Van halven bedde literally means “from half a bed.” It is a term indicating half-siblings or half-aunts and -uncles.
For example, if somebody refers to a woman as her “zuster van halven bedde” [sister from half a bed] this refers to a half-sister and a “oom van halven bedde” [uncle from half a bed] refers to a half-uncle.
Hindeloopen interior showing a bedstead and crib, 1892. Credits: Christoffel Bisschop, collection Zuiderzeemuseum, available via Rijksdienst Cultureel Erfgoed (CC-BY-SA)
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.
Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist, writer, and lecturer from the Netherlands who helps people find their ancestors from the Netherlands and its former colonies, including New Netherland. She has a Master of Letters in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee, and holds the Certified Genealogist and Qualified Genealogist credentials.
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Example text: Lier, Belgium, Death certificate 216 in 1823:
… zijn verschenen Petrus Van Dessel, bakker, …, broeder van den halven bedde en … van Karel Jacob Joseph Van Dessel, …
Hence, Petrus, who comes to declare the death, is a half-brother of the deceased Karel Jacob Joseph.
Thank you for this post! Today is the first time I came across this phrase in a marriage registration (“broeder den halve bedde de bruidegoms”). Of course, Google Translate and Google were of no help, but this was the first hit when I switched to Google.nl. Of course, I figured it had to do with half-siblings, but I wasn’t sure about the spelling or meaning of the phrase.