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1797 |
Petrus Jacobus Groen van Prinsterer
The tenant who presented himself in 1797 was the young physician Petrus Jacobus Groen van Prinsterer, who was married to Adriana Hendrica Caen. He would become one of the most famous doctors of his time, the founder of the health inspectorate and personal physician to King William I. He was also active in local government, and a member of The Hague town council.
In 1805 Groen van Prinsterer bought the house from the Bentinck family for 20,000 guilders, half the amount Van Slingelandt had paid in 1735. The drop in value was the result of decades of economic stagnation.
 
Petrus Jacobus’ son, the eminent Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, started out as a lawyer before being appointed referendary in the King’s Office in 1827. A year later Guillaume married Betsy van der Hoop. He was unhappy with his career in the civil service. Thanks to the financial independence he acquired after his mother’s death, he was able to pursue to his main interests, history and publishing. In 1833 William I appointed him keeper of the royal archives.
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