Jacques Coghen

Count
Count Jacques-André Coghen, Finance Minister of Belgium and a recipient of the 1830 Iron Cross
Personal details
Born	Jacques-André Coghen
Nationality	Belgium
Political party	Liberal
Other political affiliations	Unionist, Catholic
Relations	Great-great-great grandfather of King Philippe of Belgium
Residence	Brussels and Uccle
Occupation	Banker, merchant
Cabinet	Finance Minister
Religion	Roman Catholic

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. Thus through his mother, Queen Paola, and her ancestor Coghen, King Phillippe is the first king of Belgium whose ancestry is actually Belgian.

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.

Coghen was the son of Joseph Coghen (1749-1820), an apothecary, and his wife, Isabelle Stielemans, who was a native of Brussels.

His paternal grandfather, Jan Baptist Coghen (1717-1773) was born, was married, and died in Brussels. He was descended very remotely, on his father's side, from an old Irish family.

His paternal grandmother, Catharina Theresia Huwaerts (1710-1749), was also born and died in Brussels, and her parents, Marie Therese van Cutsem (1668-1726/1727) and Joose Huwaerts (d. 1742), as well as their parents, were also from old Dutch families in the Brussels area (including such families as Ghysels, Walravens, de Broijer, Haeck, de Proost, and de Leenheer).

His mother was descended from several ancient Belgian families, from Brussels and Diest, whose ancestors in the sixteenth century appear to have been butchers and merchants, and who in the early seventeenth century included magistrates of the old county of Campine (Kempen in Dutch).

Coghen was born on 31 October 1791.

He was married, on 17 May 1821, to Caroline Rittweger, with whom they had several children.

Before the Belgian Revolution broke out, Coghen was a respected merchant and banker in Brussels; he was Chairman of the Commercial Court and a member of the Advisory Chamber of Commerce. In 1824, he co-founded, with Francois Rittweger, AG Life, the life insurance company, and in 1830, AG Fire, both of which later became part of the €45 billion Fortis, "the oldest and most important insurance company in Belgium", until its collapse in 2008.