Johan van Banchem

Who was Johan van Banchem?

Johan van Banchem was one of the leaders of the lynching of Johan de Witt and Cornelis de Witt on August 20, 1672. He was rewarded for this crime with an appointment as baljuw of The Hague by Stadtholder William III. After a few years in this function he was arrested and convicted for gross abuse of his office. He was sentenced to death on November 26, 1680 by the Hof van Holland, but appealed the verdict to the Hoge Raad van Holland en Zeeland. He died in jail before this appeal was finished.