IIGS™ Newsletter - July/August 1999
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IIGS™ Newsletter - July/August 1999
Recke is a small village about 25 kilometers west of Osnabruck. Since I have a lot of ancestors from Recke and neighbouring villages like Mettingen and Ibbenbueren, I have put some effort in tracing my Recke roots. Unfortunately, this is not an easy job, due to several circumstances.After studying the protestant church records for the period 1685-1742, I concluded that it was nearly impossible to trace a single family in a jungle of interrelationships---unless it was family coming from elsewhere and carrying an alien name. Since my ancestors were mostly endemic, their web of relations needed much more treatment.
Some of the reasons that make untangling the puzzle so tedious are:
- The use of a very limited set of first names. Boys were mostly called Jan, Gerd, Herm, Hinrik or Bernd and girls names seemed to be restricted to Enne, Grete, Tryne, Fenne and Aleyd.
- Surnames appeared to be very similar. Haermeyer and Haremeyer, Hulemeyer and Huylmeyer, Rumoller or Ruemoller or Ruwemoller and Rutemoller. And was By der Molle the same as By der Rumeule ? Was Haermeyer the same name as Op de Haer ?
- At this time a patronymic system generally was not in use. But sometimes two Gerd Blankemeyer's were distinguished from another by adding the patronymic Herberts to one of them. So he was sometimes referred to as Gerd Blankemeyer and sometimes as Gerd Herberts. Some names do suggest the use of patronymics, but who was the father of Aelke Jans Gerds Herm?
- Since a feudal system was in use, people were either free or owned by the King, the Church, a monastery or a local landlord. In a system like this the farmer exploiting a farm was called "colon" and was referred to by the farm name. The right to use the farm could be transferred to one of the children. If this was a girl and she got married, her husband would take the name of the farm, i.e. her name. If the woman died, the new colon would remarry and start a new family lineage using the farm name, without any genetic link to the former colon family, though sharing the same name in the records.
- Not to mention the state of the records, the handwriting of the clergy, the ambiguous way of noting and minor details the like.
One approach to study this situation is to gather as much data as possible from as many sources as possible. Since these sources are geographically widespread, this might mean a lifetime to visit all the archives---searching, gathering, interpreting, entering the data found. A monk's work and too much for my lifetime.
The second best method is to try to get the most out of the data that is easy to get. In this case, copies of the microfiches for the protestant church of Recke for the period 1685-1769, which can be bought at the Central Bureau of Genealogy in The Hague, were available. Additionally, there were sources of lists of Recke people in neighbouring parishes like Mettingen and Ibbenburen (still working on this one) and Hopsten.
To get as much as possible out of this data, I have developed a simple but time consuming four-step method which I will describe here in short. Since I am a computer programmer by profession, I developed my own program in my favourite database tool "Magic." I used a character-based version for Dos because I go for content and not for window-dressing.
The program was easy to optimize for the different needs I discovered in the process. The dream is to transfer all data into my ancestree database, once interpretation is done and beyond the stage of speculation. The method uses the following steps:
- The text as read on the microfiche is transferred into the program and labeled by a unique number and also the position in the source is marked. Where I cannot read the source, I put dots and if I wonder if I read correctly, I put a question mark to it. For the rest I try to transfer the handwritten data as correctly as possible into my program without any intermediate interpretations.
- The approximately 10,000 resulting entries are scanned and the persons mentioned are distilled into a new database, splitting surnames and first names and assigning roles in the process. Roles can be father, son, parent, alias, late, owner, place of origin, etc.
- The third step is an attempt to establish a uniform spelling for the names found. Care should be taken for reasons mentioned before. Is Haermeyer the same as Haremeyer? And is Hare the same as Haremeyer? Is Velt the same as Veltkamp or Veltman or Velthake. I do the same for first names. Catarina, Catharina, Trine and Trynke are transformed to Tryne. Aelke will be the same as Aleyd, and Elisabeth gets Elske, but is Elsaben the same as Elizabet? I found a girl by the name of Elsaben Elisabeth.
- Now the system is ready for outputting data in the form of lists that can be generated for several input criteria, like Surname, Firstname, Period and Role. This list is used for input in my ancestree program called "Charon."
While performing the fourth step, sometimes patterns emerge that might give a clue to the reconstruction of a family. I will give an example of how this method helps gain an understanding of the family relations. The following entries are extracted from a list generated after filtering on Blankemeyer and Gerd for the period 1685-1699.
1691.02.18 (m) 18 Febr Gerdt Blanckemeyer en Enneke Grove won Twenhuysen
1691.12.07 (b) 7 dito. Blanckemeyers soon Gerdt. Testes Herman Blanckemeyer
1693.01.03 (d) 3 dito. Gerdt Blanckemeyer
1694.06.14 (b) 16 7br Gerdt Blanckemeyers soon Jorgen. Gevadderden Zenske Grove. Gerdruyt Blanckemeyers.
1695.01 (a) .. Jan Gerdt Blanckemeyer sone van Herbert Blanckemr, Eygen an de Koninck, en Greetke van Olphen, jd van Hindr van Olphen, beyde van Recke, Sy Vry.
1695.02.05 (m) Gerdt Blanckemeyer ende Greetke van Olphen
1695.10.23 (b) Gerdt Blanckemeyers .oon Lucas. Testes Hendrick Eilert. Aelke? Van Olphen
1696.03.26 (d) Blanckemeyers kindt Gerd
1696.05.27 (b) eodem die. Gerdt Blanckemeyers sone Gerdt. Testes Jorgen Hemisch. Aelheit Blanckemeyers
1697.07.07 (b) 7 July Gerdt Blanckemeyers soone Herbert. Testes Gert Leuwe Aalheit achter den Kamp
1698.01.28 (b) eodem die Gerdt Blanckemeyers dochter Enneke Testes Jan Grove Enneke Conermans
1699.08.03 (b) 8 Marty Gert Blanckemeyers dochter Maria. Testi. Herm Blanckemeyer Maria van Olphen
b = birth/baptism, m = marriage, d = death/burial, a = marriage announcement
The series continues, but this is a fine point to stop (1). Obviously, there are two Gerd Blankemeyers conceiving children and a third one dies in 1693. What made me wonder about this sequence is the appearance of a testes by the name of Jorgen Hemisch. Hemisch is not a common name in Recke. It is a name from nearby Ibbenburen. In fact, variants of Hemisch appear only three times in this period in the Recke records:
1693.10.11 11 Octobr Gerdt Hemasch? Ende Enneke Blanckemeyers wonende tot Twenhuysen
1695.05.27 eodem die. Gerdt Blanckemeyers sone Gerdt. Testes Jorgen Hemisch. Aelheit Blanckemeyers
1703.12.02 2 Decbr Gert Blanckemeyers dochter Maria Lisabet Testes Jan Grove Maria Heemsche.
The maltreatment of the name Hemesch or Hemes indicates the unfamiliarity of the priest (?) or whoever did the writing of the church records. Interpretation of these lines leaves two possibilities. Either the Hemisch people appeared as testes at the Blankemeyer baptisms as distant relatives or they were close relatives and Gerd Hemesch took over the Blankemeyer farm, including the name, after the death of the first Gerd Blankemeyer in January 1693. A close look at the rest of the testes in a so-called testes analysis reveals this is probably the correct interpretation. At some entries an attempt was made to distinguish both Gerd Blankemeyers, as in:
1704 Leuwen Lyftuchters kind namelyck Gert Herberts dochter Grete Elisabeth. Testes Gert Wilcke Aelke Leuwen.
1706.08.22 22 Gert Herberts sone Gert. Testes Gert Olphen. Maria Eilerts.
From this line we learn that the other Gerd Blanckemeyer lived in the Lyftucht at the Leuwe or Leewe farm. This probably meant that he and his family lived in a separate part of the farmhouse. Sometimes more families were living in such a Lyftocht or Lyftucht. The word indicates that they were supported by the farm for food and housing, but I don't know if this was still the case at that time in that place under this administration and circumstances. Compared to records from Ibbenbueren in the same period, we are lucky here to find the name Gerd Herberts connected to the Leuwen Lyftucht. In Ibbenbueren the same entry would probably read "Leuwen Lyftuchters kint Grete Elisabeth," without any clue as to who was living there at the moment.
From all this I have drawn a few conclusions:
The Gerd Blankemeyer who married Enneke Grove in 1691, dies in January 1693, leaving the farm to his wife, who would now probably be called a "colona." They have one son Gerd, born December 1691, who dies in March 1696.
Enneke Grove, now called Enneke Blankemeyer, remarries in October 1693 with Gerd Hemesch from Ibbenbueren. He is now the new colon and takes the name Blankemeyer, therefore now being called Gerd Blankemeyer.
Another Gerd Blankemeyer, son of Herbert Blankemeyer, marries in 1695 to Greetke van Olphen. To distinguish this Gerd Blankemeyer from the other one, he is also referred to as Gerd Herberts. In 1704 he is living in the Lyftucht of the Leuwen-farm.In the example described it is not obvious to recognize a possible name change. Sometimes it is more easy to see. Then the pattern would take the following shape (example):
1694 Wilhelm Meiman marries Maria Oostman
>1694 after the marriage date Wilhelm Meiman disappears from the records
>1694 after the marriage date Wilhelm Oostman shows up as a father
<1694 before the marriage date there was no sign of a Wilhelm Oostman
In cases like this, I assume a name change was made. If there is an entry in the marriage proclamation register, it would probably read that both bride and groom are not free people but subjects to a landlord, who also happens to be the owner of the farm. In the example the farm on which the girl was living was probably named Oosthof or just Oostmans. Sometimes the man is free, but surrenders to the conditions of the landlord in exchange for the right to be colon to the farm. In cases of a suspected name change, I enter a remark in the original entry to ease future interpretations of the record. If I'm not completely sure, I add a question mark to the supposed name change.
The Wilhelm or Wilm Oostman or Ostmann is mentioned as a father in 10 baptism entries. His eldest child is a girl baptized Maria Aalheit in 1694. I suppose that she is the same Maria Oostman, daughter to the late Wilhelm Oostman, who marries Steffen Holcke/Hollick/Holleke from Cappelen in 1727.
From that date a Steffen Oostman appears in the records as the father of a new Oostman line. So again the Oostman farm heritage had passed along the female line. I don't know what the general policy was in inheriting the farm. I don't think it was always the eldest son or daughter. Neither was it necessarily a son. Maria Oostman had at least one living brother in 1727, a 26-year old Wilhelm Oostman. Her father had passed away in 1721, so the farm was probably in need of a new colon and maybe the boys in the family had not proven to be acceptable candidates to the owner of the farm, the king of Prussia.
Though the method does provide me with better insight in family relations in Recke, the job to reconstruct families remains a tedious one. Actually a step 5 should be added to the proces in which a testes analysis is done and the relation of testes to the parents of a child is sought.
Especially after 1730 the options are so multi-fold that such a step might be very helpful. Often one decides to reconstruct a related family first before being able to finish the family under hand. And while constructing the related family, the same problem arises with another related family and so on, making you go around in circles, wondering if you ever get out of it without studying additional sources.
If anyone reading this article has any info concerning Recke-people from before 1800, please let me know.
For questions, additions and remarks, please don't hesitate to contact me by one of the following communication means:
Max Schulte
Warnsinklanden 25
7542 CR - ENSCHEDE - NETHERLANDS
Email: mschulte@knoware.nl
fax (31) 053-4782316
tel (31) 053-4782313
Sources:
Copies of the protestant microfiches for Recke 1685-1742, containing entries for birth, marriage, death and church-membership (done).
As 1 for Recke 1693-1734 containing entries for marriage-announcements (done).
As 1 for Recke 1742-1769 (tbd - writing is in discouraging condition)
As 1 for Mettingen 1679-1777, containing references to Recke (done)
A list sent to me by A.G.J.Schroeder with marriages in Hopsten 1657-1746 of which one of the partners is possibly coming from Recke (done).
Further reading:
G. Wildenbeest - De Winterswijkse Scholten: opkomst, bloei en neergang - VU Uitgeverij Amsterdam, 1985 (in Dutch).
Mr.P.G.Aalbers - Het einde van de horigheid in Twente en Oost-Gelderland 1795-1850 - Walburg Pers Zutphen 1979 - ISBN 90-6011-413-2 (in Dutch).
Mr.F.P.M.Slijkerman en K.J.Slijkerman - De nakomelingen van Jan Gersen Slijckeman uit Mettingen - Uitgeverij Slijkerman Da Costa te Alkmaar 1985 (contains short history of the County Lingen of which Recke was a part at that period - in Dutch)
Recke 1189-1989 Beiträge zur Geschichte - Published by the Gemeinde Recke - ISBN 3-921290-38-4 (in German).
Version history:
1 1999-07-30, first version spread via soc.genealogy.germany
Note: From the context you can probably see if it's a marriage, birth or death-entry.
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