Here are some of the new sources and websites that have become available to us in the past month. Online Dutch records The Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg published an index and scans of the population registers of Maastricht for 1860-1890. The index was created by volunteers at the VeleHanden [Many Hands] platform The West-Fries archief published scans of the population registers of Andijk, Medemblik, Nibbixwoud, Opperdoes, and Twisk. The scans can be browsed at the West-Fries … [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 – Netherlands category on Cyndi’s List
19 July 2017 by Leave a Comment
Cyndi's List is a wonderful directory of links to any genealogical topic you can think of. It has a Netherlands category with links to websites that are relevant if you're researching your Dutch ancestors. Cyndi's List is one of the few sites that I remember from my early internet days that is still online. I had the pleasure of meeting Cyndi Ingle, the woman behind the site, last year. The amount of information is huge, and expanding every day. You can help Cyndi by submitting new links, … [Read more...]
Quick Tip – Repeat Searches Periodically
12 July 2017 by 1 Comment
If you search a database and don't find the record you're looking for, try again later. Many databases get periodic updates or corrections, so a record that cannot be found today may be added tomorrow. For example, the people database at Archieven.nl often has new records as a result of indexing projects or because new archives decide to host their digital records there. … [Read more...]
Three old people ago…
7 July 2017 by 5 Comments
One old person ago... Women did not have equal rights. Women in the Netherlands got the right to vote in 1917. But until 1956, married women needed permission from their husbands to enter into any legally binding contracts. Two old people ago... Slavery was legal in the Dutch colonies of Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles, and the Dutch East Indies. Slavery was abolished in the East Indies in 1860 and in Suriname and the Antilles in 1863. Even then slaves were required to continue … [Read more...]
Why the Little Dutch Boy Never Put his Finger in the Dike
30 June 2017 by 14 Comments
He is probably the most famous Dutch boy that never lived. The Little Dutch boy who saved the day by putting his finger in a dike. The book in which he appeared, Hans Brinker; or, the Silver Skates: A Story of Life in Holland, featured several stories. The story about the Little Dutch Boy told how he saved Haarlem from flooding by putting his finger in the dike. Another story about Hans Brinker was about a boy who wanted to win silver skates. Some people think Hans Brinker was the Little … [Read more...]
Dutch Archives that provide Free Scanning on Demand
23 June 2017 by 8 Comments
[last update: 7 September 2024] In the Netherlands, archives provide their already digitized records available online for free. But several archives go a step further, and also allow you to request documents to be scanned free of charge. These archives have allocated budget for digitizing their collection. Part of this budget is used for larger projects, and another part is used for scanning-on-demand where the users determine the order in which the records get digitized. The resulting … [Read more...]
Quick Tip – There’s Nothing Wrong With Speculation
14 June 2017 by 6 Comments
When you are researching your ancestors, there is nothing wrong with speculation. Building and testing hypotheses is a great way to discover new evidence that may help you prove your case. Just don't confuse speculation with proof, and make sure to not spread speculative information without clearly labeling as such (or not at all, to prevent people from jumping to conclusions). For example, if you are trying to find the parents of your brick wall ancestor Cornelis, and you know his oldest son … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Pachter
12 June 2017 by Leave a Comment
A pachter is a tenant. Most farmers in the Netherlands were tenants who did not own their farms or land. You can sometimes find tenancy contracts in court records, notarial records, or family archives. Especially in earlier times, these contracts were often made without having an official record so it may be hard to find proof. See an example of two tenancy contracts from the 1700s. … [Read more...]
Dutch Genealogy News for May 2017
9 June 2017 by Leave a Comment
Here are some of the new websites and resources that have become available to us in the past month. Online Dutch records The National Archives published an index of houses that were sold by the Germans in World War II. Most of them had belonged to Jewish owners. The index is available as PDF or CSV. The West-Brabants Archief published scans of several town records of Fijnaart en Heijningen, Klunderrt, Willemstad, and Zevenbergen. The records include town resolutions, poll tax, property … [Read more...]
My Favorite Websites for Finding Dutch Photos
2 June 2017 by Leave a Comment
In response to last week's article about the term bakker/bakkerij, Doris Waggoner asked how I found the photos I use to illustrate the articles on this website. I thought other people might like to read my response, so I am repeating it here and will include some links to my favorite photo sites. I never have any trouble finding photos. I used to work at the National Archives in The Hague and was the technical project manager for their image bank for a while. That taught me a lot about their … [Read more...]
