Leenhart (Leendert) Hermann van Essen opened a law practice in Veenendaal after studying law in Amsterdam. His shock of red hair led him to be nicknamed 'Red Jew'. He married Rachel Julia Lopes de Leao Laguna from Amsterdam. Rumour had it that he had fetched a rich Jewish woman from Portugal. He and his wife had two daughters, Elly Vera Louise and Veronie Suze Carola. The family lived at 9 Kanaalweg (Huize Ameinon) in Veenendaal.
Leendert Hermann van Essen loved to record motion pictures. He purchased a sixteen-millimetre film camera, which was the largest available for amateur film makers at the time.
Veronie Suze Carola, the youngest daughter, attended the Protestant secondary modern on the Kerkewijk. As she was Jewish, she had to leave that school in 1941.
Leendert Hermann van Essen and his family went into hiding on the Veluwe near Voorthuizen. They were caught. The valuable contents of Huize Ameinon had been confiscated by the SD by then. A young municipal official who supervised the house being emptied removed and preserved the mezuzah at the entrance. The mezuzah was exhibited after the war.
M. Brink and D. van Kreveld, Geschiedenis van de Joodse gemeenschap in Stichts en Gelders Veenendaal (Veenendaal 2001) 142, 149, 194, 205, 247, 262-265 en 292
In addition, a Jokos file (number 2629) on this family is at the Amsterdam Municipal Archive. Access is subject to authorization from the Stichting Joods Maatschappelijk Werk.The Jokos file reveals that a claim was lodged for compensation for valuables surrendered to the Lippmann-Rosenthal looting bank (L-claim, number 3184/13337).