Who are your Dutch ancestors?

Who are your Dutch ancestors? Have you been able to trace them into The Netherlands? Where did they come from?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Henk van Kampen on July 9, 2009 at 10:37pm

Most of my ancestors are Dutch (and so am I). My Van Kampen ancestors have lived in Hilversum for many generations (my father was the last who was born there). You can read more about my ancestors on my website.

Permalink Reply by Nancy B. on July 9, 2009 at 10:52pm

I just discovered the identity of my Dutch relative, Thomas Southard, who was born in Leiden in 1615. I'm very new to this and haven't gone back any farther, this is exciting enough for now!

Permalink Reply by Doug Tallman on July 10, 2009 at 4:47am

On my mother's side, it's Mathys Coenradtsen, who was kicked out of an Amsterdam almshouse, long, long ago. On my father's, it's Douwe Harmense. He and his family left Friesland, long, long ago. His wife Dirckje was in court not long after their arrival in the New World. I'm the product of Peter Stuyvesant's cast offs!

Permalink Reply by Marilyn P Clark on July 10, 2009 at 9:20am

My father's side is from Friesland. A most unusual name (POSTHUMUS) but there are plenty of them in Friesland. I'm happy for the patronymic naming system or I'd never keep them all straight. My g-grandfather and most of his brothers immigrated to the US @ Ellis Island in the early 1900's. I've found most of them on various ships' lists. They were from Makkum.

I've had good luck with finding ancestors on http://www.varkevisser.org/links/bsfries.html but find searching on GenLias impossible. I am also doing some searching on Peter LAAUWE for my sister's friend, but so far have come up empty. He immigrated to US in 1890. I don't know if he was Friesan but I doubt it, the name's not common there. If anyone has hints on how to make GenLias work for someone who cannot understand the language, Help! Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Earl Reemt Duthler on September 7, 2009 at 3:57pm

Hi Marilyn,

GenLias is quite simple to use and is the collection of archives from all provinces in the Netherlands. Large site, which I often use.

http://genlias.nl/nl/page0.jsp.

The site also has an "English" choice at the top; everything is then given in English.

Lately, you have to enter your search info two times, the first time gives a 'problem' message. The second gets through.

There are 254 Laauwes listed there. Peter is not to be found, but Pieter definitely is, and possibly your info is there.

Pieter is pronounced in Dutch as Peter is in English.
Peter is pronounced in Dutch as Pater would be in English.

Permalink Reply by Marilyn P Clark on September 7, 2009 at 4:57pm

Thanks, I will give it a try again.

Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on July 10, 2009 at 9:57am

Lorine McGinnis Schulze said:

Henk - My list of Dutch ancestors is rather lengthy! Many of my dad's side were the original Dutch settlers in New Netherland (present day New York) in the early 1600s. I became fascinated with these early immigrants and traced many back to the Netherlands, mostly using the Amsterdam records.

A very skilled friend taught me how to read 17th century Dutch handwriting (not well, but I can stumble through it!) and that was so interesting that I set up a little tutorial online to try to help others. They are on Facebook: Early Dutch Handwriting Samples and Reading Entries in Early Dutch Church Records at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25825&id=16127378259 and http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24944&id=16127378259

A few of my Dutch surnames are online - they are
* BRADT. BRATT Bradt Family Descendants of Albert Andriessen de Noorman aka Bradt
* DAMEN Damen Family Descendants of Jan Cornelise Damen from Bunik Netherlands
* PIER Pier Family Jan Theunissen and Arent Theunissen Pier and their descendants
* POST The New Jersey Post Family Descendants of Adriaen Crijnen Post
* RYCKMAN Ryckman Family Harmen Janse Ryckman of New Netherland
* VAN ALSTYNE The Van Alstyne Family - The descendants of Jan Martense de Wever aka Van Alstyne
* VAN SLYKE. VAN SLYCK The Van Slyke Family - The descendants of Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke and his nephew Willem Pieterse Van Slyke
* VAN VALKENBURG Van Valkenburg Family Lambert Van Valkenburg and his son Jochem Lambertse
* VROOMAN The Vrooman Family in New Netherland New York

Others in my ancestry who settled in New Netherland are Shuart, De Grauw, Coerten, Vandenburgh, Van der Staeten, De Groot, Van Schaik, Van Huyse, Clopper, Van Woert. These are fairly new to me and I am still researching them

Permalink Reply by Barbara McCarthy(Urks) on May 24, 2010 at 9:42pm

Lorine,
I see you have Coerten in your list of newly identified early dutch names. Isn't Coerten from the Voorhees family? According to my cousin, her husbands family comes from Stephen Coerten Van Voorhees who went to New Jersey from Brooklyn. They named their son Stephen Corte because of that. I don't have any further info and will have to call Stephen to find out more. I have not actively worked on this family.

Permalink Reply by Judi Tomlinson on January 17, 2012 at 5:21pm

Hi, I am new to this site and am excited to find others researching the same Dutch names. My list from New Amsterdam include, Damen, DeGroot, Van Schaick, VanVoorhoudt, Egmount, Schermerhorn, van den Bogaert, Schouw, VanKleeck, Terrin, Bouts, Viele, Harris, Demarest, Hogeboom, Van den Bogart and a few others. I have found lots of documentation on all of them but there are always a few questions and roadblocks.

Does anyone know if I am correct in finding that Jan Cornelius Damen [1560] and Aeltje Jandsr were the gggrandparents of both Barrent VanKleeck [ through their daughter Hendrickje] and Antoinette Parmentier [ through their son Cornelius Jansen]? Not quite kissing cousins. Any help would be appreciated. Judi

Permalink Reply by Henk van Kampen on July 10, 2009 at 10:00am

Hi Marilyn,

Did you try the English interface of Genlias? There is an article on Genlias on my website that may help you.

Marilyn P Clark said:

My father's side is from Friesland. A most unusual name (POSTHUMUS) but there are plenty of them in Friesland. I'm happy for the patronymic naming system or I'd never keep them all straight. My g-grandfather and most of his brothers immigrated to the US @ Ellis Island in the early 1900's. I've found most of them on various ships' lists. They were from Makkum.

I've had good luck with finding ancestors on http://www.varkevisser.org/links/bsfries.html but find searching on GenLias impossible. I am also doing some searching on Peter LAAUWE for my sister's friend, but so far have come up empty. He immigrated to US in 1890. I don't know if he was Friesan but I doubt it, the name's not common there. If anyone has hints on how to make GenLias work for someone who cannot understand the language, Help! Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Marilyn P Clark on July 10, 2009 at 10:19am

Yes, I tried the English version. Sometimes I'm successful, but when I'm not, it reverts back to Dutch for "fixes." I will consult your tips later today. Thanks!

Henk van Kampen said:

Hi Marilyn,

Did you try the English interface of Genlias? There is an article on Genlias on my website that may help you.

Marilyn P Clark said:
My father's side is from Friesland. A most unusual name (POSTHUMUS) but there are plenty of them in Friesland. I'm happy for the patronymic naming system or I'd never keep them all straight. My g-grandfather and most of his brothers immigrated to the US @ Ellis Island in the early 1900's. I've found most of them on various ships' lists. They were from Makkum.

I've had good luck with finding ancestors on http://www.varkevisser.org/links/bsfries.html but find searching on GenLias impossible. I am also doing some searching on Peter LAAUWE for my sister's friend, but so far have come up empty. He immigrated to US in 1890. I don't know if he was Friesan but I doubt it, the name's not common there. If anyone has hints on how to make GenLias work for someone who cannot understand the language, Help! Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Henk van Kampen on July 10, 2009 at 10:09pm

BTW, for Friesland also check out the databases by the Frisian archives: Tresoar (Frisian for Treasure) and Alle Friezen (Dutch for All Frisians). Both have an English interface.

Marilyn P Clark said:

My father's side is from Friesland. A most unusual name (POSTHUMUS) but there are plenty of them in Friesland. I'm happy for the patronymic naming system or I'd never keep them all straight. My g-grandfather and most of his brothers immigrated to the US @ Ellis Island in the early 1900's. I've found most of them on various ships' lists. They were from Makkum.

I've had good luck with finding ancestors on http://www.varkevisser.org/links/bsfries.html but find searching on GenLias impossible. I am also doing some searching on Peter LAAUWE for my sister's friend, but so far have come up empty. He immigrated to US in 1890. I don't know if he was Friesan but I doubt it, the name's not common there. If anyone has hints on how to make GenLias work for someone who cannot understand the language, Help! Thanks.