The famous major Herman Kessels (1794-1851): measles, a whale and a revolt

In February 1828 two brothers died of measles: 6-year-old Cornelis Augustinus and 2-year-old Arnoldus Lodewijk Kessels. Cornelis Augustinus Kessels was born in Baarle-Nassau on 28 February 1822 around noon. Arnoldus Lodewijk was born on 17 November 1825 in Oostend in Belgium. Both died in Oostend on 10 February 1828.

Opregte Haarlemsche Courant (newspaper), 16 February 1828

Harmanus Kessels and Alida Cornelia Snethlage were married on 15 June 1815 in Amsterdam. Herman Kessels was born on 2 May 1794 in Brussels. Alida Cornelia Snethlage was born on 13 January 1793 in Amsterdam as daughter of Casparus Gerardus Snethlage (1762-1840) and Theresia Elisabeth van Laar (1766-1823).

Alida Cornelia Snethlage gave birth to a son, Henry-Francois, on April 25, 1829, in Paris in France. She gave birth to a daughter, Josephine Desiree, on July 28, 1830, in Antwerp in Belgium. During her marriage, Alida Cornelia endured 12 pregnancies.

Middelburgsche Courtant (newspaper), 16 May 1829

Herman Kessels would become famous for an obscurity unrelated to his military activities. In 1827, fishermen brought a dead whale to the beach in Ostend. Kessels bought the carcass. Carrying the skeleton, containing a 24-person orchestra, Kessels toured Europe and the Royal Courts.
Herman also invented a device that could be used to rescue people from windows on upper floors in the event of fire.

Prolific - The 13 pregnancies of Adriana Aaldijk (1832-74)

Adriana Aaldijk was born on 13 October 1832 in Streefkerk, Holland. She is the youngest daughter of Adrianus Aaldijk (1802-1873) and his wife Maria Schoonderwoerd (1797-1876). Adriana had 3 sisters and 2 brothers.
The first of these siblings to marry, was the eldest daughter Maria Aaldijk (1821-1898) who married Teunis (van) Houweling (1817-1902) on 19 February 1842 in Streefkerk. Maria gave birth to 12 children including a daughter Jannigje Houweling (1857-1936) who was to marry her first cousin.

Extract from the baptismal register of Streefkerk

At the age of 20, Adriana Aaldijk married 25-year-old Arij Brand on 27 September 1852 in Wieldrecht, Holland. The witnesses at their wedding ceremony were the groom's mother and the bride's father.
Arij Brand worked as a labourer. He had a length of 1,72 meter. His face was full, his nose thick and his chin round. His eyes were grey.
Arij Brand was born in Wieldrecht on New Year's Day 1827. His parents are Genis Brand (1802-1844) and Willemijntje Booij (1800-1878). Arij's elder brother Joris died at the age of 18 in 1844, while his younger brother Evert Brand (1835-1917) and 3 of his sisters reached adulthood.

Description of Arij Brand

Wilhelm Kevelmann (1828-1905) was naturalised as a Dutch citizen

Wilhelm Kevelmann was born on 11 January 1828 in Diersford, a village in Germany, located between Xanten and Wesel. His parents are Gerhard Kevelmann and Mechtilde Gräff.
At the age of 27, on 7 December 1855 in Kralingen (now part of Rotterdam), Wilhelm married 31-year-old Clara Catharina Elisabeth van Beuzekom. She was born on 12 March 1824 in The Hague as daughter of carpenter Adrianus van Beuzekom. At that time, Wilhelm lived in Puttershoek and worked as a baker. On 15 April 1856 in Puttershoek Clara gave birth to a stillborn son.

In the 1880s Wilhelm Kevelmann was living in Zwijndrecht, The Netherlands. Wilhelm was naturalised as a Dutch citizen on 11 August 1892.

Nederlandsche Staatscourant, 3 September 1892: Naturalisation of Wilhelm Kevelmann

Barend Bello (1839-1877) and his 3 wives

Blacksmith Barend Bello was born on 13 June 1839 in Oud-Beijerland, Hoeksche Waard, Holland. His parents are Jannetje Versteeg and Arnoldus Adrianus Bello, who was born in Zwolle, The Netherlands, as son of Gesina Elisabeth van Oeveren and an earlier Barend Bello. Arnoldus Adrianus Bello died in Oud-Beijerland on 29 April 1850 when his son Barend was 10 years old. Barend's mother, Jannetje Versteeg (1803-1891), had earlier been married to Pieter van der Steen (1794-1831). They had a daughter Cornelia van der Steen, born on 24 March 1829 in Pernis. Like her mother, Cornelia would marry twice.

Barend was 10 years old when his father died

At the age of 24, Barend Bello married his first wife Anna Diepenhorst on 7 April 1864 in Oud-Beijerland. Anna was born on 16 September 1843 in Numansdorp as daughter of Jan Gijsbert Diepenhorst and Willempje van Driel.
Anna gave birth to a son Adrianus Jan on 22 December 1864 in Klaaswaal. Anna died there on the 31st. The baby died on 20 March 1865 in Oud-Beijerland.

A widower for 5 moths, Barend Bello married his second wife Heiltje Zevenbergen on 19 May 1865 in Strijen. She was born there on 4 April 1843 as daughter of Jannigje van de Nadort (1815-1849) and Jan Zevenbergen (1812-1858). At the age of 15, Heiltje had become an orphan. At the age of 18, on 5 February 1862 in Strijen, Heiltje had given birth to a son Hendrik. On December 19, 1867, the child Hendrik was documented in a notarial deed as son of Heiltje Zevenbergen and Barend Bello. Now Barend officially had a son, although Hendrik was probably not Barend's biological son, since Hendrik was born even before Barend's first marriage.
Heiltje Zevenbergen, 25 year old, died on 20 August 1868 in Klaaswaal. Barend Bello was twice widowed at the age of 29.

Barend Bello was still aged 29 when he married his third wife, 37-year-old Willemtje Snoek on 25 April 1869 in Puttershoek. She was born there on 5 December 1831 as illegitimate daughter of Maartje Snoek. Willempje was recognised and legitimised in 1854 by Willem Hebers/Alebers who had married Maartje Snoek in 1833.
Willempje had married her first husband, widower Arij Verbaas (1823-1868), on 15 April 1854 in Zuidland, Holland. From this first marriage, Willempje had surviving children named Neeltje (1855-1872), Margje (1856-1919), Deumes (1860-1893) and Willem (1862-1880) Verbaas.
With Barend Willempje had issue too, starting with a daughter Jannigje, who lived for 4 days in 1870. Their son Adrianus was born on 28 February 1871 in Mijnsheerenland. Their youngest child, Neeltje Cornelia, was born there on 11 January 1873.
Barend Bello died, at the age of 38, on 15 July 1877 in Klaaswaal. His widow, Willemtje Snoek, married her third husband, Arie Maaten (1841-1926), on 17 September 1879 in Klaaswaal. Willemtje died in Klaaswaal on 27 June 1895, aged 63.