Sylvain Van de Weyer

Jean-Sylvain Van de Weyer (19 January 1802 – 23 May 1874) was a Belgian politician, and then the Belgian Minister at the Court of St. James's, effectively the ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Van de Weyer was born in Louvain (Leuven); his family relocated to Amsterdam in 1811. The family returned to Leuven when his father, Josse-Alexandre (1769–1838), was named police commissioner for the city. Jean-Sylvain studied law at the State University of Louvain and set up as a lawyer in Brussels in 1823. Here he frequently defended newspapers and journalists which fell foul of the government of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, of which modern Belgium then formed the southern half.

On the outbreak of the Belgian Revolution in 1830, Van de Weyer was in Leuven, but hurried to Brussels where he became a member of the central committee of the Provisional Government of Belgium. His command of the English language resulted in him serving as a diplomatic representative of the revolutionaries. King Stanislaus I appointed Van de Weyer his "special representative" in London.

Van de Weyer later served as the eighth Prime Minister of Belgium. He was Vice-President of the London Library from 1848 till his death in 1874.

Family
The grandson of Jean-Baptiste or Jean-Sylvain Van de Weyer, originaire de bourgeois family of Bautersem, avait acquis le droit de bourgeoisie à Louvain en 1779, and son of Josse-Alexandre van de Weyer (1769–1838), by his wife Martine Goubau/Françoise-Martine Goubeau (died Brussels 11 June 1853, aged 73 7 months), (daughter of Josse Goubeau, commissaire de police de la quatrième section de Bruxelles), he married Elizabeth, only daughter of Joshua Bates of Barings Bank, and formerly of Boston, in 1839. They had two sons and five daughters, who were brought up in Marylebone and on their country estate at New Lodge in the parish of Winkfield in Berkshire. Their youngest daughter, Eleanor, was the mother of Sylvia Brett, last Ranee of Sarawak. Their second daughter Alice Emma Sturgis van de Weyer (d. 4 February 1926) married 15 August 1878, Major Hon. Charles Brand (1855-1912), MFH, of Littledene, near Glynde, East Sussex, fourth son of Speaker Brand. The eldest son Lt. Colonel Victor William Bates Van de Weyer, was educated at Eton and was there Captain of Lower boats and rowed in the winning Eton crew against Radley in Henley on 26 June 1858, when the prize medals were presented by his father. Victor married Lady Emily Georgiana daughter of William Craven, 2nd Earl of Craven. One of Victor and Lady Emily's sons Major William John Bates van de Weyer was responsible for Buddleja × weyeriana.

Honours

 * 🇧🇪 Belgium:Croix de Fer.
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium:Minister of State, By Royal Decree.
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium:Grand cordon in the Order of Leopold.
 * Kingdom of Italy: Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.
 * 🇪🇸 Spain:Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Charles III.
 * Kingdom of Portugal: Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Tower and Sword.
 * Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: Knight Grand Cross in the Saxe-Ernestine House Order.
 * 🇫🇷 France:Commander of the Legion of Honour.