Latin Term ~ Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice in Latin means “For Church and People”. It's a decoration of the Holy See - a papal distinction. It is currently conferred for distinguished service to the Catholic Church by lay people and clergy. The medal was established by Leo XIII on 17 July 1888 to commemorate his golden sacerdotal jubilee. In 1898 it became a permanent papal distinction. Cecilia Hubertine Custers had received this decoration.

Cecilia Hubertine (“Cecile”) Custers was born in Venlo on 12 November 1829 as daughter of merchant Mathias Antonius (“Mathijs Antoon”) Custers (1792-1866) and his wife Johanna Elisabeth Keuller (1795-1878). Johanna Elisabeth endured 12 pregnancies. Cecile was her sixth child. When Cecile's younger brother Johan Hendrik Hubert Custers (1834-1898) died at the age of 63, Cecile was the only survivor of all her siblings. She never married.
Cecile died, aged 84, on 23 February 1914 in Venlo.

Longevity ~ Anna Kamberg (96) in Dordrecht

Anna Kamberg was born in Dordrecht on 22 January 1861 around 20:30 PM. She had a brother, who lived to be 71 years old, 2 brothers who died young, and a number of sisters, including Catharina Kamberg, who lived to be 73 years old. Their parents are Catharina van Leliveld (1831-1905) and Dirk Eduard Kamberg (1831-1918). Anna's great-grandfather, Jan Kamberg, originated from Dalem near Gorinchem.

Anna Kamberg was born on 22 January 1861 in the Marienbornstraat in Dordrecht.

At the age of 27, on 8 February 1888 in Dordrecht, Anna Kamberg married 27-year-old Adrianus Knikman. Adrianus was born on 10 August 1860 in Dordrecht as son of Goverdina Johanna Nelemans (1828-1879) and Adam Knikman (1833-1900).
Adam Knikman is a son of Willemina Tielekind (1803-1856) and Arie Knikman (1807-1871). After fathering 2 sons, Arie was admitted to a mental asylum, and placed under guardianship. He is a son of Hendrika Baks (1769-1840) and Adam Knikman (1775-1849). Adam is a son of my ancestors Arij Janse Knikman (1730-1778) and Maria de Sterke (1730-1806).

Anna gave birth to 8 children: Adam (1888-1895), Dirk Eduard, Adrianus, Catharina (1895-1967), Goverdina Johanna (1897-1970), Anna (1899-1972), Adam (b†1901) and Adam (1902-1967).
On 16 September 1905 in Dordrecht Anna's mother, Catharina van Leliveld died at the age of 74. She was born in Dordrecht on 9 February 1831.
Anna's husband, Adrianus Knikman, died at the age of 56, on 6 December 1916 in Dordrecht. Anna's father, Dirk Eduard Kamberg, died in Dordrecht on 13 March 1918 at the age of 86. He was born in Dordrecht on 14 April 1831.

It's my 13th Blogiversary!

On 17 January 2013   I published my 1st post for this blog,  so  today is my  13th  blogiversary !

In those years August 2018, October 2019 and January and November 2022 were the months with the most posts. Of course it’s not about quantity, but about quality. I've tried to achieve quality by writing about topics that arouse my interest. The stories on this blog are usually not about my own ancestors, but about people who catch my attention while doing research.

Nowadays, with my own ancestors, I often find myself stuck in missing or illegible sources. Therefore, new research often depends on newly available transcriptions of sources that have become available.
In villages with mostly missing sources, like 's-Gravendeel and Sint Anthoniepolder in South Holland, I try to include many people of those and their surrounding villages in my database, hoping that someone will marry a relative of mine, I didn't know before. Occasionally, I do find a small addition this way.
Other times I find small additions in genealogical magazines.

These were Popular Blog Posts in 2025:

• The Kleinjan family and their American branch (2013)
• Anneke Jans and the Webber Controversy (2013)
• Alberdiena Rientjes was locked up in a mental institution (2025)
• Divorce and longevity for Johanna Schenk in Gouda (2025)
• Short-lived Marriage ~ Maria Fresia Kromme and Hermann Franz Kromme (2025)
• Paternal ancestors of rock star Eddie van Halen in Dordrecht (2025)

Surname Saturday - Bedé in Streefkerk

One of my 'brickwall ancestors' is Pieter Cornelisse Bedé who lived in Streefkerk, Holland. His patroniem is Cornelis, so that's his father's first name. The spelling of Pieter's surname varied quite a bit, such as Bedé, Bedee, Biddee and Bodee. It's likely his ancestors were foreigners, and the parson didn't know how to write their foreign surname. The surname could be a toponym if the family originated in Bédée, a village in Bretagne in France.

Pieter Bedé is a brother of Ariaentie Cornelisse Bedé. She married Bouwe Claesse van der Leck on 26 December 1659 in (Nieuw-)Lekkerland, Holland. They had children baptised with the names Claes, Cornelia (witnesses Dirk Cornelisse, Geertie Reijnders, Neeltie Claes), Jacob, Dirck (witnesses Jan Jansen, Jan Cornelisse, Annegie Herperts), Willem (witnesses Jan Cornelisse, Ariaentie Cornelis) and Jan.

Pieter Cornelisse Bedé married Ariaentje Cornelisse (de Groot) on 27 november 1667 in Streefkerk, Holland. They had children named Annigje (2x) and Cornelis. With his second wife, Sijchie Arijens (Aaldijk), Pieter had children named Cornelis (witnesses Pieter Arijenze, Bouwe Claeze, Cornelia Bouwenze), Ariaentje (2x) and Annigje.
Both Pieter's wives had a mother named Annechie, while Pieter's younger daughters Ariaentje may have been named after his first wife. Thus, the names of Pieter's children yield no convincing clues.