My 3x great-grandfather, Boudewijn DeKorn and his wife, Johanna Remine, were the first generation in the DeKorn branch to immigrate to the United States. Boudewijn’s parents, Jan and Geertruijd (Engelse) de Korne (de Corne) were the last generation of my direct ancestors to remain in the Netherlands. By the time that the younger couple had emigrated in 1856, Boudewijn’s parents were already deceased.
Jan had passed away nine years before, on 10 November 1847 in Kapelle, Zeeland, Netherlands, at age 54. Although I knew that my 2x great-grandfather Richard DeKorn was born in Kapelle, I think this is pretty much the same area as Goes, where so much of the family came from. In fact, the cities are only 7 kilometers apart (less than 4.5 miles!).
Jan was born on or around 16 November 1792 in Kattendijke, but this is a village in Goes. This shows that this portion of the family was in Goes before the move to Kapelle. Kloetinge is another village in the city of Goes that I have seen mentioned in my relatives’ records.
This is a copy of Jan’s baptismal record.
Geertruijd had already been gone for some time when her husband passed. She died at age 40 on 23 May 1829 in Kapelle, just a few weeks after the birth of her son Pieter. She was born in Kruinengen, about 17 kilometers from Goes, so not far from Kapelle either, on or around 22 April 1789.
The couple was married on 22 April 1814 in Kapelle. According to Yvette Hoitink: “The marriage record of Jan de Korne and Geertruijd Engelse was found in the ZeeuwenGezocht.nl index of civil registration records. They were married in Kapelle on 22 April 1814. Scans of the 1814 marriage records of Kapelle are missing from the “Netherlands, Civil Registration, 1792-1952″ set of images at Familysearch.org so the original text has not been consulted. The (reliable) index provides the names of his parents: Boudewijn de Korne and Jacoba Loenhout and gives his age (21) and place of birth (Kattendijke).” Therefore, I do not have a copy of their marriage record.
At the time of their marriage, I believe that Jan was already living in Kapelle and working as a farmer. Whether his father or he owned a farm, I do not know. But he is listed as a farmer, not a laborer or day laborer, so it is likely that there was a family farm. I don’t know what brought Geertruijd to Kapelle.
After fifteen years of marriage and two living children (my 3x great Boudewijn and his brother Pieter–there were at least two infants who died, as well), Jan was left a widower. On 19 October 1832, he married Elizabeth Zandijk. After she passed away on or around 16 April 1833 (six months after their marriage!!!!), Jan married another Elizabeth. This third wife was Elizabeth Bustraan, and their marriage began on 16 April 1841 in Kapelle. I do not have a date for her death.
I do have copies of the marriage records for Jan’s second and third marriages.
I have a death record for both Jan and Geertruijd. Here is Jan’s.
And here is Geertuijd’s:
I hope to eventually find the couple’s marriage record. Additionally, I am looking for Geertruijd’s baptismal record and any evidence of a military record for Jan.
The Family Kalamazoo 
Wow, to lose your wife after just six months—after losing your first wife shortly after childbirth. Poor Jan. I hope the third wife outlived him.
Yes, although I’m not sure how inheritance worked and if there was a farm, would she have kept it or would it have gone to his children, i.e. my 3x Boudewijn? I suppose estate records would be a whole other area of research for all these 3x and 4x ancestors, but that would mean hiring a genealogist to do so. I wouldn’t be able to do it myself from Phoenix. Anyway, I suspect the farm did not go to Boudewijn. If there was a farm, I suspect it went to wife #3. Now wouldn’t it be fun to test that theory?
I have to admit that I have not been at all interested in pursuing those lines of inquiry—landownership and inheritances. I know that Michael Dyer of the Family Sleuter blog does incredible work on those issues, though all in the US.
I think Cathy’s work on it is great, too. And, yes, in the U.S. where the records would all be in English would be easier than Dutch, French, German (all of them for me and I think you have many languages to deal with).
I wouldn’t dream of trying to trace land records in Germany. Way out of my grasp. And I guess I don’t have much interest in doing so for my US ancestors. I find it fascinating to read what others do, but have not been tempted yet myself. Maybe when I run out of all those cousins of cousins I will return to my direct ancestors and find some of that more intriguing. For now, I am more interested in what they did than what they owned.
Yes, I know what you mean. But it can tell a lot. For instance, my great-great-grandfather who was orphaned. The bit that I know about the inheritances in that branch show the real life dramas that must have played out.
Your journey continues, Luanne – amazing stories. Poor Jan, indeed.
Must have not been uncommon for men to have more than one wife. I’ve seen that scattered throughout the links I’ve discovered on my family, too.
I think it was really common. To think that there was a brand new baby that needed caring for, the baby’s mom dies, a new “mom” is brought in and she dies right away. The house must have been chaos. And Boudewijn who was 12 must have had to help with it all.
No doubt!! Every generation has its burdens – just different ones.
That is so true!
Lots of sadness and loss it seems.
Yes, what hard lives they led!
As others have noted, life must have been very tough for Jan after losing two wives in quick succession.
That household must have been chaos. I hope they had the help of their neighbors!
The death of Geertruijd following the birth of a child is so sad. We are so fortunate now that healthcare is better and childbirth-related deaths are extremely rare.
It seems so harsh that something as natural as having a baby had to be so dangerous for women.