Jean-Baptiste Christyn

Christyn was born in Brussels in 1622, the son of Pierre Christyn and Marie Van den Hove. He was educated at the Augustinian college in Brussels and at the University of Douai, graduating Licentiate of Laws in 1651.

Christyn practiced as an advocate before the Council of Brabant. Between 1660 and 1667, he worked as assessor to the Drossard of Brabant. Christyn was appointed master of requests to the Great Council of Mechelen in 1667, and privy councillor in 1671.[1]

He was one of the representatives of Charles II of Spain at the Congress of Nijmegen in 1678, and at follow-up negotiations on the implementation of the treaty with France, held in Cambrai in 1681. In 1684, Christyn drafted a treatise against French claims in Flanders, La Flandre défendue des fausses prétentions de la France.

In 1685, Christyn was appointed first intendant of the supreme council of the army, and the lordship of Meerbeek that he had purchased was elevated to the status of a barony. In 1687, Christyn was appointed Chancellor of Brabant, the highest position in the civilian administration of the duchy of Brabant. Christyn died in Brussels on 25 October 1690, and was buried in the Augustinian church.

Christyn wrote a number of works on jurisprudence, genealogy and heraldry. Les délices des Pays-Bas: ou Description géographique et historique des XVII. provinces belgiques, a historical chorography of the Low Countries that was published after his death, has been attributed to him, but also to his nephew, Jean-Baptiste Christyn Jr.

• Works by Jean-Baptiste Christyn at WorldCat Identities
• Works by or about Jean-Baptiste Christyn at Internet Archive