Two short marriages and a drowning

Michiel Christinus van der Steen was born in Gouda, Holland, on 11 December 1829 as son of Johannes van der Steen, a ropemaker's apprentice, and Teuntje Lourier. Michiel Christinus had siblings Johanna and Johannes.

Gouda

At the age of 23, on 12 October 1853 in Gouda, Michiel Christianus married 27-year-old Maria van Vliet. She was born on 3 January 1826 in Noord-Waddinxveen as daughter of Jacobus van Vliet (†1852) and Margarita Middelkoop (1797-1869). After just 5 months of marriage, Maria van Vliet died on 29 March 1854 in Gouda, aged 28.

The next year, on 9 May, 25-year-old Michiel Christianus remarried in Gouda. His new bride was 27-year-old Catharina Johanna Lansmans. Just 3 months later, on 24 August 1855, Michiel Christianus died at the young age of 25.

The widowed Catharina Johanna Lansmans was born on 12 September 1827 in Gorinchem as daughter of Gerardus Lansmans (†1853) and Dingena (“Digna”) Hitters (†1867). Catharina Johanna was a widow at the age of 27.
At the age of 30, Catharina Johanna married 22-year-old Gijsbertus van Vliet on 17 February 1858 in Gouda. Gijsbertus was born on 25 January 1836 in Gouda as son of Catharina Achten (1811-1849) and bread baker Leendert van Vliet (1812-1846). Gijsbertus had become an orphan at the age of 13.

Gijsbertus van Vliet and Catharina Johanna Lansmans had 5 children:

Leendert Schenk

1. Catharina Dingena was born on 23-9-1860 in Gouda. At the age of 19, she married 24-year-old Cornelis Schenk. He was born on 14-8-1856 as son of Dirk Schenk (1822-1872) and his first wife Maria Elselina van Omme (1824-1862). Cornelis Schenk died on 15-4-1950 in Gouda at the advanced age of 93. Catharina Dingena died on 7-4-1931 in Gouda, aged 70. They had children, including a son Leendert Schenk (photo to the right).
2. Dina was born on 1-2-1864 in Gouda, and died there on the 3rd, 2 days old.
3. Maria was born on 1-2-1864 in Gouda with twin Dina. Maria died in Gouda on 11-3-1864*, 1 month old.
4. Leonardus Gerardus (photo below) was born on 16-2-1865 Gouda. In 1901 in 's-Hertogenbosch, he was convicted of vagrancy. He was send to a reform housing colony for the poor and homeless in Veenhuizen. Leonardus Gerardus died, at the age of 79, on 26-1-1945 in The Hague.
5. Theodora van Vliet was born on 25-3-1870 in Gouda, and died there on 1-5-1877, at the age of 7.

Leonardus Gerardus van Vliet (1865-1945)

The body of Catharina Johanna Lansmans was found on 1 December 1882 in the water of the Turfsingelgracht (a canal) in Gouda. She was 55 year old. Her widower, Gijsbertus van Vliet, died in Gouda on 20 May 1898, aged 62.

Registration of the death of Catharina Johanna Lansmans in 1880 in Gouda

* Both death certificates mention the death of Maria, but one of them must have been Dina.

Sources: WieWasWie.nl, SAMH.nl, OpenArchieven.nl, DrentsArchief.nl.