Longevity ~ Hermanus Knoopmeijer (103), widower of Pieternella Brons

When Hermanus Knoopmeijer died in Amsterdam on 23 February 1827, his age was 103 years and 2½ month. He was born in Zwolle, and had been living in de Rozenstraat in Amsterdam. His parents are Bernardus Knoopmeijer and Swaantje Swiers. They had Hermanus baptised in Zwolle on 8 December 1723.

Bredasche Courant, 19-1-1828

Pieternella Brons and Hermanus Knoopmeijer signed up to get married on 21 April 1747 in Amsterdam. Hermanus was assisted by his father Bernardus (“Barend”) Knoopmeijer. The bride was assisted by her mother Jannetje Vollenhoven.
Pieternella's father was baptised on 15 Februry 1689 in Nieuwpoort, Holland, as Adriaen, son of Adriaen Adriaens Brons and Pieternella Pieters Truir with witness Maerighje Pieters. Adrianus (“Arie”) Brons (28) and Jannetje Vollenhoven (21) signed up to get married on 11 May 1719 in Amsterdam. They had children baptised in Amsterdam in the years 1724-1739. Among the witnesses at the baptisms were people of the Vollenhoven family. Their daughter Pieternella was likely born around 1725. 

Hermanus Knoopmeijer and Pieternella Brons signed up to get married in Amsterdam.

Hermanus Knoopmeijer and Petronella Brons had the following children baptised in Amsterdam:

1. Swaantje, bapt. on 28-2-1748, witn. Bernardus Knoopmeijer, Margarita Knoopmeijer. 
2. Arrejaentje, bapt. on 15-3-1750, witn. Barend Knoopmeijer, Jannetje Vollenhove. She may have died young.
3. Bernardus Hermanus, bapt. on 29-4-1753, widn. Barend Knoopmeijer, Geertruij Intra. He married twice.
4. Adrijana, bapt. on 17-10-1790 with the same witn.
5. Everardus, bapt. on 3-10-1755, same witn. Everardus was a witn. in 1783.
6. Benjamin, bapt. on 30-10-1757, same witn. On 17 April 1779 in Amsterdam Benjamin boarded a ship as a sailor, and arrived in Indonesia on 14 July 1780. On the return journey, his ship was captured by the English, and Benjamin was made a prisoner of war.
7. Peteronella, bapt. on 7-9-1759, same witn. Petronella and her sister Ariaantje bought a house in the Rozenstraat in Amsterdam on 4-5-1791.
8. Sagheus, bapt. on 19-12-1762, same witn.
9. Geertruij Elisabeth, bapt. on 23-11-1764, same witn. She was buried on 14 May 1784 near the Nieuwe Zijds chapel in Amsterdam.

The witnesses at the baptisms of the couple's younger children were Barent Knoopmeijer and his wife Geertruij Intra. Barent was baptised on 14 April 1726 in Zwolle as Berent with the same parents as Hermanus. Like Hermanus, Barent was assisted by their father Barend sr., when he and Geertruij signed up to get married in Amsterdam on Friday 17 August 1759. Geertrui was buried near the Nieuwe Zijds chapel on 3 December 1799. Barent, widower of Geertruy, was remarried to Femmetje Nooteboom on 16-7-1780 in the Jacobin church in Leeuwarden in Friesland.

Bernardus Hermanus Knoopmeijer, the eldest son of Hermanus Knoopmeijer and Petronella Bros, first married Antje van Grol, and had a son Hermanus baptised on 12 May 1775 with witnesses Hermanus Knoopmeijer and Pietronella Brons. Antje Grol was buried on 3 June 1775 at the Heiligewegs-en-Leidsche churchyard in Amsterdam.
Bernardus Hermanus Knoopmeijer, widower of Antje van Grol, and Lena Velthoen were married on 4 August 1775 in Breukelen near Utrecht. They had a son Hermanus baptised on 6 June 1781 in Amsterdam with witnesses Everhardus Knoopmeijer and Adrijaantje Knoopmeijer. They also had a daughter Petronella Adrijana baptised on 17 October 1790 with witnesses Hermanus Knoopmeijer and Pietronella Brons.

Shoemaker Hermanus Knoopmeijer and his wife Pieternella Brons were living in the Rozenstraat when they had on 19-2-1773 in Amsterdam a will drawn up for the benefit of the surviving spouse.
Pieternella's mother, Jannetje Vollenhoven, widow of Arie Brons, was buried on 20 June 1780 at the Wester churchyard in Amsterdam.
The burial of Petronella Brons, wife of Hermanus Knoopmeijer, was on 22 June 1798, near the Nieuwe Zijds chapel in Amsterdam.

Sources: WieWasWie.nl, Delpher.nl, Archief.Amsterdam, Transcriptie Nieuwpoort Dopen 1687-1699.