Do you have pictures of an ancestors in regional costume? Small variations in the headgear, color or patterns of the costume will tell an expert where he or she came from. From the elaborate ear-irons in Friesland and Zeeland to the dotted fabrics in northern Overijssel, different styles tell their own stories. How long did your ancestors continue to wear these costumes? … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2013
Dutch term: knecht
29 July 2013 by Leave a Comment
A knecht is a term used to describe the occupation of somebody who works for somebody else. The term does not have an exact English equivalent, but terms like servant, hand, apprentice or assistant come close. Often, the type of knecht is specified, for example timmermansknecht (carpenter's hand), bakkersknecht (baker's hand) or landbouwersknecht (farmhand). Most men started out working as a knecht to learn a trade. Some became masters in their own right, others remained a knecht for the rest of … [Read more...]
Cold Case: do you recognize these Frisian emigrants?
26 July 2013 by Leave a Comment
Tresoar, the Regional Historical Center for the province of Friesland, has a new Cold Case project. They are looking for the names of the people in two movies created in 1932 and 1936. The movies were show emigrants who came back to Friesland for Friezendei [Frisians day]. Since the late nineteenth century, thousands of people from Friesland emigrated, mostly to the United States. Big reunions took place in 1932 and 1936 (and again in 2000). … [Read more...]
Quick tip: “Van”-names
24 July 2013 by 3 Comments
Many Dutch names start with "Van" (from) like "Van Benthem" (from Bentheim) and "Van den Berg " (From the mountain/hill). Often "Van"-names originated if somebody moved and used his origin to describe who he was. Some people assume that families with "Van"-names are members of the nobility. Although many noble families used "Van"-names (e.g. "Van Egmond," "Van Grevenbroeck"), the opposite is not true since most "Van"-names were used by commoners. See also: Prefixes in … [Read more...]
Dutch term: lidmaat
22 July 2013 by Leave a Comment
The word lidmaat (plural: lidmaten, sometimes ledematen) means member, usually a member of a protestant church. Most protestant became members by confessing around the age of 18-20. Their membership is recorded in the lidmatenboek (church membership book). If they moved, they were given a declaration by their old church so they could become members of another church without having to confess again. … [Read more...]
Question: How to find my immigrant ancestor in the Netherlands?
19 July 2013 by 4 Comments
So you're researching your family, and found out that your ancestor is from the Netherlands. How do you go about finding that person in Dutch records? It's often not that hard to find somebody with a similar name, but how do you go about proving that the person in Dutch records is the same as your immigrant ancestor and not a random namesake? Here are my top tips for you. The examples assume it is a 19th male century immigrant to the US, but the methodology works just as well for other eras and … [Read more...]
Quick tip: Holland vs. Netherlands
17 July 2013 by Leave a Comment
The country of the Netherlands is often called "Holland." Did you know that Holland is actually just a part of the country and a former province? Calling the Netherlands "Holland" is like calling the United Kingdom "England" (or the United States "New York"). To make it even more confusing, the Kingdom of the Netherlands includes more than just the country of the Netherlands. Watch the video below to find out the specifics. … [Read more...]
Dutch term: kwartierstaat
15 July 2013 by Leave a Comment
The word kwartierstaat (literally: table of quarters) means ahnentafel, an overview of all ancestors in male and female lines. Many Dutch genealogists publish their kwartierstaat online. Searching for kwartierstaat plus a family name in a search engine like Google may give interesting results. … [Read more...]
Question: Finding a WWII soldier’s child?
12 July 2013 by 13 Comments
In response to an article about Post World War II emigration, Jane Carter asked: I am looking for a lady in Holland that was my father’s girlfriend. My father has passed now but I have been told that this lady had my father's child. I know little more then her first name and an old picture she sent my father many years ago. With such little information is it possible to get any information? Apparently, Jane's father was an allied soldier during World War II who had a relationship with a Dutch … [Read more...]
Quick tip: maiden names
10 July 2013 by 1 Comment
In official records in the Netherlands, women are usually referred to by their maiden names. This makes it much easier to find them. When looking for a record, try searching for both last names of the spouses or parents. Chances are this will quickly return several records that are relevant for the family you're researching. … [Read more...]
