The baptism of Maria Oldecop in 1782 was witnessed by a Russian Grand Duchess

In Amsterdam on Thursday January 20, 1774, Johan Hendrik Frederik Oldecop, 37 years old and living near the Binnen-Amstel, promised to marry 24-year-old Helena Paauw. Her mother, Susanna Alles, had given permission for the marriage. Both the bride and groom were Lutheran, and lived in Amsterdam.
At some point, Johan Hendrik Frederik van Oldecop was appointed consul of the Russian Emperor in Amsterdam.

The couple had several children with notable witnesses at their baptisms:

Prince Alexander Kurakin
(1752-1818)

1. Jan Hendrik was baptised on 27 March 1769 with witnesses Daniel Butler and Maria Hoogstraten. The child Jan Hendrik, who is listed in the baptismal register as Jan Hendrik Fredriksz, is the son of Jan Hendrik Frederik van Oldecop and Helena Paauw.
2. Helena Adelaide was baptised on 3 September 1773 with witnesses Prince Dmitri Alekseyevich Golitsyn (1728–1803), ambassador to Holland, and his wife Gräfin Adelheid Amelie von Schmettau (1748-1806).
3. Michel Daniel was baptised on 14 March 1775 with witnesses Michel, Prince Volkonsky, and Elisabeth, Princess Volkonsky.
4. Iwan was baptised on 13 April 1776 with witness Iwan Czernichew.
5. Benine Alexandrine was baptised on 3 October 1777 with witness Prince Alexander Kourakin (1752-1818). She married Etienne Carignani on 8 January 1801 in Moscow.
6. Helena Catharina Anna was baptised on 30 April 1779 with witnesses Count Gregory Orlov (1734–83) and his wife Ekaterina Zinnovyeva. In 1800 she married Jacobus Heydanus. In March 1848 items from her inheritance were offered for sale.
7. Maria was baptised on 23 October 1780 with witness Grand Duchess Maria Feodorowna of Russia. Maria died young.
8. Maria was baptised on 5 July 1782 with witness Grand Duchess Maria Fedorowna of Russia. At the age of 21, Maria died from measles in 1803 in St. Petersburg.
9. Helena was baptised on 6 August 1783 with witness Prince "Wiasemskoij" (possibly Vyazemsky) and his wife. In 1810 Helena Oldecop married Samuel Rondeau junior. They had issue. Helena died on 25 January 1859 in Amsterdam, aged 75.
10. Paul is mentioned in May 1791.
11. Etienette was born around 1787 in Haarlem. She married widower Johannes Foon, but she survived both him, and their son Jan Hendrik Frederik Foon. As a widow, Etiennette ran a boarding school for girls in Loenen. Etienette was 49 years old when died on 21 March 1836 in Maarsseveen near Utrecht.

Maria Oldecop was baptised on 15 July 1782 in Amsterdam.
The witness was Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duchess of Russia.

Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna (1759-1828) was born as Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, but changed her name when she converted to the Russian Orthodox Church, and married Paul of Russia as his second wife. She was Empress Consort during her husband's reign, which lasted from 1796 until his assassination in 1801.

Despite an imperial witness, Maria Oldecop died of measles in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1803 at the age of 21.

Amsterdamse Courant (newspaper), 1 December 1803

Ancestor nr. 100 is a double ancestor

Last Saturday, Randy Seaver asked a question at his blog: "Who's Number 100 in your Ahnentafel?". My Number 100 Ancestor is Cornelis Janse Rosenbrand. He is a double ancestor, because I descend from 2 of his 3 children.

Cornelis Rosenbrand was baptised on 31 March 1741 in 's-Grevelduin-Capelle as the second of nine children of Johannes (“Jan Clasen”) Rosenbrand (1714-1798) and Marie de Rooij (1715-1797).
At the age of 34, on 14 January 1776 in 's-Grevelduin-Capelle, Cornelis married 32-year-old Catharina van Campen. She was baptised there on 11 August 1743 as a younger daughter of Peter van Campen (1691-1748) and Catharina de Leeuw (1704-1791).
Cornelis Rosenbrand and his wife Catharina had 3 children: Pieter (1777-1822), Maria (1779-1808) and Catharina (1782-1864).

On 28-12-1775 in 's-Grevelduin-Capelle Cornelis Rosenbrand and his bride paid f6 for permission to marry

In 1780 Cornelis' mother-in-law, Catharina van Leeuwen, transferred all her possessions to her three surviving children, including Catharina van Campen, married to Cornelis Rosenbrand.
Cornelis Rosenbrand died in Leiden, Holland, on 2 April 1795, aged 54. I don't know what he was doing in Leiden, but it may have been for work.
Willem Rosenbrand, Cornelis' brother, and Aert Peterse van Campen were appointed as guardians of Cornelis' tree children.

In 1826 Catharina van Campen was living with her daughter Catharina Rosenbrand and her son-in-law Gerrit Boeser (and also my ancestors). Catharina van Campen died in Capelle on 15 February 1835, at the age of 91.

Catharina van Campen, aged 91, on Sunday 15 February 1864 around 6 o'clock in the morning

Sources: Salha.nl; BHIC.nl; Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (archive) in 's-Hertogenbosch; A.C.M. Gouverneur: Transcriptions of the marriages in Sprang and Capelle; P. Sanders en J. Rosenbrand: Genealogie Rosenbrand, Gen. Tijdschr. voor Midden- en West-Brabant (magazine), 1985.

German tailor Johann Christian Kühnhold (1813-78) lost his only child

At the age of 33, tailor Johann Christian Kühnhold married 22-year-old Alida Geertruida Goudkade in Amsterdam on August 6, 1846. Alida Geertruida was born on July 1, 1824, in Boskoop in South Holland. Her parents are innkeeper Pieter Goudkade and his wife Alida Degenhart. After a marriage of 3.5 years, Alida Geertruida Goudkade died on March 3, 1850, at the age of 25.

Algemeen Handelsblad (newspaper), 7 March 1850

Johann Christian was born on February 22, 1813 in Germany in either Wolfsberg or Wolfsburg as the son of Gottfried Christian Kühnhold. In Amsterdam Johann Christiaan Kühnhold lived  in houses located at the canals named Herengracht (at nº 176), Singel (at nº 120) and Leliegracht (at nº 2).

With his first wife, Alida Geertruida Goudkade, Johann Christian Kühnhold had a daughter Alida Geertruida Kühnhold who died of measles in March 1851, at the age of 3.

Algemeen Handelsblad (newspaper), 10 March 1851

Johann Christian Kühnhold married his second wife, Anna Catharina Wubbenhorst, on December 25, 1851, in Amsterdam. She was born on May 2, 1813, in Zwolle, the daughter of Anna Bloemendaal and Coert Hendrik Wubbenhorst (also Wibbenhorst). Anna Catharina was therefore already over 38 years old at the time of her marriage. Consequently, no children were born from this marriage.

Algemeen Handelsblad (newspaper) 25 December 1851

Johann Christian Kühnhold died on August 5, 1878, in Amsterdam at the age of 65. His widow, Anna Catharina Wubbenhorst, was 77 when she died on December 23, 1890, in Zwolle.

Algemeen Handelsblad (newspaper) 8 August 1878

Sources: Delpher.nl, WieWasWie.nl, Noord-HollandsArchief.nl, Archief.Amsterdam.

Madness Monday - Cornelia Kleijn (1818-1861)

In October 1852 Judith Gerdessen, widow of Adriaan Kleijn, had her daughter Cornelia Kleijn placed under guardianship due to insanity.

Nederlandsche Staatscourant (newspaper), 19-10-1852

At the age of 39, farmer Adriaan Kleijn and Judith Gerdessen, aged 30, were married in Asperen, Holland, on 18 July 1818. Just a couple of months later, on 21 October, their twins Cornelia and Arnolda were born there around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. 

Twins Cornelia and Arnolda Kleijn were born on 21 October 1818 in Asperen

Judith gave birth to a son Arie Kleijn on 21 January 1821 in Asperen. Another daughter, Adriana Maria, was born there on 15 November 1822. Their youngest son, Gijsbert, was born on 17 November 1825 in Asperen. Judith's younger children Adriana Maria, Arie and Gijsbert would all get married. Arie and Gijsbert Kleijn both had an elongated face, and black and brown hair respectively. Arie had a big nose, while Gijsbert had a pointed nose.