Genealogie Bos

This is my English-language Genealogy & Ancestry Blog.
(Mijn Nederlandstalige blog is genealogiebos.blogspot.nl).

22 Sept 2025

Paternal ancestors of Peter Witvliet in the USA

Peter Witvliet was born as Pieter on 15 June 1830 in Stellendam, a village located on the delta island of Goeree-Overflakkee in Holland. He married Lamentje (“Emily”) Bartels (1837-1921) and together they emigrated to the United States. They had at least 7 children. Peter died on 27 March 1897. Emily died on 2 October 1921 in Zeeland, Ottawa County, Michigan.

This post summarises Peter's paternal ancestors in the Witvliet family.

Generation 2 (parents)

2.  Mattheus (“Matthew”) Witvliet was born on 17-6-1801, and baptised on 19-7-1801 in Stellendam. Matthew died in 1883 in Michigan. Matthew was weduwnaar of Aartje Hollaar (1801-1827) whom he married on 14-11-1822 in Stellendam. He married secondly in Stellendam on 4-4-1830
3.  Elizabeth Sandifort. She was born on 11-6-1801, and baptised on the 21st in Stellendam. They had sons named Pieter (“Peter”), Gommert and Krijn. Elizabeth's parents are Aren Sandifort and Pietertje Visbeen.

Generation 3 (grandparents)

4.  Aren Cornelisse Witvliet was baptised on 25-12-1751 in Middelharnis, Holland. Aren died on 22-7-1833 in Stellendam, at the age of 81. At the age of 30, Aren married in Goes on 22-11-1782
5.  Pieternella Gommerts de Munck. She was baptised on 8-5-1757 in Goes with witness Antonia Gommerts Dekker. Pieternella died on 12-2-1847 in Goedereede. Her parents are Gommert de Munck and Willemina van der Maas.
Middelharnis

Generation 4 (great grandparents)

8.  Cornelis Arendze Witvliet was baptised on 30-1-1724 in Middelharnis. Cornelis' burial was registered on 1-5-1789 in Middelharnis. Cornelis married there on 19-12-1745
9.  Anna Barens Hackman. She may have been born around 1725 as daughter of Barend Hackman and Aagje de Jong. Anna's burial was registered on 17-4-1763 in Middelharnis. Anna and Cornelis had children named Aagt, Aren, Lena, Barend and Mattheus.

Generation 5 (great great grandparents)

16 Aren Cornelisse (Arij Krelisz) Witvliet was baptised on 13-5-1696 in Middelharnis. He was married in the spring of 1718 in Sommelsdijk to 
17 Lena Andriesse Vervoren. They had children named Lena, Mattheus, Cornelis, Maria, Maatje, Claas, Adriana, Arent, Arentje and Hendrik.

Generation 6 (great great great grandparents) 

32 Cornelis Arendsz Witvliet's burial was registered on 7-7-1735 in Middelharnis. He had a sister named Adriaentjen. Cornelis had married his second wife Huijbertje Arens Spruijt on 5-8-1708 in Middelharnis, and they had issue, too. Cornelis had married earlier in Middelharnis on 23-10-1695
33 Leentje Claes Soetermeer. She was baptised on 6-5-1674 in Middelharnis as daughter of Claes Soetermeer and his first wife named Dingena. Leentje died around 1708, and was approximately 34 years old. Leentje and Cornelis had children named Aren, Dingena, Maatje, Claas and Jacob.

Sources: Flakkeese DTB transcripties, WieWasWie.nl, FindAGrave.com, W. Stuve, Menno's volk op Flakkee (Geschiedenis van de doopsgezinde gemeenten te Middelharnis & Sommelsdijk), 2004, P.L. Koster, Kwartierstaat van Pieter Leendert Koster, Het Fijne Kwartier, 2011, WeRelate.org, Genealogie Post-Oost.

10 Sept 2025

Short-lived Marriage ~ Maria Fresia Kromme and Hermann Franz Kromme

Herman Franz Kromme was born on 14 March 1842 in Schapen near Hannover in Germany as illegitimate son of Aleid Kromme.
Hermann Franz supported himself as a salesman, and ended up in the northeastern part of The Netherlands. In Grijpskerk, on 8 May 1865, he married Maria Tresia Kromme. She was born in there on 5 March 1842 as daughter of Elisabeth Smeda (1815-1884) and Johannes Theodorus Joseph Kromme, who had been married just a couple of weeks before on 17 February 1842 in Grijpskerk. Like his son-in-lauw, Johannes Theodorus Joseph Kromme originated from Schapen in Germany, too.
Maria Tresia gave birth to a daughter Elisabeth Kromme on 20 February 1866 in Niezijl. The young mother died there on 19 March 1866, aged 24. Maria Tresia's father, Johannes Theodorus Joseph Kromme, died the next year on 14 June 1867 in Grijpskerk, aged 64.

Because Hermann Franz Kromme was not a Dutch resident, he did not have to perform military service in the Netherlands

2 Sept 2025

Divorce and longevity for Johanna Schenk in Gouda

Gouda

Johanna Schenk was born in Gouda, Holland, on 18 January 1853. His parents are Dirk Schenk (1822-1872) and his first wife Maria Elselina van Omme (1824-1862) who were living at the Naaijerstraat in Gouda. Johanna had several siblings, but only Jacoba Maria Elselina (1850-1905) and Cornelis seem to have survived infancy. Cornelis, the youngest, was born in Gouda on 14 August 1856. Their mother Maria Elselina died in Gouda on 11 January 1862, just before Johanna's 11th birthday, while Cornelis was 5 years old.
Dirk Schenk married his second wife on 20 May 1863 in Gouda. She was born there on 23 April 1829 as Margaretha Cornelia, daughter of Hendrik Johannes Verblaauw and Lucretia Vermeulen. Dirk and Margaretha Cornelia had some additional children, but they all died young. Dirk Schenk died in Gouda on 3 February 1872, when his Johanna was 19 years old.

Unmarried Jacoba Maria Elselina Schenk brought 3 babies to their grave in Gouda the period 1875-1881. Her younger brother Cornelis married Catharina Dingena van Vliet (1860-1931) on 18 August 1880 in Gouda, and fathered children with his wife.
Their younger sister Johanna Schenk moved to Amsterdam where she gave birth to a son Leonardus on 16 October 1876. The baby likely died young. Another son, Jacobus Leonardus, was born in Amsterdam on 2 January 1878 around 13:00. Early 1884, Johanna was nursed for 93 days in the Binnengasthuis hospital in Amsterdam. On 18 June of that year, around 18:00, in Amsterdam Johanna Schenk gave birth to a daughter Johanna Helena.
Johanna Schenk married Leonardus Smal on 4 August 1886 in her hometown Gouda. The couple also acknowledged that Johanna Helena is their daughter. Thus, the girl's surname was changed from Schenk to Smal. Johanna's son Jacobus Leonardus Schenk had moved with her to Rotterdam, too.
Leonardus Smal was born on 10 July 1845. In the 1850s he had lived in an orphanage in Amersfoort. In 1882 in Amsterdam, Leonardus suffered severe burns to his back, arm and head when a kerosene lamp fell over.