Dutch term – Hinderwetvergunning
A hinderwetvergunning is a nuisance permit. The hinderwet [nuisance law] dated from 1875 and set rules about business activities that could provide a nuisance, danger or harm to the environment and required that such businesses needed a permit. The law was replaced in 1993. Examples of businesses requiring a hinderwetvergunning are: Factories Gas stations Cattle farms Slaughterhouses […]
Dutch Genealogy News for November 2019
Here is an overview of the new sources, projects, and news about archives that were announced last month. Online sources About half the records from the Aldermen’s Court of Tilburg and Goirle (1408-1811) are now available via the Regionaal Archief Tilburg. The Regionaal Archief Tilburg added several more charters to their charterbank. The majority of […]
Source – Bankruptcy files
If someone is unable to meet his financial obligations, the court can be asked to declare him bankrupt. The court appoints a curator who inventories the debts and assets of the bankrupt person, who the creditors are, and how they can best be paid. When everything is settled, which could take years, the bankruptcy is […]
Quick tip – Use Geneal-IX to find Dutch records
The website Geneal-IX provides handy links organized per province and place to scans of records, including civil registration records, population registers, church records, and address books. These records may be available via FamilySearch or websites of archives.
Poor relief in the Netherlands in the 1600s
In the 1600s, poor relief was a local affair. There was no national social security system. Larger cities had poor masters who administered a fund to support the poor residents of the city. In the countryside and smaller cities, the deacons of the protestant church had the responsibility to aid people in need. Even people […]
Quick tip – Trace enslaved people by their owners
If you are researching enslaved people in the former Dutch colonies like Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles, you need to trace their owners. Enslaved people created few records themselves, but their owners may have created records that mention them. Here are some examples of records created by owners that may include enslaved people: Last wills, […]
Dutch term – Baljuw
A baljuw [bailiff] was an official who represented the ruler of the region and had the highest jurisdiction. They usually received a fixed salary and a share of the fines. Other terms for this function are drost or drossaard. Baljuws were appointed by the ruler. You can sometimes find these appointments in the records created […]
