Readers' questions

In this post I try to answer some questions from my always overflowing mailbox.

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Three people asked about the meaning of their surnames: Oosting, Borgh and Hooijer.

The best place to find information about a surname is the Corpus of Family Names in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, though you can search this site in English, all information is in Dutch.

According to this corpus, Hooijer is a beroepsnaam, a name derived from an occupation. The name is derived from hooier, which means hay-maker.

There are many Hooijers listed in Genlias, the Dutch BMD database.

Borgh is a rare name in The Netherlands. There were only 22 people with that name in 1947, and 23 in 2007. (The name Borg is more common.) The corpus of family names states Borgh is an adresnaam, a name derived from a location. In this case the location is probably a manor-house in the north: borg(h) can mean manor-house (in the north, the names of many manor-houses end with -borg or -borgh). My dictionary lists a few other meanings of the Dutch word borg, including castle and surety.

Oosting is also listed as an adresnaam. It is probably derived from Oost, east, so it may mean someone from the east (not necessarily far to the east - the east side of the village, most likely). Another possibility is that the surname is derived from the name of a farm. The name is common in the northeast of the country, especially in the province Drenthe.

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Gerda asks about her ancestor, Gerrit Adrianus Vink. Unfortunately her request does not have enough information to positively identify Mr. Vink (dates, places and name of partner/parents are missing). Genlias only has one person with this name, though, so I'll assume this is the one Gerda is looking for (she will have to verify that herself):

Gerrit Adrianus Vink, son of Pieter Vink and Pietertje Greyn, born on 8 August 1888 in Piershil, married Dirkje Krijna van Rees, daughter of Jan van Rees and Krijna Maria Groeneweg, on 29 February 1912 in Klaaswaal.

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Raymond wants to know more about his ancestor Roosje de Lange. She was born 1882 in Den Haag, married to a Mr. Teitelbaum, emigrated, and remarried.

Scans of BMD records from Den Haag are online, but finding anything on their website is a daunting task, so I just include the birth record below.

The certificate states that Roosje, daughter of Nathan de Lange and Petronella Weijl, was born on 6 May 1882 in Den Haag.

I could not find a Teitelbaum-de Lange marriage in Den Haag, or in any major database. Maybe they married in Amsterdam (marriages are not online yet), or abroad. The population register of Den Haag (not online yet for the years we need) may have more information.

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I will answer more questions next month. Send me a message, or leave a comment, if you have a question that you want me to answer. Try to be specific in your question: The more specific the question is, the more useful the answer can be. If you just give me a surname all I can do is give you very general advise or point you to Genlias.

Reader's questions

In this post I try to answer some questions from my always overflowing mailbox.

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Mike wants to know more about the origin of the Meekx family.

You did not specify any individuals, Mike, only a surname. I can tell you that the name existed in the province Limburg since at least the 1750s until late in the 19th century. Whether this Meekx family is related to you I cannot tell. You can find out more in Genlias or FamilySearch. Also check for different spellings of the surname, like Meex and Meeckx.

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Theo found ancestors on Genlias and would like to know if it is possible to order copies of certificates.

That should be possible, but I have never done so myself. When you find something on Genlias that you want to order, click the "Add to order" button. When you are done, click "Summary of orders" in the menu "Searching in Genlias", review your order, click "Logon" to register, and follow the instructions.

Some archives also provide scans online, for a small fee or even free: You should check before you order whether that is the case for the certificates you want.

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Elisabeth found references to family members in the Aalten doopboeken (baptism books) online. She plans to travel to the Netherlands to consult the originals and asks where they are kept.

You will not be able to consult the originals, only microfilms.

Church books, including the baptisms you are looking for, are kept either in a local or regional archive or in the provincial archive. You should check the websites of these archives which of them has these books. If the websites don't tell you, phone them.

The relevant archives for Aalten are the regional archive for the Achterhoek region in Doetichem and the provincial Gelders Archief in Arnhem. I could not find on their websites who has the church books, so it is best to contact both of them to find out.

The Central Bureau for Genealogy in The Hague has microfiche copies of many church books and indexes (from Aalten only indexes).

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Alison wants to know how to find the original Dutch name from the anglicized name. In particular, from which Dutch names are Dreezer, Muscramere, and Muskraam derived?

In general, that is not possible. Names might have been translated or anglicized, and some immigrants took on a completely new name. If you can find your ancestor on a shipping list, the name on the list is likely the original. Read the article English versions of Dutch last names for some common patterns. In your case, Muscramere and Muskraam might have been Marskramer, Dreezer might have been Driessen. But be careful: The name Driessen is very common and has many spelling variants, while the name Marskramer, if it ever existed, was rare and is now extinct (marskramer means peddler).

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Joel asks for the meaning of the name Bousema.

This name can be found in the province Groningen. Search Genlias or Alle Groningers for BMD records of this family. According to the Meertens surname database, the first mention of this name was in 1502 (when it was spelled Bouwsma). In the 16th and 17th century the Bousema family lived at the Bousemaheerd (the suffix heerd means farm), but whether the family is named after the farm or the farm after the family I do not know. The suffix -ema is common in Groningen and derived from the -ma suffix in neighbouring province Friesland. The origin and meaning of -ma is unknown, however.

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I will answer more questions next month. Send me a message if you have a question that you want me to answer. Try to be specific in your question: The more specific the question is, the more useful the answer can be. If you just give me a surname all I can do is give you very general advise or point you to Genlias.

Readers' questions

In this post I try to answer some questions from my always overflowing mailbox.

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The first question is from Norma: "Jan Brouwer married Aleida Hoveling somewhere in the Netherlands in the 1890s. Their daughter always proudly proclaimed she was Fries."

If they married in Friesland, both Genlias and Tresoar should have the wedding listed. I can't find the wedding in either, so they probably married elsewhere. What I did find in Genlias was the death of their daughter Kathariena: Kathariena Brouwer, daughter of Jan Brouwer and Aleida Hoveling, wife of Karl August Schulz, born in Waltrop, Germany, age 36, died on 18 December 1937 in Hengelo (near the German border). Maybe the Brouwers lived (and married) in Germany around the turn of the century? At least one daughter was born there.

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Beth wants to know what the registration date means on a marriage in Genlias: Is this the actual wedding date, or the date of the registration that possibly took place days later?

Since 1811, all Dutch weddings take place at the registrar, who will register the wedding on the spot. So the registration date is the wedding date.

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Deb asked if there is any information about small businesses in 1910-1925. She wants to know more about the bicycle business in Groningen that her family owned.

There certainly is, but most of it is not online. You may have to visit the Groningen archive. Since 1921, all companies have to be registered in the company register of the chamber of commerce, so start by searching their archive. Also check regional newspapers and court records.

There are also a few online resources you can try. The phone book of 1915 is online. Also search at the website of the Groningen archives, the image database Groningen, and, of course, Google.

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Elza stated: I've started my research a few months ago, discovered much and even possible family, however many of those people do not answer any questions that may clear up the situation, I feel as if they want nothing to do with me or my surname, come from Germany, settled in Holland, however even Dutch archives cannot seem to offer much information on that particular branch. I don't know what my options are anymore, how do I connect if I have no proof?

First of all, family research takes years, not months. You need patience and perseverance. You have already discovered much, and now you should slowly expand that knowledge, one step at a time.

Many recent events are not available in Dutch archives yet, either for privacy reasons or because the registers are still in use. The best source for recent family events are the family advertisements in newspapers that Dutch families tend to place in case of death, but sometimes also birth or marriage. The Central Bureau of Genealogy (CBG) have a large collection of newspaper cuttings, partly available online (for a fee). You can consult the complete collection in their study room in The Hague. Read also my earlier article about the CBG website.

The National Library of The Netherlands has most Dutch newspapers. They are busy scanning, and soon you will find many Dutch newspapers online (see Databank of Digital Daily newspapers).

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I will answer more questions next month. Send me a message or leave a comment if you have a question that you want me to answer. Try to be specific in your question: The more specific the question is, the more useful the answer can be. If you just give me a surname all I can do is give you very general advise or point you to Genlias.

Readers' questions

In this post I try to answer some questions from my always overflowing mailbox.

Many people asked about the origin or meaning of their Dutch surname. The Meertens Institute - part of the Royal Dutch Acadamy of Science - has a database of surnames with information on many Dutch names. Though there is an English interface (click the English flag), all the information is in Dutch, so some understanding of Dutch would be useful. In 2006 I wrote two blog posts about Dutch surnames, which you may find here and here.

• Ronna asked information about several surnames. Not all names were Dutch, but Beye (in The Netherlands commonly spelled Beije) and Teerlink are. The name Beije is mainly found in Zeeland, so search Genlias or Zeeuwen Gezocht. Teerlink is found in 19th century Zuid-Holland en also in Zeeland. See Genealogy in Zuid-Holland for a list of Zuid-Holland databases.
• David asked about the De Vaal family tree. De Vaal is a name found in the provinces Zuid-Holland, Utrecht, and Gelderland. Again, Genlias is the website to search.
• Someone asked about the meaning of the surname Strijker. He or she had read it might mean to iron or iron out differences. The latter seems a bit far-fetched, in my opinion. The Meertens Corpus of Family Names in the Netherlands suggests it may be a name derived of an occupation, but does not mention which occupation. Checking a few reference works I found several possibilities, to discover the correct one for this family more (genealogical and historical) research is needed. Strijker can mean:
  • someone who irons
  • a musician that plays the strings
  • a healer who heals by stroking
  • someone who smooths cloth so that it can be measured
  • someone who measures corn (or possibly other goods)
  • an inspector of fish at a fish market or auction
  • someone who roughens blankets
  • someone who makes woven cloth shiny
  • someone who planes planks
  And I may well have overlooked a meaning or two of the word strijker. Not all meanings are valid for all regions and all periods, of course, and I suspect that a few of these meanings are quite obscure.
• Roelfsema revisited: Last summer I answered a question about Roelf Roelfsema. Bonnie asked me if I knew more on Roelf's sister Christina Fredricka Roelfsema and their parents Roelf Roelfsema and Christina Matthijs. The population register of The Hague has a scan of Christina Frederika Roelfsema and her husband Adam Marius de Rijke. I already mentioned the Roelfsema-Matthijs marriage: Roelf Roelfsema, 34, carpenter, born in Norg, living in The Hague, son of Kornelis Roelfsema (deceased) and Grietje Jans (without occupation, living in The Hague), married Christina Frederika Matthijs, 21, without occupation, born and living in The Hague, daughter of Johannes Frederik Matthijs (bookbinder, living in The Hague, present at the wedding) and Frederika Kaemmerer (deceased), on 1 June 1887.
• Christopher asked what the surname Gaag might mean. Though I don't know the surname Gaag, I do know Van der Gaag, a quite common surname. According to Meertens the name is an address name (i.e. it denotes a location): Gaag is a canal in Zuid-Holland, between Schipluiden and Den Hoorn.

From Marjorie I received a tip for Scott who asked last spring about Dutch immigrants in Australia. Marjorie wrote:

The National Archives of Australia has the immigration records for assisted migrants to Australia and most of them have been listed on their database RecordSearch (http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/recordsearch/index.aspx, then log in as guest, no need to register). In the keyword field just type in the family name, if it is not too common, or the given and family name, remembering to adjust for any anglicisation of the name such as using y for ij. If you find a relevant record you can even purchase an online or printed copy - just click on the 'Request copy' button and follow the prompts.

A good advise indeed, thanks Marjorie. The Dutch national archive also has a database with emigrants to Australia.

I will answer more questions next month. Send me a message if you have a question that you want me to answer. Try to be specific in your question: The more specific the question is, the more useful the answer can be. If you just give me a surname all I can do is give you very general advise or point you to Genlias.

Reader's question: Roelfsema

Karin asked me:

How is it possible to find a Roelf Roelfsema who became the father of Gritje Cornelia born 8/3 1889?

Gritje Cornelia Roelfsema was born 8/3 1889 in Gravenhage as the daughter of Roelf Roelfsema and Christina Mathis. According to the family legend they were of Frisian descent.

Only a few acts from Den Haag (also known as 's-Gravenhage, or in English The Hague) are in Genlias, but The Hague does have its own database. I found the birth act of Grietje Cornelia Roelfsema in this database: Act 1080, 9 March 1889. Summary: Grietje Cornelia was born on 8 March at 3:30 pm. Parents are Roelf Roelfsema, 36, carpenter, and his wife Christina Frederika Matthijs, without occupation, both living in The Hague.

Note that 8/3 1889 means 8 March, not 3 August, 1889!

Roelf and Christina Frederika married in The Hague (marriage act 474, 1 June 1887): Roelf Roelfsema, 34, carpenter, born in Norg, living in The Hague, son of Kornelis Roelfsema (deceased) and Grietje Jans (without occupation, living in The Hague), married Christina Frederika Matthijs, 21, without occupation, born and living in The Hague, daughter of Johannes Frederik Matthijs (bookbinder, living in The Hague, present at the wedding) and Frederika Kaemmerer (deceased).

Note that Christina Frederika's father had to give permission for the wedding (as she was not yet 30), so the marriage act states he was present and consented. Roelf did not need parental permission (he was over 30), so whether his mother was present at the wedding is not listed in the marriage act.

In 1902 an interesting note was written in the margin of the wedding act: The marriage ended by divorce. The court declared the divorce on 17 December 1901, and it was registered in the margin of the marriage act on 17 February 1902.

You can continue the Roelfsema line on Genlias. As far as I can see, the Roelfsema's lived in Delfzijl (province Groningen) in the early 19th century. I don't see a connection with Friesland (yet).

Do you also have a question about Dutch genealogy that you want me to discuss? Leave your question in the comments below this post, or use the contact form.

Reader's question: Origin of the Hartel surname

A reader of Trace your Dutch roots asked me about the origin of his surname, Hartel.

Hartel is an uncommon name, I have never encountered it before. There are only 67 hits in Genlias, without a clear geographic concentration.

The best place to find information about a surname is the Family name database of the Meertens Institute. About Hartel they tell it's a name derived from an address or toponym. In other words, the Hartel family originates from a place called Hartel (or something similar). Unfortunately, Meertens does not tell where or what that place was.

From the 56 Hartels in the 1947 census, 22 came from Amsterdam and another 17 from the rest of the province Noord-Holland. Similar names like Härtel (4 out of 7) and Hertel (33 out of 58) show a similar concentration in Amsterdam. So my next step was the Amsterdam registers.

The old marriage registers - which usually list place of origin of both spouses - are not online yet, but the Amsterdam baptisms are. There is only one Hartel baptism: Johanna Maria Christina Fredrica, daughter of Johan Gerrit Hartel, was baptized in 1783. One of the witnesses was Diedrik Philip Hartel. She was baptized by Wilhelm August Klepperbein, a German minister. This suggests the Hartel family may come from Germany. There are also a few hits for Hertel, most of them seem to have a German connection too.

I have no proof yet (for that I have to visit the Amsterdam city archive), but I expect the Dutch Hartel family originates in Germany. Just to be sure I checked the online German phone book and I found 687 hits for Hartel, 3744 for Hertel, and 2857 for Härtel.

So my hypothesis is that the Dutch Hartel family actually came from Germany. What Mr. Hartel needs to do now is confirm that he descends from the Amsterdam Hartel family, and then check the pre-1811 Amsterdam marriage books (this can be done in his local FHC) to confirm they came from Germany.

Do you also have a question about Dutch genealogy that you want me to discuss? Leave your question in the comments below this post, or use the contact form.

Readers' questions: Find a professional genealogist

Bob asked me:

Can you recommend a person or service that would assist me (for a fee) in tracing our Dutch roots ? I have a family 'bible' from the 1700s written in old Dutch (German?)

And David asked:

I read some Dutch, and often can do a good job translating to English. But sometimes it would be helpful to have a native Dutch speaker check my translations. Do you know of any genealogists or translators who would be willing, for a fee, to take a look at a Dutch document and my translation? Do you have any other suggestions?

Most provincial archives have a list of professional genealogists working in their region. You can find addresses and websites of the archives in the regional genealogy section on Trace your Dutch roots.

The Central Bureau for Genealogy (CBG) also maintains a list of professional genealogists. You can find it here (PDF, you will need Adobe Acrobat or a similar program to read it). Researchers marked with an asterisk * do research in (post-1811) BMD records, researchers marked with two asterisks ** do research in all relevant archives. Region or specialty of researchers is usually listed. Bob will need a researcher marked with two asterisks, for David it depends on the type of documents that need to be translated.

A third option is to find someone on Genealogy Freelancers, but I don't know if they have any freelancers specialized in Dutch genealogy. I have no experience with this organization.

I would advise Bob to find out whether the text in the bible is Dutch or German before hiring a (paid) genealogist. Post a scan on the internet (for example on flickr) and ask people to look at it - ask at internet forums (see the regional genealogy section and the Getting help chapter on Trace your Dutch roots online for addresses; I recommend soc.genealogy.benelux), or ask the readers of this blog (leave a comment below).

David can also look for Dutch translators in his local yellow pages, or for English translators in the Dutch yellow pages. There used to be several free translation services on the internet (like e-transcriptum.net and Translate-Free.com), but they seem to have disappeared. Maybe a Google search will turn up similar services. If David does not have too many translations, he can also try internet forums like soc.genealogy.benelux.

UPDATE: Deborah Irwin, CEO of Genealogy Freelancers, informed me that they do indeed have Dutch researchers: "We do have researchers in the Netherlands so I hope we can be of service to your readers [...]."

Do you also have a question about Dutch genealogy that you want me to discuss? Leave your question in the comments below this post, or use the contact form.

Reader's question: From Holland to Australia in the 1960s

Please note: This article refers to the Genlias project. This project was discontinued at the end of 2012. Its successor is WieWasWie.nl. You can read more here.

Scott asked me:

Could you suggest other on-line sources that can aid me in searching for my Partners grandparents whom migrated to Australia in the 1960's, as Genlias doesn't have them listed I just need their parents and I could go from there.

Marriage acts become public after 75 years, so you won't find any marriage acts from after 1934 on Genlias (or elsewhere on the internet). I expect your partner's grandparents married later than that? Most post-war archives are not accessible (and not published on the internet) due to privacy regulations. The usual way to reconstruct a family tree over this period is from memory or with family papers from the family's archive.

There are a few things you can try:

• Do you know when and where they married? You should be able to order a copy of their marriage act from the town hall in the municipality they married (for a fee). If you know the town, you can find the municipality on the regional genealogy section of this website. You may have to prove you are related and that your grandparents passed away - contact the town hall for details. If you know when and where they were born you may also try to obtain a copy of their birth act in the same way. Both the birth and the marriage act will list the parents.
• If your partner's grandparents migrated back to The Netherlands and died here, you should order their persoonskaarten from the Central Bureau for Genealogy (CBG).
• Search the collections of the CBG, in particular their collection of birth, marriage and death announcements (partly available online).
• A final tip: Don't forget to ask relatives. Someone is bound to have some document that provides a clue. Does your partner (or their family) still know relatives here in Holland? If so, write (or call) them!

If you have any further question, contact me or leave a comment below.

Related articles:

• What should you do if your ancestors are not in Genlias?, in the January edition of the Trace your Dutch roots newsletter.
• Destination Australia
• Post-war emigration
• Persoonskaarten
• Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie (a review of their online resources)

Photo: Farewell of emigrants to Australia, 1953. Spaarnestad Photo/SFA001009985, on flickr The Commons.

Do you also have a question about Dutch genealogy that you want me to discuss? Leave your question in the comments below this post, or use the contact form.