Boelgoed is an estate sale. The term is typical for the northern provinces of Friesland and Groningen. Estate sales were often organized by a notary who oversaw the public auction of movable goods. The sale was usually held at the house of the owner. You will typically find a boelgoed after somebody died, or before emigration. If the boelgoed was for the estate of a deceased, you will often find the heirs buying the majority of the items. Having a public sale was not just a way to … [Read more...]
Column – The future of Genealogy
24 June 2016 by 3 Comments
This year, I am celebrating my twenty-fifth anniversary as a genealogist. During this time, we saw the change from paper to digital. Will we see as many changes in the next twenty-five years? Here are my predictions for genealogy in 2041. In the future, it will not be possible to visit an archive in person anymore. The most popular sources are available online. The originals are stored in a central repository; separate archives have been eliminated to save costs. If you want to … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Parish versus Municipal Boundaries
22 June 2016 by Leave a Comment
The boundaries of a parish may be quite different from the boundaries of a municipality. A parish may be spread over multiple municipalities, or there may be multiple parishes in one municipality. Sometimes, churches in different villages formed one parish together, even though these villages may have been in different municipal jurisdictions. Even national or provincial boundaries did not always form the boundaries of a parish. Two examples illustrate this: The parish of the Dutch … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Overboord
20 June 2016 by Leave a Comment
Overboord means "overboard," in the literal sense of going over the side of the ship. It is one of many Dutch nautical terms that made its way into English. In death records or newspaper articles, you may sometimes find that your ancestor was overboord geslagen [went overboard] and drowned. Example: Gerrit Engels Mooi Abstract: Harlingen, 22 August 1838 Recorded an extract of a death record created on board of the Dutch "smakschip" [light coastal ship] De Waakzaamheid [the … [Read more...]
Another Long-term Tenant
17 June 2016 by Leave a Comment
A few weeks ago, I wrote about two tenancy contracts that showed that the Ten Haken farm in Winterswijk was in the family for three generations of tenants. As a result, reader Gerrit Stemerdink shared the story of his Wieberdink ancestors with me. They were tenants of the Wieberdink farm for more than two centuries. The following is an adaptation of the information he provided. Gerrit's great-grandfather Berend Willem Stemerdink was married to Christina Wieberdink (1861-1930). The … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Protestant was not the Dominant Religion Everywhere
15 June 2016 by 3 Comments
Many people think that the Netherlands was predominantly Protestant or Dutch Reformed, and that Catholics were a minority. While that may have been true for the country as a whole, there are several areas where almost everyone was Catholic. Areas that are predominantly Catholic include: Noord-Brabant Limburg Some parts of Overijssel (area around Oldenzaal) Some parts of Gelderland (area around Groenlo, area around Arnhem and Nijmegen) Some parts of Zeeland (eastern part of … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Uithangbord
13 June 2016 by Leave a Comment
An uithangbord is a sign hanging from the façade of a building. Many businesses had one. It served as advertising and as a form of address: people often referred to a house by the sign that hung from it. In old court records, you can sometimes find references to these signs, for example in phases like ". . . sells his inn at the Achterstraat, where the Red Lion hangs from." The photo below shows an example of such a sign, hanging from an inn that dates to 1677. … [Read more...]
My Tips for People Pursuing Certification
10 June 2016 by 23 Comments
Note: This blog post was written shortly after I got certified in 2016. Requirements and standards have changed since then. Please refer to the current versions of the application guide and genealogy standards for up-to-date information. I was recently certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. It was a long process to create a portfolio of work samples. I know there are several readers of this blog who want to become certified in the future, or who are already working on their … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Amsterdam maps
8 June 2016 by 1 Comment
The Amsterdam City Archives published a wonderful collection of maps on their website. You can view the scans at high resolution and then select "Bekijk op de kaart" to see them projected on a modern map. By moving the transparency slider back and forth, you can easily compare the current and the old situation. Go to the maps collection of the Amsterdam City Archives. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Postbode
6 June 2016 by Leave a Comment
A postbode is a mail man. For large parts of the 1800s and 1900s, the government controlled the delivery of the mail and mail men were civil servants. You can find their personnel and pension records at the Nationaal Archief in The Hague. … [Read more...]
