A vaandrig is an ensign, the lowest officer rank in the army. From the 1800s, the term is more specifically used for officers-in-training. The rank was also used in civil militias. You may come across the term in a range of records, including military records, church records, and town records. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Herder
19 February 2025 by Leave a Comment
A herder usually is a shepherd. The term is also sometimes used for a cowherd, though that is more often called a koeherder. In areas with large moors, you may find this as an occupation for adults. Some farmers who had some some land that was not arable kept a few sheep and hired a young boy, a herdersjongen [shepherd boy] to herd them. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Universiteit
27 January 2025 by Leave a Comment
An universiteit is a university. In the medieval period, the area which is now known as the Netherlands did not have its own universities. People who wanted to pursue academic studies had to go to Paris, Cologne, Oxford, Bologna, or further afield. In 1425, the University of Louvain was founded in modern-day Belgium. Leiden has the oldest university of the Netherlands, founded in 1575. Other places that had universities were Franeker, Groningen, Utrecht, Harderwijk, and Nijmegen. Leiden, … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Koninklijk Besluit
22 January 2025 by Leave a Comment
A Koninklijk Besluit is a royal decree. Read the article about Royal Decrees to learn how to use them as a source to find out more about your ancestors' lives. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – El, Palm, Duim, Streep
8 January 2025 by Leave a Comment
In physical descriptions, you may come across the terms el, palm, duim, and streep. You may see these in military records, prison records, or other types of registers that recorded the person's height. The English translations are: El (abbreviation: e.) - ell Palm (p.) - palm Duim (d.) - inch Streep (str.) - line. How much is meant by these depends on the date of the record. Before 1816, measures were not standardized, and different regions used different measures. See the … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Ruilverkaveling
4 December 2024 by 1 Comment
Ruilverkaveling means to trade plots of land to consolidate land ownership. At the beginning of the 20th century, land ownership was fragmented. Larger plots were easier to work with machines. As mechanization of agriculture increased, so did the demand to consolidate the small plots in larger plots. The first ruilverkaveling took place on the island of Ameland in 1916. Generations of estate divisions among several heirs had resulted in tiny plots. In one part of Ameland, 119 owners owned … [Read more...]
Dutch Term – Generaliteitslanden
1 November 2024 by 1 Comment
The Generaliteitslanden were the terroritories that were under the direct command of the States General of the Dutch Republic. The Dutch Republic was formed in 1579, when seven provinces united forces during the Treaty of Utrecht: Friesland, Groningen, Overijssel, Gelderland, Utrecht, Holland, and Zeeland, plus Drenthe (ruled by Overijssel). The governing body was the States General. The Dutch Republic also included other territories that were under the command of the States General, … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Omnummeren
20 September 2024 by 2 Comments
Omnummeren means to renumber. In the past, addresses often changed from one census/population register to the next. The houses would be omgenummerd; renumbered. This can make it difficult to find the modern locations of historical addresses. See tips for finding the address where your ancestors lived for some ideas. Some archives have omnummerlijsten (renumber lists) or omnummerregisters (renumber registers), either created in the past and part of their records, or created in the modern … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Boomgaard
28 August 2024 by Leave a Comment
A boomgaard is an orchard. In older records, you may see the word spelled as boomgaerd, bogaerd, or even bongerd. You may come across the term in land records. Some last names are derived from the word boomgaard: Van den Bogaerd, Van den Bogert, and even the Latinized Bogardus all mean "from the orchard." … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Gaarder
24 July 2024 by Leave a Comment
A gaarder is a collector, typically of taxes or tariffs. You may come across the term doing research in the province of Holland between 1695 and 1806, when a special tax ("impost") was levied on marriages and burials. The duties that had to be paid depended on the economic circumstances of the bridal couple or the deceased. The records of those taxes are known as the gaarderboeken [collectors' books]. These records can be used as substitutes for marriage and burial records. The actual … [Read more...]
