Here are my favorite websites for finding images to illustrate your family tree. National Archives Photo collection The National Archives in The Hague has over 14 million photos in its collection, many from press offices, taken by professional photographers. Over a million photos have been scanned and made available in the photo collection at the Nationaal Archief website. Cultural Heritage Service The Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed [Cultural Heritage Service] oversees the … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Always check the original record
5 August 2015 by 2 Comments
My client wanted me to find interesting stories about her ancestors. Normally, that would have me scouring newspapers and court records, but only after I find the basic information about birth, marriages and death. The civil registration records are not the first place you would think to look for interesting stories, but sometimes they will give you the first hint. I found the date and place of birth of one of her ancestors in the extract of his birth record in the marriage supplements. A … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Gezel
3 August 2015 by Leave a Comment
A gezel is a journeyman, a craftsman who had already finished basic training but had not passed his master's exam yet and had not been admitted to the guild. The term is also used to indicate someone who worked for a boss rather than having their own shop, so a gezel doesn't mean the person is young. You can find the word gezel used as a suffix to other occupations, for example a timmermansgezel (journeyman carpenter) or schoenmakersgezel (journeyman shoemaker). You won't find these composite … [Read more...]
How to obtain certified copies of birth, marriage or death records from the Netherlands
31 July 2015 by 12 Comments
I often receive requests by people who need to obtain official certificates of Dutch birth, marriage or death records for legal purposes. Obtaining certified copies is not a service I provide, so I will give you the instructions on how to do this yourself. Reasons for needing a certified copy There may be several reasons why you need an official extract of a birth, marriage or death record in the Netherlands, for example: You were born in the Netherlands and need proof of your birth in … [Read more...]
Quick tip – the meaning of Holland
29 July 2015 by Leave a Comment
If you see "Holland" in a published source, like a book or an online tree, chances are that the person means the country of the Netherlands. If you see "Holland" in a Dutch record prior to 1840, Holland refers to the province by that name, in the west of the Netherlands. In 1840, the province was split into Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. As the most prosperous province and the center of international trade, the province overshadowed the other provinces; so much so that its name became … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Doodgraver
27 July 2015 by 1 Comment
The term doodgraver literally means 'dead digger.' It is the person who digs the graves for the dead. In larger towns, this was a full-time occupation. In small towns, the church sometimes hired poor people to dig the graves, making them work for their allowance. A grave digger was not only supposed to dig the graves but also to collect any bones that would surface before the dogs could get to them. These bones would often be stored in a 'knekelhuisje' [bone house] in the corner of the … [Read more...]
Source – Staten van Landverhuizers
24 July 2015 by 5 Comments
In the 1840s, when religious tensions were high and crops were failing, many people left the Netherlands to start a new life in America. The national government wanted to know what was going on. Since 1848, they required each province to keep lists of emigrants, the "Staten van Landverhuizers" [tables of emigrants]. Between 1831 and 1847, only numbers were recorded, but since 1848 the heads of households were listed. Contents of the Staten van Landverhuizers The provincial lists were compiled … [Read more...]
Announcement – The Dutch in America Across the Centuries
22 July 2015 by Leave a Comment
Are you interested in Dutch immigration to the United States? Are you able to go to Albany, New York next September? If so, you're in luck, because there will be a conference, where researchers studying the New Netherland era and experts on the the 19th century immigration wave will come together to connect and compare information about the miscellaneous groups of Dutch immigrants who settled in America over time. I know several of the organizers and wish I could be there for what I'm sure will … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Schepenbank
20 July 2015 by 4 Comments
The schepenbank is the bench of aldermen, or the aldermen's court. The schepenen were the officials who set on the bench. The schepenbank would serve as the magistrate and as a court of law. The term Schepenbank was not used in all regions. Other terms include nedergerecht (Friesland) or vierschaar (Zeeland). Schepenbanken with higher jurisdiction were entitled to adjudicate all court cases, including capital cases. Schepenbanken with lower jurisdiction only adjudicated less severe cases. … [Read more...]
Ask Yvette – Am I related to Rembrandt van Rijn?
17 July 2015 by 11 Comments
After I wrote about my "great-aunt" Hendrickje Stoffels, the mistress of Rembrandt van Rijn, several people named Van Rijn have asked me if they could be descended from Rembrandt. The short answer? Sorry, no. Here's why. Rembrandt van Rijn had one lawful wife: Saskia van Uylenburgh. They had only one child who survived childhood: Titus van Rijn. Titus married in 1668 and died the same year, though not before getting his wife pregnant. His posthumously born daughter Titia married, but … [Read more...]
