View source for Brielle

==History==
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2014}}
Brielle is a very old, fortified town. Its name is derived from the Celtic word ''brogilo'' (meaning "closed area" or "hunting grounds"). The oldest writings about Brielle indicate that the current location is the "new" Brielle. ''Den ouden Briel'' (Old Brill) must have been situated somewhere else on the [[Voorne-Putten]] Island. It grew into a town of prestige in the 14th century. In 1330, Gerard van Voorne, independent Lord of Voorne and Viscount of Zeeland, granted [[town rights]] to Brielle. This gave the town governmental and jurisdictional powers and certain trading rights, such as the right to trade fish and collect port taxes.<ref>[https://historischmuseumdenbriel.nl/collectie/verhaal/stadsgeschiedenis/#:~:text=In%201330%20gaf%20Gerard%20van,in%20vis%2C%20havenbelastingen%20innen%20etc. Stadsgeschiedenis] - website historisch museum den briel</ref> The town was for a long time the seat of the Lords of Voorne, until this [[fiefdom]] was added to the [[County of Holland]] in 1371. It had its own harbour and traded with the countries around the [[Baltic Sea]]. Brielle even had its own trading colony in [[Sweden]].

[[File:The Watergeuzen leaders William van der Marck, Willem Bloys van Treslong, Lenaert Jansz de Graeff (Capture of Brielle, NL, April 1st 1572).jpg|thumb|Historic parade in Den Briel to celebrate the 540th anniversary of the Capture of Brielle on April 1, 2012. The leaders of the sea beggars, [[William II de La Marck|William II de La Marck, Lord Lumey]] (middle), [[Willem Bloys van Treslong]] (left) and [[Lenaert Jansz de Graeff]] (right).]]
During the [[Eighty Years' War]] between the Netherlands and Spain, the [[Capture of Brielle]] on April 1, 1572, by Protestant rebels, the [[Les Gueux|Watergeuzen]], marked a turning point in the conflict, as many towns in Holland then began to support [[William I of Orange|William of Orange]] against the Spanish Duke [[Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba]] who was sent to [[Pacification (military action)|pacify]] The Netherlands. This event is still celebrated each year on April 1 and the night before (known as Chalk Night (kalknacht) when the town is defaced with chalk - and now also white paint). Dutch students are taught a short rhyme to remember this fact, which rhyme refers to [[April Fools' Day]]:

{|
|<blockquote><poem>''Op 1 april verloor [[Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba|Alva]] de bril.''
''Op April zes verloor Alva zijn fles'' </poem></blockquote>

|<!--Translation into English provided by User:Jonathanriley. Please be advised that a literal translation into English from a source text provided by a Wikipedia contributor is not original research, or synthesis see [[WP:NOTOR#Translation and contextualizing]]-->
<blockquote><poem>''On April 1st, Alva lost his glasses''
''On April 6th Alva lost his bottle''
</poem></blockquote>
|}

In Dutch, "de bril" is the word for "the glasses," and closely rhymes with Den Briel; as does "Fles" which stands for the town of [[Vlissingen]] or Flushing, the next town to be captured by the Dutch rebels.

After the capture of Brielle the Protestant rebels tortured and murdered the Catholic [[Martyrs of Gorkum]] and Brielle has become a pilgrimage location since then.

In August 1585, Brielle was [[Cautionary Towns|one of the three Dutch towns]] that became an English possession by the [[Treaty of Nonsuch]] when [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I]] received it as security of payment for 5000 soldiers (led by the [[Earl of Leicester]]) and used by the Dutch in their struggle against the Spanish. The first English governor of Brielle was [[Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter]], succeeded by [[Edward Conway, 1st Viscount Conway]] who named his daughter [[Brilliana Harley|Brilliana]] in honour of the town.  English garrisons were stationed here and at [[Vlissingen|Flushing]].<ref>[[Garrett Mattingly]] (1959), ''[[The Armada (book)|The Armada]]'', Boston:  Houghton Mifflin, Ch. V, "Plans of Operations", p. 44.</ref> [[Edmund Sheffield, 3rd Baron Sheffield]] governed the town from 1598. In 1617, these cities returned to the Netherlands.