My father's family is from a small village in the Netherlands called Winterswijk. All 2,000+ ancestors of his that I've been able to trace so far were from Winterswijk or the immediate surroundings. People first started living in that area in the early Middle Ages and I would not be surprised to find out that most of my paternal ancestors descend from that initial group of Saxons who settled there. 'Kissing cousins' turn into a one-place-study When I started researching my ancestors, I … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Adultery may not have been the real ground for divorce
27 May 2015 by Leave a Comment
Until 1971, adultery was one of the few grounds that the law recognized to grant a divorce. Many people who found themselves incompatible lied about having an affair to be able to get a divorce. So if your ancestors were divorced and you find 'overspel' [adultery] listed as the ground in the divorce proceedings, it may not have been the truth. The real reason is probably not recorded. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Voogd
25 May 2015 by Leave a Comment
A voogd is a guardian. Before 1811, guardians were usually appointed by the Weeskamer (orphan chamber). After 1811, they were appointed by the court. You can find guardianship appointments in the court records. … [Read more...]
Ask Yvette: What happened to Genlias?
22 May 2015 by 12 Comments
Between 1995 and 2012, many archives in the Netherlands published indexes of birth, marriage and death records on Genlias (www.genlias.nl). Genlias was taken offline in 2013 and replaced by WieWasWie. Genlias was the most popular genealogy site in the country, and many people used it for their research. Ancestry.com still links to Genlias, even though all the links are broken now. This is why I still get asked about Genlias, even though the website has been offline for over … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Don’t count on obituaries for common people
20 May 2015 by Leave a Comment
In the Netherlands, there has never been a tradition for writing obituaries for common people. After a person died, richer families posted a an announcement in the newspaper, but that usually did not contain much biographical information either. For most people, there would not have been any announcement in the paper. Read more about finding family announcements (familieberichten). … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Huwelijksbijlagen
18 May 2015 by Leave a Comment
The huwelijksbijlagen or huwelijkse bijlagen are the marriage supplements: the documents that a bride and groom had to submit to prove their identity and eligibility to get married. See the article Marriage supplements: gateway to more information about your ancestors for more information about these records and how to use them for your own research. … [Read more...]
How to find your ancestors from Reusel-De Mierden
15 May 2015 by 10 Comments
As I explained in a previous blog post, an error in genealogy software changed "Holland" to "Reusel-De Mierden, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands" in many trees. Still, many people, are convinced that their ancestors are really from Reusel-De Mierden. The only way to be sure is to go back to the sources. The municipality of Reusel-De Mierden Reusel-De Mierden is a municipality in the province of Noord-Brabant that has existed since 1997. The municipality includes the following villages: Hooge … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Did they go to church in Germany?
13 May 2015 by Leave a Comment
In the 17th and 18th century, after the Spanish rule ended, the Dutch Reformed church was the State Church. In most provinces, other religions like Roman Catholics were oppressed and forbidden to worship or hold public office. They would sometimes worship in churches that were hidden from view. On the other side of the border, things were different. For example, the landlord of Münster was also its bishop. He was greatly involved in the Contra-Reformation and founded chapels all along the … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Brief
11 May 2015 by 2 Comments
A brief is a letter. Brieven are a great source of information. Personal letters written by emigrants to their family back home can give you a great idea of what their pioneering life was like. I've also found valuable information in official correspondence, for example in the correspondence of the municipality where my ancestor lived. In municipal correspondence, I've found letters about people who were sent to the pauper colonies or an insane asylum, and appointments of city officials like … [Read more...]
My great-aunt Hendrickje Stoffels, partner of Rembrandt van Rijn
8 May 2015 by 11 Comments
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of going to the Rijksmuseum to visit the Exhibition "Late Rembrandt," featuring the works of the latter part of Rembrandt van Rijn's career. A long-term wish of mine came true: I stood eye-to-eye with paintings and portraits of Hendrickje Stoffels, my 11th great aunt. Hendrickje Stoffels, partner of Rembrandt Hendrickje Stoffels came into Rembrandt's household in 1649, after his wife's death. The 23-year-old woman took care of his household and his young … [Read more...]
