Dutch term – Bruid

Etch of an older man holding a woman's had

Courting widower. Image credits: Rijksmuseum

A bruid is a bride. Most women married for the first time in their mid to late twenties. If you see a woman who got married before the age of twenty, you will often find one of these circumstances to be the case:

  • The bride is pregnant
  • The bride is an orphan
  • The groom is a widower with young children and the bride is his former maid.

Of course, there could be several other reasons why people married young, but in my experience one of these three situations usually applies.

About Yvette Hoitink

Yvette Hoitink, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist in the Netherlands. She holds the Certified Genealogist credential from the Board for Certification of Genealogists and has a post-graduate diploma in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee. She has been doing genealogy for over 30 years and helps people from across the world find their ancestors in the Netherlands. Read about Yvette's professional genealogy services.

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