Jan Heemskerk Abrahamszoon was born on 30 July 1818 in
Amsterdam. He was the son of Abraham Heemskerk and Joanna Jacoba Stuart. He was baptized on 27 August 1818 in the
Remonstrant Church in Amsterdam. He studied
law and became a lawyer, then a member of the
House of Representatives. Originally a
liberal politician, he became a
conservative in 1866, and remained this in his Premiership. He was three times
Ministers of the Interior (1866–1868; 1874–1877; 1883–1888) and three times temporary chairman of the
Council of Ministers, similar to the present-day
Prime Minister, (1867–1868; 1874–1877; 1883–1888). He was
Minister of State from 1885 to his death. Heemskerk died on 9 October 1897, at the age of 79, in
The Hague. == Personal life ==