As tradition holds, he was born in a military camp outside Charleroi, where his father fought in the Dutch army against the French.

His mother was a very independent woman of Scottish descent, Elisabeth Sommeruell, who kept a market tent in Charleroi and eventually was able to afford a house in the center of Breda.

[3] Jacob Campo Weyerman is not only interesting to modern readers for his literary qualities, but also as a source for historians on cultural life in the 18th century.

Especially his magazines give a glimpse of daily life in Dutch taverns and coffee houses and the tourist attractions of his day.

In the decorative frame of the portrait, a piece of paper illustrating a book title page shows the words "Den Ontleeder der Gebrekken", which means the Anatomist of Faults.