Gerry's Collection
of Antique Wax Seal Stamps
Family Le Grelle
A Merchant Lineage of Antwerp: The Rise and Legacy of the Le Grelle Family
A Family Shaped by Commerce, Faith, and Civic Responsibility.
The history of the Le Grelle family spans more than three centuries and reflects the evolution of Antwerp itself: a city shaped by trade, industry, religion, and civic service. Originally from the Hainaut region, the family established its presence in Antwerp in the seventeenth century and gradually joined the ranks of its patriciate. Over time, members of the house distinguished themselves as merchants engaged in international trade, sugar refiners, bankers, philanthropists, public officials, and supporters of the arts.
The combination of entrepreneurial activity and public commitment gave the family a position of influence, particularly in the economic revival of Antwerp in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
What makes the history of the Le Grelle notable is its balance of continuity and transformation. Each generation preserved a respect for tradition and faith, while adapting to changing economic opportunities. Their transition from trade to sugar manufacturing, and later to banking, illustrates this pattern. The family’s elevation into the nobility, as well as its enduring presence in political and charitable life, further underscores the breadth of its contribution.
Guillaume Le Grelle (1767-1820)
Count Gerard Le Grelle and Countess Le Grelle, born Annette van Lancker
Lydia and Alice Le Grelle
Marie-Therese Le Grelle, born Cambier, Joseph J. Le Grelle, founder of the Bank Le Grelle
Bank note issued by the Bank Le Grelle
The Le Grelle arms in the cathedral of Antwerp
Count Daniel Le Grelle
Origins in Hainaut.
The roots of the Le Grelle family lie in the region of Hainaut, notably around the village of Mainvault near Ath. The earliest documented ancestor appears in the late sixteenth century, at a time when the Southern Netherlands were marked by political upheavals and shifting allegiances. From these modest rural origins emerged a line that steadily progressed toward the urban world of Antwerp. A decisive moment occurred in 1670, when Guillaume Le Grelle, born in 1646, obtained the status of bourgeois of Antwerp. This entry into the civic body of one of Europe’s major commercial cities represented more than a geographical relocation: it signalled an intention to participate fully in urban economic life and to integrate into Antwerp’s established merchant class.
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Guillaume’s settlement set the foundation for the family’s later ascent. His household connected with local networks of artisans, shopkeepers, and merchants, and his descendants soon engaged in textile commerce and international trade. The move from rural Hainaut to Antwerp thus marked the beginning of a long association between the Le Grelle name and the economic identity of the city.
Guillaume Le Grelle (1646–1724).
Guillaume, the first member to settle in Antwerp, played the essential bridging role between the family’s earlier life and its future prominence. While little is known about his earliest years, his admission as a bourgeois gave him access to commercial rights and civic privileges. His marriage into a local family and his establishment within Antwerp’s merchant environment paved the way for his children to rise further. His son François (1671 - 1729) became a textile merchant, and through this activity the family entered the broader world of international trade. Guillaume did not achieve notoriety in his own lifetime, but he provided something equally significant: stability, citizenship, and integration into the civic structures that would enable later generations to flourish.
International Traders: Guillaume-François and Jean-François.
The eighteenth century saw the emergence of two particularly active figures: Guillaume-François (1701 - 1771) and his brother Jean-François (1703 - 1759). They organized an international trading company at a time when the Austrian Netherlands were reconnecting with global markets. Their firm dealt in textiles, silk, sugar, cocoa, tea, and porcelain, commodities that reflected European consumption patterns shaped by colonial expansion. They collaborated with maritime and trading institutions such as the Swedish East India Company, and they invested in the Ostend and Trieste Indies ventures, both significant attempts to link the Austrian Netherlands to Asian markets.
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Their operations placed the family at the centre of Antwerp’s re-emerging global commerce, bridging Northern European markets with distant ports. The brothers also established themselves in the Hoogstraat in Antwerp, occupying a prominent merchant house. Their activities extended beyond trading: from the 1750s onward, they became involved in the sugar industry and established a paper mill in La Hulpe. This combination of commerce and early industrial investment was characteristic of upward-moving merchant families of the period, who diversified their interests in response to new economic opportunities.
The Sugar Business and Its Impact.
Sugar was one of the most lucrative commodities of the eighteenth century, tied to colonial plantations and European consumption. The Le Grelle involvement in the sugar trade and later in sugar refining reflected and supported the economic revival of Antwerp during this period. Initially, the family imported raw sugar as part of their diversified trade portfolio. As demand increased, they moved into processing, joining other prominent Antwerp houses in establishing sugar refineries.
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By the mid-century, sugar refining had become a significant commercial sector in the city. Members of the family, particularly Jean-Guillaume Le Grelle (1733 - 1812), expanded these operations considerably. Jean-Guillaume owned sugar works and a cotton-printing enterprise that held exclusive privileges in the Austrian Netherlands, employing a substantial labor force. The capital generated by this activity strengthened the financial standing of the family and laid the groundwork for later ventures in banking. Sugar thus served as both a source of wealth and a catalyst for the family’s transition into more complex forms of enterprise.
The Creation and Role of the Le Grelle Bank.
The most enduring economic contribution of the family came with the establishment of a private bank. In 1792, Joseph J. Le Grelle (1764 - 1822) founded a banking house that rapidly grew in importance. As one of the earliest private banks in Belgium, it financed trade, industry, and urban development during a period marked by the French occupation and, later, the reorganization of the Low Countries under French and Dutch rule.
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The bank’s activities included commercial loans, industrial financing, and - in some periods - the issuing of banknotes, a rare privilege shared by only a few institutions after the creation of the National Bank of Belgium. Joseph’s widow and children maintained and expanded the bank after his death, transforming it into a partnership and aligning it with Antwerp’s growing financial needs.
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During the nineteenth century, the bank played a role in various colonial ventures, including financing enterprises abroad. It also became known for its conservative management and its relationship with Catholic social circles in Antwerp. By the twentieth century, however, the consolidation of Belgian banking prompted a series of mergers. The Le Grelle bank was absorbed by Banque d’Anvers in 1962, which later became part of the Société Générale de Banque and, ultimately, BNP Paribas Fortis. Although the bank itself ceased to exist as an independent entity, its legacy continued through its role in shaping Antwerp’s financial landscape.
The Reliquary of Blessed Anne of Saint-Bartholomew.
One of the most memorable episodes in the family’s history occurred during the turmoil of the French Revolution. As religious houses were suppressed and sacred objects confiscated, the reliquary of Blessed Anne of Saint-Bartholomew - companion of Saint Teresa of Ávila and a figure venerated in Antwerp - was placed at risk. To protect it, members of the Le Grelle family concealed the relic within the vaults of Joseph J. Le Grelle’s bank and later within his household. According to family tradition, Joseph fell gravely ill during this period and subsequently recovered, a recovery attributed to the intercession of the blessed. The story reinforced the family’s devotion and became a symbolic reminder of the intertwining of faith and familial duty. It also illustrated how the family’s position in the city, both socially and economically, enabled them to act as custodians in moments of uncertainty.
Influence in Society and Public Life.
From the eighteenth century onward, members of the Le Grelle family were consistently involved in the civic life of Antwerp. Some served as aldermen or legal advisors, and during the Brabant Revolution of 1789–1790, Henri-Jacques Le Grelle played a role in drafting the Constitution of the United States of Belgium, an important precursor to the Belgian constitutional framework of 1831. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, other family members served as senators, municipal leaders, and members of the National Congress and Parliament.
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The family also contributed to charitable and religious work. Several members were active in the organization of hospitals, schools, and Catholic charitable institutions. Their support of the Ursuline school at Wilrijk and various welfare initiatives within Antwerp strengthened the family’s reputation as a socially engaged house.
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In the arts, the Le Grelle were patrons of painters and sculptors and held positions in cultural institutions. Count Auguste Le Grelle served as treasurer of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and later generations were involved in journalism and publishing. The family’s influence was therefore not confined to commerce or politics but extended into the cultural and spiritual life of Belgium.
Ennoblement and Titles.
The ennoblement of the family occurred in stages. In 1794, Henri-Jacques Le Grelle, noted for his legal work and civic service, was granted the status of écuyer by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II. This marked the formal entry of the family into the nobility. Later, after Belgian independence, various branches obtained confirmation of their noble status.
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The comital title entered the family in 1852, when Pope Pius IX granted the hereditary rank of Count to Gérard Le Grelle, a prominent banker. Gérard was therefore the first count of the family. The title reflected the family’s longstanding service to the Church, their charitable involvement, and their economic importance in Antwerp.
The Arms of the Le Grelle.
The family’s arms are described as: Azure, a fess Or, accompanied in chief by three letters A, and in base by a curry-comb, all Or. The blue and gold colour scheme reflects traditional heraldic symbolism and may relate to alliances with families such as the de Schepper of Mechelen. The three capital A’s are a striking and unusual feature. Their exact meaning is uncertain, though they have long been associated with the family. Some speculate they may refer to a personal devotion or an early motto, but no authoritative explanation survives. The curry-comb, a rare heraldic charge, may refer to agricultural or equestrian associations, or perhaps to an emblem adopted for distinctiveness.
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The motto Nostrum praesidium Deus (“God is our protection”) captures the family’s religious identity and resonates with events such as the safeguarding of the reliquary during the French occupation.
Properties and Castles.
Throughout their history, the Le Grelle acquired numerous properties in Antwerp and its surroundings. These included urban residences on the Meir and other prominent streets, as well as rural estates such as Rameyen, Gestelhof, Veltwijck, and several others. The family possessions also extended beyond Belgium, including holdings in the Netherlands.
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One particularly notable property is the Castle of Selsaeten in Wommelgem. Originally linked to ecclesiastical and noble families, it came into the orbit of the Le Grelle through acquisition in the early nineteenth century and later passed to the Agie de Selsaeten family, following the marriage of Paul Le Grelle with Simone Agie de Selsaeten. The estate, rebuilt in Flemish neo-Renaissance style at the end of the nineteenth century, stands as a reminder of the architectural and historical landscape in which the family moved.
Gerry's Collection of Antique Seal Stamps.