Most couples got married in the bride's home town even though they often went to live in the groom's town. So if you can't find a marriage record in the town where the couple lived, try to find out where the wife came from and look for the marriage there. Banns were usually published in both places so you can also try the 'ondertrouw' records. … [Read more...]
Dutch term: Wijk
17 November 2014 by 2 Comments
A wijk is a part of town: a district or neighborhood. Before the introduction of modern addresses, many houses were identified using their Wijk and housenumber only. You will see that your ancestor died in Wijk B number 298, for example. Maps from that period may show you where the Wijken were, but they will rarely show you the location of individual houses. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Kwartierverlies
10 November 2014 by 2 Comments
The term kwartierverlies literally means 'loss of quarters,' where 'quarters' refer to a person's ancestors. The usual English translation is 'pedigree collapse.' Kwartierverlies occurs when the parents of a child are related to each other, so the same ancestors occur in multiple places in the child's pedigree chart. An example of pedigree collapse is the Roerdink family from Winterswijk, where first cousin marriages happened multiple times. Read more about the Roerdink example of pedigree … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Slachtmaand
3 November 2014 by Leave a Comment
Slachtmaand literally means "slaughter month" and is the old word for November. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Landbouwer
27 October 2014 by 2 Comments
A landbouwer is a farmer. There are several related terms that you may encounter in the records: Boer (farmer) Boerenknecht (farm hand) Landgebruiker (literally: land user, often a tenant farmer) Landman (farmer) Bouwman (farmer) Akkerbouwer (field farmer) Veehouder (cattle holder) Varkenshouder (pig holder) Graanboer (grain farmer) Most farmers did not own the farms they worked on. Many were tenants. Originally, their rent would have been a percentage of the yield, … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Waterschap
22 October 2014 by 3 Comments
The Waterschap is the water board, the government agency responsible for water management. With half our country below sea level, that is a big responsibility. Just last night, the water boards decided to close the storm surge barriers between the North Sea and the rivers to prevent major flooding. Water boards have been around for a very long time. The Hoogheemraadschap Rijnland water board for example, was invested by count Floris V of Holland in 1286. That water board exists to this day … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Trouwen met de handschoen
13 October 2014 by 1 Comment
Trouwen met de handschoen literally means "marrying with the glove" and means a proxy marriage. People marry "with the glove" if they can't be in the same location during the marriage ceremony. The bride or the groom is represented by someone with a power of attorney and the marriage will take place as usual, probably with the exception of the kissing of the bride! Originally, a glove was displayed to signify the absent party, which is how the procedure got its informal name. The formal name … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Wijnmaand
6 October 2014 by Leave a Comment
Wijnmaand literally means "wine month" and is the old word for October. … [Read more...]
Dutch term: Spoorwegen
29 September 2014 by 4 Comments
The term Spoorwegen means Railways. The first railway in the Netherlands began in 1839, and ran between Amsterdam and Haarlem. In the rest of the 19th century, a multitude of railway companies developed a railway network that spanned the entire country. The train quickly replaced the Trekschuit (pulled barge) as the most popular form of long-distance transportation. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Timmerman
22 September 2014 by Leave a Comment
A timmerman is a carpenter. In the days before all houses were made of concrete or brick, carpenters built the frames. In the Middle Ages, most houses were made of wood. The houses had timber frames filled up with wicker and mud/clay. Later, bricks were used to fill in the timbers. Many carpenters were also employed to build ships. In the 17th century, the Russian Czar Peter the Great came to Zaandam to be apprenticed as a shipwright. … [Read more...]
