Jacob Hardekaas moved with his family to Brazil

Jacob Hardekaas was born on August 4, 1817, in Noordwelle, Zeeland, The Netherlands. He was a son of Pieter Hardekaas en Susanna Jornot. An elder son with the same name had died in 1811, as did most children of their marriage.
Susanna Jornot died on March 17, 1825, aged 40, when her son Jacob was just 7 years old. On May 1, 1826, Pieter was remarried. His 2nd wife, Janna Dag, was born in Burgh, Zeeland, as daughter of Cornelis Dag and Kaatje Lokeren. They had a daughter, born on March 30, 1831, named Susanna. Pieter died on August 5, 1857, in Noordwelle, aged 79.

Signature of Pieter Hardekaas, Jacob's father.

Jacob worked as a farmhand when he married, on February 17, 1846, in Noordwelle, Roberina Maatje Kooijman, born in Ouwerkerk on December 8, 1823. Her parents were Marinus Kooijman and Janna van de Vate. 

Migrants boarding a ship

In Noordwelle they had the following children:
 1. Susanna, born April 21, 1846, died June 13, 1847.
 2. Janna, born July 20, 1848.
 3. Pieter, born May 30, 1852.
 4. Jacomina, born April 19, 1855.

Jacob Hardekaas, his wife and their 3 children travelled with the ss Marquês de Caxias. The hundreds of migrants were closely packed together in the steerage. Soon the heat in the ship was almost unbearable. Drinking water was provided, but the family was supposed to have brought their own food with them. The family arrived in Rio Grande Harbour in Brazil on August 15. Travelling further with the ss Rio Pardense they arrived on August 26 in the Colônia Santo Angelo. The year they travelled was either 1858 or 1859.

During their early years in Brazil most migrant families lived in squalor and were nearly starving. The people were exploited and their children had to work in the jungle.

Sources: Roos, T. en Eshuis, M.: “Op een dag zullen ze ons vinden” (Een Zeeuwse geschiedenis in Brazili, WieWasWie.nl.