Dutch term – Contactadvertentie

A contactadvertentie is a contact ad, an advertisement by a person looking for a spouse. The ads are almost always anonymous, but give you some idea what people found important in a spouse. Example This ad from the Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad [Rotterdam Newspaper] of 14 January 1913 shows one woman using an ad to find a spouse. Marriage A capable young woman age 25, with a girl age 7, wishes to make her acquaintance with a widower, no older than 30 or 35, from the working class. Letters … [Read more...]

Quick tip – Compare to the neighbors

To understand your ancestors, you need to study them in their context. One way to do that is to compare your ancestors to their neighbors to get some idea of their place in the community. Here are some research questions that may help you get to know your ancestors: Did your ancestors own their home? Did most people in the community rent or own? How much did your ancestors pay in taxes? How much did other people in the neighborhood pay? How old were your ancestors when they … [Read more...]