Genealogie Bos

This is my English-language Genealogy & Ancestry Blog.
(Mijn Nederlandstalige blog is genealogiebos.blogspot.nl).

2 Sept 2025

Divorce and longevity for Johanna Schenk in Gouda

Gouda

Johanna Schenk was born in Gouda, Holland, on 18 January 1853. His parents are Dirk Schenk (1822-1872) and his first wife Maria Elselina van Omme (1824-1862) who were living at the Naaijerstraat in Gouda. Johanna had several siblings, but only Jacoba Maria Elselina (1850-1905) and Cornelis seem to have survived infancy. Cornelis, the youngest, was born in Gouda on 14 August 1856. Their mother Maria Elselina died in Gouda on 11 January 1862, just before Johanna's 11th birthday, while Cornelis was 5 years old.
Dirk Schenk married his second wife on 20 May 1863 in Gouda. She was born there on 23 April 1829 as Margaretha Cornelia, daughter of Hendrik Johannes Verblaauw and Lucretia Vermeulen. Dirk and Margaretha Cornelia had some additional children, but they all died young. Dirk Schenk died in Gouda on 3 February 1872, when his Johanna was 19 years old.

Unmarried Jacoba Maria Elselina Schenk brought 3 babies to their grave in Gouda the period 1875-1881. Her younger brother Cornelis married Catharina Dingena van Vliet (1860-1931) on 18 August 1880 in Gouda, and fathered children with his wife.
Their younger sister Johanna Schenk moved to Amsterdam where she gave birth to a son Leonardus on 16 October 1876. The baby likely died young. Another son, Jacobus Leonardus, was born in Amsterdam on 2 January 1878 around 13:00. Early 1884, Johanna was nursed for 93 days in the Binnengasthuis hospital in Amsterdam. On 18 June of that year, around 18:00, in Amsterdam Johanna Schenk gave birth to a daughter Johanna Helena.
Johanna Schenk married Leonardus Smal on 4 August 1886 in her hometown Gouda. The couple also acknowledged that Johanna Helena is their daughter. Thus, the girl's surname was changed from Schenk to Smal. Johanna's son Jacobus Leonardus Schenk had moved with her to Rotterdam, too.
Leonardus Smal was born on 10 July 1845. In the 1850s he had lived in an orphanage in Amersfoort. In 1882 in Amsterdam, Leonardus suffered severe burns to his back, arm and head when a kerosene lamp fell over.

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25 Aug 2025

Paternal ancestors of rock star Eddie van Halen in Dordrecht

Eddie van Halen is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in rock history, and was well known for popularising the tapping guitar technique. He was guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex in 1972.
Eddie van Halen was born as Edward Lodewijk van Halen in Amsterdam on 26 January 1955. He died of a stroke in Santa Monica on 6 October 2020, aged 65. He is the son of Eugenia van Beers (1914-2005) and pianist Jan van Halen (1920-1986). The family emigrated the the USA in 1962.
Eddie’s paternal grandparents are butcher Hermanus van Halen (1881-1960) and his wife Jannetje Berg (1883-1958). Eddies's paternal great-grandparents are ship carpenter Hermanus van Halen (1840-1924) and his wife Jacoba Maria Kamermans (1841-1916).

Eddie's paternal great-great-grandparents are Jan van Halen and Hermina Beekman (1814-1888) who both originated in Dordrecht, Holland. They were married there on 25 May 1838. Jan van Halen died on 20 February 1893 in Den Helder, Holland, at the age of 77. Jan was born in Dordrecht on 22 May 1815 as son of an earlier Jan van Halen and his wife Dina Lengton.

Jan van Halen and Dina Lengton were married on 26 May 1798 in Dordrecht.
Jan was assisted by his father Wouter van Halen. His bride was assisted by her mother Elisabeth Blekston.

The elder Jan van Halen was born in De Mijl, and baptised in nearby Dordrecht on 12 January 1772. Jan married Dijna Lengton on 26 May 1798 in Dordrecht. Dijna was baptised on 16 May 1775 in Dordrecht as daughter of Jacobus Lengton and Elisabeth Isaaks Blekston (1749-1819), a member of the Blackstone family in Dordrecht. Dijna died, aged 71, on 4 September 1846 in Dordrecht. Jan van Halen had died there on 21 February 1845, aged 73. Jan's death certificate mentions his parents Wouter van Halen and Johanna de Visser.

17 Aug 2025

Johann Diederich Seip moved from Germany to 's-Gravendeel

In 's-Gravendeel, Holland, on 17 August 1817 local girl Elisabeth Visser married Johan Diderik Seip who originated in Soest in Germany. He is a son of artillery soldier Johann Paul Seip (†1791) and his wife Margaretha Catharina Berthold (†1813). In Soest he was baptised on 10 September, likely in the year 1789, with the name Johann Diederich. In Holland he was known as Johan Diederik.

Extract of the birth of Johann Diderich Seip in Soest in Germany

His bride, Elizabeth Visser, was born on the 2nd and baptised on 8 July 1798 in 's-Gravendeel. Elizabeth's parents are Gerrit Maartens Visser (1754-1823) and his third wife Cornelia Huige Visser (1772-1814). Elizabeth's grandfathers are Maarten Gerrits Visser (†1772) and Huig Tielemans Visser who married Lijsbet Verhoeven after whom Elizabeth Visser is named.

Elizabeth Visser and Johan Diederik Seip had 8 children:
  1. Johan Paulus Seip was born on 15-6-1818 in ’s-Gravendeel. He married Neeltje de Keijzer on 2-6-1842 in Zevenbergen, Brabant, The Netherlands. Johan died on 11-9-1902 in Rotterdam Holland, aged 84.
  2. Gerrit Seip was born on 11-07-1820 in ’s-Gravendeel. In 1845 Gerrit married Adriana Eland (1823-1849). In 1852 Gerrit married Anna van Beusekom. Gerrit died on 07-2-1895 in Rotterdam, aged 74.
  3. Jacobus Seip is born on 24-10-1821 in ’s-Gravendeel. In 1849 in 27-year-old Jacobus married 37-year-old Zara Tollenaar. In 1859 Jacobus married 31-year-old Maria Snoeij. Jacobus died, at the age of 88, on 19-9-1910 in Alkemade, Holland.
  4. Johan Diderich Seip was born on 4-10-1823 in ’s-Gravendeel. In Oude-Tonge, Holland, in 1853 he married Maatje Kreeft. Johan Diderich died on 19-2-1898 in Den Bommel, Holland, aged 74.
  5. Pieter Seip was born on 8-8-1826 in ’s-Gravendeel. In 1860 in Zierikzee, Zeeland, The Netherlands, Pieter married Barbara Jacoba de Vrome. Pieter died, at the age of 71, on 29-6-1898 in Rotterdam.
  6. Huig Seip was born on 22-12-1828 in ’s-Gravendeel. Huig married Lena van Prooijen in 1858 in Sint Maartensdijk in Zeeland. Huig died on 30-5-1893 in Dordrecht, Holland, aged 64.
  7. Cornelia Seip was born on 8-4-1833 in ’s-Gravendeel. In her place of birth, on 21-12-1853, Cornelia married fellow townsman Pieter Krijnen Barendrecht (1814-1893), widower of Maaike Dorst (1817-1852). At the age of 79, Cornelia Seip died on 22-7-1912 in 's-Gravendeel.
  8. Maarten Seip was born on 12-05-1838 in ’s-Gravendeel. In 1862 Maarten married Cornelia Uitterlinde. Maarten died on 6-3-1899 in IJsselmonde, aged 60.
Death certificate of Johan Diederik Seip, aged 67

Johan Diederik Siep died in 's-Gravendeel on 13 April 1857 at the age of 67. His widow, Elizabeth Visser, died at the same age on 11 January 1866 in 's-Gravendeel.

Sources: WieWasWie.nl, FamilySearch.org, Families of South Holland ("Klappers"), RegionaalArchiefDordrecht.nl.

1 Aug 2025

Dutch ancestors of author Pearl S. Buck - the Stulting family

Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) was a writer and novelist. I read her fictionalised biography of Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi. Pearl was born as Pearl Sydenstricker in Hillsboro, West Virginia, to Caroline Maude Stulting and Absalom Sydenstricker, of Dutch and German descent respectively. In October 1892, her parents took their 4-month-old baby to China. The surname Buck derives from Pearl's first husband John Lossing Buck (1890–1975). On the same day in 1935 that Pearl divorced him, she married her publisher Richard J. Walsh.

Pearl's mother, Caroline Maude - “Carie” - Stulting (1857-1921), is a daughter of Hanna Sonnius (1816-1876) and silversmith Hermanus Stulting. They were married on 18 March 1840 in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Their eldest children were born in Utrecht, including a daughter Arnolda, born there on 20 September 1846. Later, in the USA, the girl was known as Arnolda Dorothy. More children were to follow, including Pearl's mother.
Hermanus Stulting died on 30 September 1905 in Hillsboro, Pocahontas County, West Verginia. Hermanus was born in Utrecht on 5 October 1816 as son of Cornelis Johannes Stulting and Arnolda Broekman. Arnolda Broekman was born in Amersfoort, east of Utrecht. Hermanus' parents were married in Utrecht on 20 March 1811. Hermanus' grandparents were Hermanus Stulting, Hendrica Lebben, Nicolaas Broekman and Gerritje van der Linden.

Cornelis Johannes Stulting married Arnolda Broekman on 24 March 1811 in Utrecht

In 1847 Cornelis Johannes Stulting travelled to the USA. Cornelis Johannes died on 19 March 1861, aged 71. He was survived by his widow and his namesake son.

Utrechtsche Provinciale en Stads-courant (newspaper), 24-4-1861

Cornelis Johannes Stulting was baptised in Utrecht on 6 January 1790 as son of Hendrika Lebben (1764-1835) and tailor Hermanus Stulting (1763-1832). This couple was married on 14 July 1789 in Utrecht in a Roman Catholic church known as the Catharijnekerk. Another couple with the same surnames, Johannes - “Jan” - Stulting (1767-1846) and Margaretha Lebbe (1775-1857), were married in Utrecht on 20 May 1793. Jan was Hermanus' brother, and Margaretha was Hendrika's sister. Their parents were Cornelis Stulting, Wilhelmina Wasbeek, Jacobus Lebbinck and Agatha Gevel.

Johanna van Diest, first wife of Cornelis Stulting, died without issue early 1753 

Cornelis Stulting and his first wife, Johanna van Diest, had a marriage contract drawn up by a notary on 27 May 1748. The couple were living in Utrecht at the Oude Gracht (old canal) near the Jacobi bridge, a monumental bridge that still stands today. Early 1753, Johanna died without issue.
Cornelis married his second wife, Wilhelmina Wasbeek, on 25 November 1762 in Utrecht. Their prenuptial agreement had been drawn up on the 5th. They had sons named Hermanus, Adrianus (who likely died young) and Johannes (Jan).
Willemina van Wasbeek, widow of Cornelis Schulting, and Maria van Wasbeek, daughters and heirs of their deceased father Adrianus van Wasbeek, appeared before a notary on on November 1, 1782. The burial in Utrecht of Willemina van Wasbeek, widow of Cornelis Stulting, was on 18 December 1791. Willemina was baptised in Utrecht on 14 October 1733 as daughter of Adrianus van Wasbeek and Johanna van den Abeele.