Was Eleanor of Aquitaine my Ancestor? Generation 12 – Laureijs Denijs Peter Pulskens

This is the thirteenth 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 my eighth great-grandmother Jenneken Laureijs Denis Peeters was the daughter of Laureijs Denis Peters, also known as Pulskens, and Anna Cornelis Peters, also known as Coijen.

Laureijs Denis Peter Pulskens, son of Aleid Laureijs Colen

The research to prove that Laureijs Denis Peter Pulskens was the father of Jenneken turned up several records about him:

• His marriage record
• Baptismal records of his children
• A guardianship record of his children
• His estate division

These and other records will be analyzed for clues about Laureijs’ own parents.

Marriage

Laureijs Denis Peeters from Heijcant married Anneken Cornelis Peeters in the Roman Catholic church in Tilburg on 8 February 1654. Witnesses for the banns were Denis Peeters and Jan Cornelis Peeters, while the marriage was witnessed by Cornelis Cornelis and Michiel Goarts.¹

The groom’s patronymics indicate that he was the son of Denis Peeters, implying that the witness to the publication of the banns was his father. Jan Cornelis Peeters could have been a brother of Anneken, which is a diminutive of Anna.

Marriage record of Laureijs Denis Peeters and Anna Cornelis Peeters

Children

Laurentius Denis and Anna had the following children:

1. Joanna, baptized in Tilburg on 1654. Witnesses: Maiken Aerts in the name of Lijken Jans.²
2. Petrus, baptized in Tilburg on 26 March 1657. Witness: Maiken Janssen.³
3. Joannes, baptized in Tilburg on 18 March 1659. Witness: Maiken Cornelis.⁴
4. Petronilla, baptized in Tilburg on 30 December 1660. Witness: Maiken Jans.⁵
5. Maria, baptized in Tilburg on 16 October 1662. Witness: Mari Denis.⁶
6. Catharina, baptized in Tilburg on 3 March 1665, father named Laurentius Denis Peeters.⁷ Witness: Peertien Daniel Goaerts.
7. Dionisius, baptized in Tilburg on 16 February 1667. Witness: Maria Adriaen Denise.⁸
8. Maria, baptized in Tilburg on 20 April 1669. Witness: Maria Cornelis Janse.⁹
9. Petrus, baptized in Tilburg on 24 October 1670. Witnesses: Peertie Andriesse in the name of Maria Peter Nelen.¹⁰
10. Maria, baptized in Tilburg on 24 October 1670. Witnesses: Maria Denissen in the name of Lyntie Ariaens.¹¹
11. Mechtildis, baptized in Tilburg on 8 September 1673. Witness: Joanna Jan Wijten.¹²

Based on her patronymic Mari Denis/Maria Denissen could be a sister of Laurentius Denis.

Baptism

Only one Laurens, son of Denis was found in the index of baptismal records of Tilburg. On 10 June 1631, Laurentius, son of Dionijs Peters and his wife Eelen, was baptized in Tilburg. Witnesses were Wouter Dionijs Coolen and Eelen Goijaerts.¹³

Baptismal record

Marriage record of his parents

Only one marriage record of a Denis Peters to an Eelen or variations was found in the index of Tilburg marriages. On 16 December 1627, the banns were published for the marriage between Denis Peter Antenus and Elen Laureijs Denis Colen. The marriage was solemnized on 11 January 1628.¹⁴

Apart from minor spelling variations, the names match the names of the parents in the baptismal record, suggesting that Elen Laureijs Denis Colen was the mother of Laureijs Denis Peters.

Marriage record

Burial

As “Lafferijs Denis Peters,” Laureijs was buried in Tilburg on 5 February 1684. The burial record gave his residence as Heijkant and had a note “K” to show he left children, consistent with the known information about Laureijs Denis Peters.¹⁵

Burial record

Estate division of Laurens’ parents

On 17 August 1684, the heirs of Denis Peter Pulskens and Alida Lauwreijs Colen, also called Aletta Freijs Coolen, divided their estate. The court record of the division named their children and grandchildren as:

1. Cornelis Jan Coijen, married to Maria Denis Peter Pulskens
2. Jan Laureijs Denis Peters for himself and as guardian and Hugo Dirck Huijgen as supervising guardian over the three minor children of the late Laureijs Denis Peter Pulskens of whom the mother is Anneken Cornelis Coijen
3. Peter Anthon Denis Peters Pulskens for himself and as guardian and Laureijs Joost Moonen as supervising guardian over the four minor children of the late Anthonis Denis Peters, of whom the mother was Maria Jan Koijen
4. Jan Goijaert Adriaens as guardian and Goijaert Daniel Goijaerts as supervising guardian over the four minor children of the late Daniel Goijaert Mutsaerts, of whom the mother is Pieternella Denis Peeter Pulskens
5. Anthonij Jan Peter Pulskens as guardian and Adriaen Adriaen Gerits de Roij as supervising guardian over the four minor children of Adriaen Denis Peter Pulskens, of whom the mother is Maria Adriaen Gerits de Roij
6. Jan Cornelis Pessers as guardian and Michiel Jan Peter Pulskens as supervising guardian over the three minor children of the late Peter Cornelis Pessers, of whom the mother is Marij Denis Peter Pulskens
7. Adriaen Niclaes Peter Goijaerts as married to Catelijn Denis Peter Pulskens

As the share for himself and his minor siblings, Jan Lauwreijs Denis Peters Pulskens received a plot of farm land at the Moerstraet at the Heijkant in Tilburg, bordering east the common street, south Jacob Jansse de Recht, west Jan Jan Peter Adams, and north the heirs of Anthonij Peter Stevens, plus the sum of 35 guilders.¹⁶

Estate division, 16 August 1684

The late son Laureijs Denis Peter Pulskens in this record is the father of Jenneken Laureijs Peters in generation 11:

• Jenneken Laureijs Peters’ husband Hugo Dirck Huijgen appears as the guardian of Laureijs’ children
• The record identifies Laureijs’ wife as Anneken Cornelis Coijen, who was the mother of Jenneken Laureijs Peters as shown in the previous blogpost.

The estate division identifies Laureijs Denis Peters’ parents as Denis Peter Pulskens and Alida Lauwreijs Colen, also called Aletta Freijs Coolen in the record. Alida, Aletta, Elen, and Eelen are all variations of the same name, proving that the 1631 baptismal record is indeed for Jenneken’s father Laureijs Denis Peters. It shows he had a sister Maria Denis Peter Pulskens, married to Cornelis Jan Coijen—probably a brother of Anneken Jan Coijen.

A map from 1760, colorized by R. Peeters, shows the location of the Moerstraat. The street is close to the location where Laurens Smulders owned property in 1832 (the street marked “Rugdijk” on this map), showing the family lived in the same area for multiple generations.

Map showing the Moerstraat in Heikant, 1760. Credits: Diederik Zijnen, colorized by R. Peeters, collection Regionaal Archief Tilburg (used with permission)

Inheritance from cousin

Another court record mentions the same seven siblings. On 26 July 1669, Laureijs, Anthonij, and Adrian, brothers, sons of the late Denis Peter Anthonis and of whom the mother was Alijd Laureijs Colen; Cornelis Jan Peter Melis as husband and guardian of Maria his wife, Daniel Goijaert Adriaens as husband of Petronella, Peter Cornelis Pesseers and husband of Maria, and Adriaen Niclaes Peter Goijaerts as husband of Catharina, all sisters and daughters of the late Denis and Aleijd as mentioned before; came to an agreement about the inheritance of Cornelis Anthonis Beris, their paternal cousin, of whom the mother was Elisabeth Peter Anthonis.¹⁷

This record provides independent evidence that these seven siblings were the children of Denis Peter Anthonis and Alijd Laureijs Colen. This record does not use the name Pulskens. In this period and region, it is not uncommon to find people using a last name in some records, and just patronymics in other records.

Division of cousin’s estate

Siblings

Joint appearances in records confirm the relationship between the seven siblings:

• Mari Denis witnessed the baptism of two daughters named Maria, daughters of Laureijs Denis.¹⁸
• Peertien Daniel Goaerts, probably Pieternella Denis Peeter Pulskens, the wife of Daniel Goijaert Mutaerts, witnessed the baptism of Catharina, daughter of Laurentius Denis Peeters.¹⁹
• On 25 January 1676, Loureijs Denis Peeters was appointed as guardian and Cornelis Jan Coijen as supervising guardian over the eight minor children of the late Antonij Denis Peeters of whom the mother was Maria Jan Coijen.²⁰
• On 10 February 1678, Laurens Denis Peeters was appointed as supervising guardian and Jan Goijaert Ariens as guardian over the six minor children of the late Daniel Goijaert Ariens, of whom the mother is Peerken Denis Peeters.²¹
• On 22 October 1681, Laureijs Denijs Peeters was appointed as guardian and Bastiaen Wouters van Gorp as supervising guardian of the minor children of Willem Bastiaensen Wouters, of whom the mother was Cornelia Denis Peeters.²²
• On 5 May 1684, Pr. Anthonis Denis was appointed as supervising guardian over the children of Anthonij Denis Peters in the place of Laureijs Denis Peeters.²³ Laurens’ February 1684 death explains his replacement.

Last will of Denijs Peter Anthonis Pulskens en Aleijt Laureijs Colen

On 24 March 1665, Denijs Peter Anthonis Pulskens and Aleijt Laureijs Colen appeared before notary Charles de Roy to record their last will. They determined that the estate would be divided among the children if the surviving spouse remarried. To their youngest daughter Catherine they left the sum of 60 guilders on top of her children’s portion. The surviving spouse would pay each child 100 guilders when they married.²⁴

Apart from Catherine, the will does not name the children. The will indicates that there were several unmarried children, and that Denijs was lying ill in bed at the time the will was created.

Last will

Burials

Denijs Pieters at the Heikant was buried in Tilburg on 29 March 1665, leaving children.²⁵ This is five days after Denis wrote his last will while lying ill in bed. The timing suggests this is the correct burial record and that he died shortly after making his will.

Burial record of Denijs Pieters

In this period in Tilburg, it was common to only name children after deceased relatives. This 1665 death date explains why Laurens’ sons born before 1665 were not named after Denis, but the first son born after 1665 (Dionisius, baptized 16 February 1667) was.

Aleida’s burial was not found in the index.²⁶ Since the division of the estate left by Denis Peters and Aleida Laureijs Colen took place on 17 August 1684, it is likely she died shortly before that time. Laurens Denis Peters and Anneken Cornelis Peeters had their last child in 1673. None of their daughters were named Aleid or Elen, suggesting that Aleid died after 1673, too late to have any of Laurens’ daughters named after her. She was probably the widow of Denis Peters who lived next door to Huijgh Dirck Huijgen on 17 August 1682.²⁷

This places the probable death date of Aleida between 17 August 1682 (widow living next door to Huijgh Dirck Huijgen) and 17 August 1684 (date of the estate division). Only one burial of someone with a somewhat similar name was found in the burial register during that period. On 15 June 1684, Alet, Peter Tuenis’ widow at the Heikant, was buried in Tilburg.²⁸ It is likely that this was a mistaken entry for the widow of Denis Peters Anteunis.

The names and (estimated) death dates of Laurens’ parents are consistent with the names and birth dates of his children.

Conclusion

Two court records identified Laurens Denis Peters’ parents as Denis Peter Pulskens and Aleid Laureijs Colen, and gave the names of six of his siblings. Joint appearances in church and court records confirmed the siblings’ relationship. The name of his father matches his patronymics, marriage record, and baptismal record, and the name of his mother is consistent with the name “Elen” (a variation of Aleid) in his baptismal record. Naming patterns provide indirect evidence that Laurens was the son of Denis Peters. Together, this evidence proves that Laurens Denis Peters was the son of Denis Peters and Aleid Laureijs Colen.

I  love these court records, that give such a great snapshot of the whole family. For research before 1811, court records are often much more informative about family relationships than church records, although church records can give you the dates of vital events. Using them together builds strong cases.

That’s twelve generations down, sixteen to go!

Next up: Generation 13 – Aleijd Laureijs Colen