“Jongedochter” literally means “young daughter”. The term is most often used in marriage records, to indicate that the bride was a spinster; somebody who had not married before. Even though the word jong suggests differently, the use of the term had nothing to do with the age of the bride: even spinsters in their 50s could be called jongedochter.
Dutch term: jongedochter
8 July 2013 by Leave a Comment
About Yvette HoitinkYvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist, writer, and lecturer in the Netherlands. She has a Master of Letters in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee, and holds the Certification of Genealogist and Qualified Genealogist credentials. Yvette served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists and won excellence awards for her articles in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly. Yvette has been doing genealogy for over 30 years. She helps people from across the world find their ancestors from the Netherlands and its former colonies, including New Netherland. Read about Yvette's professional genealogy services.
