Lordship of Ameland
Lordship of Ameland | |||||||||
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| 1424–1795 | |||||||||
Flag
Coat of arms
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Ameland around 1662, by Joan Blaeu | |||||||||
| Status | Lordship of the Holy Roman Empire (1424–1795) | ||||||||
| Capital | Ballum | ||||||||
| Common languages |
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| Religion | Calvinism Catholicism Anabaptism | ||||||||
| Government | Feudal monarchy | ||||||||
| Lord of Ameland | |||||||||
• 1424–1450 | Ritske I (first lord) | ||||||||
• 1450–1463 | Romke I and Keimpe I | ||||||||
• 1463–1486 | Hajo I | ||||||||
• 1486–1521 | Pieter I | ||||||||
• 1521–1552 | Wytzo I | ||||||||
• 1552–1575 | Pieter II | ||||||||
• 1575–1624 | Sicco I | ||||||||
• 1624–1638 | Pieter III | ||||||||
• 1638–1641 | Wytzo II | ||||||||
• 1641–1668 | Watse I | ||||||||
• 1668–1680 | Frans Duco I | ||||||||
• 1680–1681 | Rixt van Donia | ||||||||
• 1681–1704 | Wilco I | ||||||||
• 1704–1795 | Princes of Orange | ||||||||
| Historical era | |||||||||
• Ritske Jelmera declares himself 'Lord of Ameland' | 1424 | ||||||||
• Incorporation of the Lordship into the Batavian Republic | 1795 | ||||||||
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| Today part of | |||||||||
The Lordship of Ameland (Dutch: Vrije Heerlijkheid Ameland; West Frisian: Frije Hearlikheid It Amelân) was an allodial lordship on the present-day island of Ameland. Formally, the island had been in the possession of the House of Egmond since 1398. However, actual power had been in the hands of the Cammingha dynasty since 1424. In that year, the Frisian chieftain Ritske Jelmera began to call himself 'lord of Ameland' and acted as a representative of the island's population. The island would remain in the possession of the Van Cammingha's until 1681. Through the Thoe Schwartzenberg en Hohenlansberg family, the island subsequently came into the possession of the Prince of Orange in 1704. The island would then remain a free lordship until 1795, after which it was incorporated into the Batavian Republic. Today, 'Lord of Ameland' is still one of the titles of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.