36 LEEUWENHOEK AND HIS “ LITTLE ANIMALS”’ 
baptisms’ being entered on the very same page of the Register 
of the New Church: and he married Catharina Bolnes (alias 
Bolenes) on 5/20 April 1653. He was buried in his native 
town on 15 December 1675 at the early age of 43, leaving his 
widow with eight children (all under age), an insolvent estate, 
and some of the world’s finest pictures. ‘To meet her creditors 
Catharina Vermeer was forced to file a petition in bankruptcy 
and realize her assets: whereupon—as we see—the Sheriffs 
nominated Leeuwenhoek to act as “curator” or “ official 
receiver”. Everything regarding this affair now ascertainable 
from the Delft Archives has already been extracted and 
published by Obreen (1881-2) and Bredius (1885) ; and as the 
incident has but little present interest, | must refer readers 
seeking further information to their publications.’ 
Obreen has inferred* that Leeuwenhoek’s appointment as 
administrator of Vermeer’s estate was one of the “ pickings ” 
to which he was entitled by virtue of his office as Chamber- 
lain. Obreen may be right: but it seems hardly likely that 
Leeuwenhoek derived any profit from his trusteeship of the 
affairs of an insolvent family, and the extant records (as 
published) show only that he met with worries and legal 
difficulties in the discharge of his duty. To me the incident 
appears rather to indicate that Leeuwenhoek may have been a 
personal friend of the Vermeers, though it also shows clearly 
that he himself must have held a solid position as a citizen of 
Delft at that date; since it is inconceivable that the Sheriffs 
could have nominated anybody but a respected fellow- 
townsman to disentangle Vermeer’s involved finances. 
For Vermeer—though soon forgotten and only recently 
rediscovered—was then rightly regarded as a great artist and 
ornament of the Town, and his wife apparently had well-to-do 
connexions. 
' Vermeer’s was registered on 31 Oct. 1632: so this was not the date 
of his birth—as many writers state. The date of his birth is actually 
unknown. 
* I have had considerable difficulty in ascertaining the above particulars 
about Vermeer and his relations to Leeuwenhoek, because most biographers 
of both these great Delvenaars give little or no trustworthy information on 
the subject. On Vermeer cf. also Plietzsch (1911), Vanzype (1921), Lucas 
(1922), Chantavoine (1926). 
* Obreen (1881-2), p. 295. 
