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Section 200
The van Weel family

The van Weel family of the Netherlands has a long history, the previous record of which has sadly been lost.  This new history begins in the early 17th century.  At some point along the way the family acquired a coat of arms.

My interest is rather tangential.  I married Barbara Blake whose first husband was Hans Peter van Weel.  They had three children all of whom (due to the Dutch naming conventions) all still carry the Van Weel name and there are now five grandchildren with a Van Weel heritage.

The main focus of this chapter is the direct line of descent to my Dutch family but it does inevitably stray sideways from time to time.

For now, the story begins with Cornelis Anthonissen van Weel.  Cornelis is said (source?) to have been born between January 18 1637 and January 23 1637, in Roosendaal, North Brabant, which is now in the south of the Netherlands about 5km north of the border with Belgium. The use at this time of patronimic names indicates that Cornelis's father was named Anthony (in one of its many variants).

1637 was towards the end of the Dutch War for Independence from Spain, frequently called the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648).  The first fifty years (1568 through 1618) were a war uniquely between Spain and the Netherlands. During the last thirty years (1618–1648) the conflict between Spain and the Netherlands was submerged in the general European War that became known as the Thirty Years' War.  Seven provinces of the Netherlands had been united by the Union of Utrecht in 1579 and formed the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (also known as the "United Provinces") but North Brabant did not form part of this. Its status as part of the Netherlands was not settled until 1648.  1637 was also the year in which speculation in the tulip trade led to a first stock market crash.  It was in the middle of the Dutch Golden Age.

There are family trees within the My Heritage website which take the story back further but I have not yet been able to verify any of the information in them.  It seems likely however that Cornelis's father was Anthoni Adriaenssen van Weel, probably born sometime around 1600-1615 and who died in 1683.  And by extension that his father was Adrian van Weel. There was an Adrian van Weel, or van de/der Weel, active in the 1630s and 40s in Bergen op Zoom.

There is a record, cited in a genealogy of Rijste mentioning Adriaen Anthonissen van de Weel in Bergen op Zoom in 1608. Which might even take us back one more generation to an Anthony from the mid 1500s

In 1651 Hendrick Jansen (aka Henricus)de Weel marries Maria in Zevenbergen.

Adriaen Woutersen, landman, won. int Ouwelant tot Schakerloo, voor zichzelf en vervangende het weeskind van Heijndrick Cornelissen in de Peucke, of de erfgenamen van dien, alsmede vervangende en zich sterk makende voor Jan Cornelissen Rijssebil, en Pieter Willemssen, mede won. in Schakerloo, verkopen, cederen en transporteren op 7 februari 1608 aan Adriaen Anthonissen van de Weel hun gedeelte in erf en grond van Truyken Jan Heyn Aert Huygen, gelegen in het Rietgoer als ook tot Wouwe (Bergen op Zoom. Notaris A. MolkemanNA. inv.nr. 5-275)

At sometime (around 1660-1664) Cornelis married Maiken MARIJNISSE.   Maiken is said (source?) to have been born on February 23 1642 in Roosendaal.  This marriage seems to be based on the baptism record of a son Marinus Cornelisoon van Weel said to have born on July 14 1665, in Roosendaal.

At around the same time there are other events of interest.   In 1666 Maeijken Teunen van Weel marries Jacob Janssen van Dongen.  (recorded somewhere around p68 of the register).  In 1678 Cornelia van Weel marries Michael Beeck in Nispen, which is about 4km south of Roosendaal.  The dates mean that both could have been sisters to Cornelis, but they could equally well have been nieces or cousins.  The naming of Maeijken as Maeijken Teunen seems to suggest that she was not a sister.

This is reinforced by the 1671 baptism of Anthonius by Cornelius Teunen van Weel and Maria Marinus.  The naming suggests that Maeijken and Cornelius were brother and sister, the children of an unknown Teun van Weel.  According to Wikipedia Teun is a short form of Teunis, itself a derivative of Antonius, Anton, Anthonis, Anthoon and other variants.  The connection is further reinforced by the 'getuigen' (witnesses or godparents) to the baptism of Antonius: "Maria Adriaens namens [in place of] Jacobus Janssen van Dongen en Digna Cornelissen".   Jacobus was the husband of Maeijken Teunen van Weel.  There is another baptism by the same parents of another Anthonius in 1674, which probably indicates that the first Antonius died as an infant.  Again one of the godparents is Jacobus Janssen.

This may be making things too complicated. If Tuenen is a shortened form of Anthonis, then Cornelius Teunen van Weel and Maria MARINUS may be the same couple as Cornelis Anthonissen and Maiken MARIJNISSE. There are plenty of examples of names being spelt in different ways - particularly where one records is a Catholic Church record and the other not.

Maeijken Teunen dies in 1676 and Jacob remarries in 1677.

In 1680 Cornelis Anthonissen van Weel and Maria Marinesen (a third version of the same name?) baptise Joannes van Weel at Roosendaal.  The getuigen are: "Dimphna Jansen van Bavel voor zich en voor Jacobus Jansen Kerstens".

In 1684 Cornelius van Weel and Maria Marines baptise Anna Maria van Weel. The getuigen are "Michael van Beeck en Catharina Marines voor Catharina Willemsen Moerman"

Assuming Maria Marinesen/Maria Marines are the same person as Maiken Marijnisse these births are quite a late in life - Anna Maria is baptised 19 years after the baptism of Marinus Cornelisoon. If the suggested date of birth (1642) for Maiken Marijnisse is correct she would have been 42.

On 7 February 1683 Anthoni Adriaenssen van Weel dies, or is buried, at Roosendaal. The dates and the naming convention neatly fit him as the father of Cornelis Anthonissen.  If he was born around 1610 (the suggestion above was 1600-1615) he would have been around 73.

Te following year, 1684, at Nispen-Essen, Dijmpna Anthonii van Weel is buried. Her naming suggests she may have been a sister of Cornelis.

In 1688 a Cornelis van Weel is getuige at a baptism of Cornelis Callewaert at Bergen op Zoom. Of itself it tells us nothing but there are many entries for van der Weel in Bergen op Zoom at this time and the preceeding century. This, and the earlier record about Anthony are straws suggesting a link back to Bergen. Bergen, Roosendaal and Nispen-Essen sit within a 8km radius circle centred on Wouw.

Also in 1688 Cornelis Anthonissen and Magiel Pietersson van Beeck have measurements taken of three pieces of land at Roosendaal by a Landmeter (surveyor). The document does not say anything about the ownership of the land but the land above (north of?) the measured land is shown as being land of Magiel Pietersson van Beeck.   Possibly land left to Cornelis and Cornelia, Magiel's wife?

A particularly lovely example of a land record

Although it has no direct relevance I include this because it is such a nice picture.  It is of a Landmeter ( Surveyor) from the mid 1600s by an unknown artist, from the Rijksmuseumcollection.
But not working at completely flat Roosendaal!

Also in 1688 was the baptism of Jacobus van Weel by Joannes van Weel and Cornelia Peetersen Nieuwenhuijse.  The getuigen were "Adrianus Peeter van Nieuwenhuijsen en Maria van Weel in haar plaats Catharin".  Clearly Johannes is not the child baptised in 1680.  We are looking for a birth sometime around 1660 and a marriage aroud 1685.  Maria van Weel might be the wife of Cornelius?

The same couple (but named this time as Joannes Jacob de Weer and Cornelia Peeters Nieuwenhuijsen) baptised Maria Catharina de Weer four years earlier in 1684 at Roosendaal.  The getuigen were "Jacomina van Nieuwenhuijsen voor zich en Jacobo Jansen de Weert".  The WBA transcript also makes the connection to van Weel from van Weer.  Given the patronymic is Jacobo Jansen de Weert the father of Joannes?

In 1689 Joannes Willemse van Weel and Jopken Hendrickse Vroeghrijck baptise Guilielmus van Weel at Roosendaal. The getuigen were "Sebastianus Janse Verheijden en Anna Cornelisse in beider naam Piternella Qu". Previous baptisms of Henricus was listed in 1685 and Cornelia in 1687 under the name van Meel.  A possible connection to William van Weel of Bergen op Zoom who died in 1669?

In 1691 at Roosendaal at the baptism of Leonardus Janssen by Sebastianus Janssen and Piternella Cornelissen the getuigen are 'Elizabeth Matthijssen voor Joanne Willemen van Weel en Piternella Aerts'. The van Weel, Cornellisson and Janssen families are clearly all tied up together. It is not clear to me whether Cornellisson, Janssen, Matthijssen are simply patronymics or have started being used as surnames in a more modern sense.

On 15 January 1693 or 1 February Marinus Cornelisoon van Weel( who we think is age 28) married Margarita Nelst. I previously wrote that "Michael Beeck was a witness to this marriage, which reinforces the idea of him being Marinus's uncle by marriage" but can no longer find this reference!

In 1695 at the baptism of Michael Wittenbol by Thomas Thomissen Wittenbol and Moeder Adriana Michils we find 'Getuigen: Marinus Anthonissen van Weel en Barbara Adriaensen Zegers in haar plaats'. Who is Marinus Anthonissen? A brother of Cornelius Anthonissen?

In 1696 at the baptism of Adrianus van Roij by Joannes Adriaensen van Roij and Anna Laureijsen Verdonck we find "Getuigen: Cornelia Anthonissen van Weel voor Michaelis van Beeck en Maria Neerinsch". Is this Cornelia the wife of Michaelis van Beeck (using her own name rather than her married name) or a misreading of 'Cornelis' Anthonissen? There certainly seems to have been a practice of married women using their original family name rather than using the surname of their husband.

The 1696 baptism of Maria van Meer by Joannes Huijbreghtse van Meer and Joba Henrixe Vroeghrijck seems to be another misspelling.  See the 1689 baptism of Guilielmus.

Cornelia van Weel appears again twice as a witness/godparent in 1697.

A marriage was due to take place in 1699 between Johannes van Weel and Catharina Wauter Mouwen but it did not happen because of the death of the bride on 04-12-1699. No indication of which Johannes.

The story, from 1700, continues in Chapter 200.B with the re-marriage of Marinus Cornelisoon van Weel, though I have not found a burial of Margarita van Weel, nee Nelst.