Rembrecht ("Reimpge") van Thoornburch married a Scotsman

Scotsman John Smith, also called "Johannes de Smith", from "Edenburch, Schotlant", wanted to marry a Dutch girl named Rembrecht van Thoornburch. They first gave notice of marriage in 1615 in Leiden. Witnesses were Aert Black (John's cousin) and Marijtgen Cornelis (Rembrecht's cousin).
The marriage, however, was opposed by Pierijna Jansdr., and postponed until August 7, 1615. The marriage was then rescheduled for August 13, 1615, but it seems to have been cancelled again, for another source mentions that "John Smith, from Edinburgh, a sayworker in Leiden, and Rembrecht van Thoornburch", married in Leiden on 10 November 1618.

Jan Jacobsen Smit had a son named Pauwels christened in Leiden on 16-5-1621 with witnesses Grietgen Jacobs, Maertgen Jacobs and Claude van Santfort. On 1-4-1624 in Leiden Jan Smit and Reimtgen Pauwels had a son Johannes christened. Witnesses at the christening were Grietgen Jacobs, Michiel Michielsz. and Cijtgen Pouwels. Cijtgen was Rembrecht's sister. She married Michiel Caeljerie or Calerije in 1622 in Leiden, but died within 3 years of her marriage. Rembrecht and Cijtgen's parents were Paulus van Toorenburch and Maertgen Jacobsdr. Other siblings were Jan, Jacob, Aechgen, Aeltgen and Grietgen.

In 1656 Surgeon Jan Jacobsz Smit and his wife Reimpge Poulsdr. van Torenburch were mentioned as living in the Duivelshoorn in Leiden.

Hooglandsche kerk, Leiden, Holland, around 1698

Treasure Chest Thursday - My Grandmother's 1918 Church Membership Certificate

This certificate shows that my grandmother Willempje Cornelia Zijderveld, born on November 6, 1892, became a member of the Dutch Reformed Church on March 5, 1918, in Dordrecht, The Netherlands:

On March 29, 1917, my grandmother had married my grandfather Pieter de Jong (1892-1973). They had 10 children and a miscarriage from 10 pregnancies. At first they lived in Sprang-Capelle, Noord-Brabant, later they moved to Mookhoek, Zuid-Holland. My grandmother died on July 16, 1976, in Oud-Beijerland. 

My Little Treasure Chest

20th Century Dutch migrants to Canada

The first Dutch people to travel to Canada were Dutch Americans. The largest migration wave was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when large numbers of Dutch helped settle the Canadian west. During this period significant numbers also settled in major cities like Toronto.

While interrupted by World War I, this migration returned in the 1920s, but again halted during the Great Depression and World War II. After that war, with a devastated Dutch economy, a large number of Dutch immigrants moved to Canada, including a number of war brides of the Canadian soldiers who liberated the Low Countries. One of my uncles moved to Canada after the flood of 1952 had destroyed his home. A majority of these newcomers settled in Ontario, including one of my aunts and her husband.

By 1958, emigration from the Netherlands declined significantly as the country’s economy began to recover, due in part to international assistance. There are now over 1 million Canadians of Dutch descent, including those of full or partial ancestry. While one of the largest minority groups in Canada, Dutch Canadians have tended to rapidly assimilate.

Emigrants to Canada wait until they can board the SS "Volendam". 

Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 15, 1951.

Links: 

• Canadians of Dutch descent  
• Ottawa County Cemeteries
• Canada Immigration Records
• Postwar Dutch Immigration through Pier 21
• Digital Resources of The Netherlands - Passenger Lists (link top left)
• Passengers of the Holland-America Line
  

Tuesday's Tip - When a website uses small characters..

When you struggle reading small fonts on websites, the solution is simple. 

To increase the size of any web page, simply hold down the Ctrl key and press the + (plus) key on the numerical key board to the right. Pressing the + key several times, while holding down the Ctrl key, will make the web page even larger.
You can do the reverse, too. Hold down the Ctrl key and press the - (minus) key to make the web page smaller. 

This simple solution should work on all browsers and on all operating systems.