Simon Naaktgeboren was lost at see in 1719

Simon Naaktgeboren was baptized on February 4, 1691, in Dubbeldam, The Netherlands. His parents, Bastiaan Cornelisz Naecktgeboren and Pieternelletje Cornelisse, were married in Dubbeldam on December 2, 1674. Simon was the youngest child of a family of 9.

a flute ship

Simon Naaktgeboren boarded the flute ship “Strijkebolle” on May 3, 1718, in Rammekens, Zeeland, The Netherlands. Simon’s task was to help with the food supplies and rationing. A journey could be prolonged by storm – or an absence of wind, so the food on board had to be insensitive to decay, like hardtack (hard dry biscuits), beer, bacon, beef in brine and grains. Scurvy (due to a lack of vitamin C), tuberculosis and rheumatism were the usual illnesses among sailors.

The ship "Strijkebolle" arrived at Cape Hope on August 24, leaving again on September 19. The ship, commanded by captain Jacob Blauw, reached its destination, Batavia (nowadays Jakarta in Indonesia), on November 26, 1718.

The flute schip “Slot van Kapelle” was build in 1717 in Rotterdam. It departed from Batavia on July 7, 1719. On August 14, 1719, the ship on voyage to Deshima, capsised in a storm and was lost, north of the Taiwan Strait. Only 17 survived. She was in company of the ships Catharina and Meeroog; those were lost, too.

Hendrik Strik was a miller in Reijerscop

On November 8, 1750, in Breukelen, The Netherlands, Hendrik Strik, young man, born in Tecklenburg, Germany, and then living in Kamerik, The Netherlands, announced his intention to marry Catharina ("Caatje") Dildeij, widow of Jan Houweling, and living in Breukelen, The Netherlands. Hendrik Strik was assisted by his mother, Catharina Hooge, widow of Hendrik Strik, and still living in Tecklenburg. Hendrik and Caatje were married in Kamerik in November 1750. On October 20, 1750, Catharina Dild[e]ij, widow of Jan Foppen Hou[we]ling, had received permission to move from Harmelen to Linschoten.

Tecklenburg in Germany



Catharina Dildeij originated from Linschoten. On December 4, 1728, she had married Jan Foppe Houweling, born in Kamerik, living in Breukelen. Their children were Dievertje, Fop, Elisabeth, Grietje and Hendrik. Jan Foppe Houweling was buried on December 18, 1747, in Breukelen.

 
In June 1760 Hendrik Strik is mentioned as a miller in Reijerscop, Utrecht. On March 24, 1761, Caatje Dild[e]ij is mentioned as having died, as had her brother-in-law, Willem Houweling. Her son Fop was then living in Amsterdam. Her daughters Elisabeth and Grietje were both married. Her son Hendrik was still a minor.

Sources: Provincie Utrecht CD-Rom & Hogenda & RHC Rijnstreek en Lopikerwaard.

Arie de Sterke (1796-1892), my hero ancestor

I've found a real hero amongst my ancestors! His name is Arie de Sterke (1796-1892). On 24-7-1865 Arie received a decoration for his efforts in the 1813-1815 wars against Napoleon Bonaparte. He fought for the Prince of Orange, later King Willem II, in the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

The Prince of Orange, later King Willem II, with Durch soldiers in Belgium.

At the age of 15 Arie de Sterke had joined Napoleon's army to fight in Russia. He went as far as Smolensk on the Dnieper River. As the Russian army retreated, they burned the remaining stores of food, depriving the French of provisions and, finally, in October, forced its retreat. A lack of grass weakened the army's remaining horses, almost all of which died or were killed for food by starving soldiers. Napoleon abandoned his army on 5 December, returning home on a sleigh. The surviving soldiers of his army had to walk back to Western Europe. One of them was Arie de Sterke.

The army's retreat from Russia was full of hardships.

Arie's surname means "The Strong One" and he certainly seems to have been a strong man, both physically and mentally. Back in The Netherlands he fought for the Prince of Orange, later Dutch King William II, at the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo against Napoleon.

Arie was baptized on November 16, 1796, in Dordrecht as a younger son of Pieter de Sterke (1765-1842) and his first wife, Adriana Knikman (1766-1804). Arie was married, on April 6, 1825, in Dordrecht, to Hendrika Pieters Faassen, and acknowledged to be the father of Hendrika's 10-month-old son Pieter. Within their marriage Hendrika gave birth to 8 additional children. Five sons and a daughter survived infancy and married. Hendrika died in 1871.



Dordrechtsche Courant, 15-6-1890: Arie de Sterke is mentioned with his son-in-law.

In 1890, at the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, 93-year-old Arie de Sterke was still alive, living with his daughter Adriana and her husband, Frans Langeweg (1836-1915), in Hof Toulonschelaan in Dordrecht. The street was decorated, he received some money, and a lot of people came to visit. Although elderly, Arie was still in good health, able to walk around and sound of mind. He died on August 8, 1892, aged 95.

De Nederlandstalige versie van dit verhaal kun je hier lezen:            

Voorouder Arie de Sterke (1796-1892) vocht bij Waterloo

The Kots Family in Maurice

Farmer Gerrit Jan Kots (31) and maid Hendrika Hane (21) were married on May 28, 1858, in Aalten, The Netherlands. Gerrit Jan Kots was a son of Engelbarts Kots and Dora Geerdes. Hendrika Hane was a daughter of Joannes Christiaan Hane and Janna Willemina Gerritsen.

They took up residence in Barlo near Aalten. There, Hendrika Hane gave birth to their children: 

• Jan Berend, born on September 13, 1859, 
• Dora Willemina, born on September 28, 1861,
• Hendrik Jan, born on February 15, 1866, 
• Engelina Berendina, born on February 7, 1869,
• Tonia, born on February 17, 1871,
• Willemina, born on March 31, 1874,
• Johannes, born on July 25, 1878, died on April 19, 1879,
• Johanna, born on April 9, 1880. 

The family moved to Maurice, Iowa. Newspaper "De Volksvriend" mentioned their daughter Tonia Kots on December 7, 1893, as being ill. "De Volksvriend" mentioned G.J. Kots on March 30, 1893, when he travelled to Pella to be treated for cancer. He died on April 4, 1896.

De Volksvriend, 9-4-1896

Surname Saturday - Van Driel

One of my father's grandmothers is Maaike van Driel (1859-1936). Her surname Van Driel is - like many other family names - derived from a geographical names: Driel is a village near the river Rhine. Many non-related Van Driel families are living in The Netherlands. My Van Driel ancestors lived in Strijen, Holland.

My great-grandmother Maaike van Driel (1859-1936) with her husband Teun Bos and their children.

Maaike descends from Adriaen Claesz van Driel. He lived in a rural area near the village of Strijen at the end of the 16th century. Adriaen's grandfather, Hendrik Aertsz, was a farmer in Barendrecht in the first half of the 16th century.

Tuesday’s Tip - Add an image to your blog post!

When you take the effort to write a blog post about your ancestors, and/or other relatives, you want people to read it. A good way to get more exposure for your post is by always adding an image, because a blog post with an image can be pinned on Pinterest, and draw more attention when tweeted on Twitter.

A Tagxedo Word Cloud Tree Image

It doesn't have to be a fancy image. It can be an old map of the area. In winter you can add a nice local winter landscape. Maybe you can show a small object related to the post, like a wedding ring, or an old key. 
A nice way to create an image matching a specific post is to make a word cloud picture, for example by using Tagxedo (see example picture). 

You can also take a look at 

• Yvette's Top 5 sources for images to illustrate your Dutch family tree, 
• Family Tree Magazine's 14 Websites for Finding Old Family Photos, or
• ThoughtCo.'s How to Find Photos Online That You Can Legally Use.

When you want to delete one of your blogger images, you need to access Blogger Image Albums. Nowadays they are stored in the Google Album Archive (http://get.google.com/albumarchive).

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.

Wordless Wednessday - 4 generations Bos

A 1952 newspaper showed 4 generations of a Bos family in Rotsterhaule, Frisia, The Netherlands:
Thijs Bos (85), Jan Bos (50), Thijs Bos (23) and little Jan Bos (4 months). They are no family of mine, none at all, but I like the photograph.

De Heerenveensche koerier, 8-8-1952

Surname Saturday - Aaldijk

On my father's side of the family I am a descendant of 2 sisters: Maria (1821-98) and Adriana (1832-74) Aaldijk. Like many other family names, the surname Aaldijk is derived from a geographical name. Aaldijk is a dike in Holland near Hekelingen along the Spui River between the Oude Maas River and the Haringvliet River. However, I do not know if my Aaldijk ancestors where named after that particular dike.


My Aaldijk ancestors descend from an Arijen Dirckse who was baptised on 21-5-1623 in Streefkerk, Holland. Arijen's father, Dirrick Andriessen, supposedly originated in Polsbroek, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Mary Stuart married Willem de Clercq on June 18, 1647

Mary Stuart was baptized in Haamstede, The Netherlands, on December 11, 1624. Her parents were Jacob Stuart and his 2nd wife, Maaiken Jans Boenaert. Mary and her brother Johannes (1617-1695) were the only 2 children of Jacob Stuart to survive infancy.

This Stuart family was supposedly descended from an Archibald Stuart who had been herald at the court of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Archibald's supposed son Jacob Stuart  (±1554-1622) left St. Andrews, Scotland, for Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands. He married 3 times and left many descendants.

On June 18, 1647, in Zierikzee, The Netherlands, Mary Stuart married Willem de Clercq (±1620-1657), son of Lieven de Clercq and Maijken Imants. Willem was a resident of Poortambacht near Zierikzee. Mary Stuart died in Zierikzee in 1656.

Zierikzee

Sources: Archieven.nl & dr. J. Mac Lean, "Het geslacht Stewart (Stuart)", De Nederlandsche Leeuw, 91ste jaargang, 1974, pages 138-9.

Jacob van Os in Cape Town around 1700

Jacob van Os was baptized on 23-7-1686 in Rotterdam. His baptism was witnessed by Sara Claes. His parents were Casper Jacobse van Os and Claessie Jans van Leeuwen.

When Caspar and Claessie were married in the winter of 1677-78 in Rotterdam, Claessie was a widow. She had a son Isaack from her earlier marriage to Pieter Cornelisz Groen whom Claessie had married in the winter of 1664-65 in Rotterdam. Witnesses to Isaack’s baptism on 3-11-1666 in Rotterdam were Jan Isackx van Leeuwen and Sara Claes. They were Claessie’s parents and had been married on 8-10-1641 in Rotterdam. Sara Claes was a widow of Louris Jansse van Ceulen, whom she had married on 16-12-1636 in Rotterdam.

Rotterdam

Jacob van Os departed on 10-5-1712 from Rotterdam as a sailor on the ship "Huis ten Donk", build in 1711 in Rotterdam with a length of 130 voet (9 meters). The ship docked on February 17, 1713, in Cape Town. On April 3 the ship continued its voyage to Batavia in Indonesia, arriving there on July 4, 1713. I can’t trace Jacob van Os in any other voyages for the Dutch East India Company. 

Klaas IJsbrandsz Vermeulen Lived Long

The 52 Ancestors Week 16 Theme being “Live Long” I was curious what the age of my eldest ancestor would be. Thus, I had Aldfaer (my genealogy program) generate a list with old ancestors and looked for the eldest ancestor with dates that I'm sure are right. For several ancestor's the birth data was a proximity, so I couldn't use them. By elimination I did find an ancestor who really did reach the age of 90!

Klaas IJsbrandsz Vermeulen is the ancestor who reached the age of 90. He was baptized on May 11, 1741, in Lexmond, The Netherlands, so he must have been born at most a couple of weeks before that date. His parents were IJsbrant Janse Vermeulen and Cornelia van den Bergh, who were married in 1730 in Lexmond.

Klaas was married on January 6, 1765, in Lexmond to Maria de Bruijn. She was baptized on May 24, 1744, in Ameide. Her parents were Lambert de Bruijn and Johanna (de) Vos (who is another (de) Vos brick wall). Klaas and Maria had 7 children baptized in Lexmond in the period 1765-1777: IJsbrand, Johanna, Willemijntje (twice), Lambert, Lamberta and Huibertje. Their daughter Lamberta is my ancestor through her marriage to Willem Houweling (1773-1858). 

Klaas IJsbrandz Vermeulen died on December 17, 1831, in Lexmond, at the age of 90.

Jacobus Vos and Johanna de Roy, a double brick wall

One of my ancestors, Pieternella Vos, was baptized on December 20, 1778, in Capelle, Brabant, The Netherlands. She was the only known daughter of Jacobus Vos and Johanna de Roy. This couple had married earlier that year on May 17, 1778, in Capelle. Jacobus Vos was a young man, born in Capelle. Johanna de Roy was a young girl, born in Loon op Zand, Brabant, The Netherlands.

Pieternella Vos was married on February 9, 1800, in Capelle to Pieter Branderhorst (1777-1852). They paid ƒ12,- for their marriage, so they certainly weren’t poor folks. The marriage produced 9 children: Cornelis, Johanna (2x), Maria, Jacoba (2x), Willem, Jacobus and Pieternella. Three of these nine children were married and had children of their own.

Pieternella Vos died on March 18, 1847, in Capelle. Again, her parents are mentioned as being Jacobus Vos and Johanna de Rooij.

These are all references to my ancestors Jacobus Vos and Johanna de Roy/Rooij. Together they are a double brick wall.

Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart (†1741)

Before 1747, the St. Gertudis Church in Bergen op Zoom, Brabant, The Netherlands, contained a grave stone of Jacob Stuart, born in St. Andrew, Scotland, stating he was the youngest son of Archibald Stuart, who lived at the court of Mary Queen of Scots. It also stated that Jacob had Stuart died on ascension day "anno XVI c XXII", 68 years old. The church was destroyed in a war with the French. 

One of Jacob Stuart's Dutch descendants was Alexander Stuart, a colonel in the Scottish Brigade. He married Gertruijt van Herwaarden on July 19, 1681, in Driel, Gelre, The Netherlands. The couple lived near Rhenen. In 1689 Alexander was captain in the Regiment Balfour. He died, wounded, near Kaiserwerth, Germany, in April 1702. 

After Gertruijt's death her daughter, Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart, took over the whole inheritance and paid off her brother, Alexander, a captain, on March 27, 1719, in Utrecht. 
On August 18, 1711, in Utrecht Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart married Philips van Halmael, who then lived in Utrecht. At that time Dorothea Wilhelmine lived in De Grebbe near Rhenen. Philips was a canon in the St. Peter's church in Utrecht. 

Philips and Dorothea Wilhelmina had a son baptized in Utrecht on June 27, 1717, with the names Joan Alexander. The baby must have died soon after birth, because they had a 2nd son baptized in Utrecht on June 5, 1718, with the names Joan Alexander Philip. Witnesses were Joan van Halmael and Alexander Stuart. Philips van Halmael died on January 16, 1719, in Utrecht. 

As a widow, on September 1, 1727, Dorothea Wilhelmina borrowed ƒ2500,- from Johan van Halmael (1644-1725) to buy a house. She remarried on January 4, 1729, in Utrecht. Her 2nd husband's name was Wijnand Blenk. In the past Wijnand had done business with Johan van Halmael. Early 1725 Wijnand was described as a cousin of Johan van Halmael, because he was a son of Jan Blenk and Catharina van Hamael. Wijnand's first wife was Cornelia Borstius.

Notice of Marrriage for Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart and Wijnand Blenk.

Wijnand and Dorothea Wilhelmina lived at De Kijsersgraft (Emperor's Canal) in Amsterdam, Wijnand's place of origin. Wijnand was buried in Amsterdam on December 10, 1736. Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart was buried there on January 13, 1741.

Sources: Archieven.nl & dr. J. Mac Lean, "Het geslacht Stewart (Stuart)", De Nederlandsche Leeuw, 91ste jaargang, 1974, & Nederland's Patriciaat, 26e Jaargang, 1940. 

Rembrecht ("Reimpge") van Thoornburch married a Scotsman

Scotsman John Smith, also called "Johannes de Smith", from "Edenburch, Schotlant", wanted to marry a Dutch girl named Rembrecht van Thoornburch. They first gave notice of marriage in 1615 in Leiden. Witnesses were Aert Black (John's cousin) and Marijtgen Cornelis (Rembrecht's cousin).
The marriage, however, was opposed by Pierijna Jansdr., and postponed until August 7, 1615. The marriage was then rescheduled for August 13, 1615, but it seems to have been cancelled again, for another source mentions that "John Smith, from Edinburgh, a sayworker in Leiden, and Rembrecht van Thoornburch", married in Leiden on 10 November 1618.

Jan Jacobsen Smit had a son named Pauwels christened in Leiden on 16-5-1621 with witnesses Grietgen Jacobs, Maertgen Jacobs and Claude van Santfort. On 1-4-1624 in Leiden Jan Smit and Reimtgen Pauwels had a son Johannes christened. Witnesses at the christening were Grietgen Jacobs, Michiel Michielsz. and Cijtgen Pouwels. Cijtgen was Rembrecht's sister. She married Michiel Caeljerie or Calerije in 1622 in Leiden, but died within 3 years of her marriage. Rembrecht and Cijtgen's parents were Paulus van Toorenburch and Maertgen Jacobsdr. Other siblings were Jan, Jacob, Aechgen, Aeltgen and Grietgen.

In 1656 Surgeon Jan Jacobsz Smit and his wife Reimpge Poulsdr. van Torenburch were mentioned as living in the Duivelshoorn in Leiden.

Hooglandsche kerk, Leiden, Holland, around 1698

Treasure Chest Thursday - My Grandmother's 1918 Church Membership Certificate

This certificate shows that my grandmother Willempje Cornelia Zijderveld, born on November 6, 1892, became a member of the Dutch Reformed Church on March 5, 1918, in Dordrecht, The Netherlands:

On March 29, 1917, my grandmother had married my grandfather Pieter de Jong (1892-1973). They had 10 children and a miscarriage from 10 pregnancies. At first they lived in Sprang-Capelle, Noord-Brabant, later they moved to Mookhoek, Zuid-Holland. My grandmother died on July 16, 1976, in Oud-Beijerland. 

My Little Treasure Chest

20th Century Dutch migrants to Canada

The first Dutch people to travel to Canada were Dutch Americans. The largest migration wave was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when large numbers of Dutch helped settle the Canadian west. During this period significant numbers also settled in major cities like Toronto.

While interrupted by World War I, this migration returned in the 1920s, but again halted during the Great Depression and World War II. After that war, with a devastated Dutch economy, a large number of Dutch immigrants moved to Canada, including a number of war brides of the Canadian soldiers who liberated the Low Countries. One of my uncles moved to Canada after the flood of 1952 had destroyed his home. A majority of these newcomers settled in Ontario, including one of my aunts and her husband.

By 1958, emigration from the Netherlands declined significantly as the country’s economy began to recover, due in part to international assistance. There are now over 1 million Canadians of Dutch descent, including those of full or partial ancestry. While one of the largest minority groups in Canada, Dutch Canadians have tended to rapidly assimilate.

Emigrants to Canada wait until they can board the SS "Volendam". 

Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 15, 1951.

Links: 

• Canadians of Dutch descent  
• Ottawa County Cemeteries
• Canada Immigration Records
• Postwar Dutch Immigration through Pier 21
• Digital Resources of The Netherlands - Passenger Lists (link top left)
• Passengers of the Holland-America Line
  

Tuesday's Tip - When a website uses small characters..

When you struggle reading small fonts on websites, the solution is simple. 

To increase the size of any web page, simply hold down the Ctrl key and press the + (plus) key on the numerical key board to the right. Pressing the + key several times, while holding down the Ctrl key, will make the web page even larger.
You can do the reverse, too. Hold down the Ctrl key and press the - (minus) key to make the web page smaller. 

This simple solution should work on all browsers and on all operating systems. 

Tuesday's Tip: Don't be afraid to question 3rd party publications - or how to knock down a Brick Wall

In The Netherlands the genealogy magazine "Ons Voorgeslacht" is well known. Years ago, I found an article on ancestors of mine, a Verhoef family in the Lopikerwaard in The Netherlands, in the 1995 edition. This is a translation of the interesting paragraph in the article:

Reijnier Verhoef was baptized in Polsbroek in August 1680 and buried in Gouda in June 1741. He married his 1st wife, Willemijntje Saarse Bouwman, in October 1708 in Moordrecht. Willemijntje was born in Lopik, had 4 children and died in Gouderak in august 1719. Reijnier remarried his 2nd wife Murrigje Willems Kroon in November 1720.

The author of the article was T.F. Verhoef. I assumed that - since the author had the same surname as the people in the article, and he had published in such a well-known magazine - he must be an expert, so I assumed that everything he wrote was right.

That's why my ancestor Willemijntje Bouwman remained a brick wall for years.

Recently, I read DutchGen's tip "A couple usually married in the bride’s home town". I hadn't noticed that in my own research, but I remembered it when, later on, I noticed my Bouwman brick wall again. Since Reijnier Verhoef and Willemijntje Bouman married in Moordrecht, could Willemijntje have originated from Moordrecht instead of Lopik?

Research in Moordrecht's records knocked down this brick wall.

Willemijntje was baptized in Moordrecht on May 1, 1688.  Her parents were Saers Franke and Afie Willems. Willemijntje had 11 siblings. Her grandparents were Vranck Saersen and Appolonia (Pleuntie). Her great-grandfather may have been Saers Pietersz Cos, who was buried on 14-9-1653 in Waddinxveen and married to Barbara Cornelis. Saers Pietersz Cos was a son of Pieter Jansz Cos and Aechgen Saers.