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If you want to learn more about researching Dutch ancestors, make sure to read the blog.
Ask Yvette – Military passports in the 1800s
Reader Freddy Walhof asked me about the practice of military passports in the 1800s. In the military service record of an enlisted man, the column for end of service said “gepasporteerd” which means “passported.” Freddy wondered if an actual passport was issued or if this was an administrative term only. At the end of service, […]
Dutch Genealogy News for August 2023
Here are all the new sources, projects, and other news announced in the past month. Sources Hattinga’s atlas of Gelderland, Overijssel, and Groningen from the 1740s has been digitized and can be consulted at the website of Collectie Overijssel. Cause of death notes from the east of North Brabant have been digitized and indexed. Check […]
Source: Estate Inventories
Estate inventories tally the assets and debts of a person, family, or company. They were typically created for people of means. You are unlikely to find them for poor ancestors. Different regions have different customs, but in general, you are unlikely to find them before the 1600s, though you may find earlier examples. The most […]
Dutch term – Perkament
Perkament is parchment. In the Middle Ages, parchment was the main surface for writing. It was created from animal skin, such as sheep or calf skin. Many medieval chronicles and charters were written on parchment. Gradually, parchment was replaced by paper for most types of writing, first created from textile and later created from wood. […]
Dutch Ancestors Research Plan – 17th and 18th century
In my Level-Up Challenge, I defined six levels of ancestral profiles. In this post, I will give you a basic research plan for an ancestor living in the 17th and 18th century for levels 1-4. Level 1: Names only I usually find the name of the person in records of somebody else I am researching. […]
Quick tip – Identical place names in New and Old Netherland
If you are doing in New Netherland, the Dutch colony in what later became New York and the surrounding area, you may come across place names that exist in both the (old) Netherlands and New Netherland. When you come across a place in records and you cannot find the person in the records of that […]
Dutch term – Patria
Patria (literally: fatherland) is a Latin term sometimes used in Dutch colonial records to refer to the Netherlands. You could come across the term in government or notarial records, in reference to people about to return home. The word patriot is derived from patria as well.
