Was Eleanor of Aquitaine my Ancestor? Generation 15 – Barbara Peter Goijaert Pulskens

This is the sixteenth 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 eleventh great-grandfather Laureijs Denis Colen was the son of Denijs Laureijs Colen and Barbara Peter Goijaert Pulskens.

Barbara Peter Goijaert Pulskens, daughter of Claesken Peters die Paep

Research into Laureijs’ parents already turned up several records about Denijs Laureijs Colen and Barbara Peter Goijaert Pulskens:

• Several court records said Denijs Laureijs Colen was married to Barbara, the daughter of Peter Goijaert Pulskens.
• Tax records, showing Denijs Laureijs Colen owning land in the Heijdzijde in Tilburg.

These records will be analyzed in more detail for information about the parents of Barbara.

Pulskens estate division (1595)

In 1595, the following heirs appeared before the court of Tilburg to divide the estate of Peter Goijaert Pulskens and Niclaesken Peter Spapen:

• Goijaert, son of the late Peeter Goijaert Pulskens,
• Pauwels, son of the late Joost Hermans as husband and guardian of Jenneken, and Pieter, son of the late Cornelis Henrick Sberen as husband and guardian of Mechtelt, sisters, daughters of the late Peeter Denijs Jan Reijnen of whom the mother was Lijsbeth daughter of said Peter [Goijaert Pulskens], also as guardians over Jacob, Marije, Denijsken and Juetken, brothers and sisters, children of the late said Peter Denijs and Lijsbeth,
• Denijs son of the late Laureijs Colen widower of the late Barbara his wife, daughter of the late said Peter [Goijaert Pulskens], Laureijs and Jan his sons, Phocus, son of the late Jan Gherits van Aelborch as husband of Barbara his wife and Denijs and Adriaen son of the late Laureijs Colen and Jan son of the late Jan Peter Melis as guardians and supervising guardians over Wouter and Mechtelt, brother and sister, minor children of Benijs and the late Barbara
• Adriaen, son of the late Willem Wouters and Michiel Gielis Wagemakers as guardian and supervising guardian over Goijaert, Jan, Jenneken and Martijnken, brothers and sisters, minor children of the late Jan Peter Goijaert Pulskens of whom the mother was Heijlwich daughter of Jan van Baest
• Cornelis D[…] as guardian and Cornelis son of Embrecht Jan Meeussen as husband and guardian of Jenneken his wife, and Jan son of the late Jan Jans Gooskens as husband and guardian of Digna his wife, daughter of the said late Peter Goijaert Pulskens,

whom Peter [Goijaert Pulskens] had procreated with Niclaesken his wife, the daughter of Peeter Spapen.

First page of the 1595 estate division, identifying the heirs

Denijs Laureijs Coolen and his children were awarded:

• a house with 4 “lopensaet” land in Tilburg at the Heijdzijd between the inheritance of Goijaert Peter Pulskens and Anthonis Goijaert Pulskens and Adriaen Gherit Meeus, and the other side to the main street
• Half of a piece of hay land called the Langenacker of 5 “lopensaet” between Cornelis Henrick Cornelissoon and Goijaert Peeter Pulskens, between the inheritance of Cornelis Embrecht van Maens to the main street.
• A piece of field 8 “lopensaet” located in Ghilze locally known as the Blockxkens between the inheritances of the widow Laureijs Jan Laureijs and Peeter Gherit Rijnen and Herman Cornelis Gherit Hermans, going from Wijttman Laureijs Wijten to the inheritance of Anthonijs Ghoijaert Pulskens.¹

This long list of heirs shows there was a Peter Goijaert Pulskens who was married to Niclaesken daughter of Peeter Spapen, who had the following children:

• Goijaert
• Lijsbeth, married to Peeter Denijs Jan Reijnen
• Barbara, married to Denijs Laureijs Colen
• Jan, married to Heijlwich, daughter of Jan van Baest
• Digna, wife of Jan Jans Gooskens.

Daughter Barbara is mentioned with her husband Denijs Laureijs Colen and his children Laureijs, Jan, Barbara, Wouter, and Mechteld, which identifies her as the mother of Laureijs Denijs Colen in generation 14. This record identifies her parents as Peter Goijaert Pulskens and Niclaesken Peeter Spapen.

Land the “Blockxkens”

Peter son of Godert Pulskens purchased half a “buijnder” of land in the “Ghilsche Vucht” in the “Bloockxkens” on 22 June 1568.²

1568 transport letter

On 21 June 1605, Laureijs, Jan, Wouter, sons of the late Denijs Laureijs Colen, their sister Barbara, married to Foock Janssen, and sister Neelken, wife of Adriaen Adriaensen, sold a field in the Ghilze Vlucht in the “Bleijck”.³

1605 transport letter

Comparison of the neighbors in these two records to the description of the land inherited by Denijs Laureijs Colen from Peter Goijaert Pulskens shows overlap:

Two of the neighbors in the 1595 estate division are similar to the neighbors in the 1568 purchase record: Peter Gherit Reijnen is a neighbor in both records and based on his patronymics, Wijtman Laureijs Wijten in 1595 is probably the son of Laureijs Wijtman Joosten in 1568. Two other neighbors in 1595 are the same as during the 1605 sale: Herman Cornelis Gherit Hermans and Laureijs Jan Laureijssen.

A 1595 sale by Lijsbeth, daughter of Jan de Groot to Willem Jansen Vermeir, with Peter Godert Pulskens as neighbor, explains the transfer from De Groot to Vermeir.⁴ No records were found showing how the land transferred to Joost Adriaen Denijs, Laureijs Jan Laureijssen, or Herman Cornelis Gherit Hermans.⁵

Even though no sales records could be found linking all the 1568 neighbors to the 1595 and 1605 neighbors, the overlap in location and neighbors implies that this is all the same land, providing independent verification of the information in the 1595 estate division.

Tax register

The Tilburg tax register of 1575 has the following people enumerated next to each other in the Heijdsijde district:

• Denijs Laurens Colen – 4 [3.5?] stuivers
• Peter Goiaert Pulskens – 12 stuivers
• Embrecht the brother  – 12 stuivers
• Peter his son – 3 stuivers
• Quirijn the son – 5 stuivers
• Goijaert Goijaerts Pulskens – 3 stuivers
• Thomas Goiaert Pulskens – 14 stuivers
• And his children from a prior marriage – 2.5 stuivers.⁶

1575 tax record

In 1580, the tax register records the following people were recorded next to each other, also in Heijdzijde:

• Denijs Laureijs Colen – 3.5 stuivers
• Quirijn Em Goijaert Pulskens – 3 stuivers 3 ort
• Goiart the brother – 3 stuivers 1 ort
• Peter the brother – 2 oirt
• Adriaen de bruer – 1 stuiver
• Laureijsken the sister – 1 stuiver
• the child of jan Jan Eelskens – 1/2 stuivers
• the child of Goijaert Adr. Wouters – 1/2 stuivers
• Thonis Goiart Pulskens – 40 stuivers
  and from the property in Gilse
• Cornelis Em Jan Meeus – 5 stuivers
• Peter Thonis Goijaert Pulskens – 5 ort
• Jacop the brother – 6 stuivers
• Jan Peter Melis – 7 stuivers.⁷

1580 tax record

These two records show that Denis Laureijs Colen, the husband of Barbara Peter Goijaert Pulskens, lived next to her father in 1575. Her father was not mentioned in 1580, nor is there an obvious indication who now paid the 12 “stuivers” [1/20th of a guilder] tax on his land. 1575 is the earliest surviving tax record, so the property cannot be traced back further using this series.

Barbara as daughter of Peter Goijaert Pulskens

Two other records identify Barbara, the wife of Denijs Laureijs Willem Colen, as the daughter of Peter Goijaert Pulskens:

• The sons and daughter of Denijs Laureijs Coolen, of whom the mother was Barbara, daughter of Peter Goijaert Pulskens, soldproperty on 19 March 1605.⁸
• The sons and daughter of the late Denijs Laureijs Colen of whom the mother was Barbara daughter of Peeter Goijaert Pulskens, sold property on 12 February 1618.⁹

Peter Goijaert Pulskens as husband of Claesken Peeters die Paep

Other records confirm that Peter Goijaert Pulskens was married to Claesken, daughter of Peeter die Paep:

• On 13 November 1581, Peter son of the late Goijaert Pulskens, widower of the late Claesken his wife, daughter of the late Peeter die Paep, is mentioned as one of the heirs of Willem son of Peeter die Paep who sold the house they inherited from him.¹⁰
• On 13 March 1592, Jan son of the late Jacob Jan Gooskens, as husband of his wife Digne, daughter of the late Peter Goijaert Pulskens, of whom the mother was Claesken daughter of Peeter Papen, sold a house in Tilburg.¹¹

“Claesken” is a variation of “Niclaesken,” and “die Paep” is a variation of “Spapen,” identifying Peter and Claesken as the couple whose estate was settled in 1595.

Civil court cases

Denijs Laureijs Colen was involved in two court cases.

In 1589, he was sued by Jan and Adriaen, the sons of Geerardt Adriaen Beijkens, over payment of a tithe to the Holy Ghost Master [poor relief] of Oisterwijk.¹² 

First page of the 1589 court case

In 1591, he was sued by Jan Gerit Grotaers for rent payments.¹³

1591 court case

Unfortunately, neither suit mentioned the name of Denijs’ wife or parents-in-law, or the location of any of the real estate involved in the suits, which may have provided more (indirect) evidence of the identify of Barbara’s mother.

Naming patterns

Barbara and Denijs apparently did not name any children after her parents: none of the records mention a son Peter or daughter (Ni)claesken.

The 1595 record identifies the following children:

• Laureijs (of age)
• Jan (of age)
• Barbara, married to Phocus Jan Gherits van Aelborg
• Wouter (minor)
• Mechtelt.¹⁴

The age of majority was 25, so Wouter and Mechtelt must have been born after 1570 and Laureijs and Jan before 1570. Since children could marry before the age of 25 with parental consent, we don’t know if Barbara was of age.

Assuming a maximum span of twenty years (normal fertility of mother) and about two to three years between children, this gives the following estimated birth years for the children:

• Laureijs: 1560-1568
• Jan: 1563-1570
• Barbara: 1566-1573
• Wouter: 1570-1576
• Mechtelt: 1572-1578

It is possible the oldest children were born earlier, if there were more children in between who did not live until the estate division of 1595.

We know that Claesken died before 1581, when Peter appeared as her widower, and that Peter died between 1581 and 1592, when he was referred to as the late Peter son of Goijaert Pulskens.¹⁵ Peter died after Barbara and Denijs’ last son was born, and Claesken could have died after their last daughter was born. Alternatively Claesken could have died earlier and a child was named after her, but the child did not survive until 1595.

If Barbara and Denijs followed the local custom to only name children after deceased relatives, that explains the absence of the names Peter and Claesken among the children. Had there been a son Peter, that would have suggested that the Peter who was alive in 1581 was not the father of Barbara.

Pulskens consanguineous marriage

Those of you who’ve been following this series for a while may have recognized the name “Pulskens”: Barbara’s great-grandson was Laureijs Denijs Peter Pulskens (generation 12). Laureijs’ parents Denijs Peter Antonis Pulskens and Aleijd Laureijs Denijs Colen were related: Denijs’ grandfather Antonis and Aleijd’s great-grandfather Peter Goijaert Pulsckens were brothers, making them second cousins once removed.

In canon law, that would make theirs a consanguineous relationship of the third and fourth degree (mixed). A relationship up to the fourth degree (shared great-grandparents) would have required dispensation to marry in the Roman Catholic church.  Finding such a dispensation would help to verify their trees.

Dispensations were common in Brabant in this period. In his article about forbidden degrees of relationships in Brabant, L.J.F. Adriaenssen estimated the average number of relatives within the forbidden degrees at 640.¹⁶ Even in a larger village like Tilburg, that would have left few marriage partners of similar age and status. Dispensations would have been necessary for a significant number of marriages.

The marriage of Laureijs and Aleijd were married on 11 January 1628.¹⁷ Unfortunately, the marriage record does not record any dispensation. The register was browsed to see if dispensations were recorded in other cases, but none were found. Because dispensations would have been common, this suggests that dispensations were not noted in the marriage register. The lack of mention of a dispensation in the register does not mean there was no dispensation.

Marriage record

The original dispensations for this area are kept in the archives of the diocese of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Their archives are closed to the public for an undetermined period.¹⁸ If a dispensation was issued, evidence for it cannot be obtained at this time.

Conclusion

The 1595 estate division of the inheritance left by Peter son of Goijaert Pulskens and Niclaesken daughter of Peeter Spapen identified Barbara, the late wife of Denijs son of the late Laureijs Colen as one of their daughters, providing direct evidence for the identity of Barbara’s mother. No evidence was found that her mother was someone else.

Court records confirmed that the land allotted to Denijs and his children was first owned by Peter Goijaert Pulskens and later by Denijs Laureijs Colen. Tax records showed that Denis Laureijs Colen lived close to Peter Goijaert Pulskens in 1575.

Several court records identified Barbara as the daughter of Peter Goijaert Pulskens, and Peter as the husband of (Ni)claesken Peters Spapen, also known as Die Paep. Naming patterns were consistent with Peter Goijaert Pulskens and Niclaesken Peters Spapen being the parents of Barbara.

The combination of direct and indirect evidence prove that Barbara, the wife of Denijs Laureijs Colen, was the daughter of Peter Goijaert Pulskens and Claesken Peters die Paep.

That’s fifteen generations down, thirteen to go!

Next up: Generation 16 – Claesken Peters die Paep