Here is an overview of the new sources, projects, and news about archives that were announced last month. Online sources Over 50,000 people from the eastern part of Gelderland have been added to the index of notarial records of the Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers. This includes records from places with high numbers of emigration, such as Aalten, Lichtenvoorde, Neede, and Winterswijk. Abstracts of the charters and records of the St. Pieter chapter in Utrecht (1040-1528) are now … [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.
Quick tip – Transfer your DNA to Other Companies
27 February 2019 by Leave a Comment
If you have recent Dutch ancestors, you may not have a lot of matches when you take a DNA test since DNA testing is not that popular in the Netherlands. To increase your chances of finding Dutch cousins, transfer your DNA results to other websites such as MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, and GedMatch. Testing at Ancestry and 23andMe can also increase your chances of finding matches, since those companies don't accept uploads. See the article Dutch DNA Testing Strategy for more information. … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Were there children of the first marriage?
20 February 2019 by Leave a Comment
If a person wanted to remarry after becoming a widow(er), they first had to come to an arrangement with the children of the prior marriage. These arrangement are often registered in court records, orphan chamber records, or notarial records, often around the time of the publication of the banns of the second marriage. They can provide a wealth of information about family members and the economic circumstances. See the article about the parents of Aleid Laureijs Coolen. A receipt for her … [Read more...]
Was Eleanor of Aquitaine my Ancestor? Generation 15 – Barbara Peter Goijaert Pulskens
15 February 2019 by 6 Comments
This is the sixteenth post in a series about my possible line of descent from Eleanor of Aquitaine. In the first post, I explained how I discovered the possible line, and how I am going to verify it one generation at a time. In the last post, I proved that my eleventh great-grandfather Laureijs Denis Colen was the son of Denijs Laureijs Colen and Barbara Peter Goijaert Pulskens. Barbara Peter Goijaert Pulskens, daughter of Claesken Peters die Paep Research into Laureijs' parents already turned … [Read more...]
Yvette Hoitink to speak at MyHeritage Live in Amsterdam, 6-8 September 2019
13 February 2019 by Leave a Comment
Great news! MyHeritage just announced they will hold their annual MyHeritage Live conference in Amsterdam this year! I have been invited to give a presentation about Dutch genealogy (specific topic to be announced). There will also be a DNA track and various other presentations about genealogy and MyHeritage. I heard from several people who went to the Oslo event last year that it was fantastic, and am excited to be part of this year's conference. The conference will be held at the Hilton … [Read more...]
Dutch Genealogy News for January 2019
8 February 2019 by 1 Comment
Here is an overview of the new sources, projects, and news about archives that were announced last month. Online sources The Digital Charter Bank Netherlands has launched. It contains over 170,000 charters from the Middle Ages through to the 1800s from archives throughout the Netherlands. Summaries are provided for most charters, some have scans as well. The Utrechts Archief published data on almost 100,000 railway workers from the period 1836-1920. The Utrechts Archief has the records … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Was the Index Scanned?
6 February 2019 by Leave a Comment
Long before computer databases were invented, people created indexes. Examples of such "manual" indexes include: A list of names at the end of a book or register An index volume (repertorium) with abstracts of records created by a notary A list of grantors and grantees in the back of a deed register A register with muster roll numbers of soldiers in a regiment A list of incoming and outgoing letters of a government agency, organized by sender or recipient A card catalog … [Read more...]
Sources for researching people in the 1900s
1 February 2019 by 4 Comments
Researching people in the 1900s in the Netherlands can be hard because of privacy regulations. Records of people born less than 100 years ago are usually restricted. Here are some other options for research. Family papers Your family may have papers about recent family members, such as marriage booklets or prayer cards. Newspapers Check the newspaper website Delpher for newspaper articles. Births, marriages, and deaths were always announced by the municipality in the newspaper, though … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Patronymics May Not Be Easy to Recognize
23 January 2019 by 1 Comment
Sometimes it's hard to see the difference between a patronymic and a middle name. One of my ancestors, Hendrik Jan Smulders was called "Jan" because his father was named Jan. At that time, people in Tilburg didn't use a genitive form to indicate patronymics so it's difficult to see if "Jan" is a middle name or a patronymic. In other regions and times, the name might have been Jans, Jansen, Janssen, Janse, or Jansse, which more clearly define it as a patronymic. Another situation where a … [Read more...]
Was Eleanor of Aquitaine my Ancestor? Generation 14 – Laureijs Denis Colen
18 January 2019 by 4 Comments
This is the fifteenth post in a series about my possible line of descent from Eleanor of Aquitaine. In the first post, I explained how I discovered the possible line, and how I am going to verify it one generation at a time. In the last post, I proved that my tenth great-grandmother Aleid Laureijs Colen was the daughter of Laureijs Denis Colen and Catharina Jan Adriaens Smolders. Laureijs Denis Colen, son of Barbara Peter Goijaert Pulskens Research into Aleid's parents already turned up … [Read more...]
