Last week, I attended the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I gave three presentations. These recordings and those of many other speakers are now available for puchase via PlayBackNGS. My recordings: "Dutch Genealogy 101: Finding Your Ancestor From the Netherlands" "For Family, Faith, and Fortune: Emigration from the Netherlands in the 1800s" "Dear Me: Writing Research Reports to Yourself" Other topics relevant to Dutch … [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.
Commemorating the Dead
4 May 2018 by 9 Comments
On 5 May 1945, the Germans capitulated and World War II was over for the people of the Netherlands. Every year on the fifth of May, we celebrate our freedom. But before we can celebrate, we need to commemorate. Because our freedom came at a price. About 200,000 Dutch men, women, and children lost their lives during World War II. More than 100,000 Dutch Jews were murdered in the death camps in Eastern Europe. Other victims include Roma, Sinti, and people persecuted for their sexual … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Don’t Confuse Cousins, Nieces, and Nephews
30 April 2018 by 6 Comments
In Dutch, the word neef can mean either nephew or male cousin, while the word nicht can mean either niece or female cousin. Automatic translators sometimes translate the terms with nephew and niece only, which can lead you to the wrong conclusion about family relationships. … [Read more...]
Five Places to Find Dutch Trees
27 April 2018 by 2 Comments
When you're researching a new family, finding out what has already been published is a good first step. This includes finding online trees. Websites with Dutch trees FamilyTreeSeeker. Search engine that searches many Dutch online trees, including those published on people's own websites. GenealogieOnline. Most popular place for Dutch people to publish their trees. MyHeritage. MyHeritage is growing in popularity in the Netherlands, thanks to their free FamilyTreeBuilder software that … [Read more...]
Was Eleanor of Aquitaine my Ancestor? Generation 5: Gerardus van den Heuvel
20 April 2018 by 4 Comments
This is the sixth 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 great-grandmother Cornelia Francisca van den Heuvel was the daughter of Gerardus van den Heuvel and Maria Cornelia Bovendeert. Gerardus van den Heuvel, son of Dorothea Smulders Gerardus van den Heuvel is the most recent generation in my … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Researching Living People Needs Their Collaboration
18 April 2018 by Leave a Comment
Dutch privacy laws are strict and restrict access to records of people born less than 100 years ago. If you are searching for living people, they will be the only ones who can access their records. Their cooperation and permission is also necessary if you want them to take a DNA test for you. See the article on proving my descent from my mother for an example. … [Read more...]
Dutch DNA Testing Strategy
13 April 2018 by 16 Comments
So you're of Dutch descent and want to take a DNA test to find cousins in the Netherlands or learn more about your ancestors. How do you go about doing that? In general, Dutch people are guarded about their privacy. Many people in the Netherlands have very complete trees because of the excellent records and don't feel the need for DNA testing. As a result, DNA testing for genealogical purposes is not that common in the Netherlands, though recent marketing campaigns have started to make it … [Read more...]
Changed location for the Dutch Genealogy Meet-and-Greet at NGS on 3 May 2018
11 April 2018 by Leave a Comment
The National Genealogical Society Family History Conference will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan from 2-5 May 2018. Several presenters including myself will be giving talks about Dutch Genealogy (see the full program). I have already heard from several blog and newsletter readers who plan on coming and can't wait to meet you there. To be able to meet as many of you as I can and to give you a chance to meet each other, I am inviting all Dutch Genealogy readers to come to a meet-and-greet on … [Read more...]
Dutch Genealogy Meet-and-Greet and Dinner at NGS in Grand Rapids on May 3rd
6 April 2018 by 1 Comment
The National Genealogical Society Family History Conference will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan from 2-5 May 2018. Several presenters including myself will be giving talks about Dutch Genealogy (see the full program). I have already heard from several blog and newsletter readers who plan on coming and can't wait to meet you there. EDIT: The location for the Dutch Genealogy Meet-and-Greet has been changed to the lobby of the Amway Grand Hotel. Dutch Genealogy Meet-and-Greet To be able to … [Read more...]
Dutch Genealogy News for March 2018
6 April 2018 by 2 Comments
Here is an overview of the new sources, projects, and news about archives that were announced last month. Online records Many civil registration records from the Dutch East Indies have been published by FamilySearch and can be accessed via the Catalog and place name. Access to these scans is limited to Family History Centers, where they can be viewed on internet computers. [Source: Indische Genealogische Vereniging] Population registers (1820-1850) and World War I refugee registers … [Read more...]
