A reader was used to organizing her files by last name. Before 1811 her Dutch ancestors did not have last names but used patronymics, which made it difficult to see which files belonged to which line. She asked me how to organize files for people who did not use last names. I thought it might be helpful to share how I organize my files. I will use the files of my mother's side as an example. I have two trees, one for my father and one for my mother. Most people prefer to have only one tree, … [Read more...]
About this website
Creating a website like this is a fun activity. There are so many options, so many choices. What do visitors want? What do I want? In this blog I will describe some of the things I encounter in developing and maintaining this website.
Quick tip – Cadastral records don’t always show the current owner
29 May 2019 by Leave a Comment
In cadastral records, you may encounter the situation where your ancestor appears as owner of real estate long after his death. This happens if the estate remains undivided, for example if there is a surviving spouse. Sometimes, the cadastral records are corrected to show the heirs, but sometimes the deceased owner remains on the books. See the article about Laurens Smulders for an example. … [Read more...]
Quick tip: Find magazines and journals on Delpher
22 May 2019 by Leave a Comment
Many out-of-copyright magazines have been scanned and are available via Delpher. Delpher has digitized over 5.7 million pages from 470 magazines since the 1800s. Some categories are: Government publications, such as the Staatsblad van het Koningrijk der Nederlanden [National journal of the Kingdom of the Netherlands], where new laws and regulations are published. Professional journals, just as Nieuwe bijdragen ter bevordering van het onderwijs en de opvoeding [new attributions for the … [Read more...]
Was Eleanor of Aquitaine my Ancestor? Generation 18 – Johanna van Wijfliet
17 May 2019 by 7 Comments
This is the nineteenth post in a series about my possible line of descent from Eleanor of Aquitaine. In the first post, I explained how I discovered the possible line, and how I am going to verify it one generation at a time. In the last post, I proved that my fourteenth great-grandmother Barbara Willems Pijlijser was the daughter of Willem Jans Pijlijser and Johanna van Wijfliet. Johanna van Wijfliet, daughter of Willem van Wijfliet Research into Barbara Willems Pijlijser turned up several … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Use the Dutch Genealogy Search function
15 May 2019 by Leave a Comment
Do you have a question about Dutch Genealogy? This website contains almost a thousand articles about Dutch sources, terms, and research strategies. Try searching for your term in the search box in the top right corner of the website. Examples: English versions of Dutch first names Using search engines How to find my immigrant ancestor in the Netherlands How to find the father of an illegitimate child How to capitalize Dutch names with prefixes Cheat sheet for records after … [Read more...]
Dutch Genealogy News for April 2019
10 May 2019 by Leave a Comment
Here is an overview of the new sources, projects, and news about archives that were announced last month. Online sources The collection of Family Printed Matter of the Nederlandse Genealogische Vereniging (Netherlands Genealogical Society) is now available via Open Archives. The index contains almost 400,000 entries. Volunteers are scanning the records to be added later. Notarial records of many places in Friesland, mainly for the period 1926-1935, have been added to AlleFriezen. … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Search without the last name
1 May 2019 by 1 Comment
If you can't find the person you're looking for, try searching without the last name. Before 1811, last names were not fixed in many parts of the country. People may appear in records using farm names (in the eastern part of the country) or patronymics (everywhere else), or even under a different last name. By searching for other characteristics, such as the first name of the person you're looking for and their father's first name, you may find people even if they're hiding under a different … [Read more...]
Quick Tip – Dutch Genealogy at The Genealogy Show in Birmingham, UK
24 April 2019 by 1 Comment
Mark your calendars: on 7 and 8 June 2019, The Genealogy Show will be held in Birmingham, UK. There will be two talks featuring research in the Netherlands: On Friday 7 June, John Boeren will give a presentation about "How to Start Your Research in the Netherlands." On Saturday 8 June, Yvette Hoitink will give a presentation about "Dutch Genealogy 101: Finding Your Ancestors from the Netherlands." Please check The Genealogy Show's website for the full program, which include … [Read more...]
Was Eleanor of Aquitaine my Ancestor? Generation 17 – Barbara Willems Pijlijser
19 April 2019 by 10 Comments
This is the eighteenth post in a series about my possible line of descent from Eleanor of Aquitaine. In the first post, I explained how I discovered the possible line, and how I am going to verify it one generation at a time. In the last post, I proved that my thirteenth great-grandmother Claesken Peters die Paep was the daughter of Peter Claesen die Paep and Barbara Willems Pijlijser. Barbara Willems Pijlijser, daughter of Johanna van Wijfliet Research into Claesken Peters die Paep turned up … [Read more...]
Ask Yvette – What happened to the population registers from the 1900s?
12 April 2019 by Leave a Comment
Several readers have asked me about population registers from the 1900s that they used to be able to view, but are no longer available. In May 2018, a new privacy law was introduced that was more strict about sharing information about people who may be alive. As a result, the Association of Municipalities in the Netherlands (VNG) recommended to take the population registers offline, and the archives association BRAIN recommended that they only be made public after 110 years. As a result, most … [Read more...]
