Clara van Sparwoude

The most famous of these granted a sum of money to each of her relatives and their descendants upon their marriage, and was in continuous operation until 1922, when the monies were liquidated by the Dutch government.

[1] As Clara and her husband had no children together, upon her death she donated her considerable riches to various charitable projects, including a fund for "poor relations", typically interpreted as meaning all descendants of her elder half-brother Adriaan and younger half-sister Maritgen.

Originally a considerable sum of money, the amount paid dwindled over the centuries as a result of inflation and the increasing number of relations.

In the early 20th century the Dutch government retained an official whose responsibilities included maintaining the pedigree of Clara van Sparwoude's family and disbursing the funds to qualifying relatives.

In 1922 the Dutch government passed a law liquidating the balance of the fund and dispensing it among the poorest 10% of adult van Sparwoude relations.