The origin of the amt fiefdom of Oud and Nieuwe Vossemeer and Vrijberghe can be traced back to a charter from 1410. In this, duke William of Bavaria, count of Holland and Zeeland grants the rights to dike in and sell mud flats north of Tholen to six lords. A general introduction can be found here.


For a more in-depth look at the history of the amt fiefdom of Oud and Nieuw Vossemeer and Vrijberghe, the book Vossemeer land van 1000 heren, written in 1969 by A. Delahaye, has been placed on the website in its entirety. A selection of the illustrations from the book has been included in the website edition.


The mantelpiece in the house of the amt lords displays the coats of arms of the lords incumbent at the time of building. Among others, the coat of arms of Johan Willem van Rosevelt, LL.M, amt lord from 1731 to 1790, can be found here. He was a steward of the Vossemeer amt fiefdom, councillor, alderman and pensionary of Goes, steward of the count's domains, clerical goods, common means and taxes in Biervliet, deputy councillor of Zeeland and admiralty councillor.


The construction of the current house of the amt lords in Oud Vossemeer started in 1767, having been designed in Middelburg by the carpenter Evert Philipse. The two vaulted cellars, serving as a prison and place of harsh interrogation, were closed and filled up with sand at the 1954 restoration. The virtual tour will grant you an inside look into this historical building.