Tobacco pipe

Description

Tobacco pipe with a text ribbon on the smoker's side with the text DE BEURS VAN GORINCHEM. This quality tobacco pipe is marked with the crowned 96 and was produced by Pieter Stomman (1751−1839) in Gouda. This pipe maker made more of this type of tobacco pipes.

The most famous are the Amsterdam ones FELIX MERITIS pipes but also in the provinces these types of pipes were ordered. The currently known products on which, like this Gorcum example, a place name is mentioned, but which were produced by another Gouda pipe maker, are DE KOORNBEURS VAN MIDDELBURG and DE HARMONIE TE MAASSLUIS.

The Stock Exchange on the corner of Hoogstraat-Kortendijk (1913)

Accommodation De Beurs

The question then arises as to what this Gorcum tobacco pipe was made for and what is/was 'The Stock Exchange'?. Further research shows that on 21 September 1816 De Beurs in Gorinchem was first mentioned in a newspaper. In this case the Rotterdamsche Courant followed by a mention two days later in the Utrechtsche Courant. These reports show that a building was purchased, converted and from that moment on furnished as a lodging house. This lodging house is located in the best part of the city on the Hoogstraat.

Announcements in the Utrecht and Rotterdam Courants September 1816 (source: Delpher)

Both announcements refer to the corn market on the Havendijk, directly opposite De Beurs, in the area between the Burgstraat and the Balensteeg. 1Emck, WF (1914)
Old names of houses and streets in Gorinchem, Gorinchem, p. 26 (488).
PDF (5 MB) With his advertisements, Lobregt wanted to appeal to the affluent grain traders in the region.

From 1818 onwards, various advertisements and articles in the newspaper De Beurs in Gorinchem were described as a (first-class) lodging/​coffee house in Holland2Dutch Government Gazette 1 July 1818 and 5 April 1820. and from the thirties onwards3The earliest mention found in which De Beurs is described solely as a coffee house dates back to the year 1833. See for example De Utrechtsche Courant of 26 July 1833 or the Opregte Haarlemsche Courant of 25 April 1833 still only as a coffee house. A comparable situation with the lodging house de Koornbeurs in Middelburg where, as mentioned before, a comparable tobacco pipe is known.

The Stock Exchange on the corner of Hoogstraat-Kortendijk (ca. 1900)

Conrad Lobregt

The plot between the Fonteinsteiger and the Hoogstraat consisted of three houses, two of which were semi-detached. This last double house, a former mayor's residence, was bought by Koenraad Lobregt on 6 March 1816 for 1.300 guilders. He already owned the third house, directly south of the jetty.4Notarial archive H. van Aken 1816 deed 27. In 1868 the entire plot was valued at 13.000 guilders.5Notarial archive GC van Appeltere 1868 deed 74.

Rear seen from the Fish Bridge (ca. 1900)

Koenraad Lobregt was born in Brakel as the son of Stephanus Lobrecht6Spelling according to death certificate 158. and Lijntje Smits. He died on September 9, 1829 at the age of 52 in De Beurs. His estate was valued at 19.750 guilders.7Notarial archive H. van Aken 24 – 2‑1830, deed 19. Lobregt also owned a large garden on the west corner of Keizerstraat-Blauwe Torenstraat. Nowadays it is built up with apartments.

Bombardment

After Lobregt's death, De Beurs retained a catering function until the Second World War. It was the meeting place for farmers, cattle breeders and traders, especially on Mondays. The local notaries made it easy for them by holding their sessions there. 8Hoogdalem, H. van (1967)
Gorinchem in old postcards, Zaltbommel, p. 122.On November 4, 1944, the building was bombed during an Allied attack on the opposite circle house of NSB circle 47 Alblasserwaard at Havendijk 14.

Kortendijk with playing children. On the left the place where De Beurs stood (1954)