Favorite Name ~ Naaktgeboren

Amy Johnson Crow 's Theme for Week 26 is “Favorite Name”. I've chosen the surname Naaktgeboren. I don't have any ancestors with that surname, but it's a typical name in the Hoeksche Waard, an island in Holland, south of Rotterdam and west of Dordrecht. I grew up in the Hoeksche Waard, and my ancestors with the surname Bos all lived on the island.

The Dutch word "naakt" is “naked” in English, while the word "geboren" translates as “born”, so the surname can be translated in English as “born naked”.
Naaktgeboren – together with the surname Poepjes (“poopies”) – is often seen as "a textbook example" of the so-called compulsory name adoption in the Napoleontic Era, which is also known as "the name myth of Napoleon". According to persistent nonsense, people wanted to make fun of Napoleon's policy by adopting an absurd name. That myth is fake, because the surname Naaktgeboren has been in use since the 17th century.

Longevity ~ Willem Middelkoop (94) and his daughter Johanna

The family name Middelkoop is a toponymic surname, also known as a habitational surname. That's a family name derived from a place name. These names often reflect the place of the family's origin.

Wilhelmus (“Willem”) Middelkoop was baptised on 27 November 1757 in Benschop, Utrecht, The Netherlands, with witness Willemtje Vogel. His parents are Huijbert Gijsbertsz Middelkoop and Margrietje Beijen. Willem had several siblings.

Willem Middelkoop and Anna Rietveld were married on 11 June 1797 in the Roman Catholic Church of Oudewater

At the age of 39, Willem married Anna (also named “Johanna” and “Annigje”) Rietveld on 11 June 1797 in Oudewater, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Witnesses at their catholic marriage were Matthias Rietveld and Gijsbert Rietveld, Anna's brothers. Anna was born in Hoenkoop and baptised in Oudewater on 22 October 1776 with witness Maria Rietvelt. Anna, Matthias (“Matthijs”) and Gijsbert are children of Jannigje van der Wal (†1804) and Gijsbertus Rietvelt*.

Anna Rietveld and Willem Middelkoop had 4 children:

1. Margarita (“Margritha”) was baptised on 16-6-1797 in Oudewater. Margritha was married on 23-11-1820 in Benschop. The groom was Jacobus van Vliet, who died at the age of 64 on 9-5-1852 in Gouda. Margritha died there on 30-4-1869. They had issue.
2. Johanna (“Jannetje”) was baptised on 12-9-1799 in IJsselstein. In 1828 she married Cornelis Nederhoff. Jannetje died on 4-8-1895 in Gouda.
3. Wilhelmina was baptised on 6-4-1803 in Oudewater. On 20-11-1828 in Benschop Wilhelmina married Gerrit van den Eng. On 1-9-1836 in Broek** she married Jan Straver. Wilhelmina died on 13-8-1884 in Gouda at the age of 81. Wilhelmina had issue.
4. Hubertus (“Huibert”) was baptised on 18-7-1805 in Oudewater. Huibert died in Gouda on 23-3-1865 in Gouda, at the age of 59.

The accidents of William Witvliet (1870-1936)

William Witvliet was born on 22 September 1870 in Vriesland, Ottawa, Michigan, USA. His parents are Lammigje (“Emmely”) Bartels (1837-1921) and Pieter (“Peter”) Witvliet (1830-1897). William's paternal grandparents were Mattheus Witvliet (1801-1873) and his second wife Elizabeth Sandifort.
Among William's siblings was a brother Mattheus (“Matthew”) Witvliet (1861-1938).

At the age of 30, William married Hendrika Krans on 13 June 1901 in Zeeland, Ottawa, Michigan, USA. She was born in June 1877 as daughter of Henry Krans (1837-1922) and Henrietta Hoving (1846-1925).

William Witvliet was operating a saw in a factory, when his right hand was caught in the machine, and badly damaged. An amputation was necessary, and his arm was amputated above the elbow. William was still a young man, and had only been married for 3 months.
Matheus Witvliet, the ironmonger on 8th Street, is his brother.

De Grondwet (newspaper), 26-4-1904

After the amputation of his right arm, William had hardly any means of subsistence. Once in a while he did some temporary police service, or other temporary work.
In January 1929, William Witvliet had an unfortunate fall on the slippery sidewalk, and broke his other arm.

De Grondwet (newspaper), 29-1-1929