A relationship between an older man and a younger woman is often seen as “the normal way of doing things”. The other way around, however, is often chuckled at. In the past, the combination of an older woman with a younger man was more common. For a young man without an inheritance, it could be attractive to marry a wealthier widow.
Sara Dorst was baptised in Sint-Annaland (on the island of Tholen in The Netherlands) on 4 July 1773 with witnesses Louis Rozemond and his third wife Matje Priem. Sara's parents are Adriaan Jeremiasse Dorst and his first wife Cornelia Rijstenbil. Adriaan married his second wife, Cornelia Voshol, on 30 April 1783, when Sara was 9 years old. Sara's youngest (half)sibling, Carolina, was born on 11 January 1795, when Sara was 21 yaers old, and already married.
On 6 December 1793 in nearby Sint-Maartensdijk 20-year-old Sara Dorst registered to marry Izaak Quist who was approximately 29 years old at the time. Izaak was born in 1764 in Sint-Maartensdijk as son of Adolph Quist (±1736-1768) and his wife Maria Gakeer (±1740-1793).
Izaak and Sara had 4 surviving children: Cornelia Adriana Quist (1796-1849) and Izabella Quist (1812-1873), who both married twice, Adolph Quist (±1798-1820), and Pieternella Quist (1800-1845) who married Laban Laban (1789-1852).
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| Signatures of Pieternella Quist and her husband Laban Laban |
Izak Quist died on 27 April 1811 in Sint-Maartensdijk. Sara was 37-year-old and pregnant. Their postumous daughter Izabella was born on 4 January 1812.
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| Zierikzeesche Nieuwsbode (newspaper), 28-1-1888 |
On 1 April 1813 in Sint-Maartensdijk 39-year-old Sara Dorst married 28-year-old Cornelis Boogert. He was born on 2 July 1784, and baptised on the 11th in Oosterland (on the island of Schouwen-Duiveland in The Netherlands) with witnesses Abraham van Oeveren and Soetje Bierens. His parents are Dirk Bartelse Boogert (1746-±1797) and Jannetje Isaaks van Oeveren (1745-1831).
With Cornelis Boogert and Sara had a daughter Jannetje Boogert, born on 25 October 1815 in Sint-Maartensdijk. Cornelis died there on 26 March 1814, aged 29. Their daughter Jannetje was to marry a farmhand and reach the age of 70.
At the age of 41, Sara Dorst married 27-year-old Leendert Groenewege on 30 November 1815 in Sint-Maartensdijk. Leendert was baptised there on 24 February 1788 with witnesses Janus de Witte and Martijntje Groenwegen. His parents are Leendert Leenderts Groenewegen senior and his wife (He)Lena Cornelisse Dekker.
Sara's youngest child was another Leendert Groenewegen, born on 21 December 1817 in Sint-Maartensdijk. Leendert junior was to marry Dirksje Moerland and reach the age of 70. He was a councillor of the village of Sint-Maartensdijk.
Sara Dorst died at the age of 52 on 28 November 1825 in Sint-Maartensdijk. Her youngest son, Leendert Groenewegen, was 7 at the time, Jannetje Boogert was 12, Izabella Quist was 13, and the eldest (surviving) daughter Cornelia Adriana Quist was 29 years old.
Sara's widower, Leendert Groenewegen, was 48 years old, when he married his second wife, 44-year-old (He)Lena Isaaks van Oeveren, widow of Jacob van't Hof. Lena had children from her previous marriage. She is a daughter of Isaak Isaaks van Oeveren (1747-1807) who is a brother of Jannetje van Oeveren, the mother of Sara's second husband.
Leendert Groenewegen died at the age of 49 on 26 July 1837 in Sint-Maartensdijk. His widow, Lena van Oeveren, married a third time on 31 May 1838 in Stavenisse (on the island of Tholen). The groom was Martinus Hoek (1793-1844), widower of Wilhelmina Cornelia Dorst. Lena van Oeveren died on 8 August 1854 in Stavenisse, aged 64.
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| Sint-Maartensdijk on the island of Tholen |
Sources: WieWasWie.nl, ArchiefTholen.nl, OnsVoorgeslacht.nl (transcrips of deaths, marriages and baptisms of the island of Tholen), ZeeuwsArchief.nl, KrantenBankZeeland.nl.
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