Extinct – Dordrecht (Breda – Dorst)
Introduction
The Dordrecht Family Tree is an extinct family tree mainly in the west of the Netherlands that has produced several famous people. The ancestor dates back to the mid-16th century, comes from Dorst near Breda and left for Dordrecht via Breda during the beginning of the 80-year war (occupation of Breda by Spaniards). No more name-bearing descendants have been found, although the branch that left for The Hague in particular may provide new insights if the sources there are examined further. One more smaller historical family tree has been found in Breda with that name (possibly related) and in Dordrecht a family tree Van Dorsser has also been started (still exists today), possibly also related.
Ancestor Analysis
The ancestor is Adriaen Franck Willemszn who registered in 1564 as porter (citizen) in Breda, he came from Dorst under Oosterhout and his job was moutmaecker (brewer). He is married to Lijsbeth Cornelis Henricxz van der Mijl and has already several children (including French and Cornelis who later continue the tribe) when he arrived. He is chasing his brother Peter who already registered in 1562 and also has a brother Aelbrecht who live with his family (with multiple sons) in Gilze. Everyone uses just patronymics and not the surname of Van Dorsten (that starts in Dordrecht).
Around 1580 (although the houses in Breda were sold only at the end of the century), the whole family went to Dordrecht (Breda was occupied by the Spaniards in 1581 is many inhabitants found the death, presumably this is the reason to leave). Incidentally, deceased also Lijsbeth in 1579-1580 (before they left). Adriaen departure around 1590 to Haarlem to marry Jenneken Cornelis Claesdr (children remain in Dordrecht), comes around 1597 back again and dies around 1600. Adriaen was (or became) pretty wealthy.
There are also the following starting points and observations:
- The archive data in Haarlem are not yet digitized (transcripted), this could result in even more information.
- Strange is that the sons of Adriaen (Frans and Cornelis) should got children between 1590 and 1610. These birth dates, however, are not reflected in Breda and also not in Dordrecht, maybe they lived somewhere else or some specific sources have been lost
- Adriaen and the sons have become zijdelaeckenkopers in Dordrecht and later there were even more in the family.
- It is curious that they have adopted the surname of Van Dorsten, while further anyone who came from Dorst (starting already early in the 15th century) called themselves Van Dorst (still an existing surname). It seems that Dorst very early (13th/14th century?) short used Dorsten, but this remains strange. One theory could be that they originally came from the city Dorsten or from elsewhere and already had the name, but this may be too far-fetched.
- There is still something reflected in the judicial archives of Oosterhout for the period 1400-1600, but also there is nothing else on the family.
- There is a branch that later in Breda also used Van Dorsten and begins with Vincent Lucassen who married around 1630. Perhaps this was derived from the same family.
Further Analysis
The ancestor had three sons Frans, Cornelis and Jan, described below.
Son Jan is not well known, except that he was still under age in 1581 and thus was born in the period 1560-1580. There is an indication that Cahalina Jans van Dorsten in Dordrecht, born about 1622, would be a daughter (can be doubt). The question is whether this can Jan can be the schoolmaster who came in 1612 from Heenvliet to Brielle and ends up as family father of a reasonable (and prosperous) branch in Rotterdam. Brother Frans Adriaens was also teacher until 1626.
Son Frans was married to Margaretha Cotermans and got in the period 1585-1605 (no birth recovered!) three daughters (all of them married) and four sons. Also at the children in Dordrecht (according to the Navorscher) are many birth dates not found in the extended presence of BDM data. It seems here a source has disappeared or that they have lived near Dordrecht. About the four sons:
- Jan married Gertruyt van Gerwen and got three sons between 1630 and 1650 (no birth recovered!): Ambrosius was lawyer in Amsterdam, Matthijs was skipper on the inland waterways and Jacobus was painter (pupil Rembrandt). They are all buried in Amsterdam, but none of them married or had children (at least not known)!
- Cornelis married with Ermptgen Verboom and got several daughters who all married in Dordrecht.
- Adriaen married with Johanna van Balen and got a daughter (married in Dordrecht) and two sons:
- French is married with Geertruyd Tegelberch, went to live in The Hague and got a family. This should be further sorted out again once the data of The Hague is digital readable.
- Maerten is married with Ariaentje Keijsers and continued to live in Dordrecht. A grandson pulled early 18th century to Rotterdam where the strain has continued until the early 20th century.
- Jacob is not well known, he died in 1655. Is this perhaps the father of Herman and Theunis, see below?
Son Cornelis was married to Susanna Verheijden (1595). Here the sources are sometimes in conflict and there may be two Cornelis Adriaensen in Dordrecht. According to the archive, there are at least five children born from 1613 to 1623 by Cornelis van Dorsten (but there should be children before too, including a son Adriaen), of which nothing nothing could be found back afterwards. This Adriaen was married in 1621 (so born before 1600) and remarried in 1636, but almost certainly got only several children in the second marriage. One son Cornelis became over the 50, but probably not married, and another son was Peter. Pieter got five daughters and five sons, but for only one son is known he married, he got children but none could proceed with the family name.
Then there is a separate branch in Dordrecht by Herman and Theunis Jacobse which the following remarks:
- This one is called Van Dorsser and has name bearing descendants (so not extinct).
- Through patronymics the father is determined as Jacob, but by others a family tree has been made (can be found on internet) in which the father is determined as Teunis Teunis (also the ancestor).
- The reports before 1811 of this tree were frequently with Van Dorsser, but also regularly Dorsten, Dorser, Dorssen and Dorsen. So the question is if this really is a branch of Van Dorsten. Posterity has adopted the name Van Dorsser with the registration of the Civil Status. This is also the only Van Dorsser strain that exists in Netherlands. If this is not a name variant of Van Dorsten, the question is where the name derives from (especially because the ‘van’ before)?
- If it is Jacob, the question is about his origin. The biggest contender is Jacob van Frans Adriaensz already born before 1600. It could also be a Jacob from Cornelis. And another alternative is that Jacob van Aelbrecht relocated from Breda to Dordrecht.
- Herman has a small branch which is formed mainly with patronymics, but detailed figure out and a single surname entry makes this still correct. He gets several sons, one of which got multiple sons again, but eventually the branch couldn’t proceed.
- Teunis got several children including one son Herman (1642) married with Neeltje Stevens Vertholen. They got two daughters and two sons and all got married. Stevens Hermense continued the tribe and got three sons which all married at the end of the 18th century. Those descendants formed the current family tree of Van Dorsser.
Sources and Do You Know
- A number of references in Breda from 1564 to 1599. Legacy arrangements and homes sales.
- Many references in Dordrecht from 1612 to 1800 by many members of the family and of many nature, also different references in the surrounding of Dordrecht.
- The reports from the Hague are now mainly indirectly (from other sources). As soon as the sources of the Hague itself are digitized (electronically scannable) some more findings can be expected and researched.
- The age of consent is an interesting statement in 1667 for Jacobus in Amsterdam, this concerns the pupil of painter Rembrandt van Rijn.
- In addition also the necessary notifications which Adriaen as lawyer occurs (early 18th century).
- From 1681 many reports of the separate branch Theunis and Herman Jacobse.
- It concerned a rich family and frequently there were marriages with other famous rich families.
- There are many silk cloth traders in the family, even in-laws.
- Ambrosius has followed three studies at Leiden University: Faculty of Arts (1653), rights (1663) and without faculty (1686).
- Christiaan Huygens died in the house of the widow (Geertruyd Tegelberch) of Frans in the Hague.
- Adriaen, the son of this Frans, studied law in Leiden and became a lawyer at the Court of Holland.
- Cornelis van Adriaen was Commissioner of the police in Rotterdam.
- Johanna van Balen (Adriaen Fransz) married after his death in 1656 with Dirck van Delen from Arnemuiden which created a commemorative plaque of the three women he has had (now owned by the Church in Arnemuiden).
Actual Status
You can find a description of the Dordrecht family (especially before 1700) also at a female descendant, who has found a lot of additional information to the historical article in the genealogical magazine of the Navorscher and also found the ancestor in Breda:
The description of the family tree Van Dorsser you can find here:
Under the menu option Genealogy you can find all the details of this family tree.