22, LEEUWENHOEK AND HIs ‘‘ LITTLE ANIMALS’”’ 
both married subsequently. Neeltge | Nellie] apparently died 
young. (See the Family Tree, p. 18.) 
All the trustworthy evidence now available thus shows 
that Antony was a true Hollander of decent though not of 
aristocratic descent—a child of fairly well-to-do tradespeople. 
Richardson’s statement (1885)—unhesitatingly accepted by 
Locy (1901, 1910), Plimmer (1913), and others—that he was 
of ‘ Jewish Saxon ” extraction, is nothing but a wild specu- 
lation’: and the evidence against the guess that Leeuwenhoek 
was a Jew, or of Jewish origin, is overwhelming. Mr Bouricius 
assures me’ that “‘there were practically no Jews in Delft” 
at that date: and if there were any, they certainly did not 
then engage in basket-making or in brewing, nor did they hold 
any municipal appointments (from which they were debarred). 
Moreover, the baptisms and marriages and burials of all 
members of the families concerned (whose names are obviously 
not Jewish) were entered in the registers of the Reformed 
Church; while Leeuwenhoek was, of course, himself baptized 
in the New Church and buried in the Old Church at Delft. 
Mr Bouricius, who speaks with authority, says: “In geen 
geval was van Leewwenhoek een jood’’—Leeuwenhoek was no 
Jew anyway. 
When our Antony was only five years old, his father Philips 
died,’ leaving his mother in sole charge of their little family. 
But soon afterwards (18 December 1640) she married again— 
her second husband, Antony’s stepfather, being a painter 
named Jacob Jansz. Molijn, who died in 1648. Antony’s 
mother herself died 16 years later, and was buried in the Old 
Church at Delft on 3 September 1664.’ 
may be forwarded to him through “ Mistress Catharine Leeuwenhoek, 
widow . . . living in the High Street at Rotterdam.’ She had no 
children (fide Bouricius). : 
' Richardson’s ridiculous statement had no other foundation than his 
own imagination. The “Jewish” and “ Saxon’”’ ancestors were divined by 
inspection of L.’s portrait ! 
* in litteris. 
* He was buried in the Old Church at Delft on 8 January 1638 
(Bouricius, 1924). The exact date of his death I have been unable to 
ascertain. Of. Schierbeek (1930). 
“ The foregoing facts—imperfectly noted by earlier biographers—are 
recorded in part by Bouricius (1924, 1925), and additional confirmatory 
details have been kindly sent me by him in personal communications. Cf. 
also Schierbeek (1929, 1930). 
