Tombstone Tuesday - Pieter de Jong & Willempje Cornelia Zijderveld

My grandparents Pieter [Piet] de Jong (1892-1973) and Willempje Cornelia [Willie] Zijderveld (1892-1976) are buried in the cemetery of 's-Gravendeel on the Hoeksche Waard island: 

My grandparent's tombstone

My grandfather was born in Sprang-Capelle and at the age of 7 he lost his father, leaving the widow and children in very poor circumstances. My grandmother was born in Dordrecht as an only daughter with several brothers and was a bit spoiled.

Barent & Lucas Coeymans, 17th century miller & sawyer

Barent Pieteres Koijemans/Coeymans first arrived in 1639 from Utrecht, The Netherlands, with his brother Lucas. First, Barent became an apprentice at a mill owned by the Van Rensselaer family. Later,  "Barent The Miller" purchased a tract of land that was given his name: Coeymans is a town in Albany County, New York, USA.
Barent married a daughter of Andries de Vos. His children were Andreas, Samuel, Pieter, Adriaentje, Jannetie and Geertie. Barent's daughter Adriaentje was born on October 19, 1672. His son Pieter married Elizabeth Greveraad on October 5, 1713. Barent died in 1710.

While Barent became known as "Barent The Miller", his brother Lucas Pieterse Coeymans became known as "De Houtsager", i.e. "The Sawyer". In 1675 Lucas bought a saw mill called "The Proesten Mill" on the east bank of the Hudson. Lucas married, too, and had a daughter Jannetje, baptised on October 19, 1684. 

Sources: OpenLibrary.org, Wikipedia.org and rootsweb.ancestry.com. 

Treasure Chest Thursday - My Grandparent's 1917 Marriage Certificate

Recently I received a little "treasure chest" from my uncle Cees de Jong. Among many other papers pertaining my grandparents, it contained my grandparent's marriage certificate:

My grandparent's marriage certificate

Pieter de Jong

My grandfather, Pieter de Jong (1892-1973) married my grandmother Willempje Cornelia Zijderveld (1892-1976) on March 29, 1917 in Dordrecht, South Holland, The Netherlands. They had 10 children and a miscarriage from 10 pregnancies in the period 1917-1935.
The 1930s were a time of unemployment and poverty, so my grandparents moved around 1930 from Capelle, North-Brabant, to Mookhoek, South-Holland, in search of employment. There, my grandfather started working as a hind on a farm and acquired a certificate for properly milking cows. After the war my grandfather found employment in building construction.

My Little Treasure Chest

Treasure Chest Thursday - My Grandmonther's 1941 ID-card

Recently I received a little "treasure chest" from my uncle Cees de Jong. Among many other papers pertaining my grandparents, it contained my maternal grandmother's wartime identity card:  

My grandmother's 1941 ID-card

This ID-card ("persoonsbewijs" in Dutch) was introduced in The Netherlands by the Germans during World War II in April 1941.



My Little Treasure Chest

I'd never seen a photograph of my grandmother before she was a bended little old granny, so this ID-card is a real "treasure" for me!

Twins: Jan & Sijtie Droogendijck were baptized on 27-8-1676

Pieter Huigensz Droogendijck married his wife Maria Jans in February 1666 in Simonshaven in Holland: 

 Pieter Huijge Droogendijck married Maria Jans in February 1666 in Simonshaven.

Their first son, Huijgh, named after Pieter's father, was born soon after their marriage, but he died young. Eight more children were to follow. Among their children was a twin: Jan and Sijtie were baptized on August 27, 1676:

The Twins Jan & Sijtie Droogendijck were baptized on 27-08-1676 in Simonshaven.

Around 1678 the couple moved to nearby Zuidland. Their daughter Lijsbeth was baptized there on October 8, 1679. On December 8, 1700 Lijsbeth married Pieter Geenen who lived in Strompolder in the vicinity of Ouderkerk aan de IJssel. Their granddaughter Neeltje Geenen Bakker was the grandmother of Genis Brand (1802-1844), who was the grandfather of another Genis Brand (1857-1930), who was the grandfather of one of my great-uncles Genis "Geen" Klootwijk (1905-1991) in Wieldrecht. 

Henry Jan Beltman was struck by lightning in 1893

Henry Jan Beltman was struck by lightning on July 18, 1893, around 4 p.m. when he was busy driving his employer's horses into the stables. Mr. Beltman (31) had a young wife and 2 little children. He was buried at Edgerton cemetery, section 2, lot 9, grave 8.

De Volksvriend, 27-7-1893

In 1885 Henry Jan Beltman had married Nina Lena Jurgens. She was born on 30 January 1866 in Niedersachsen, Germany, as daughter of Heinrich Jurgens (1833-1898) and Brechtje Poppen Wermerssen (1838-1914). As a widow she married Harm Meyerink (1867-1956) in 1894, and had further issue. Nina Lena died in Platte on 17 May 1938.

Sources: Delpher.nl, FindAGrave.com.

The city of Dordrecht

Born in London, Sir Ernest George (1839-1922) was an English architect, landscape and architectural watercolour painter, and etcher. He studied art and architecture at the Royal Academy Schools, and created his 1st set of etchings in 1873. He was a full member of the Royal Society of Etchers and Engravers (1881), the Royal British Artists (1889) and the prestigious Royal Academy (1917). Ernest George was also knighted for his contributions to art and architecture in 1912.
Around 1880 Ernest George made this sketch of a canal in the city of Dordrecht (historically named "Dort").

Dordrecht around 1880 by Ernest George

Dordrecht is a town in The Netherlands in the province of South Holland on the Merwede river on an island separated from the mainland by an inundation in 1421. Dordrecht was founded in 1018 by Count Dietrich III of Holland. Dordrecht was granted city rights by Count William I of Holland, in 1220.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, Dordrecht developed into an important market city because of its strategic location. It traded primarily in wine, wood and cereals. Dordrecht was made even more important when it was given staple right in 1299 that required merchant barges or ships to unload their goods at the port, and display them for sale. In the 18th century, the importance of Dordrecht began to wane, and was replaced by Rotterdam as the main city in the region.

Source: artoftheprint.com.

Black Sheep Cornelis Teunise Bos was accused of slander

Cornelis Teunisse Bos, it was said, came to Beverwyck*, USA, in 1631 as hind to Cornelis Maase Van Buren. His wife was Maritie Thomase Mingael who, after his death in 1666, married Jurriaen Janse Groenwout. Around that time they had one daughter, Wyntie, living.

Cornelis Teunisse Bos, also known as Bosch and Van Westbroeck, was accused frequently before the court, of slander and backbiting; for example in 1658 for having defamed the honorable court, and again in 1659 for which he was fined 1200 guilders and banished for 12 year. The next year he was again arriagned for a similar offence against William Teller.

The Old Albany City Hall

Source: OpenLibrary.org.

* Beverwyck, was a fur-trading community north of Fort Orange on the Hudson River in New Netherland that was to become Albany, New York, when the English took control of the colony in 1664.

Cornelis Jansz Langeweg worked for the Dutch East India Company

Cornelis Jansz Langeweg from Lage Zwaluwe, The Netherlands, was an experienced sailor, charged with firing a gun. He worked for the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.). On May 26, 1748, Cornelis departed from Texel, The Netherlands, as one of the crew of the newly built ship "Bredenhof". The crew consisted of 141 seafarers and 82 soldiers. The ship's captain on this voyage was Frederik Jansz van Winsum. The ship had departed earlier on May 6, but the ship stranded 'at the Haaks' and returned to Texel on the 10th.

They arrived at Cape Hope in South-Africa on September 30, 1748, and stayed there until October 20. After departure from the Cape 2 stowaways were found; one of them was the wife of a sergeant. The ship arrived at Batavia on the island of Java in Indonesia, on February 24, 1749. On May 6, 1749, Cornelis Jansz Langeweg ended his association with the V.O.C. by running away. His mother, Neeltje Huijgens, was listed as his beneficiary.

Batavia, Java, Indonesia

Adriaen Mathijsz, a sixfold ancestor

Adriaen Mathijsz lived around 1600 in the Sint Anthoniepolder in Holland. His descendants took the surname "Polderdijk", named after the dike the Sint Anthoniepolder was build on. Adriaen was a son of Mathijs Maertensz and Digna Adriaens, so he was named after his maternal grandfather. Adriaen's known siblings are IJeman, Andries and Maerge, who is also an ancestor of mine through her 1st marriage with Quirijn Geeritsz. Their daughter - and my ancestor - Ingetge Crijnen (†1647) married Jan Leneartsz Pors (†1658).

Church of the
Sint Anthoniepolder

The name of the wife of Adriaen Mathijsz is unknown, but 5 of his children are known: Andries, Ingetie, Gerrit, Cornelis and Simon. Simon (†1673) is the only one of his known children that I do not descend from. He married twice and had at least 5 children. Simon died in 1673.

Andries Adriaensz Polderdijk married twice, too. In 1629 Andries married his 1st wife, Neeltje Pieters Stooker (±1600-±1646), a daughter of Pieter Joosten Stooker and Willempje Bastiaans who are triple ancestors of mine.
Two of Andries and Neeltje's children are my ancestors: Adriaan (±1631-±1668) and Maijken, who married Jacob Heijndricks Monster. Their son Arie Jacobs Monster was born on January 17, 1669 in the Sint Anthoniepolder and married twice, too. With his 1st wife, Teuntie Cornelisse Barendregt (1674-±1719) he had 10 children and 2 of them are my ancestors: Maeijke Ariens Monster (±1694-1765) and Willempje Arijense Monster (±1711-±1754). So, that makes Andries a quadruple ancestor on his own.

Madness Monday - Joannes Abeel, "an alleged lunatic", was baptized on April 8, 1722 in Albany

Joannes (John), eldest son of Christoffel Abeel and Margarita Bries, was baptised in Albany on April 8, 1722, and was described in 1872 by J. Munsell in his "Contributions for the genealogies of the first settlers of the ancient county of Albany from 1630 to 1800" as "an alleged lunatic": 

In 1899 H. Whittmore gave additional detail about Joannes' life in his book "The Abeel and allied families": 

Joannes wasn't mad at all. In 1748 John settled in Minden, a short distance from Fort Plain. He erected a stone dwelling upon a knoll directly above the flats. He first married the daughter of a Seneca chief in an Indian ceremony and had a son, later chief Corn Plant (Ki On-Twog-Ky). On September 22, 1759, Joannes married Mary Knouts and had additional issue.  
Joannes was taken prisoner by Indians in October 1780 and expected immediate death, but when chief Corn Plant addressed him as father, his safety was secured. Soon Joannes was able to return to his white family. 

Maria Vogelpols would never marry Willem Vermeulen

The first banns of marriage for Willem Janse Vermeulen and Maria Vogelpols ware proclaimed on September 9, 1719, in Moerkapelle in Holland: 

"Willem Janse Vermeulen, j.m. van Linden uit graafschap Tekkelenburg

met Maria Vogelpols, j.d. van Tekkelenburg, won. alhier".

Willem was a young man from the county of Tecklenburg in Germany and Maria was a young woman from the city of Tecklenburg in Germany. Alas, they were never married, because Maria fell ill and died:   

"Dewijl de bruid onder de voorstellingen gestorven is,

heeft de voltrekking van 't huwelijck geen voortgang gehad".

Mathias Heesen (1748-1810) from Reurdt in Germany

Mathias Heesen from Prussia (Germany)was  married in Dordrecht, The Netherlands, on May 20, 1781 to Johanna (Sophia) Klettenberg. Mathias may have been baptized on July 22, 1748, in Reurdt near Geldern in Germany, as son of Jochim Heesen and Aleijdis Franszen Smit. This couple was married on November 2, 1741, in Reurdt, Germany. Mathias and his wife Johanna Sophia had 2 daughters: Maria and Christina, both baptized in Oud-Beijerland, The Netherlands. Johanna Sophia died on September 28, 1795, in Zuid-Beijerland.

The widower Mathias Heesen was married on February 13, 1797, in Zuid-Beijerland to Geertruij Creutz from Spellen near Wesel in Germany. Geertruij was the widow of a Cornelis Heijstek with whom she had had 2 children: Lijsbet and Antonius. Mathias and Geertruij subsequently had an additional 5 children: Hendricus, Maria, Anna, Matthijs and Cornelis. Cornelis was born on August 20, 1808, in Rhoon, The Netherlands. He married and became the ancestor of my nephew Thom Bos. Cornelis died in Rhoon on August 20, 1890.

Mathias Heesen died on August 13, 1810, in Rhoon, when his youngest son Cornelis was not yet 2 years old. His widow Geertruij Creuts died on December 9, 1831, in Rhoon.

Rhoon 

Cornelis Hendrik Jan Bakker (1841-86) in South Africa

Cornelis Hendrik Jan Bakker was born on March 25, 1841 in Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe in Noord-Brabant in The Netherlands. His brother Hendrik Bakker was born on February 8, 1843. Their parents were Franciscus Pieter Bakker (1804-1860) and Johanna Bernardina van de Laar (1802-1846) who had been married on June 19, 1828 in Rotterdam. 

Hendrik moved to Rotterdam, married and fathered a large brood of children. Cornelis Hendrik Jan, however, was a soldier in South Africa. At Cape Hope, aged 40, he married Johanna Frederika Juliana Gericke, aged 31, with a special license on July 18, 1881. 

Het Nieuws van de Dag, August 18, 1881

After 5 years of marriage Cornelis Hendrik Jan Bakker died on September 11, 1886 in Kernhardt, aged 45. 

The Van Dusens of New Amsterdam

In 2011 The New York Times featured an article on the Van Dusen family. It started with one of Manhattan’s first few hundred settlers, an operator of a windmill where the Dutch ground grain. Known in official documents as “Abraham the Miller” or “Abraham Pieterszen” - as in “son of Peter” - he landed on the island of “Manatus” some time before February 1627. Abraham’s forebears were from the the town of Deursen

in Northern Brabant in The Netherlands. 
The 1880 census counted 3,000 heads of household with the name Van Dusen — or Van Deusen, Van Deursen, Van Duzer and other common variants — all, the experts say, traceable back to Abraham the Miller.

Two of Abraham’s progeny — Martin Van Buren (1782–1862) and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945) — served as presidents of the United States. A third, Eliza Kortright (Generation 7), married one, James Monroe (1758–1831). You can read much more about the Van Dusen family in this interesting The New York Times article.

John Klootwijk (1833-1914) of Grand Rapids

John Klootwijk of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, was born as Johannes on 16-3-1833 in Numansdorp, The Netherlands. His parents are Jacob Klootwijk (1807-1884) and Pleuntje Huijzers (±1808-1856).

Johannes married (1) on 29-2-1856 in Numansdorp a local girl, Johanna Laurina Liefting (1820-1858). She was 12½ years his senior. Johanna Laurina already had an 8-year-old daughter Johanna Cornelia and - upon marrying her - Johannes claimed to be the child's father, although he had been a teenager at the time of her birth. In 3 years time Johanna Laurina gave birth to 3 more children, but they all died young. Johanna Laurina died 17 days after the birth of her youngest child on 29-10-1858.