Mattheus Smallegange
Dutch historian

Mattheus Smallegange (Goes, baptized December 29, 1624 - Goes, January 5, 1710) was a Dutch historian, lawyer, genealogist and translator.
He studied law in Utrecht (1638 - 1647). However, he probably didn't graduate.
In 1651 he traveled through France to further develop his skills in the French and Italian language. After his return, he established himself as commissioner of the militia in Goes. Around 1660 he lived in Amsterdam and began to publish. After publishing his Sinnebeeld in honor of Wilhem the III ( 1665 ) he was expelled from the city for a year.
After that time he is found again in Goes, and is also mentioned in Middelburg. In 1682 he started writing his best-known work: Nieuwe Cronyk Van Zeeland, an extensive (almost 800-page long) illustrated description of Zeeland. The Cronyk was finished in 1696, but only appeared in 1700.
The public source identifies “Mattheus Smallegange” as dutch historian. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Mattheus, Smallegange and Dutch.
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Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 17, 2023. The linked authority identifier is Q2086330. VIAF identifies the subject as 22948246. The Library of Congress control number is n83224523. 4 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1624, 1710, 1638 and 1647.
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This entry incorporates text from “Mattheus Smallegange” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.