Jacques Coghen

Count Jacques Andres Coghen (31 October 1791 in Brussels – 15 May 1858 in Brussels) was the second Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of Belgium (1831-1832), and a direct ancestor of the current King, Philippe of Belgium. A founding father of Belgium, Coghen was a merchant, financier, and politician of the Liberal Party. He was elevated to the rank of count in 1837. Ancestry Before the family Coghen moved to Brussels, they were living from the early 14th century in the city of Diest as merchants and financial stewards. Some of them held official positions in that city such as mayor. During the Protestant Rebellion of the mid-16th century they supported the cause of William of Orange, the leader of that rebellion in the Low Countries, because the city of Diest was one of the four cities of the family of William of Orange (the other three being Breda, Duisburg and Orange). Coghen was the son of Joseph Coghen (1749-1820), an apothecary, and his wife, Isabelle Stielemans, who was a native of Brussels.