Roelof Groenwold of Stavanger, Norway, married in Rotterdam, Holland

Roelof Groenwold was born around 1734 in Stavanger in Norway. He was first married on 29 Novmeber 1761 to Aaltje Aalberg. Aaltje was baptised in the Lutheran church in Rotterdam on 25 April 1745 with witnesses Andries Laurens Brandt and Maria Clawijn. Aaltje's mother is Johanna Kraaijwinkel (1707-1775) who was born in Gennep, Limburg, The Netherlands. Aaltje's father is Roelof Aalberg who originated in Göteborg in Sweden.
Aaltje was 5 times pregnant, and had 4 surviving children, when she was buried on 11 December 1771 in Rotterdam.

As a widower, Roelof Groenwold remarried on 5 May 1774 in Rotterdam. His bride was Anna Catharina Geertruij Westhoff, who originated in Gennep, like his first mother-in-law. Anna gave birth to 4 children, but her youngest daughter died after just a couple of weeks.

Roelof Groenwold was a skipper. With his ship “De Vrouw Carolina Johanna” Roelof Groenwold left for Smirna (İzmir in Turkey) in August 1786. In november 1786 he had arrived in Livorno. At the end of 1787 Roelof Groenwold is mentioned in a newspaper as having arrived in Smirna. In the afternoon of 30 June 1788 Roelof sailed from Hellevoetsluis, Holland, through "Het Hitsertsche Gat". In september he put his ship “De Vrouw Carolina Johanna” up for sale. The schip had a length of 31 meters, and a width of 9 meters. It was anchored in the Leuvehaven in Rotterdam.

Rotterdamse Courant, 18-9-1788

Roelof's son Laurentius Christian became a sailor like his father. At the age of just 16, on 17-6-1791, he boarded the ship for Indonesia. Sailing back from Batavia to the Cape the schip named “Gouverneur Falck” was wrecked on 18-2-1792, and all those on board were drowned, including Laurens Christian.

Roelof's second wife, Anna Catharina Westhoff died on 8 March 1801 and was buried on the 11th in Rotterdam. She was survived by 2 adult children. Roelof Groenwold died at the age of 77 on 10 January 1812 in Rotterdam.

Roelof Groenwold fathered the following children:

1. A child that was buried on 17 August 1762 in Rotterdam.
2. Johanna Sophia is baptised on 17-3-1765 in Rotterdam. Johanna was married at the age of 21 on 11-2-1787 in Rotterdam. The groom was Cornelis Bison, aged 26. Cornelis is baptised on 30-3-1760 in Rotterdam with witnesses Cornelis Anthom and Pieternella Bison. Cornelis' parents are Sander Bison (1724-1805) and his first wife Teuntje Koll (1723-1767). Cornelis Bison died on 27-10-1825 in Rotterdam at the age of 65. His widow Johanna died on 21-9-1826 in Rotterdam at the age of 61. Amongst their children were Roelof Bison (1790-1832) and Sander Bison (1797-1871).
3. Juditha Maria is baptised on 12-8-1766 in Rotterdam with witness Hendrik Kraijwinkel. She married Justus Hendricus Wagenaar on 25-5-1794 in Rotterdam. She died in childbirth on 27-5-1800, and was buried in Rotterdam on the 30th.
4. Andrina is baptised on 14-2-1768 in Rotterdam with witness Johanna Kraaijwinkel, Andrina's maternal grandmother. Andrina married Petrus van Breda on 1-8-1790 in Rotterdam. They had a son.
5. Eva is baptised on 27-3-1770 in Rotterdam. She married shoemaker Thierrij Martin Dueren on 19-4-1806 in Gennep. They had a daughter Anna Catharina van Dueren.
6. Laurentius Christian is baptised on 12-2-1775 in Rotterdam. He drowned in a shipwreck on 18-2-1792 in Asia.
7. Anna Catharina is baptised on 7-9-1777 in Rotterdam. Anna married Willem Morrien on 29-7-1798. On 29-9-1798 they had a daughter baptised with the name Gerardina Wilhelmina who died on 6-11-1798, and was buried on the 8th. Anna died in Rotterdam on 8-9-1811, at the age of 34. Willem Morrien died on 1-6-1814 in Rotterdam, aged 39.
8. Theodorus is baptised on 10-10-1779 in Rotterdam with witness Gerardus Johannes Besseling. In 1799 Theodorus married Margrieta van Kesteren, and had a son Roeloff who lived for just a few months.
9. Anna Catharina Geertruij is baptised on 18-11-1783 in Rotterdam, and buried there on 8-12-1783.

Rotterdamse Courant, 29-5-1800

Sources: StadsArchief.Rotterdam.nl, Delpher.nl, WieWasWie.nl, NationaalArchief.nl, UitDeOudeKoektrommel.com.