The Dutch by Richard E. Schultz Page B

garment makers in the cities.
    At the end of 1415 A.D., after a short summer season brought crop failures throughout Europe, Lord Jacobus, now ruling in place of his aging father, recalled Brother Clover to again modify the structure of the realm’s agricultural production. It would prove a wise choice. After some mistakes, the ex-monk would teach farmers new ways to diversify and better cope with the increasing adverse weather. As Brother Clover returned to his managerial duties for the realm, The Baron Derick van Weir, possibly the greatest Lord of the Droger Land, died suddenly. As per his request, he was buried with the simplest of ceremony and on his tomb, carved in the stone was only two words under Derick’s name. They appropriately said only, “Builder and Lord.”

Chapter Two
Rotterdam 1550 A.D.
A Shipbuilder

    It was an extraordinary occasion, after only five short years of apprenticeship, eighteen year old Henry Roulfs became Rotterdam’s youngest master shipwright. The most powerful people in the maritime industry had come from as far away as Delft, Schiedam, and Vlaardingen to attend the initiation of the orphan who so rapidly became a shipwright. The exalted ceremony at the Guild Hall was solemn and elaborate. The applicant and each guild member wore the appropriate traditional brown cap, long brown cloak and short sheepskin apron. It was code of dress that signified their profession. The hall was decorated with the tools of their trade, the axes, chisels, planes, and saws shipwrights used in building ships. Henri was unanimously nominated by the membership committee but many doubted his membership would come so soon. Almost miraculously, despite his youth, not a single member of the shipbuilder’s guild had cast the dreaded black stone that would have barred his entry for another year. The members obviously agreed with its grand master who saluted Henri’s indentured vessel as a “beautiful, sturdy and reliable ship.”
    Henri’s rapid entry was helped by his mentor’s influence, his late grandfathers and father’s ties to members, and his own remarkable ability to put ship designs on paper. The young man’s pleasant personality may have been his greatest asset. Rotterdam’s shipbuilding community wanted him to succeed. All recalled his ability, even as a small toddler, to shape the hardest wood into seemingly impossible configurations. As its newest member, the guild would protect his right to an independent career. It would see that Henri had fair access to raw materials and labor. The guild would see to it that like all shipwrights, he would be able to practice his trade with few restraints. The shipbuilder’s guild had the power to influence the local political environment. Ultimately, Henri’s shipbuilding skills would dictate his success in the market place. By taking the sacred oath to the fraternal laws of the guild he guaranteed himself that opportunity. It was a customary advantage which his father and grandfather had held. Membership along with the important right of association would open the doors essential for his success. It would also carry responsibilities, such as serving as a member of the guild’s contingent of militia. That meant, during the winter months often putting aside one’s tools to train with weapons. Henri trained with other shipbuilders who prided themselves on having the most effective military unit within the city. A strong shipbuilder’s militia not only helped protect Rotterdam itself, but assured the continuance of the guilds hard won rights to practice their trade without encumbrances. Those rights were secured long ago, at great cost from the nobles who once totally controlled the city.
    The master shipwright who trained him would benefit from his elevation by gaining additional allotments of raw materials for his shipyard. The guild laws allowed his patron to share the profits derived from any