The famous major Herman Kessels (1794-1851): measles, a whale and a revolt

In February 1828 two brothers died of measles: 6-year-old Cornelis Augustinus and 2-year-old Arnoldus Lodewijk Kessels. Cornelis Augustinus Kessels was born in Baarle-Nassau on 28 February 1822 around noon. Arnoldus Lodewijk was born on 17 November 1825 in Oostend in Belgium. Both died in Oostend on 10 February 1828.

Opregte Haarlemsche Courant (newspaper), 16 February 1828

Harmanus Kessels and Alida Cornelia Snethlage were married on 15 June 1815 in Amsterdam. Herman Kessels was born on 2 May 1794 in Brussels. Alida Cornelia Snethlage was born on 13 January 1793 in Amsterdam as daughter of Casparus Gerardus Snethlage (1762-1840) and Theresia Elisabeth van Laar (1766-1823).

Alida Cornelia Snethlage gave birth to a son, Henry-Francois, on April 25, 1829, in Paris in France. She gave birth to a daughter, Josephine Desiree, on July 28, 1830, in Antwerp in Belgium. During her marriage, Alida Cornelia endured 12 pregnancies.

Middelburgsche Courtant (newspaper), 16 May 1829

Herman Kessels would become famous for an obscurity unrelated to his military activities. In 1827, fishermen brought a dead whale to the beach in Ostend. Kessels bought the carcass. Carrying the skeleton, containing a 24-person orchestra, Kessels toured Europe and the Royal Courts.
Herman also invented a device that could be used to rescue people from windows on upper floors in the event of fire.

Prolific - The 13 pregnancies of Adriana Aaldijk (1832-74)

Adriana Aaldijk was born on 13 October 1832 in Streefkerk, Holland. She is the youngest daughter of Adrianus Aaldijk (1802-1873) and his wife Maria Schoonderwoerd (1797-1876). Adriana had 3 sisters and 2 brothers.
The first of these siblings to marry, was the eldest daughter Maria Aaldijk (1821-1898) who married Teunis (van) Houweling (1817-1902) on 19 February 1842 in Streefkerk. Maria gave birth to 12 children including a daughter Jannigje Houweling (1857-1936) who was to marry her first cousin.

Extract from the baptismal register of Streefkerk

At the age of 20, Adriana Aaldijk married 25-year-old Arij Brand on 27 September 1852 in Wieldrecht, Holland. The witnesses at their wedding ceremony were the groom's mother and the bride's father.
Arij Brand worked as a labourer. He had a length of 1,72 meter. His face was full, his nose thick and his chin round. His eyes were grey.
Arij Brand was born in Wieldrecht on New Year's Day 1827. His parents are Genis Brand (1802-1844) and Willemijntje Booij (1800-1878). Arij's elder brother Joris died at the age of 18 in 1844, while his younger brother Evert Brand (1835-1917) and 3 of his sisters reached adulthood.

Description of Arij Brand

Wilhelm Kevelmann (1828-1905) was naturalised as a Dutch citizen

Wilhelm Kevelmann was born on 11 January 1828 in Diersford, a village in Germany, located between Xanten and Wesel. His parents are Gerhard Kevelmann and Mechtilde Gräff.
At the age of 27, on 7 December 1855 in Kralingen (now part of Rotterdam), Wilhelm married 31-year-old Clara Catharina Elisabeth van Beuzekom. She was born on 12 March 1824 in The Hague as daughter of carpenter Adrianus van Beuzekom. At that time, Wilhelm lived in Puttershoek and worked as a baker. On 15 April 1856 in Puttershoek Clara gave birth to a stillborn son.

In the 1880s Wilhelm Kevelmann was living in Zwijndrecht, The Netherlands. Wilhelm was naturalised as a Dutch citizen on 11 August 1892.

Nederlandsche Staatscourant, 3 September 1892: Naturalisation of Wilhelm Kevelmann