Elisabeth Mackay (1808-1867) of Jersey

Elisabeth Mackay was born on 24 March 1808 in St. Brelade, one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. Her parents are Jije Mackaij and Mariam Bishop.

Opregte Haarlemsche Courant (newspaper), 13-7-1848

Elisabeth's widowed mother, Miriam Bishop, died on 9 July 1848 in The Hague, aged 81.

Opregte Haarlemsche Courant (newspaper), 26-1-1867

Elisabeth Mackay remained unmarried. She died in Hilversum on 23 January 1867 around 21:30, at the age of 58. She was buried in Hilversum.

Sources: WieWasWie.nl, Noord-HollandsArchief.nl, Delpher.nl, nl.Wikipedia.org,  J. Thomasse, Begraven in Hilversum, Gens Nostra 1999, blz. 221.

Macphersons in Klundert, The Netherlands

Alexander Macpherson was a soldier in the company of colonel George Bojanowskij, garrisoned within the Klundert, Brabant, The Netherlands. On January 22, 1752, in Klundert, Alexander was married to local girl Sara van der Laan. Sara was born on January 26, 1733, in Klundert as daughter of Jan van der Laan and his second wife Neeltje Huijge Flink.
Alexander Macperson and his wife Sara had a daughter Neeltje, baptised on January 21, 1753, in Klundert, and a son William Macperson, baptised there on August 15, 1756.

William Macperson was married to Brezetta Brand on January 14, 1781, in Klundert. She was baptised there on January 23, 1760 as daughter of Jan Brand and Anna van der Mast (1823-1806). Brezetta is named after her maternal grandmother Bresetta Buijs, wife of Hendrik van der Mast.
William died in Klundert on April 25, 1828, at the age of 71. He was survived by his widow Brezetta, who died, aged 86, on August 6, 1846, in Willemstad, Brabant, The Netherlands.

Soldaat William MacPherson huwde Brezetta Brand op 14-1-1781 in Klundert.

William Macperson and Brezetta Brand had 4 children:

1. Alexander Macpherson was baptised on July 7, 1781, in Klundert.
2. Anna Macpherson was born on September 17 and baptised on October 6, 1782, in Klundert. Anna married Joachim Swijgers (1783-1842) on June 18, 1803, in Willemstad. During the period 1803-23 they had 9 children. Anna died on November 28, 1821, in Willemstad, at the age of 49.
3. Jan Macpherson was born around 1785 in Zierikzee, Zeeland, The Netherlands. Jan died in Willemstad on February 10, 1832. Jan was married on April 30, 1808, in Willemstad to Heijltje Weda. She was baptised on January 9, 1774, in Willemstad. Her parents are Adam Arijens Weda en Adriana Kostermans. Heijltje died on August 21, 1837, in Willemstad. Heijltje had first been married on November 2, 1799, in Willemstad to Jan Pieterse Prinse (1775-1807) and they had 3 daughters. With Jan Macpherson Heijltje had additional children:
• Bresetta Macpherson was baptised on September 4, 1808, in Willemstad. In 1837 she married Gerrit van Gent (1803-1859), and had several children. Bresetta died on May 25, 1859 in Willemstad. Two months after Bresetta's death, her widower remarried, but by the end of the year he had died, too.
• Adam Macperson was baptised on February 10, 1810, in Willemstad.
• Willem Macperson was born on September 13, 1813 in Willemstad. He married Cornelia Maris on May 25, 1843, in Willemstad. She was baptised there on August 18, 1815, and died there on July 17, 1747, after 4 years of marriage. Willem died in Ooltgensplaat, on March 31, 1887, aged 73. They had a son:
• Jan Macperson was born on October 27, 1845, in Willemstad.
• Heijltje Macpherson was born on July 12, 1816 in Willemstad, and died there on December 9, 1824, aged 8.
4. Willem Macpherson was born or baptised on September 29, 1786, in Middelburg. He was married on September 17, 1814, in Fijnaard and Heijningen. His bride was Grietje Endepoel. She was baptised on September 7, 1788, in Willemstad. Willem Macpherson died on October 20, 1858, in Willemstad. His widow died on April 26, 1852, in Klundert. They had children:
• Anthonie Macpherson was born on March 19, 1815, in Willemstad.
• Willem Macpherson was born on October 8, 1816, in Willemstad, and died there on September 5, 1841.
• Adriana Macpherson was born on November 26, 1819, in Willemstad.
• Alexander Macpherson was born on December 14, 1822, in Willemstad, and died there on February 28, 1823.
• Brizetta Macpherson was born on June 25, 1825, in Willemstad. She was married on May 11, 1848, in Klundert to Cornelis den Hollander (1824-1911). Brizetta died at the age of 92 on May 16, 1917, in Rotterdam. She was survived by her children Adrianus, Margaretha Pietertje and Adriana Wilhelmina den Hollander.

Sources: WestBrabantsArchief.nl, WieWasWie.nl, Clan-Macpherson.org. For additional genealogical info, see: GenealogieOnline.nl.

The disappearance of Cornelia Stolk

The Cornelia Stolk in this story was born in Rotterdam on February 23, 1800. She was the second child of Abraham Stolk (1779-1833) and his first wife Cornelia Koppen. She had 6 further siblings, but some of them died young.
At the age of 19, Cornelia Stok was married on May 19, 1819, in Rotterdam to Hendrik Zwartbol. He was the only surviving son of Cornelis Zwartbol and Anna van den Hoek. Hendrik born in Charlois (now part of Rotterdam) on February 8, 1798. His eyes were blue and his hair and eyebrows were brown.
The couple had two daughters, both born in Rotterdam: Johanna Cornelia on October 30, 1819, and Cornelia Hendrika on July 30, 1821. They grew up without a mother.
Relatives and acquaintances mentioned in a statement, drawn up in 1840, that Hendrik Swartbol and Cornelia Stolk had been living together for approximately five years, when Cornelia quietly left their marital home, and has not been seen since.

The eldest daughter, Johanna Cornelia, was heavily pregnant when she married Samuel Stead on September 9, 1840, in Rotterdam. Samuel Stead was a 40-year-old widower, born in Farnley in Great-Britain. Samuel had several children with his first wife Jannetje Verstraten (1804-38).
Just a month after their marriage, Johanna Cornelia gave birth to a daughter Cornelia Antonia Stead on October 12, 1840, in Rotterdam. Samuel Stead died in Rotterdam on December 1, 1841. They had been married for approximately 15 months. On April 14, 1843, in Rotterdam, while still unmarried, Johanna Cornelia Swartbol gave birth to a son named Johannes.

Hendrik Swartbol was working as a third class sailor in the navy, stationed on a ship named "Euridice", located in the port of Flushing, when he died on August 29, 1843. To be able to settle the inheritance of their parents, an ad was placed in 1851 on behalf of the daughters, trying to locate their mother.

Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant (newspaper), 20-12-1851

"Kaerle Vand, weaver of Baies, and Dionis his wiffe"

Flemings at Colchester in 1571:

• Kaerle Vand [sic], weaver of Baies, borne in Flaunders, of the age of xxxviij yeares, is no denizen, and hath continued in England vi yeares, and of an honest conversation.
• Dionis, his wiffe, borne in Flaunders, of the age of xxxvij yeares.
• John, his sonne, borne in Flaunders, of the age of xiiij yeares.
• Chrystine, his daughter, of the age of xii yeares.
• Katherine, his second daughter, of the age of ix yeares.
• Jacomine, his third daughter, of the age of ij yeares; all borne in Flaunders.

Source: Register of baptisms in the Dutch Church at Colchester from 1645 to 1728.

Elisha Philippo Eʄqr. and his brother Onias in 17th century Norwich - Tombstone Tuesday

Monumental inscription in St. Augustine's Churchyard in Norwich:

• Here Resteth ye Body of Elisha Philippo Eʄqr. and Isabel his Wife; Some times Citizen of Norwich, liueing in this Parrish of S. Sauiours; and in ye yeare 1675 he was made Highe Sherriffe for the County of Norff.; he Departed this life Auguʄt ye 19, and Isabel his Wife ye 7 of October, in ye yeare of our Lord 1678.
• Here also Lyeth the body of Onias Philippo Gent: Brother to the aboue named Elisha Philippo Eʄqr. deceased, who departed this Life the 25th of Octob., Anno Domini 1693, aged 67 years.

Adriaen Hoijer, Minister of Brill

"Adriaen Hoijer, son of Willem Gilliszoon Hoijer, Secretary of the town Brill, and Elizabeth van Hoogwerff, born there 26 July, 1656. Student of Theology at Leyden University, April 21, 1677. Appointed Minister of the Colchester Church about March 23, 1678-9. He was Minister of Brill 7 Dec., 1679; of Zwartewaal, 1680; of Maarsluis, 1685, and married Maria Burcken."

Willem Hoijer and Elisabeth van Hooghwerf had a son Anthonij baptised on 13-4-1670 in Brielle, Holland. Widnesses were Joris van Hooghwerf and Joosje van Hooghwerf. Willem Hoijer and Lijsbet van Hoogwerf had a another son named Willem baptised on 22-11-1673 in Den Briel aka Brielle. Willem Hoijer and Lijsbet Gerrits had a son Pieter baptised in Brielle on 9-10-1661. Withnesses were Gillis Pieters Hoijer and Helena Gerrits. They had a daughter Maria baptised in Brielle on 15-11-1658. The couple had a daughter Helena baptised on 13-5-1668 in Brielle. Widnesses were Joris van Hoogwerff and Maria Booms.

Den Briel, Holland

Gillis Pietersz. Hoijer sold a house at the Warmoesmart on the corner of the Plaats Welle in Den Briel to Willem Hoeijer on 22 Nov., 1657, in Brielle. Gillis Hoijer may have been the father of Willem Hoijer and the grandfather of minister Adriaen Hoijer.

Arijen Gillisz. Hoijer, aged son of Gillis Pijetersz. Hoijer, having had permission from his father on 23-4-1646 in Den Briel, sold on 25-5-1646 an house, yard and shet in 's-Gravenzande, Holland, to Arijen Arentsz, Decker who was already living in 's-Gravenzande. This Arijen Hoijer may have been an uncle of minister Adriaen Hoijer.

Maria Burken, sister of James Burken, and her husband Adrianus Hoijer, minister, living in Maassluis, brother of Gerard Hoijer, sheriff of Zwartewaal, are mentioned on 26-7-1689 in Maassluis. 

Sources: Register of baptisms in the Dutch Church at Colchester from 1645 to 1728; CBG transcription of DTB Brielle 1671-1695.

Tombstone Tuesday - James De Hague (77) in Norwich & his family

Monumental inscription in St. Augustine's Churchyard in Norwich:

Here Lyeth the Body of John De Hague, the Son of Mr. Elisha De Hague, who Departed this life the 19th Day of February, 1723, in the 10th year of his Age.
And on the South Side of this Stone lieth Elizabeth De Hague, Who departed this Life the 28th day of February, 1750, Aged 65.

To the Memory of James De Hague of this Parish, Who departed this Life November 18th, 1750, Aged 77 Years.
Also Sarah his Wife, Who departed this Life November 26th, 1752, Aged 75 years.
Also James De Hague, who died April 8th, 1795, Aged 82 Years.
Also Mary his Wife, who died May 2nd, 1795, Aged 70 Years.

To the Memory of Elisha De Hague, who for twenty successive Years was Speaker of the Common Council of this City and for eighteen Years held the Office of Town Clerk. He died 11 July, 1792, Aged 74.
And of Mary, his Wife, the Daughter of Mr. Nich. Ganning, who died 26 May, 1765, Aged 32.
Also of five of their Children who died unmarried.
Erected 1794.

Patrick Stuart married Lysbet Davids in 1647 in Dordrecht

Scotsman Patrick Stuart was a soldier garrisoned at Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands, when he married a young girl from Dordrecht, named Lysbet Davids, on June 30, 1647, in Dordrecht:

"Patrick Stuart, of the Highlands in Scotland, souldier of the company of capt. Henry Meoles,

being ordinarily in guarison at Berghen op Zoom, and Lysbet Davids, j.d. of Dort,

dwelling in the Sarusgang, contracted July 5, 1646, maried in our church Jun. 30, 1647".

Dordrecht

Tombstone Tuesday - Joel Fremoult & Judith Shoulder in Norwich

Tombstones in St. Saviour's Hospital in Coslany, Norwich: 

• Joel Fremoult, born in this parish, and Judith, dau. of John Shoulder his wife, born at Canterbury, where they had issue 5 sons and 4 daughters, 7 whereof do still survive them, and are living monuments of their paternal care and industry. He died 1708, æt 66; she died 1706, æt 56. 
• Samuel Fremoult, Brewer, 1727, æt. 48.
• Elizabeth, wife of Samuel, son of Sameul Fremoult, Brewer, 1743, æt 25. 

Joel Fremoult was baptised in Norwich on 17 Juill. 1642 as son of Jacques Fremault. Witnesses were Jan Coquede, Jan Castel, Elysabette le Feure and Ester Castel.

Norwich

Mary Stuart married Willem de Clercq on June 18, 1647

Mary Stuart was baptized in Haamstede, The Netherlands, on December 11, 1624. Her parents were Jacob Stuart and his 2nd wife, Maaiken Jans Boenaert. Mary and her brother Johannes (1617-1695) were the only 2 children of Jacob Stuart to survive infancy.

This Stuart family was supposedly descended from an Archibald Stuart who had been herald at the court of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Archibald's supposed son Jacob Stuart  (±1554-1622) left St. Andrews, Scotland, for Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands. He married 3 times and left many descendants.

On June 18, 1647, in Zierikzee, The Netherlands, Mary Stuart married Willem de Clercq (±1620-1657), son of Lieven de Clercq and Maijken Imants. Willem was a resident of Poortambacht near Zierikzee. Mary Stuart died in Zierikzee in 1656.

Zierikzee

Sources: Archieven.nl & dr. J. Mac Lean, "Het geslacht Stewart (Stuart)", De Nederlandsche Leeuw, 91ste jaargang, 1974, pages 138-9.

Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart (†1741)

Before 1747, the St. Gertudis Church in Bergen op Zoom, Brabant, The Netherlands, contained a grave stone of Jacob Stuart, born in St. Andrew, Scotland, stating he was the youngest son of Archibald Stuart, who lived at the court of Mary Queen of Scots. It also stated that Jacob had Stuart died on ascension day "anno XVI c XXII", 68 years old. The church was destroyed in a war with the French. 

One of Jacob Stuart's Dutch descendants was Alexander Stuart, a colonel in the Scottish Brigade. He married Gertruijt van Herwaarden on July 19, 1681, in Driel, Gelre, The Netherlands. The couple lived near Rhenen. In 1689 Alexander was captain in the Regiment Balfour. He died, wounded, near Kaiserwerth, Germany, in April 1702. 

After Gertruijt's death her daughter, Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart, took over the whole inheritance and paid off her brother, Alexander, a captain, on March 27, 1719, in Utrecht. 
On August 18, 1711, in Utrecht Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart married Philips van Halmael, who then lived in Utrecht. At that time Dorothea Wilhelmine lived in De Grebbe near Rhenen. Philips was a canon in the St. Peter's church in Utrecht. 

Philips and Dorothea Wilhelmina had a son baptized in Utrecht on June 27, 1717, with the names Joan Alexander. The baby must have died soon after birth, because they had a 2nd son baptized in Utrecht on June 5, 1718, with the names Joan Alexander Philip. Witnesses were Joan van Halmael and Alexander Stuart. Philips van Halmael died on January 16, 1719, in Utrecht. 

As a widow, on September 1, 1727, Dorothea Wilhelmina borrowed ƒ2500,- from Johan van Halmael (1644-1725) to buy a house. She remarried on January 4, 1729, in Utrecht. Her 2nd husband's name was Wijnand Blenk. In the past Wijnand had done business with Johan van Halmael. Early 1725 Wijnand was described as a cousin of Johan van Halmael, because he was a son of Jan Blenk and Catharina van Hamael. Wijnand's first wife was Cornelia Borstius.

Notice of Marrriage for Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart and Wijnand Blenk.

Wijnand and Dorothea Wilhelmina lived at De Kijsersgraft (Emperor's Canal) in Amsterdam, Wijnand's place of origin. Wijnand was buried in Amsterdam on December 10, 1736. Dorothea Wilhelmina Stuart was buried there on January 13, 1741.

Sources: Archieven.nl & dr. J. Mac Lean, "Het geslacht Stewart (Stuart)", De Nederlandsche Leeuw, 91ste jaargang, 1974, & Nederland's Patriciaat, 26e Jaargang, 1940. 

Mariner Monday - Thomas Brullee's Whaling Expeditions

Whaling is the hunting of whales primarily for meat and oil. The species hunted in the Arctic Ocean was the Bowhead Whale, a baleen whale that yielded large quantities of oil and baleen. The whales entered the fjords in the spring following the breakup of the ice. They were spotted by the whalemen from suitable vantage points, and pursued. The whale was harpooned and lanced to death. It was either towed to the stern of the ship, or to the shore at low tide, where men with long knives would cut up the blubber. The blubber was boiled in large copper kettles and cooled in large wooden vessels, after which it was funneled into casks. The stations at first only consisted of tents of sail and crude furnaces, but were soon replaced by more permanent structures of wood and/or brick. 

Encouraged by reports of whales off the coast of Spitsbergen (Svalbard) in 1610, an English whaling expedition was send there the following year. The expedition was a disaster, with both ships sent being lost and the crews returning on another ship. The following year 2 more ships were sent. Other countries followed suit, with Amsterdam and San Sebastian each sending a ship north. The latter ship returned to Spain with a full cargo of oil. Such a fabulous return resulted in 1613 in a fleet of whaleships being sent to Spitsbergen. The English send 7 ships, backed by a monopoly charter granted by King James I. They met with 20 other whaleships, including 3 Dutch ships. 

Early in 1614 the Dutch formed the Noorsche Compagnie (Northern Company), a cartel composed of several independent chambers (each representing a particular port). In 1615 the Dutch arrived with a fleet of 11 ships and 3 men-of-war under Adriaen Block (±1567-1627). They built the 1st permanent structure on Spitsbergen: a wooden hut to store their equipment in. The following year, 1616, the English, with a fleet of 10 ships, occupied all the major harbors, appropriated the Dutch hut, and made a rich haul, while the Dutch, preoccupied with the isle of Jan Mayen, only sent 4 ships to Spitsbergen, which "kept together in odd places... and made a poor voyage". 

In 1619 the Dutch and Danes, who had sent their 1st whaling expedition to Spitsbergen in 1617, firmly settled themselves on Amsterdam Island, a small island on the northwestern tip of Spitsbergen, which came to be called "Smeerenburg". The English did the same in the fjords to the south. 
Beginning in the 1630s, for the Dutch at least, whaling expanded into the open sea. Gradually whaling in the open sea and along the ice floes to the west of Spitsbergen replaced bay whaling. At first the blubber was tried out at the end of the season at Smeerenburg, or elsewhere along the coast, but after mid-century the stations were abandoned entirely in favor of processing the blubber upon the return of the ship to port. The English meanwhile stuck resolutely to bay whaling, and didn't make the transfer to offshore whaling until long after.

One of my ancestors, Thomas Thomasz Brullee, was commander on the ship "D'Zee Egel" in 1687. The ship had trouble with leakage and broken pumps and returned without cargo. In 1712 Thomas was commander on the the ship "'t Dortse Lam" when the ship was attacked in the Arctic Ocean by French pirates who stole the cargo. Thomas is not a typical Dutch name; his ancestors may have originated in Great-Britain.