Last week, I recommended downloading population registers from the 1900s while you can. This week, the Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeentes [Society of Municipalities in the Netherlands] issued an official recommendation to archives and municipalities to take the family cards for the period 1921-1940 offline, followed by the advice of the archives association BRAIN to limit the public availability of these records to 110 years, so my advice is even more urgent now. These cards are part of the … [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 – Register for the NGS conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan now
7 February 2018 by Leave a Comment
The National Genealogical Society Family History Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan (2-5 May 2018) will feature several Dutch topics. Dutch Genealogy's Yvette Hoitink will be there as a speaker. Register now for a chance to meet other people with Dutch roots and to learn more about tracing your Dutch ancestors, and many other topics. For the full program and registration, see the NGS conference website. … [Read more...]
Dutch Genealogy News for January 2018
2 February 2018 by Leave a Comment
Here is an overview of the new sources, projects, and news about archives that were announced last month. Sources Notarial records of Tilburg from 1926-1935 (except wills) and all the public notarial records of Oosterhout from 1612 to 1935 are now available at the Regional Archives Tilburg website. Church records of various municipalities in Limburg and the neighboring German area were published on GenBronnen. The municipality of Deventer has published 4,000 photos of the department … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Download Population Registers from the 1900s While You Can
31 January 2018 by 9 Comments
In May 2018, a new data protection law (AVG) will go into effect in the Netherlands. This is causing many archives to reconsider their privacy policies. Some archives have published population registers from the period 1918-1939 online, and are now taking them offline again since these may contain information about living people. The Apeldoorn CODA archives have already done so. Unfortunately, that will also limit access to the information about people who are deceased, which is the majority … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Emigrants in the 1800s came from poor areas
24 January 2018 by 8 Comments
If your ancestors left the Netherlands in the 1800s, chances are that they came from poor areas of the Netherlands such as East-Groningen, Friesland, Gelderland, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Limburg, or East-Brabant. These agricultural communities were hit hardest when the potato famine struck in the 1840s, and later when cheap American grain flooded the market. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Vrij
22 January 2018 by Leave a Comment
Vrij means "free," as in freedom. You may encounter the word vrij in different contexts in genealogical records: A vrije persoon [free person] was someone who was not enslaved and who was not a serf. A vrij goed [free property] was a property (typically a farm) that did not have feudal obligations. Vrij van belasting [free of taxes] means that no taxes were levied on the goods. … [Read more...]
Was Eleanor of Aquitaine my Ancestor? Generation 2: Els Marijnissen
19 January 2018 by 4 Comments
This is the third 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 I am indeed the daughter of my mother, Els Marijnissen. Els Marijnissen, daughter of Johannes Marijnissen My grandfather Johannes Marijnissen, called Jan, is the earliest generation I knew personally. My grandparents lived just a few blocks from … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Study the Siblings if you’re Stuck
17 January 2018 by 1 Comment
If you're stuck and can't find your ancestor's parents, try researching the siblings and other relatives. Here are some suggestions to identify possible siblings: Baptismal records and marriage records often name the witnesses. Witnesses were typically close family members, such as siblings. Court records sometimes show several people buying or selling land together. These were often siblings. Collateral succession tax records may show your brick wall ancestor inheriting from a … [Read more...]
My Personal Genealogy Goals for 2018
12 January 2018 by 4 Comments
Most of my genealogy time is spent on client projects, but one of my resolutions for 2018 is to spend some time on personal projects as well. All my projects give me inspiration for blog posts, lectures, or articles, so even time spent on personal projects helps my business. I have several personal goals for 2018. Connecting with cousins I have lately connected with a half first cousin once removed whom I never knew that I hope to meet later this year. Our families lost touch when my … [Read more...]
Dutch Genealogy News for December 2017
5 January 2018 by Leave a Comment
Here is an overview of the new sources, projects, and news about archives that were announced last month. Sources The newspapers Volkskrant, Trouw, and Het Parool for the period 1945-1995 have been added to the national newspaper website Delpher. The publication was made possible thanks to a licensing agreement that allowed the Royal Library to publish these papers, which are protected by copyright. The notarial records of West-Friesland in Noord-Holland for the period 1843-1925 have … [Read more...]
