Seal Stamp of the St Jan’s Chapter

This seal stamp comes from the Utrecht chapter of the St Jan cathedral. There were five such priest colleges connected to different churches, the others being Dom Cathedral, Oudmunster, St Pieter and St Marie. The members, known as canons, came from prominent families, as they owned vast amounts of land and property that provided substantial profits. Canons were extremely powerful. They appointed bishops and occupied a seat in the States. Their detailed administration required documents to be officially sealed. This 14th century seal stamp depicts the patron saint of the chapter: John the Baptist of St Jan.