I came across this lovely map in the collection of the National Archives of the Netherlands, which shows the main types of factories in 1875. Translation of the legend: Katoen - Cotton Wolle - Wool Vlas en hennep - Flax and hemp Tapijten - Carpets Leder - Leather Papier - Paper Meekrap - Madder Steenbakkerijen - Brick factories Houtzaagmolens - Wood saw mills Kalkbranderijen - Lime kilns Scheepsbouw - Ship building Metalen - Metalworking Suiker - Sugar Jenever - Gin Diverse … [Read more...]
About this website
Creating a website like this is a fun activity. There are so many options, so many choices. What do visitors want? What do I want? In this blog I will describe some of the things I encounter in developing and maintaining this website.
Ownership vs. Occupation
15 April 2022 by Leave a Comment
I listened to a presentation by Sue Adams about our farming ancestors, and she talked to the difference between ownership and occupation. You can own a house where you do not live, and you can live in a house you do not own. Similarly, you can own land you do not farm, or farm land you do not own. Ownership creates different records than occupancy. Typically, ownership creates more records, and tenants or people who lease land can be harder to trace. My recent article "Four Farms Four Names" … [Read more...]
Dutch term – DTB, DTBL
11 April 2022 by 1 Comment
DTB is an abbreviation for Doop-, Trouw- en Begraafboeken [Baptismal, marriage, and burial books]. Sometimes, you see it as DTBL where the L stands for lidmaten [members]. You may come across the term in publications, finding aids, research guides, or source citations. Check this article for more Dutch genealogical abbreviations. … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Check for records in the nearest bigger town
6 April 2022 by Leave a Comment
Many people who lived in villages created records in the bigger towns in the area. They may have worked in the bigger town, and created employment records. They may have gone to a notary in the bigger town to have a will or prenuptial agreement drawn up. They may have had business with someone in the bigger town, which could have created transport records or contracts, found in the court or notarial records. The court in the bigger town may have had the higher jurisdiction, and may be where … [Read more...]
Dutch Genealogy News for March 2022
1 April 2022 by 1 Comment
This is an overview of the new sources, websites, and projects that were announced last month. Sources Records of 66,000 members of the Dutch merchant navy have been added to Oorlogsbronnen, a portal for sources related to World War II. Several new transcriptions of Limburg church records have been added to GenBronnen. A transcription of the Dutch Reformed baptisms of Alblasserdam (1610-1811) is now available via Geneaknowhow. The National Archives launched new online … [Read more...]
Farm Names Case Study in NGSQ
26 March 2022 by Leave a Comment
My article "Four Farms, Four Names, The Identity and Parentage of Dirk Weversborg of the Netherlands" has just been published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. I am so proud to have my article published in this leading journal in our field. This case study is special to me. It is the first complex evidence case study I ever solved, when I was 16, proving the parents of my generation 9 ancestor Dirk Weversborg. He appears in records under three different farm names, and his … [Read more...]
Extreme Ancestors – Jan de Witte, age 105 (or not?)
25 March 2022 by 1 Comment
I thought it would be fun to do a series of blog post about the extremes in my tree. The oldest person, the youngest parent, the most spouses, the most children, the one who moved the farthest away; you get the idea. In this first article, I present you Jan de Witte, who died in Cadzand in 1754 at the reported age of 105 years and eight months. 1748 census The earliest record I found that indicated Jan's age was the 1748 census of Cadzand, which included the following household: Jan de … [Read more...]
History For Ukraine Event
21 March 2022 by Leave a Comment
This weekend, there will be a 24-hour live event History for Ukraine. Speakers from all over the world will give short presentations about history and genealogy. The proceeds will to the British Red Cross Society’s DEC Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal. Admission is free, so you can pay what you think it is worth and give a Donation via JustGiving. Check out the History for Ukraine for details about the line-up and schedule, and for the link to the YouTube channel for the live event. … [Read more...]
Quick Tip – Podcast episode about New Netherland and Slavery
16 March 2022 by Leave a Comment
Andrea Mosterman features in episode 324 of the podcast Ben Franklin's World. The episode is called "New Netherland and Slavery." She discusses how the colony of New Netherland took shape, and the ways how the West India Company and private persons used enslaved labor to develop the colony. … [Read more...]
What file format should I use to preserve family photos?
10 March 2022 by 4 Comments
PNG. GIF. TIFF. PDF. JPG. When it comes to choosing a file format for images, the possibilities are endless. Like many genealogists, I am scanning my family photos. I have several reasons for doing so: I want to create a backup in case there is a fire or flood and I lose the originals I want to use the scans in my family tree, on my blog, and other publications. I want to share the scans with other family members. We may only have one copy of the original, but we can easily create … [Read more...]
