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Map of the Week – Border between Gelderland and Munster near Winterswijk, 1656
This week’s map was created in 1656 as part of a conference to settle a boundary dispute between Gelderland and Munster. Around Winterswijk, the border area was covered in moors, and it was unclear where Gelderland ended and Munster started. Farmers from both sides were continuously arguing over who had rights to graze sheep there […]
New Netherland Settlers Project
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society just announced an exciting new project. They launched a multiyear project to develop detailed, peer-reviewed sketches of all the people residing in New Netherland prior to 1664. I am proud to announce that I will be one of the researchers on the project. I will prepare sketches, review […]
Map of the Week – Schermer land reclamation, 1635
This map shows the Scher-meer [Scher lake, also called Schermermeer], a lake that was drained between 1633 and 1635 to claim land. The map shows how this was done: a dike and ditch were built around the lake. Mills would pump water out of the lake, across the dike, into the surrounding ditch, from where […]
Dutch Genealogy News for May 2024
This is an overview of all the new sources, projects, and other news of the past month. Sources Gelderland birth records (1913-1922), marriage records (1943-1947), and death records (1961-1972) have been scanned and indexed and can now be consulted via the Gelders Archief. That includes the birth records of my grandparents. This completes the project […]
Map of the Week – Siege of Breda, 1624-1625
Wars often lead to the creation of maps. This week we are looking at a map of the siege of Breda in 1624-1625. The map shows how Breda had been surrounded by a line, just outside the reach of the city’s canon. This allowed the attackers to cut supply lines while they besieged the city. […]
Quick tip – Identity is more than a name
Identity is more than a name. Just because two records show the same name, does not mean they are for the same person. The reverse is true too. Just because two records show a different name, does not mean they are for different persons. People could use different names throughout their lifetime. Some examples: Some […]
Dutch term – Common Abbreviations in Dutch Genealogies
Here is a list of abbreviations you may find in published genealogies in the Netherlands. Abbreviation Full version Translation geb. geboren born ged. gedoopt baptized overl. overleden died begr. begraven buried tr. trouwt marries ondertr. ondertrouwt marriage banns ca. circa circa waarsch. waarschijnlijk probably zn. van zoon van son of dr. van dochter van daughter […]
