When I posted my genealogy to-do list, I asked if you could guess what occupation I found a few of my Mulder relatives engaged in during the 19th century in Holland. I said it was one I have had–and so have my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Emily Ann at Child Out of Time wondered if it was teaching, which was a very good guess, based on our family history, but isn’t correct.
What I am talking about is retail. My family was engaged in retail business for a long time. My husband and I owned stores, and so did my parents. My grandfather owned a gas station. His father owned a fish market and a soda shop.
My 3rd great-grandfather, Karel Mulder, was born 21 February 1837 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands. He married Johanna Maria Boes on November 1861, also at Goes. On 27 August 1868, he married Klazina Otte at Goes. He died on 22 April 1881 in Goes.
His parents were Karel Mulder and Rose Melanie Bataille (remember the Bataille family?). These are the children of Karel and Rose Melanie–namely, Karel and his siblings:
- Karel Mulder, born 21 February 1837, Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands (Witnesses: Carel Mulder and Adriaan Zuijdweg). On 7 November 1861 he was an apothecary’s assistant in Goes. On 27 August 1868 he was an apothecary’s assistant in Goes. On 22 April 1881 he was a shopkeeper in Goes.Karel died on 22 April 1881.
- Pieter Philip Mulder was born on 29 August 1838 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.
- Kornelis Mulder was born on 4 September 1840 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.25 He died on 3 June 1887 at the age of 46 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.26 On 3 June 1887 he was a shoemaker in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.
- Melanie Mulder was born on 21 January 1842 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.27 She died on 23 June 1884 at the age of 42 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.
- Johannes Mulder was born on 12 November 1843 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.29 He died on 7 January 1849 at the age of 5 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands. [died at age 5]
- Andries Mulder was born on 23 January 1846 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands. [shop’s financial partner]
- Jan Mulder was born on 9 December 1848 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.32 On 22 April 1881 he was a shopkeeper in paint and colonial goods in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.5
- Johannes Mulder was born on 10 February 1851 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.33 He died on 26 June 1876 at the age of 25 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.34 On 26 June 1876 he was a shoemaker in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.
- Jacobus Mulder was born on 13 May 1856 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.35 He died on 17 June 1874 at the age of 18 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.36 On 17 June 1874 he was a shopkeeper’s assistant in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.
My 3rd great-grandfather owned a “paint and colonial goods” store.
According to genealogist Yvette Hoitink:
Karel Mulder had a company in paint and colonial goods together with his brother Jan, called the “Gebroeders Mulder [Mulder brothers]”. This company owned a house at the Korte Kerkstraat (property tax registration section D nr. 377). The most important financer of this company was Andries Mulder in Goes, for a total of fl. 4000 (1/3 of the value of the company). This Andries is probably their brother Andries Mulder, son of Karel Mulder and Rose Melanie Bataille.
Here is a map of where the Mulder Brothers shop was located:
That means that at least 3 of the brothers were involved in the paint and colonial goods shop: Karel, Jan, and Andries. Two other brothers are shoemakers, one died at age five, and the professions of Pieter Philip (we don’t have a death date, so I’m not sure if he lived to maturity) and Melanie, the only girl.
Here are some photos taken by Yvette Hoitink of the building at the location of the Mulder Brothers shop. We don’t know if this is the original building or not. The houses adjacent to the building are original.
What do you imagine a “paint and colonial goods” shop would have sold?
Finally, do you remember (from this blog post) what happened to Karel’s son, my great-great-grandfather Pieter? He ended up in an orphanage!
The Family Kalamazoo 
Very interesting post! Wonderful pictures too. Always fun to see similarities in members of a family tree, isn’t it?
It was really interesting to see retail shop owner in the family line because I had assumed (before getting into genealogy) that my mother’s mother’s family were farmers since her maternal grandparents were farmers in Caledonia, Michigan.
Great post! I love the pictures, too. I’d bet it wouldn’t be too hard to find out if the buildings are the original ones. The city probably has records.
As far as Pieter ending up in the orphanage…with businessmen as family, that sounds unusual. Makes me wonder if there was a war, disease or something which suddenly caused a lack of wealth in the family. Store owners are generally thought of as prosperous people.
Mrs. P, that’s a good idea about the city records for the building!
When Pieter was a baby his mother died, and his father remarried. Although Pieter was the youngest of several children, his father than had 7 children with the 2nd wife. When his father died, Pieter was a teen and he and his brother closest in age were sent to the town orphanage. Maybe she couldn’t support all those children. Also, Pieter’s father Karel only had part ownership in the store. It’s a shame that the family couldn’t figure out a way to keep the boys out of the orphanage, but it does make me wonder what the orphanage was like. It was kept up by the city and only children from Goes were allowed to live there.
More great research to do. I can see with so many children, even successful people might have struggled.
Those pictures are beautiful – I want to pop over for visit right now!
Me too!!!
Paint I get. Colonial goods….? Stuff colonists sent back to the old country or what old-country people need to go to the colonies?
Yvette’s response below explains!
How nice to see all the enthusiastic reactions about the pictures. It is a very pretty town. The house on the corner looks modern (20th century) to me, not 19th century or older. But like many houses inside town walls, it could have older cellars underneath. If the house dates to the 20th century, there should be building plans at the archives.
Colonial goods were goods imported from the Dutch colonies like coffee, tea, tobacco, sugar and spices. Sometimes these shops also sold textiles.
It looks modern to me, too, maybe 100 years old or so, but could it also be a facade over an older building? We need to put the building plans on our list for future exploration! Thanks for the info about colonial goods. I bet those were exciting stores in those days!
Such and interesting post and absolutely brilliant photos… thanks so much.
Thanks for reading, Catherine! Yes, the photos Yvette took are fabulous!
Hi Luann! I enjoyed the post and the photos very much. My Dad used to say that some families had a special touch when it comes to running certain kinds of businesses. It’s in the blood, he’d say. I think the examples you’ve given from your own history prove that’s true.
Thanks so much, EmilyAnn. I think this might be true! I found a distant relative through our DNA tests, and she’s a small business owner, too!
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