I don't call an ancestor a "brick wall" until I feel that I've exhausted the research options. Instead, I prefer "dead end" to indicate ancestors for whom I have not identified the parents yet. I have about two thousand ancestors in my tree for whom I have not identified both parents. To give you an idea of the types of problems you can run into when researching Dutch ancestors, I will discuss the different types of "dead ends" in my tree. Fathers of illegitimate children My most … [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 – How to Find out Which Church Records Survive
18 January 2017 by Leave a Comment
Church records of baptisms, marriages, and burials are among the most popular genealogical sources to use. If you can't find a record, how do you know if the records don't exist anymore, or if you simply haven't found the person? In 1981, a book was published to help researchers, the Repertorium DTB. For each town, it lists the surviving records per denomination. Where to find the overview of Dutch church records The book is available online at the website of the Centraal Bureau voor … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Amsterdam Scans now Free
11 January 2017 by 3 Comments
The Amsterdam City Archives will no longer charge for their online scans. That means that you do not need pay-per-view credits anymore to consult the scans that are attached to their indexes or finding aids. Available indexes include: Church records of baptisms, marriages, and burials before 1811 Conveyance records of property transactions before 1811 Criminal confessions 1535-1732 Patient records from 1818-1899 Population registers since 1851 Police records from … [Read more...]
Dutch Records That Just Became Public
6 January 2017 by 5 Comments
2017 has arrived, and that means that many records have become public. Many records are closed for 25, 50, 75, or 100 years. Records that can now be consulted include: Birth records of people born in 1916 (hi, grandma!) Marriage records of people married in 1941 Death records of people who died in 1966. Court and notarial records of 1941. Government records from 1991, 1966, 1941, 1916 (depending on the nature of the records). Most of these … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Finding the Current Name of an Old Place
4 January 2017 by 3 Comments
When reading old records, you will often come across place names that cannot be found on a modern map. The spelling or the entire name may have changed. For example, the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, was known as Batavia under Dutch rule. Former Amsterdam City Archivist Simon Hart researched the places of origin that were mentioned in the Amsterdam marriage records. He compiled a list of these places and their old spellings, and the probable place that it refers to. Some examples: … [Read more...]
New Year’s Eve in 1880
2 January 2017 by 1 Comment
New Year's Eve, 1880. My second great-grandfather Cornelis Flooren visited the house of his elderly parents. Some neighbors were there too. They were drinking away the old year and things started to get rowdy. One of the neighbors started calling girls names, and then insulted Cornelis' mother. Big mistake. Cornelis got angry. Sitting next to the fireplace, he grabbed a poker and hit the neighbor over the head with it. Perhaps Cornelis hit a bit too hard, or perhaps the neighbor was a … [Read more...]
Looking back on 2016
30 December 2016 by 2 Comments
Where has 2016 gone already?! My year was off to a great start in January, when I attended the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the Board meeting of the Association of Professional Genealogists. I met many amazing friends, some of whom I already knew online. They made me feel so welcome. While in Salt Lake City, I did some research at the Family History Library for my Kinship Determination Project, the final part of my portfolio. I submitted the portfolio to the Board for … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Did the family hop the border or vice versa?
28 December 2016 by Leave a Comment
The borders of the Netherlands have not always been what they are today. The borders were much different before 1839. Several towns that are now in Germany once belonged to the Netherlands, and several Dutch towns were once part of the German states. Also, what used to be the southern part of the Netherlands is now Belgium and Luxembourg. Records of the same town could be in repositories in different countries. It helps to research the history of the town to know where to look. … [Read more...]
Christmas in the Netherlands
23 December 2016 by 3 Comments
Here are some of my favorite photos of Christmas in the Netherlands, from the collection of the National Archives in the Netherlands (CC-BY). You can click through to see the photos on the National Archives website. To all of you who celebrate Christmas this weekend: Merry Christmas! … [Read more...]
Quick tip – Improve a Life, Join Kiva
21 December 2016 by 2 Comments
Are you looking to reach out and help somebody? I am a member of a team of genealogists who lend money on Kiva. The money is used by entrepreneurs and students all over the world who need help to improve their lives. After they repay the loan, you can lend it again. Our team "Genealogists for Families" has 330 members and has already lent more than $200,000. It's humbling to realize how many lives we have affected. We have helped farmers purchase cattle and seeds, helped to pay for … [Read more...]
