Dutch term – Vrijstelling

A vrijstelling is an exemption. You may come across the term in military enlistment registers or marriage supplements, if a person was vrijgesteld [exempted] from military service.

Example: Antonie Gommeren’s military exemption

When Antonie Gommeren married Adriana Timmermans in Etten-Leur on 27 January 1828, he had to prove he had fulfilled his military duties. He submitted a certificate of National Militia that included the text “uit hoofde van ligchaamsgebreken finaal vrijgesteld” [received a final exemption for reason of bodily defects]. The “final” means that he did not have to be reexamined the next year, which is what they would do with temporary conditions or if someone was too short. His physical description gives a clue: it shows he had a maimed hand, which is probably the reason for the exemption. His signature is clear, so it must not have been his writing hand. Unfortunately, the enlistment registers for his year did not survive, so I cannot check that for more details, but thanks to the marriage supplements, we will know that he did not serve and why.

National Militia certificate for Antonius Gommeren

Source
Civil Registration (Etten-Leur), marriage supplements 1828 nr. 2, Gommeren-Timmermans, 27 January 1828; digital film 004555432, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9398-LG9T-XR : accessed 18 December 2021).
About Yvette Hoitink

Yvette Hoitink, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist in the Netherlands. She holds the Certified Genealogist credential from the Board for Certification of Genealogists and has a post-graduate diploma in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee. She has been doing genealogy for over 30 years and helps people from across the world find their ancestors in the Netherlands. Read about Yvette's professional genealogy services.

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