Frederijk Bos (1742-1811) in St. Petersburg

Vriezenveen is a small village near Almelo in Overijssel in The Netherlands. In the early 18th century in most people living in Vriezenveen earned a living as a farmer or farmer’s labourer. Some people travelled around, trying to sell seeds and linen. At first they travelled locally. Later they travelled through Germany and even to St. Petersburg in Russia. Some of those people settled in St. Petersburg, trying to make a living in Russia. Many of them specialised in the production of linen.

Among the first people from The Netherlands to settle in Russia was a Norwegian Dutchman, Cornelius Cruys (1657-1727). As a vice-admiral he organised the Russian Black Sea Fleet of Tsar Peter The Great. His son-in-law, Jean Lups (1667-1732), was the most important arms supplier in Russia, and also exporter of goods such as tar, leather and honey.

St. Petersburg turned out to be an excellent market, and more and more merchants left Vriezenveen to make the trip to St. Petersburg. One of those people was Frederijk Bos (1742-1811). He was a weaver who also instructed other people how to weave.

Frederijk Bos (1742-1811) was a son of Albert Albers Bos and Aeltjen Jansen. He married Klasijna de Vries on December 3, 1766, in Vriesenveen. She was a daughter of Berend Jansen de Vries and Valina Raphuijs. 
Frederijk and Klasijna had the following suviving children:

1. Berendina van den Bos was bapt. on December 3, 1766, in Vriezenveen. She was married on April 15, 1792, in Vriezenveen to Albert Berkhof, son of Berent Berkhoff and Alken Wijghers. Berndina had several children before she died in Vriezenveen on December 24, 1825, aged 59.
2. Aaltjen Bos was bapt. on January 23, 1774, in Vriezenveen, remained unmarried, and died in St. Petersburg in 1863.
3. Valina Bos was bapt. on February 28, 1779, in Vriezenveen. She is the mother of Fedoria Kimovskii, and likely died in St. Petersburg at an unknown date. 
4. Aalbert Bos was bapt. on March 17, 1782, in Vriezenveen.
5. Adolf Bos was bapt. on December 16, 1787, in Vriezenveen.

St. Petersburg, Russia

Frederijk Bos is no relation of mine.

Sources: 

• Vereniging Oud-Vriezenveen, 
• De Hollandse Hervormde Kerk in Sint-Petersburg 1713-1927, deel III, blz.287
• Foreign Churches in St. Petersburg and Their Archives 1703-1719, edited by Pieter Holtrop & Henk Slechte.
• Van Papier Naar Digitaal.