biography
| name: |
Sonoy or Snoey, Diederik
|
pronunciation:
[sohnoy]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1529–97)
|
| biography:
| Dutch nobleman born in Kalkar, Cleves, W Germany. He acquired large estates in Holland by his marriage to Maria van Malsen. A convert to Calvinism, he joined the Compromise and in 1567 had to flee to Germany. He collected funds for the revolt, and was made governor of Enkhuizen, and from there took Hoorn and other centres. As lieutenant-governor for the N area (Noorderkwartier) he persecuted the Catholics for more than 16 years, including the destruction of the Abbey of Egmont. In 1580 he besieged Groningen with William Louis (Willem Lodewijk), Stadtholder of Friesland. He refused to swear allegiance to Stadtholder Prince Maurice, and defied the authority of the States. Maurice dismissed him from his office and besieged him in Medemblik; he escaped to England and returned in 1594. |
|
|
