Johannes Hendricus van der Palm

Johannes Hendricus van der Palm was the son of Cornelis van der Palm,[2] a school teacher by profession, head of a renowned Rotterdam boarding school who later held a similar position in Delfshaven. Biographer and relative through marriage Nicolaas Beets described the father as a man of "virtue, intelligence, and refinement, possessed of much ability and learning; for his time, a very accomplished linguist, and a not unsuccessful poet."[3]

Van der Palm's mother was Machteld von Tonsbergen, a member of a middle-class family and directly descended from a Knight of Malta who had left the Order at the time of its decline. Beets described her as having the typical characteristics of a Dutch woman, "homely, industrious, very godly."[4] In addition to Johannes Hendricus, there were seven other children, six brothers and a sister, all of whom lived to adulthood and died earlier than him.

Van der Palm's primary education was provided at home by his father, and for secondary education he attended Rotterdam's Gymnasium Erasmianum in the period 1774–June 1778.[5]

Then aged 15 years, van der Palm commenced studies through Leiden University focussing first on letteren (liberal arts)[6] before moving on to theology. Under the supervision of renowned Orientalist Professor Hendrik Schultens, he submitted his doctorate dissertation in September 1783 and defended it publicly at the end of January in the following year. Titled Ecclesiastes philologic et critice illustratus,[7] it was an examination of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.

According to a report from an unnamed fellow-student, during his time at university van der Palm demonstrated "a consistent whole of rare qualities, eminent zeal, agreeable intercourse, virtuous conduct, and a character by which he won the hearts of all who enjoyed his acquaintance and society. At the same time, he gave evidences of those "gifts and powers of mind which by constant culture were carried to so great perfection, and which enabled him, even to old age, to maintain the high position attained by him when in the full maturity of his powers."[8] Not at all straitlaced or over-intellectual, though, the report also says that van der Palm was "lively, fond of visiting, of walking, of bodily exercises, of the theatre, of sports, and especially of playing at golf [sic.] [9] which he did almost daily, and at which he was very expert."[10]

Village View of Maartensdijk, 1753. Etching by Paulus van Liender (1731-1797). From the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Van der Palm completed his studies at Leiden University in January 1784 and applied for appointment as a Minister in churches close to Leiden. There were several vacancies, but his progress was delayed because, being only 21 years old, he tended to be viewed as too young. He then started applying further afield in the province of Utrecht, and by December of that year he was fourth in place in a list six candidates being considered by Maartensdijk. Having worked to warm the classis (governing body) there in his favour, and following the necessary assessments, the classis made a formal offer to him and he undertook ministry there in March 1786. In November of that same year, he married Alida Bussingh, the daughter of a then-deceased friend of his from Delfshaven, and she joined him in Maartensdijk.

As Beets reports, "The young minister enjoyed in this charge the greatest esteem and love. "The people had much patience with me," he later said. His preaching was heard with great satisfaction. From Utrecht the people came very frequently to hear him, including students from the university."[11] However, according to Beets, "In one thing the youthful minister felt himself deficient, and that too a very important, perhaps the most important part of the gospel ministry, - pastoral work. "In all uprightness," he subsequently wrote (1791) to a friend, "it is not my case, I venture to say it is not my gift; and I never succeeded in it."[12]

At that time van der Palm was involved with the more moderate side of the Patriot movement, a complex group largely inspired by Europe's so-called Enlightenment principles and whose main objectives were the ending of the Stadtholderate (or stewardship) of William V, Prince of Orange[13] and the democratisation of the Netherlands after the model of the United States.

They were opposed by an equally-complex group called the Orangists[14] whose uniting principle was the preservation of the nobility's role either as an absolute monarch or in a Stadtholderate role as had been set up in one form or another in the Dutch Republic from the time of the Spanish withdrawal in 1581 onwards.[15]

Cartoon of William V and his wife and children as used on a 1787 Patriot leaflet published with the title Het Geldersche Zwynengebroed. From the collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

Van der Palm had been raised in a household which strongly supported Patriot principles; he in turn met many of similar mind at university, including Professor Schultens, and then again found himself in the company of many more in Maartensdijk. Beets tells how a close friendship with poet Jacobus Bellamy "had blown the youthful fire of excited patriotism into a great flame" and because van der Palm was seen participating in civilian weapons exercises, and was even advocating this to others from the pulpit, he was criticised by "several people who were calmer, or who were attached to another party."[16]

In the period 1780-1787, the control of the Orangists and Patriots varied from place to place, and specifically in the area relevant to van der Palm, the Patriots held power in the city of Utrecht while the surrounding province was controlled by the Orangists. Civil war escalated in that period; but the climax arrived in September 1787 when the Prussian army invaded at the order of King Frederick William II of Prussia, allegedly as an angry response to the way his sister, Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia, wife of Prince William V, had been arrested by Patriots while on her way to the Hague to argue the case for her husband's reinstallment as Stadtholder. However, she had been released two days later, and the more likely reasons for King Frederick William's action were to assist the Orangists in opposing the Patriots and to restore Prince William to the Stadtholderate.[17] Ultimately, Prussia was successful, many Patriots were driven into exile, and Prince William V was restored, briefly, as Stadtholder.

Once the Prussian invasion began, and he was already under attack not so much from residents of his own town as Orangists from Bunschoten, van der Palm and his wife fled[18] on 16 September, going to Monster in South Holland where his brother-in-law Johannes Wilhelmus Bussingh[19] was Minister. Despite appeals from some for him to return to Maartensdijk, there was opposition from others; but regardless, van der Palm had no desire to do so, he tendered his resignation on 30 October, informal acceptance was received on 4 November, and formal release in writing was sent on 12 March 1788. He was 24 years old.

Remaining in Monster for the time being, van der Palm considered his next options which included studying medicine in Leiden, or returning to his former position in Maartensdijk, when in 1787 an answer emerged through the action of Schultens who had been approached about the suitability of another former student for appointment to a position and had, in response and without referral to van der Palm, put his name forward as equally suitable. The position was in the household of wealthy nobleman Johan Adriaan[20] van de Perre.[21]

De Commanderij, now called Van de Perrehuis, Middelburg

At this time, van de Perre was 51 years old and living in a 'palatial'[22] house called De Commanderij[23] which he and his wife Jacoba van den Brande had built[24] in his birthplace Middelburg within the province of Zeeland. He held the title Lord of Nieuwerve[25] and Welsingen,[26] was the leader of the Orangist movement in his area, and in his professional life had served as a magistrate, before being appointed as chief magistrate whereby he also became representative of Prince William V in his role as Stadtholder of Walcheren,[27] a member of the Council of Zeeland, and representative of the province to the States-General.[28]

By the end of 1778 van de Perre had resigned from all these positions so he could pursue his personal interests, especially in the sciences. He was an avid collector of arts objects, had already developed a large, comprehensive library, set up a science museum[29] and engaged in scientific research[30] (much of it in collaboration with his wife whose specific interest was physics).[31] He was also a charitable and generous man who frequently gave money to assist people in poverty, and he had a strong commitment to providing education especially for those to whom this was normally inaccessible.

In 1787 van de Perre sought to appoint a person who would be able to maintain the library and museum, assist with his research, make the museum available to the general public, and at the same time perform the role of household chaplain. Van der Palm was appointed and took up duty in early 1788, being paid at the rate of 1,000 guilders per year plus expenses and a free house.[32][33] He continued in the position after van de Perre's death in April 1790, ending after the death of van de Perre's widow in 1794. At that time and aged 31, van der Palm became financially independent due to a legacy he had received from his late employer.[34]

Because it is relevant to his future career, one important outcome of van der Palm's time in this position arose from his work as chaplain. A large worship place was set up at De Commanderij and services led by van de Palm were held there every Sunday afternoon. These were attended by the entire family and household staff as well as people who lived nearby. The preparation of sermons led van der Palm to engage in detailed exegesis of scripture along with critical studies and analyses of entire books of the Bible.

An early result was the publication in 1791 of a book entitled Eenige Liederen van David, vertaald en opgehelderd, door JH van der Palm. (Some Songs of David, translated and clarified, by J. H. van der Palm)[35] Given this and the other biblical analysis van der Palm was carrying out at this time, the foundation was already being laid for his later translation of the entire Bible.

Prince William V's final demise as Stadtholder began in 1793 when he joined the First Coalition against the newly-emerged French First Republic, participating in a struggle which had already begun in the previous year and continued until 1795 when the French Army, assisted by the Patriots who had been exiled in France and various revolutionaries who had remained in the Netherlands,[36] finally marched into Amsterdam on 19 January, and Prince William V and his household fled into exile in Britain around midnight the day before.

The old Dutch Republic was immediately replaced by a unitary state named the Bataafse Republiek (Batavian Republic) as a sister republic of the French Republic. Not long after, the old States-General was replaced temporarily by the Provisional Representatives of the People of Holland which operated as the central governing body until the new National Assembly was formed and held its first meeting in 1796. This assembly's operation was affected by highly opposed parties along with many others who could be placed somewhere in a spectrum between one side or the other depending on the matter being debated. A difficult topic was that of the constitution which was not put in place until 1797.

Beets says that van der Palm and two other Zeeland citizens, wanting to avoid domination by the French or their functionaries from the centre of government, held a public meeting in Middelburg on 7 February 1795 at which van de Palm outlined its objectives. An organisation was formed, gave itself the title Middelburgse Comité Révolutionair (Middelburg Revolutionary Committee), and van der Palm was appointed as its leader. Also in 1795–1796 he regularly wrote for and sometimes edited a weekly magazine called De Vriend des Volks (The People's Friend) whose objective was to monitor the needs of Zeelanders and propose ways in which these could be addressed. Then when the old States-General was replaced by the Provisional Representatives he was sent to represent the people of Zeeland.[37]

The Academy Building (Academiegebouw), the oldest remaining structure at the University of Leiden. This was in use during van der Palm's entire involvement with the university.

In June 1796[38] van der Palm was appointed as Professor of Oriental Literature and Antiquities[39][40] at Leiden University.

Regarding van der Palm's actual focus on teaching, Beets says that he "was not fond of the more profound, philosophical study of language, and linguistics had for him no attractiveness. He prized the knowledge of different languages for the books that were written in them, and studied them as much as was necessary to enable him thoroughly to understand them, and clearly to explain them to others. As professor in the Oriental department, he gave principally three lectures of general utility: on Hebrew grammar, Hebrew antiquities, and the philologico-critical investigation of the books of the Old Testament."[41] It could be assumed from this that, while he was a linguist of note and part of his reputation is built on this, the actual teaching of languages that fell within the field of his professorship must have been allocated to other staff.[42]

In 1798 he was elected as the university's Rector Magnificus[43] a position he held until 1799 when he left to undertake work elsewhere.

Portrait of van der Palm attributed to Dutch artist Taco Scheltema and probably painted between 1801 and 1805.

Under the influence of Enlightenment principles, this period was immediately preceded by and continued with an emerging new model of national identity and order. For the Dutch, it included a movement against the fragmented and stagnant old Dutch Republic and its replacement, in the mind of some, by a modern, unified nation built on a stronger sense of shared citizenship and common purpose.

One core element was the idea that education was the need and right of all children. In the Netherlands, "Because education was … necessary in achieving patriotism and citizenship for all, these adherents of the new Dutch Enlightenment republicanism, in great majority moderate Protestants, developed a new pedagogical discourse."[44] Given the period of this debate and this writer's use of the words "moderate Protestants", it can be seen why van der Palm would have been an enthusiastic participant and that his views both as a Patriot and an educationist would have prepared him well to perform this role as education policy-maker in the new republic.[45] Not all turned out as van der Palm and others of like-mind would have hoped.

In 1799 van der Palm succeeded Theodorus van Kooten as agent voor Nationale Opvoeding (Minister for National Education), first in the Batavian Republic and then the "Bataafs Gemenebest" (Batavian Commonwealth) after its change of name in 1801, and held it until December 1801. In October 1801 he was given the additional interim position of agent voor Nationale Economie (Minister of the National Economy), ceasing both this and his title as Minister for National Education on 8 December of that same year after being appointed as a member of the Raad voor Binnenlandse Zaken (Council for Home Affairs) with special responsibility for education and ecclesiastical affairs.

From his official positions van der Palm wrote copious documents on a whole range of subjects. Quite apart from education, he was interested in refinement of the constitution, law reform, the structure and operation of government departments and authorities, raising the standards of public health, and so on. His correspondence has been well preserved and readily accessible to anyone who wants to read further. (See Bibliography below.)

The Batavian Republic's first national school act was drawn up in 1801 by van der Palm in conjunction with his assistant Adriaan van den Ende.[46] The gloomy picture they faced, one of indifference, opposition to change, factionalism and economic woes, is well described in the address van der Palm gave to his first assembly of school inspectors that year:

"The mode of instruction prevalent in the schools is servile and mechanical, adapted not to excite in the breasts of the children a desire of learning, but to extinguish it; not to develop their mental powers, but to blunt them for the remainder of their lives; not to fill their memories with the knowledge of useful things, but with confused sounds. This mode of instruction has, however, as its zealous supporters, the countless multitude of those who cling tenaciously to what is old, and regard as a crime the desire of being wiser than their fathers; the text-books of the schools, useless as to the purpose which they should subserve, uninteresting and prolix, have, however, by reason of their contents and origin, a venerable appearance in the eyes of many, who regard it as no less than sacrilege to discard these and substitute others in their place. Among the parents we meet with extreme indifference as to the training of their offspring, in their minds the grossest prejudices, and in their families all the consequences of a neglected education; in church sessions a spirit of opposition, as quickly as the care of important matters, which it is impossible for them to manage, is withdrawn from their authority; in the clergy, dependence, timidity, or bigotry, all equally fatal to the reformation of the schools, — of the schools, whose locality alone not unfrequently presents an insuperable obstacle to their most necessary improvement. Add to this the effects of civil and religious factions, and the alienations which they engender; the almost general discontent, arising from the calamity of the times still more than from the essential defects of our form of government; and the state of the public treasury, which, exhausted by an amazingly expensive land force, and by the national debt, which has increased far beyond our ability, can offer no effectual assistance by which otherwise the greatest and most numerous grievances might perhaps be alleviated. With what prospect, might one well exclaim, with what prospect at all favorable can one undertake the work of school improvement, or comfort himself in the ungrateful office of inspector of schools?[47]

Further legislation was proposed in 1803 and 1806. Dekker notes that the "dream of these two men was to build a national system, governed from and financed by the central government, responsible for the quality of both the curriculum and the schoolmasters."[48]

In reality, however, the Batavian Republic was slow in bringing the details of these plans to fruition, and Dekker comments that van der Palm "showed himself a pragmatic and opportunistic administrator. When it became clear to him that the ambitious blueprints and dreams could not be realized, he modified them into do-able measures. For example, he cancelled the national school free for the poor program, introduced by himself, for financial reasons; as a result, school attendance immediately diminished."[49]

Two of van der Palm's notable achievements were initiated in 1801 when he approached Leiden University's Professor of Dutch Language Matthijs Siegenbeek to establish a uniform system of Dutch spelling.[50] Siegenbeek agreed and his system was officially introduced on 18 December 1804. In turn, Siegenbeek contacted Pieter (Petrus) Weiland[51] about composing a standardised form of Dutch grammar and he agreed. As the foreword of the text indicates, van der Palm and other members of government were involved in the assessment of the draft document and its final approval, and the document was sent for printing at government expense in 105.[52]

Van der Palm's involvement with government ended in May 1805 when the Council for Home Affairs was abolished. As Beets reveals, quoting van der Palm himself, his time in politics was not entirely rewarding:

"Such were my views of my office, when I labored for a government in whose employ no effectual support, little encouragement, was experienced, and in which want of fixed principles, at least in this department, and an undue regard to personal considerations, rendered uncertain the issue of all that was undertaken. How great my attachment to my office might have been, under a more energetic, united, worthy government, inspiring at the same time greater attachment and respect, it is not for me to determine; how much greater zeal and activity I should then have been able to exhibit, I have sometimes indeed ventured to conjecture, when this prospect opened up to my view."[53]

He received a state pension until his return to Leiden University.

In 1806, at the age of 43, van der Palm returned to a professorship at Leiden University, this time in the fields of sacred poetry and rhetoric. His preference would have been his original professorship in oriental literature and antiquities, but in his absence this had been occupied from 1794 by Sebald Fulco Rau[54] who was also Professor of Theology as of 1797,[55] and van der Palm accepted sacred poetry and rhetoric as an alternative. He took up his professorship on 26 September of that year, delivering an oration entitled De Oratore Sacro Litterarum Divinarum Interprete (On the Sacred Orator, An Expositor of the Holy Scriptures).[56]

In 1805, however, Rau was reprimanded by the university because of his political opinions and his professorship was restricted to theology, meaning that responsibilities for oriental literature and antiquities were returned to van der Palm while also continuing to hold sacred poetry and rhetoric.[57]

Van der Palm was appointed as University Preacher in 1807, a position in which he continued until 1815[58] when the appointment was annulled because under changes of the law it was required that such positions should only be held by professors of theology. After his sermon at the start of the 1812 academic year, van der Palm was called to account for not paying tribute to Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte.

Van der Palm was appointed for a second time as Rector Magnificus in 1818 and held the position into 1819.[59] Then in 1820, the current holder of the theology professorship, Johannes van Voorst[60] was appointed as university librarian and van der Palm was offered a return to the position as University Preacher. However, he declined that offer in view of the weight of other work (his focus on the translation of the Bible being the most time-consuming).

In the midst of all this, the House of Orange continued to demonstrate interest in re-establishing its power, particularly through Prince William Frederick, the eldest son of Prince William V who was therefore Erfprins Hereditary Prince. As a child he had grown up in the Dutch Republic and his education was centred around the military arts. He also studied briefly at Leiden University but was taken away from it in 1790 when his father appointed him to the rank of general in the State Army and a member of the State Council of the Netherlands. He then participated in a number of major battles against the French Republic until that country asserted its power and successfully invaded the Netherlands and the royal family was forced into exile.

Prince William's involvement in warfare continued over several years, with varying degrees of success. In the meantime, the Batavian Commonwealth's government and society continued to be impaired by factionalism and inefficiency (the same problems that led van der Palm to withdraw from public life and return to teaching at Leiden University) along with growing dissent towards the government. The turning point was Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig in October 1813 followed by withdrawal of French troops from everywhere in Europe including the Netherlands.

The following month former Orangists and Patriots joined forces to create a new government, and in December they welcomed the return of Prince William, this time with the old north and south portions of the Low Countries united as one nation.[61] At the urge of other nations at the Congress of Vienna the kingdom of the Netherlands was finally declared by Prince William on 16 March 1815 and his title then became King of the Netherlands and Duke of Luxembourg.[62]

Beets says that van der Palm "rejoiced in the revolution of 1813, and attached himself, with the entire nation, fully and sincerely to the House of Orange. Of this his patriotic utterance in 1813, his religious observation of the joyful prospects of the Netherlands, his poetic effusion, "The Peace of Europe" in 1814, his sermon to excite Christian heroism in 1815, and in 1816 his Historical and rhetorical account of the emancipation of the Netherlands, in the year 1813, furnish abundant proofs."[63] A sermon given in Leiden's Pieterskerk in 1824 ended with the words, "What will always be our watchword? Union: For God, the Fatherland, and Orange!"[64]

Contrast that with his allegiance to the moderate Patriot cause prior to the Prussian invasion of 1787, his submission to the restrictions imposed by van de Perre, and his political career in the Batavian Republic-cum-Commonwealth, some might assume that van der Palm was prepared to align himself with the latest political fad at any one time. But the other side of the picture could be as expressed here: "Thus amid various vicissitudes forty-three years of his life had passed away. … In all this he is actuated, less by a becoming ambition, than by an ardent desire to be useful to his country."[65] The constant picture of van der Palm is that his primary objectives were positive discourse, harmonious social interaction, concordance and peace, and therefore hypocritical game-playing, aggressive self-promotion and grandiose point-scoring could never play any role in achieving good outcomes.

Johannes Hendricus van der Palm as he was late in his life. A knighthood insignia is shown on the lapel. From the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

He went into retirement in 1833 at the age of 70,[66] although, as is reported, he went on lecturing right up to 1838.[67] He and his wife remained in Leiden until their deaths.

Detail of a portrait of Alida van der Palm (née Bussingh) attributed to Dutch artist Taco Scheltema

Evidence shows van der Palm's marriage as being entirely happy: "A most tender husband, he lived wholly in and for his lovely, gentle, pious wife, who, even with less prosperity, would have made the happiness of his life complete."[68]

The same is said of his approach to fatherhood: "In no one was the paternal character more perfectly expressed; even without being allied to him by blood, one could hardly refrain from calling him father. Surrounded by his children and grandchildren, he seemed truly a patriarch of the olden time; to promote their happiness, to augment their pleasure, to gather them joyous and sportive around him, was the delight of his life. He ever found time in the midst of his most serious employments, yea, during the last years of his life, amid weakness and suffering, to devise plans for their amusement, to rejoice them with presents, to entertain them, and by great and small attentions of every kind to show how largely they shared in the affections of his heart; to participate in their pleasures, in their sports, to laugh at their innocent folly, and to take an interest in what they deemed important, though it had become far beneath his attention.[69]

During his entire time in Leiden, van der Palm never owned a house. As Beets candidly reports, "He attached no special value to wealth … He was a poor financier, did not approve of hoarding up, and was very liberal." To which he adds a quote: "The horoscope which I drew when a boy," he remarked, "contained in it that I should enjoy much, but accumulate little."[70] However, he did buy a country residence in Soeterwoude (now Zoeterwoude-Dorp) south of Leiden, where he converted a summer-house into a study and developed a diverse fruit garden.

Beets says van der Palm was an immensely hospitable host who always welcomed people into his home. "His house was a scene of undisturbed peace, joy, and happiness, and he knew how to imbue with his own spirit all who surrounded him, even to his servants. The rights of each, the pleasures of each, were respected and regarded by him with the utmost care.[71]

The first three of van der Palm's sons died early in their lives: the first was stillborn in May, 1789; the second died in November 1797 before his baptism; and the third, Jan Willem, was born in November 1798 and, with another child, was killed at school by a falling beam in 1807. His fourth son, born in 1802 and named Henrick Albert Schultens in tribute to his professor and friend, died at the age of 18 after a brief illness and was buried at Katwijk aan Zee's Zuidstraat cemetery where van der Palm and his wife would also be buried.[72]

His first child to live to full adulthood and first daughter was born in 1790, named Cornelia Mathilda, and later married Pieter Loopuyt (Loopuijt),[73] a wealthy banker and member of the Eerste Kamer (Upper House of the States-General). Jacoba Elizabeth, his second daughter, was born in 1791 and later married Dirk Jonkeer van Foreest,[74] a member of the Tweede Kamer (Lower House of the States-General).

His third daughter, Elizabeth Henrietta, was born in 1794 and never married. She was followed by Adelaïda Louise who was born in 1806 and married Gillis André de la Porte founder and director of an insurance company and later member of the Arnhem City Council. His last daughter, Anna Catharina, was born in 1808 and never married.

His wife Aleida died in 1835, five years before van der Palm himself.

Monument to Johannes van der Palm erected in the Pieterskerk, Leiden.

King Louis 1 founded the Koninklijk Instituut van Wetenschappen, Letterkunde en Schoone Kunsten (Royal Academy of Sciences, Literature and the Arts)[75] in 1808 and immediately awarded membership to van der Palm. In 1812 Leiden University recognised his services by granting him an honoris causa degree of Doctor of Divinity. In 1822 he received a diploma from the Société Asiatique (Asiatic Society) in Paris for his longtime association with them as Associé-Correspondant (Associate Correspondent). The Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde[76] (Society of Dutch Literature) paid tribute in 1830 for his half-century of services to the development of literature by awarding him a gold medal.

Successive civilian honours included: Knight (Ridder) in the Order of the Union, awarded in 1808 by King Louis 1; Knight in the Order of the Reunion, awarded in 1812 by Emperor Napoleon to replace the previous honour; and Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, awarded in 1816 by King William I.

He died in 1840 aged 77 and was buried alongside his wife, son and daughter in the cemetery of the Dutch Reformed Church, Zuidstraat, Katwijk aan Zee. The church reports that their tombstones have been destroyed by "a protracted process of salinisation and erosion as a result of continuous rain and strong west wind in the coastal village."[77]

In 1841 the family donated to Leiden University the portrait illustrated at the head of this page. This has remained as part of the university's collection and is on display in the Academiegebouw.

Nicolaas Beets, husband of van der Palm's granddaughter Aleide van Foreest, wrote in 1842 the biography "Leven en karakter" frequently quoted throughout this article.

In 1843 a neo-Gothic monument designed and made by Flemish sculptor Louis Royer was erected by the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde (Society of Dutch Literature) in the Pieterskerk, Leiden.[78]

A decision was made by the Rotterdam authorities on 1 February 1910 to name Van der Palmstraat in his honour.[79] There are also streets named after him in other parts of the Netherlands.

• Bijbel bevattende alle de boeken des ouden en nieuwen verbonds (Bible containing all the books of the Old and New Testaments). D. du Mortier & Zoon, 1825–1830.
• Bijbel voor de Jeugd (Youth Bible), Volumes 1-3. D. du Mortier en Zoon, 1827.
• Ecclesiastes philologic et cricice illustratus (Ecclesiastes philologically and critically illustrated). S. en. J. Luchtmans, 1784.
• Eenige Liederen van David, vertaald en opgehelderd, door' JH van der Palm (Some Songs of David). W. A. Keel / de Leeuw en Krap, 1791.
• Gescheid- en redekunstig gedenkschrift van Nederlands Herstelling in den jare 1813 (Historical and rhetorical account of the emancipation of the Netherlands, in the year 1813). J. van der Hey en Zoon, 1816.
• Jesaias vertaald en opgehelderd (Isaiah translated and explained). Blussé en van Braam, 1806.
• Het Oorlog (The War). 1782.
• Oratio de Imperatore Ali, Abu-Talebi filio, Saracenorum principum maximo. (Address on Caliph Alī, son of Abī Ṭālib, great Saracene official.) Dissertation, Leiden University, 8 February 1819. S. en. J. Luchtmans, 1819.
• Salomo (Solomon), 9 Volumes. GTN Suringar, 1816.

• Aa, A. J. van der and others. "Palm (Johannes Henricus van der)". Biographisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden (Biographical Dictionary of the Netherlands). Volume 15. J. J. van Brederode, 1872. pp. 58–68.
• Beets, Nicolaas. "Life and Character of J. H. van der Palm, D.D., Professor of Oriental Languages and Antiquities; Also of Sacred Literature and Poetry at the University of Leyden." Translated by J. P. Westervelt, Hurd and Houghton, 1865.
• Eijnatten, Joris van. "De generatie - Van der Palm. Nederlandse academische theologen en de productie van religieuze kennis, 1760-1840" (The generation - Van der Palm. Dutch academic theologians and the production of religious knowledge, 1760-1840). Nederlandsch theologisch tijdschrift, Volume 59. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 2005. pp. 215–234.
• Fockens, H. F. T.. J. H. van der Palm, als bijbel-uitlegger, redenaar en schrijver gekenschetst (J. H. van der Palm, portrayed as Bible translator, orator and writer). D. du Mortier en Zoon, 1841.
• Glasius, B. "Johannes Henricus van der Palm". Biographisch Woordenboek van Nederlandsche Godgeleerden (Biographical Dictionary of Dutch Theologians), Volume 3. Gebr. Muller, 1856. pp. 58–70.
• Groffie, J. J. M.. "Een Feestrede van J. H. van der Palm" (An Official Address on J. H. van der Palm). Jaarboekje voor geschiedenis en oudheidkunde van Leiden en Omstreken 1967. Dissertation, pp. 123–132.
• Groot, Aart de. Leven en Arbeid van J.H. van der Palm (Life and Labor of J.H. van der Palm). H. Veenman en Zonen N.V., 1960.
• Hallema, A. "Johannes Henricus van der Palm. 1763. His instructions for the introduction of medical supervision by the state, then called "state medical regulation"." Ziekenhuiswezen. April 1963, 36. pp. 126-8.
• Hengel, Wessel Albertus van. Meritorum Ioannis Henrici van der Palm commemoratio brevis : lecta in classe tertia instituti Regii Neerlandici. S. en J. Luchtmans, 1840.
• Knappert, L., P. C. Molhuysen and P. J. Blok. "Palm. Johannes Henricus van der". Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek (New Dutch Biographical Dictionary), Volume 5. A. W. Sijthoff's Uitgevers-Maatschappij, 1921. pp. 430–433.

• Baggerman, Arianne and Rudolf M. Dekker. Child of the Enlightenment: Revolutionary Europe Reflected in a Boyhood Diary. Brill, 2009. ISBN 978-90-04-17269-2.
• Becker, Uwe. Dutch Tolerance: Something to learn from? E-International Relations, 2011. "Dutch Tolerance". Accessed 8 March 2018.
• Blom, Dirk van der. De verhouding van staat en religie in een veranderende Nederlandse samenleving (The relationship between state and religion in a changing Dutch society). Doctoral dissertation, Leiden University, 2016. "Relationship between state and religion". Accessed 19 March 2018.
• Boekholt P. Th. F. M., and Engelina Petronella de Booy. Geschiedenis van de school in Nederland vanaf de middeleeuwen tot aan de huidige tijd (History of the school in the Netherlands from the Middle Ages to the present time). Van Gorcum, 1987. ISBN 978-90-232-2260-6.
• Bunge, Wiep van, Editor. The Early Enlightenment in the Dutch Republic, 1650-1750. Selected Papers of a Conference held at the Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel, 22–23 March 2001. Brill, 2003. ISBN 978-90-04-13587-1
• Cleave, Peter van. Revolt, Religion, and Dissent in the Dutch-American Atlantic: Francis Adrian van der Kemp's Pursuit of Civil and Religious Liberty. Doctoral Dissertation, Arizona State University, 2014. Especially Chapters 2 & 3, pp. 23–101. "Revolt, Religion, and Dissent". Accessed 22 March 2018.
• Ditzhuyzen, Reina van. Onderwijs als opdracht. Leven en werk van de eerste vijftien ministers belast met het onderwijs in de periode 1798-1830 (Education as assignment: Life and work of the first fifteen ministers responsible for education in the period 1798-1830). Staatsuitgeverij, 1977. ISBN 978-90-12-01833-3.
• Eglinton, James. Trinity and Organism: Towards a New Reading of Herman Bavinck's Organic Motif. T&T Clark International, 2016. ISBN 978-0-567-12478-4
• Eijnatten, Joris van. Vijf vertogen over ketterij. Waarheid, dwaling en de historiografie van het antitrinitarisme, 1650-1800 (Five discourses about heresy. Truth, error and the historiography of anti-Trinitarianism, 1650-1800). Volume 30. Mennonite Contributions, 2004. pp. 153–164.
• ––– "From Modesty to Mediocrity: Regulating Public Dispute, 1670-1840: The Case of Dutch Divines". Common Knowledge, Volume 8, Issue 2. Duke University Press, 2002. pp. 310–332. "From Modesty to Mediocrity" Accessed 3 March 2018.
• ––– "Orthodoxie, ketterij en consensus, 1670-1850. Drie historische vertogen over religie en openbaarheid" (Orthodoxy, heresy and consensus, 1670-1850. Three historical discourses on religion and publicity). BMGN: Low Countries Historical Review, Volume 119, Issue 4. BMGN, 2004. pp. 468–490."Orthodoxy, heresy and consensus" Accessed 6 March 2018.
• Glenn Jr, Charles Leslie. The myth of the common school. Dissertation, Boston University, 1987. pp. 87–141, 235-242, 513-524."The myth of the common school" ISBN 978-0-87023-603-7.
• Kagchelland, Arend, and Michiel Kagchelland Van dompers en verlichten: een onderzoek naar de confrontatie tussen het vroege protestantse Réveil en de Verlichting in Nederland (1825-1826) (Dumbbells and illuminants: an investigation into the confrontation between the early Protestant Revival and the Enlightenment in the Netherlands (1825-1826)). Doctoral thesis, Leiden University. Eburon, 2009. ISBN 978-90-5972-276-7.
• Loon, Hendrik Willem van. The Rise of the Dutch Kingdom 1795-1813: A Short Account of the Early Development of the Modern Kingdom of the Netherlands. Nabu Press, 2010. ISBN 1-176-43646-5
• Sas, N. C. F. van. De metamorfose van Nederland: Van oude orde naar moderniteit, 1750–1900 (The metamorphosis of the Netherlands. From old order to modernity, 1750-1900). Amsterdam University Press, 2004. pp. 347–358. ISBN 978-90-5356-675-6.
• Selderhuis, Herman, Editor. Handbook of Dutch Church History. Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 2014. ISBN 978-3-525-55787-7.
• Sengers, Erik. "European Exceptionalism: Lazy Churches, Pluralism, Adherence, and the Case of the Dutch Religious Cartel." Church and Religion in Contemporary Europe: Results from Empirical and Comparative Research. Edited by Gert Pickel and Olaf Müller. Springer-Verlag, 2009. pp. 167–182. ISBN 978-3-531-91989-8
• Sepp, Christiaan. Proeve eener pragmatische geschiedenis der theologie in Nederland: sedert het laatst der vorige eeuw tot op onzen tijd (1787-1858). (Proof of a pragmatic history of theology in the Netherlands: since the last of the last century up to our time (1787-1858)). J. C. Sepp en Zoon, 1860. "Proeve eener pragmatische geschiedenis der theologie in Nederland". Accessed 17 March 2018.
• Spaans, Joke W.. "Religious Policies in the Seventeenth-Century Dutch Republic." Calvinism and Religious Toleration in the Dutch Golden Age. Edited by Ronnie Po-chia Hsia and Henk van Nierop. Cambridge University Press, 2002. pp. 72–86. "Religious Policies". Accessed 22 March 2018.
• ––– "Unity and Diversity as a Theme in Early Modern Dutch Religious History: An Interpretation". Studies in Church History, Volume 32. Edited by R. N. Swanson. Cambridge University Press, 1996. pp. 221– 234. "Unity and Diversity". Accessed 4 March 2018.
• "State of Religion in Holland. (From the Christian Disciple, Boston, March, 1821.)" The Monthly Repository of Theology and General Literature. January to December 1821 inclusive, Vol. 16. Sherwood, Neely and Jones, 1821. pp. 418–420.
• TenZythoff, Gerrit J.. Sources of Secession: The Netherlands Hervormde Kerk on the Eve of the Dutch Immigration to the Midwest. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1987'. "Sources of Secession" ISBN 978-0-8028-0328-3.
• Schooling and the Making of Citizens in the Long Nineteenth Century: Comparative Visions. Edited by Daniel Tröhler, Thomas S. Popkewitz and David F. Labaree. Routledge, 2011. ISBN 978-0-415-88900-1.
• Witte, Jr., John. "Moderate Religious Liberty: John Calvin and the Geneva experiment." Public Law & Legal Theory Research Paper Series, Research Paper No. 04-2. Emory University School of Law, 1996. "Moderate Religious Liberty". Accessed 9 March 2018.