond was born in 1440. How is this? We figured it out.

Ambrachtsvrouwe van Zegwaart

Otte van Egmond was born around the year 1386 and she was the daughter of knight Willem van Egmond (craftsman of Zegwaard and lord of Zevenhuizen) and his wife Machteld van Hemert. Otte had two brothers: Jan van Egmond and Aernt van Egmond. Otte outlived all her family members: father Willem died first in 1423. Her brother Jan, who was craft lord of Zevenhuizen and later schout (highest official) of Delft, died in 1426. Brother Aernt, who was also craft lord of Zegwaard, followed him and even became bailiff (representative of the monarch) of Schieland in 1445. Unfortunately, he could not enjoy this new position for long, because he died six months later. And so the third child – Otte – became a craftswoman of Zegwaard.

Peat cutting

Damsel Otte was an enterprising woman. She was involved in the craft of cutting peat and arranged a permit that allowed her to make a profit from this. She owned Palenstein Castle and also Blankenburg Castle in Beuningen (Gelderland). Otte van Egmond did not marry and did not have children. She died in 1468. It is not known how old she became.

Another lady Otte

However, the story does not end with the death of Otte van Egmond. Because… another Otte van Egmond appears in history. Otte’s cousin Willem succeeded her and became a master craftsman. He had a son and two daughters, one of whom was named Otte. This second Otte van Egmond, born around 1440, also ended up in an influential position. She married Adriaan van Zwieten in 1460, son of the sheriff of Leiden and later even bailiff of Rijnland. This Otte van Egmond died in 1485.

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Palenstein Castle

Palenstein Castle – or House in Palenstein – stood in the Dorpsstraat from the end of the 14th century until 1888. The castle was probably called Palenstein because the building was built on stilts. The house was enormous and was surrounded by a moat and large areas of land. Would you like to read more about the castle and its residents? Read more here.

Sources: Memory of Zoetermeer, Old Soetermeer and A castle in the Dorpsstraat (Open Monument Day Zoetermeer)

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