Jacob Aaron Westervelt
Jacob Aaron Westervelt (January 20, 1800 – February 21, 1879) was a renowned and prolific shipbuilder who constructed 247 vessels of all descriptions during his career of over 50 years. From 1853 until 1855 he was Mayor of New York City.
Jacob R. H. Neervoort van de Poll
Jacob Neervoort, grew up in Velsen with his aunts. In 1880 his stepfather died at the age of 42 and left the Rijksmuseum a collection of 52 paintings. For this gift his son was allowed to carry the name Van de Poll. Neervoort collected paintings, especially from the Barbizon School and the Hague School, travelled to the Dutch Antilles and joined a diplomatic and trade delegation to Japan. In 1887 he married. Till 1894 they lived on Herengracht, on the Golden Bend. Then the couple moved to "Beukenstein" in Driebergen.
Neervoort van de Poll amassed a vast beetle collection, much of it purchased from the Paris insect dealers Auguste Sallé and Émile Deyrolle. It included many expensive beetles, especially (Jewel scarabs). In the Japanese garden he had a sort of a pagode built for his collection. The collection was sold on his death and specimens are now found in many museum collections.