Here is an overview of all the new sources, websites, and news from archives announced last month. Sources The civil registration birth records of Suriname (1828-1921) have been digitized and indexed. The information can be found on the website of the National Archives of Suriname. The registration only includes births of people who were born free. For people born in slavery (legal in Suriname until 1863), check the slave registers. Notarial records from Nijmegen (1812-1844) have been … [Read more...]
Award for Excellence for NGSQ Article by Yvette Hoitink
3 June 2023 by 1 Comment
The National Genealogical Society just announced that my article "Four Farms, Four Names: The Identity and Parentage of Dirk Weversborg" won the Award for Excellence 2022! The article was published in the March 2022 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal in the United States. The journal is known for its great case studies and I am beyond honored (and surprised!) that my article was chosen as the best of 2022. The article features my ancestor Dirk … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Order records in advance
31 May 2023 by Leave a Comment
If you are visiting a Dutch archive in person, please check their website. Often, you can order records in advance. That way, the records will be waiting for you when you arrive, and you can start your research right away. Some archives provide an order button from the catalog, while others allow you to email a list of the records you want to consult. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Marine
29 May 2023 by Leave a Comment
The marine is the navy. The Royal Navy of the Netherlands has been involved with protecting and expanding Dutch interests around the globe. In the 1800s and 1900s, the navy played an important role in maintaining order in the Dutch colonies, including the Dutch East Indies, the Netherlands Antilles, and Suriname. Navy records have partially been destroyed. The surviving records can be found at the National Archives. … [Read more...]
Free Alternatives to Ancestry for Genealogy in the Netherlands
26 May 2023 by 2 Comments
Many American genealogists use Ancestry as their main platform to do genealogy. Some have asked me if they need to change their subscription to WorldWide to research their Dutch ancestry. Others do not have an Ancestry subscription wonder if they need one. The answer is no. You do not need Ancestry to research your ancestors from the Netherlands. As far as I know, Ancestry does not have any sources from the Netherlands that are not available for free on other websites. Most sources that … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Huisnummer
22 May 2023 by Leave a Comment
A huisnummer is a house number. Modern Dutch addresses are composed of a street name, house number, postal code, and place name. The house number follows the street name, e.g. "Dorpsstraat 15." House numbers could change over time. Such addresses with street names and house numbers are a relatively modern invention. In the 1800s and in some places into the 1900s, houses were not numbered per street but by ward. Before 1800, there is a great regional variation. Some places numbered houses, … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Use image banks at archives
17 May 2023 by Leave a Comment
Many archives have online image banks ("beeldbank") with their digitized image collections. Things you may find in there: Photos of houses and important buildings Prints, drawings, paintings of local scenes Maps Posters of local businesses, exhibitions, political propaganda Building plans of houses City ordinances I love going through these images. They give me a sense of the place. If I am lucky, I could find a photo of a house where my ancestors lived, or a drawing of … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Scannen op verzoek
15 May 2023 by Leave a Comment
Scannen op verzoek means scanning on demand. It generally means you can order scans from the finding aid or catalog directly. In many cases, this is a free service. Check the list of archives that provide free scanning on demand. … [Read more...]
Dutch Genealogy News for April 2023
12 May 2023 by Leave a Comment
This is an overview of all the news about sources, websites, and archives that was announced last month. Sources The historical society for northeast Friesland published the D.J. van der Meer collection with notes and indexes for various archival records in northeast Friesland on their website. Several transcriptions of court, tax, and church records from East-Gelderland have been added to Genealogiedomein. The website Kampen Notarieel publishes indexes and abstracts of notarial and … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Oplopend and Aflopend
8 May 2023 by 1 Comment
Oplopend means ascending, aflopend means descending. You may come across the terms in search genealogical search pages, to sort the results. … [Read more...]
