I have written before about using guardianship records for genealogical research. Most often, we use these records to find out who became the guardian over minor children after our ancestors died. Less often, we will check those records to see for whom our ancestors were guardians. Since guardians were often close relatives, this can be a clue about the ancestor's family. If guardianships are indexed, that is usually by the (deceaded) parents only, not by guardian, so this may require turning … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Weeskamer
21 August 2014 by 5 Comments
A weeskamer is the orphan chamber, a government body responsible for overseeing the administration of the estates of (half) orphans. Weeskamers should not be confused with orphanages: they did not take care of the orphans, just the administration of the estates. Weeskamers existed in most parts of the Netherlands until 1810. After 1810, their tasks were taken over by the court. They also existed in Dutch colonies, like New Amsterdam (present-day New York). Tasks of the orphan chamber After a … [Read more...]
