Name Joost Berman | Role Poet | |
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Joost Berman (9 January 1793 – 18 March 1855) was a Dutch lawyer, judge, politician, poet, nonfiction writer, and editor.
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Life
Joost Berman was born in Ouwerkerk as the son of Maarten Berman (1769–1832) en Geertruida der Weduwen (1772?–1844). Along with some contemporaries from an evolving rural farming elite, he managed to complete his studies at the French and Latin schools. When he went on to study law at Leiden University (1814–1817), he was the first of these farmer boys to acquire higher education.
After graduating, Joost Berman worked as an attorney in Zierikzee. Subsequently he was employed by the local court, serving as Assistant Clerk to the Court, Clerk to the Court, Judge of Peace, and from 1838 as Canton Judge. In 1843 Jacobus Boeije succeeded Berman as Canton Judge and Berman served again as Clerk to the Court until 1851.
Joost Berman wrote several works of poetry mobilizing public opinion against the Belgian Revolution, supporting a continued Dutch rule over Belgium. His dissertation and some other nonfiction works were also published. Berman often wrote for magazines.
From 1836 to 1847, Berman was co-editor of the "Zeeland People's Almanac" (Dutch: Zeeuwsche Volks-Almanak), alongside Rev. H.M.C. van Oosterzee. While meticulously covering all of Zeeland, both editors lived in Zierikzee, putting Schouwen slightly more central in the Almanac than customary in Zeeland publications.
In the elections of 26 September 1848 for the city council of Zierikzee, Joost Berman received 75 votes, just one vote less than the last candidate to receive a 9 year appointment to the council. Berman and the two candidates behind him were selected to fill in places of deceased council members for a "short" term of 6 years.
Personal and death
On 29 July 1817, Joost Berman married Neeltje Sevenhuizen (1797–1871) from Zierikzee. They had 12 children, 4 of whom died at a young age. In 1823, Berman was released from serving in the Zierikzee's civil guard for health reasons.
Berman resigned from the Zierikzee court in 1851. There are indications of hardships around or after this decision. He died in Zierikzee on 18 March 1855, aged 62, after a disease said to have lasted only 2 days.
Joost Berman's son, Alexander Johan, studied at Joost's alma mater to become the Dutch Reformed minister of Watergang. His grandson, Simon Berman, was the mayor of six municipalities in the Netherlands, among which Schagen, Bedum, and Alblasserdam.