Jacob Mossel
Jacob Mossel went from being a common sailor to become GovernorGeneral of the Dutch East Indies from 1750 to 1761.
He was of noble birth, born in Enkhuizen. When he washe left as an ablebodied seaman aboard a Fluyt called de Haringthuyn, bound for the Indies. As his family had a coat of arms, he was able to obtain a privileged position, through Dirk van Cloon, and was sent to the Dutch Coromandel . OnMarch 1730, he married Adriana Appels, the fourteenyearold stepdaughter of Adriaan van Pla, Governor of Dutch Coromandel. Jacob Mossel worked himself up finally to Governor and Director of Dutch Coromandel. In 1740 he got the title of Counsellorextraordinary of the Indies and in 1742 he became a member of the Dutch Council of the Indies in BataviaJakarta.
Source: Wikipedia