Plate Painter Claas Jansz Olij(f) in Delft

Claas Jansz. Olij was a plate painter who lived at the Rietvelt street in Delft. Blue and white pottery, also known as “Delft Blue”,  had been made in and around Delft, Holland, from the 16th century onwards. Delftware became popular and was widely exported in Europe. It even reached China and Japan. The most highly-regarded period of production was about 1640-1740. Besides plates and vases, Delft potters also made tiles in vast numbers. 

Claas Jansz. Olij married Magdaleentge Pieters van der Meer on November 13, 1695, in Delft. She was the widow of Niclaes Jansz. van der Heul. They had married in Delft on February 24, 1669. At the time, Niclaes had been a widower of Pieternelle Huijbrechts van Claveren whom he had married in Delft on July 8, 1663. She had been buried in November 1668. 

A “Delft Blue” tile featuring
the New Church of Delft.

Niclaes van der Heul had been living near the New Church of Delft, while working as a fuller in the cloth manufacturing business. Magdaleentge and Niclaes had 3 sons named Jan baptized in Delft in 1670, 1675 and 1683, so the elder boys had likely died young. They had some additional children, but many of them died young, too. Niclaes was last mentioned in May 1684. 

Claes, described as “Nicolaes Jansz. Olijff”, was buried on October 4, 1705, near the New Church of Delft. Magdalena van der Meer, widow of “Klaes van Olijven”, was buried on January 217, 1725, near the New Church of Delft. 

Sources: Collectie-Delft.nl, Histoire de la faïence de Delft.

Surname Saturday - Jacob Mulder in Amsterdam

Lois Willis has published a blog post about her Mulder ancestors in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia, whom she traced back to a Jacob Mulder in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I decided to take a look at this Jacob Mulder. 

The blog post enumerates Jacob Mulder's 9 children from his marriage to Catharina Elisabeth Ekink. I searched for their marriage enrollment at the website of Amsterdam's Archive. I couldn't find the marriage in the Marriage & Burrial Records, but I did find their notice of marriage of October 10, 1783, in Amsterdam. The records revealed interesting addition info: Jacob Mulder originated in Zutphen in the eastern part of The Netherlands and was a widower. His first wife was Anna Catharina Dorothea Hestermans. Jacob had given the Christian name of his first wife to his eldest daughter with his second wife. His bride, Catharina Elisabeth Ekink, originated from Dinxperlo, a village near the German border. Her father is Jan Ekink. The document also contains Jacob's signature.

Jacob Mulder's 2nd marriage in 1783

The notice of marriage for Jacob's first marriage was on November 10, 1775, in Amsterdam, when Jacob was 25 years old. It mentions the presence of his father, another Jacob Mulder. The bride, Anna Catharina Dorothea Hestermans, was 34 years old, and both her parents were dead. I was able to find one daughter from Jacob's first marriage: Sophia Dorothea Mulder was baptized on May 19, 1779, in the Zuiderkerk church in Amsterdam.

Longevity ~ Gerrit Jilisse Vervoorn reached the age of 96

Farmer Gerrit Vervoorn was born on April 20 and baptized on April 22, 1770, in Brakel, Gelderland, The Netherlands, as one of 12 children of Jillis Vervoorn and Adriaantje van Tongerlo. He was married on October 16, 1794, in nearby Zuilichem to Helena van Wijk (1771-1826), daughter of Hendrik van Wijk and Elizabeth Blanken. Gerrit and Helena had 5 children: Elisabeth (1796-1831), Neeltje, Adriaantje, Hendrik (1806-1826) and Jielis (1809-1845). Jielis married a relative, Neeltje Matthijsse Vervoorn (1807-79) on March 27, 1829, in Brakel. Gerrit Vervoorn survived his wife and all his children. He used to walk long distances even in old age. He died on July 16, 1866, in Brakel at the age of 96.

Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant, 23-7-1866

Sources: RegionaalArchiefRivierenLand.nl, WieWasWie.nl, Delpher.nl.