Remembering Mien Woordes (1916-2009)
A hundred years ago today, my paternal grandmother Gesiena Wilhelmina Woordes was born in Winterswijk. She was born on a farm in the hamlet of Woold, just outside the village. Her father, Hendrik Woordes, had been born on the Woordes farm that gave the family its name. At least twelve generations of Woordes men had Continue reading →
Yvette Hoitink wins APGQ Excellence Award
Dutch Genealogist Yvette Hoitink just received the 2016 APGQ Excellence Award. The award is given by the Association of Professional Genealogists to recognize excellence in material submitted to the Quarterly magazine. Hoitink received the award for her article “Use Content Marketing to Grow Your Business,” published in the September 2015 issue of the APGQ. “My Continue reading →
Column – The Gap
Archives have the legal task to keep records in good, orderly and accessible condition. But what the Archiefwet [Archive Law] considers accessible does not always match users’ expectations. In the most basic form of access, users can consult the records in the reading room. An increasing number of records can also be found online by clicking through to Continue reading →
Vote for the Genealogy Rockstars
John D. Reid is organizing a Genealogy Rockstar survey for the fifth time. Whose presentations do you want to attend? Whose publications do you spell? Who in the genealogy world inspires you and makes you want to be a better genealogist? Now is your chance to vote. I know about half the people on the Continue reading →
Seven Ways to Find Your Dutch Ancestor’s Occupation
Finding your ancestor’s occupation is a great way to learn more about his life and can be a gateway to finding more records. Here are six different ways you can find out what your Dutch ancestors did for a living. 1: Civil registration records If your ancestor lived in the Netherlands after 1811, you should be able to find your Continue reading →
Quick tip – Deeds may have been recorded much later
In 1704, one of my ancestors had a dispute with his landlord. In the subsequent court case, both sides submitted copies of deeds into evidence. The oldest deed was from 1302, more than four centuries old at the time, allowing me to trace the history of that farm back more than seven hundred years. The Continue reading →
Dutch term – Doodgeboren
Doodgeboren, literally “born dead,” is the Dutch word for stillborn. Since the introduction of the civil registration, stillborn children who were born after 24 weeks of pregnancy only received a death record. As of 19 September 2016, parents can now also request that a birth record is drawn up.
