Look out for improbable dates

To have a critical look at the dates in your genealogy database once in a while is a good idea. If you are looking at part of a pedigree you haven't viewed for a while, just start adding up and subtracting the numbers and evaluate the result. Look for dates that create improbable or impossible situations for your ancestors. Were children born in the same year, less than 9 months apart? Do the ages that events were supposed to happen add up? Were your ancestors married during childhood, or are women having children at an advanced age? 
All of these indicate that either the dates are wrong, or the people are misidentified. Poor math can also result in the skipping of a generation. 
  

To check for errors, you can use genealogical analysis programs like these: 

• The Genealogica Grafica tool does thorough tests on GedCom consistency, like finding subsequent births within 9 months.
• The website Bonkers can identify groups of claims that are inconsistent with each other.  
• Use FTAnalyzer to investigate your family tree and find errors like childrens birthdates before parent was born.
• Analyze is a command line program for displaying unconnected individuals in any GedCom file.
• GedCom View and Compare visualizes differences in the data of persons included in two GEDCOM files.
• GEDCOM Validator is a tool for checking a GEDCOM file for problems which could lead to data loss when transferring files between different genealogy applications.
• When submitting a GedCom file to the Ged-InLine website, a report is produced with warnings about deviations from strict GedCom.
• With GenMerge you can find possible double persons in a GedCom file and merge them, when needed. 
• The GedCom Service Programs checks GedCom files for duplicate entries and logical errors and allows a merging of duplicate persons. Additionally, a selection of a GedCom file can be exported, when you want to share only part of your data with someone. 
• With GedClean you can filter out living people from a GEDCOM file, creating a modified file for privacy purposes.

For more GEDCOM Software and Tools tools, see also Cyndi's List.

Een Nederlandse versie van deze pagina vind je op mijn Genealogie Bos Blog.

1816, "The Year Without a Summer"

Starting on 10-4-1815, a series of explosions of the Tambora vulcano triggered a 'Volcanic Winter' all over the world, ultimately causing the worst famines of the 19th century both in Europe and the USA. It also caused spectacularly coloured sunsets throughout the world, and global temperatures dropped by as much as 0.3°C in 1816.

The Tambora is one of Indonesia’s 130 active volcanoes, still standing at a gigantic 2800 m. on the northern Sumbawa Island. Prior to the enormous 1815 eruption it had shown no signs of volcanic activity for a thousand years.

On 10-4-1815, however, the first of a series of eruptions sent ash 20 miles into the atmosphere, covering the island with ash to a height of 1.5 meters. Five days late, the Tambora erupted violently once again, expelling so much ash that the sun was not seen for several days. The series of explosions continued for 4 months. 

Red-hot stones rained down after the grumbling volcano finally blew, and nearby settlements were completely engulfed in lava. Debris, particles and sulphur components were blown into the higher layers of the atmosphere. All vegetation on the island was destroyed by the noxious ash, and the resulting poisoned rain. Floating islands of pumice 3 miles long were observed before the coast, and even 4 years later these islands still hindered navigation. In all, so much rock and ash was thrown out of the Tambora that the height of the volcano was reduced by 1400 m. An astounding 70,000 people may have died in Indonesia as a result of burning, starvation, or poisonous gasses. 

The Kleinjan family and their American branch

Over the years I've also been researching the extensive Kleinjan family that originated in the Hoeksche Waard area in South-Holland. I descend from the elder generations of this extended family. 
The oldest ancestor is Cleijn Jan Ariaensz who lived around 1600. His son, Arijen Jansz Cleijnjan, has descendants in Mijnsheerenland, Heinenoord, Barendrecht, Rhoon and even in Volga, Brookings, South Dakota. In 1664 one of Arie's sons, Jan Arijens Kleijnjan, married Haesje Cornelisse who originated from Charlois, now part of Rotterdam. Jan's burial was registered on 26-1-1712 in 's-Gravendeel.

Since the baptism records of the village of 's-Gravendeel are missing, children within the Kleinjan family that died young are unknown to us, and the links between subsequent generations can not always be proven. A possible son of Jan and Haesje was Arie Janse Kleinjan (†1713) who married Bastiaantje Floren van der Giessen (†1755), who introduced the given name Floris into the Kleinjan family. This couple had at least 2 sons, Floris and Jan, and 2 daughters, Johanna and Adriana. Adriana (±1705-1763) married Jan Anthonisse Duijser (1705-1764) and became one of my ancestors. 

Floris Ariensz Kleinjan (±1700-1778) married twice, as did his son Jan Florisse Kleinjan (±1740-1802), who settled in Barendrecht. Then something strange happened. Jan's 2nd wife was Lena Pieters Louter (±1754-1829), who, as a widow, married Krijn Hendriks Vermaas (1754-1825). Both had children from their first marriage. In 1807 Krijn's unmarried, 18-year-old daughter Maria Krijne Vermaas became pregnant. She said that her stepbrother Kleijs Jansz Kleinjan (1790-1869) was the father, and named the child Kleijs after him. Strangely, Kleijs never bothered to marry his stepsister. In 1803 he married another girl, and had additional issue. Being an unmarried mother, Maria was "damaged goods", but in 1814 she was finally able to marry a widower from Sliedrecht, and had additional issue, too.

An elder brother of naughty Kleijs was Floris Janse Kleinjan (1769-1795) who married the widowed Jannetje Louter, who was 10 years his senior and a sister of his stepmother. Their eldest son was Pieter Florisse Kleinjan (1796-1872) who lived in Rhoon and married twice.

Jan "John" Kleinjan married Maria Adriaantje Huijgen 
on 31-10-1878 in Rhoon. 
Het nieuws van den Dag, Kleine Courant, 4-11-1878

Jan "John" Kleinjan

One of their sons was Jan Kleinjan (1852-1926). In Poortugaal Jan fathered 10 children with his first wife, Maria Adriaantje Huijgen (1854-1893). As a widower Jan decided to emigrate with his children to the USA. In 1893 they travelled with the steamship Rotterdam with captain Roggeveen from Rotterdam to New York.
Initially, Jan seemed to have settled in Iowa, and later he lived in Volga, Brookings, South Dakota. There Jan was known as "John". His second wife was Maria Heiltje Vis, known as "Mary". They had 6 additional children: Leendert (who died from the flu epidemic in WW1), Gerrit, William, Helena, Floyd, and Marion.    


J. Kleinjan and his children travelled with the S.S. Rotterdam to New York,
Het Nieuws van de Dag, Kleine Courant, 21-4-1893

The S.S. Rotterdam II, 3,329 tons; 119,56 x 11,89 meters, speed 12 knots.

Recently, my father told me a story about an American Kleinjan who wanted to visit The Netherlands shortly after World War II. Apparently, to be able to do so, he needed to own something in The Netherlands. The Kleinjan family is a family of farmers, so he decided to export 3 tractors to relatives in the Hoeksche Waard, the first tractors to arrive in that area. The money he earned with the deal was deposited on a Dutch bank, thus allowing him to visit The Netherlands.


Sources:

• "1593 's-Gravendeel 1993 (Uit de geschiedenis van een dorp aan de Kil", Stichting Jubileumboek 's-Gravendeel, 1993
• "Rhoonse Bronnen Deel II, Dopen 1718-1812, Trouwen 1718-1811", J.H. van der Boom, K.J. Slijkerman, Werkgroep Overmaas, 2001
• www.geni.com, Douglas Rozendal, 2011
• http://www.grenzfamilytree.com/Reunion_2008.htm/Ships/Edam.htm
• kranten.kb.nl; Het Nieuws van De Dag, Kleine Courant

Anneke Jans and the Webber Controversy

For generations descendants of a Wolfert Webber claimed that property on Manhattan Island in New York had illegally been taken from their family by the Trinity Church.

Pieter Van Brugh (1666–1740), Mayor of Albany, New York, in the periods 1699-1700 and 1721-1723, was descended from Norwegian immigrants. His mother's parents were Anneke Jans (1605–1663) and Roelof Janse (1602–1637), who was born on a small island in Norway (that was ceded to Sweden in 1658). Roelof received a grant of 62 acres of land on the Hudson River on Manhattan Island in nowadays New York. After her husband's death in 1637, Anneke was married in 1638 to the Rev. Everardus Bogardus (1607-1647) of the Trinity Dutch Reformed Church on Manhattan Island. 


Anneke Jans and Everardus Bogardus

  
Anneke Jans became famous through a long series of lawsuits initiated by her descendants, who claimed (1) ownership of real estate on Manhattan and (2) royal descent. 
F.A. Virkus writes in "The Compendium of American Genealogy":

"Anneke (Webber) Jans (1605-63), [..] dau. of Wolfert Webber (b 1565), 
said to have been son of William, 9th prince of Orange and later King of Holland".

It was even said that Anneke Jans, "daughter of Wolfert Webber, 4th King of Holland, whose father was William, Prince of Orange", was born in "the King's Mansion in Holland" in 1605.

The first and only person who held the title "King of Holland" was the great Napoleon's brother Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (1778-1846) who ruled The Netherlands in the period 1806-1810. The compendium probably refers to Prince William I "the Silent" of Orange (1533-1584), stadtholder of Holland. In 1565 - the supposed birth date of Wolfert Webber, -William was still married to his rich - but mad - 2nd wife, Anna of Saxony (1544-1577), and he was still married to his 4th wife when he was murdered in 1584. During his life William of Orange did recognize only one illegitimate son, Justinus (1559-1631). It wasn't until 1815 that one of William's descendants in the female line, Willem I Frederik of Orange-Nassau (1772–1843), became the 1st King of The Netherlands.