Wouter van Twiller

Infobox Officeholder
name = Wouter van Twiller


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order = 5th
office = Director-General of New Netherland
term_start = 1633
term_end = 1638
predecessor = Sebastiaen Jansen Krol
successor = Willem Kieft
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Wouter van Twiller (Nijkerk, May 22 1606 - buried August 29 1654, Amsterdam) was an employee of the Dutch West India Company and the director-general of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1633 until 1638.

During that time he lived in New Amsterdam, the largest settlement in the colony, which later became New York City. During his term in office, Van Twiller purchased 'Noten Eylant', later called Governors Island from a tribe of Indians. During his time in office, settlers from New England wrested away the Connecticut Valley from New Netherland, but he was able to defend the Dutch territory in Delaware, where his soldiers captured a shipload of intending settlers from Virginia.

Despite his conflicts with preacher Everhardus Bogardus and fincial controller Lubbert van Dincklagen, who did not think much of his ability to manage the affairs of New Netherland properly, he was able through shrewd and cunning dealing to increase in the prosperity of the colony, and to accumulate a private fortune. He returned to Holland in 1637.

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