Please send additions and corrections to ahofstee@sympatico.ca Updated to December 14, 2005.The van der Duim family is closely associated with the peat (turf) industry in Friesland. In any histories of the peat industry of Friesland you are likely to find a reference to the van der Duim family. The family was probably Doopsgezind (Mennonite) in origin but by 1784 the earliest known forebear, Jan Hendriks, married in the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk in Drachten. On the 29 February 1784 after three consecutive proclamations and with attestation from de Rottevalle, Jan Hendriks from de Rottevalle and Hiltje Jans in de Zuid Dragten were married. When Jan Hendriks van der Duim died on 25 July 1824 in Terwispel, he was 63 years of age and supposedly born in Drachten. I have not been able to find any sign of him in Drachten or in de Rottevalle. The names of his parents were unknown to the persons who declared his death. According to a recent source Jan Hendriks was the son of Hindrik Jelkes and Froukje Hinnes. Jan was a labourer. His wife, Hiltje Jans Held, was christened on 21 October 1764 in Drachten, daughter of Jan Rutgers and Hendrikje Oenes (alias Annes). Hiltje died on 23 March 1848 in Ter Idzard, Weststellingwerf. In 1812 the family apparently took on the name Duimke in Zuid-Drachten. Why and when it changed to van der Duim I don't know. From Henny van der Duim I received the following story about the origin of the name Duimke. According to family legends Jan Hendriks Duimke (van der Duim) was a birdcatcher. The birds that he caught were 'winterkoninkjes' (wrens) and the Friesian word for 'winterkoninkjes' is 'tumke' (or Duimke). It is not known why he caught these birds. This story was passed from father to son, etc. Recent information has given a marriage date of 14 December 1760 in Drachten for Hindrik Jelkes and Froukje Hinnes. children: 1. Metje, b. Noorderdrachten 3 March 1785. She was christened in Drachten on 3 April 1785. She married on 29 January 1820 with Bartle Wigles Terpstra from Oldeboorn. 2. Hendrik, b. Noorderdrachten 15 November 1787. He was christened in Drachten on 23 November 1787. He died 8 April 1851 in Oldeholtpade. He married on 10 October 1812 in Langezwaag with Hiltje Jans Held.. 3. Klaaske, b. Noorderdrachten 7 August 1790. She was christened in Drachten on 17 October 1790. She died 14 May 1838 in Opsterland. She married on 22 November 1820 with Tjeerd Harmens de Jong. 4. Jan, b. Noorderdrachten 11 May 1795. He was christened on 11 May 1795. He died on 20 June 1874 in Terwispel. He first married on 28 September 1816 with Siebrigjen Arends van der Berg. He remarried in Terwispel on 9 December 1819 with Margjen Alberts Scheer. He married again on 31 January 1850 with Antje Sierds de Vos. 5. Jelke. According to his military registration he was born 10 September 1798 in Weststellingwerf. He was supposedly born in Drachten. He died on 23 November 1867. He married on 22 May 1823 with Durkje Wieberens de Vries. 6. Jitske, born 1801. Little is known about her. She married Gerrit Martens Mulder in Aengwirden on 5 June 1825. 7. Durk, b. Zuiderdrachten 2 February 1806. He was christened in Drachten on 9 April 1806. He died in Terwispel on 6 May 1882. He married on 16 December 1824 with Sytske Gerrits Visser. Hendrik Jans van der Duim was born in Noorderdrachten 15 November 1787. He was christened in Drachten on 23 November 1787. and died in Oldeholtwolde on 8 April 1851. He married in Langezwaag on 10 October 1812 with Tjetske Jippes Visser. Tjetske was born on 6 November 1793 in Veenwouden. She was christened on 29 November 1793, daughter of Jippe Tjerks Visser and Sytske Dirks. When Hendrik and Tjetske married all four parents gave their consent. Jippe must have followed his daughter because he died in 1828 in Steenwijkerwold where his daughter and son-in-law were living at the time. At his marriage Hendrik was labourer living in Luxwolde. Tjetske died on 6 March 1866 in Luxwolde. When Hendrik died in 1851 he was 'turfmaker". children: 1. Hiltje, b. Langezwaag 3 September 1813. She died on 27 May 1884. She married on 22 September 1836 with Hendrik Alberts Veenstra. 2. Jippe, b. Langezwaag 30 November 1815. He died on 3 May 1821. 3. Sytske, b. Langezwaag 10 July 1818. She died on 7 March 1819?. 4. Jan, b. Langezwaag 10 September 1820. He married on 12 March 1851 with Grietje Jans de Groot. Jan and Jantje had at least three children - Tjitske, Jantje and Jan. 5. Sytzke, b. Langezwaag 30 August 1823. She married on 28 December 1844 with Sybbele Jans de Groot. 6. Jippe, b. Steenwijkerwold 4 May 1826. He married on 23 October 1852 with Akke Sytzes de Valk. 7. Metje, b. Steenwijkerwold 14 September 1828. 8. Metje, b. 1830? She married on 2 October 1851 with Sjoerd Jans Akkerman. 9. Dirkje, b. Steenwijkerwold 12 August 1832. She died on 25 October 1833. 10. Dirkje, b. Steenwijkerwold 29 November 1834. She died in the Tijnje on 20 December 1914. She married on 20 May 1859 with Hendrik Fredriks Simons. Jippe Hendriks van der Duim was born on 4 May 1826 in Steenwijkerwold, Overijssel as Jeppe. He died in Beets on 28 December 1912. He married in Wolvega on 23 October 1852 with Akke Sytzes de Valk. Akke was born 8 January 1831. (A census indicates 3 February 1831). She was born in Luxwolde and died in Beets on 1 February 1913. She was a daughter of Sytze Jelles de Valk and Gaaitske Pieters Hof. On Jeppe's marriage certificate of 23 October 1852 it gives his name as Jeppe Hendriks van der Duin. His mother was living in Oldeholtwolde and was 'turfmaakster'. Gaaitske Pieters Hof was living in Idzard and was also 'turfmaakster'. children: 1. Hendrik, b. Oldeholtwolde 29 September 1853. He died on 2 March 1931. 2. Gaaitske, b. Oldeholtwolde 6 December 1855. She died on 14 July 1942. She married on 21 October 1876 with Jan Luites Krikke. 3. Sytze, b. Oldeholtwolde 16 August 1858. He died on 27 January 1951. He married on 14 April 1888 with Minke Ploeg. Minke was born on 11 March 1869 in Smallingerland. She died on 21 May 1950. Sytze and Minke had 8 children - Hendrik, Jippe, Aaltje, Sietske, Wimke, Charlotte Elisabeth, Balthasar, and Wobbina - all born in Leeuwarden. 4. Jan, b. Ter Idzard 21 August 1860. He died on 5 June 1861. 5. Tjitkse, b. Terwispel 13 May 1862. 6. Hendrikje, b. Terwispel 8 March 1865. She died 1 January 1939. She married on 30 April 1887 with Klaas Ales Meester. 7. Jan, b. Katlijk 4 April 1868. He died 25 February 1870. 8. Hiltje, b. Beets 9 February 1870. She died 21 October 1945. She married on 14 February 1894 with Gerrit de Jong. 9. Wimke, b. Beets 19 December 1872. She died 2 August 1945. She married Harmen Drost. Hendrik Jippes van der Duim was born on 29 September 1853 in Oldeholtwolde. He died in Beets on 2 March 1931. He married on 9 March 1877 in Beetsterzwaag with Antje Zwart(s). Antje was born in Idzard on 19 August 1855, daughter of Auke Thysses Zwart and Foekje Hessels Nieuwenhuis. Antje died on 13 December 1940 in Nij Beets. Hendrik and Antje were both labourers. children: 1. Jippe, b. Beets 11 December 1877. He died on 5 July 1959. He married on 27 April 1900 with Sjoukje Hoen. Sjoukje was born on 5 August 1876. They had 5 children - Hendrik, Geesje, Antje, Luite, and Hendrika. 2. Auke, b. Beets 2 August 1880. He died on 12 March 1888. 3. Sietse, b. Beets 27 May 1883. He died on 17 July 1901. 4. Hessel, b. Beets 19 November 1886. 5. Auke, b. Beets 31 May 1890. He died on 27 August 1910. 6. Willem, b. Beets 26 December 1892. He died on 25 September 1961. He married on 27 November 1915 with Wilhelmina Verbeek. He remarried on 3 August 1939 with Johanna Carolina van den Brink. Willem and Wilhelmina had 4 children - Hendrik, Rinske, Pieter and Sietze Auke. Willem and Johanna had no children. 7. Foekje, b. Beets 15 December 1895. She died on 23 February 1982. She married on 3 April 1919 with Ate Jeeninga. Descendants of this family live in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Hessel was born in Beets on 19 November 1886. He died in Joure on 12 January 1975 and was buried in the 'Algemeene Begraafplaats' in Oldeboorn on 16 January 1975. He married in Beetsterzwaag on 28 November 1913 with Maria Meijer, born in Terwispel on 3 April 1890. She was a daughter of Bindert Ruurds Meijer and Hinke Annes Kramer. Maria died on 30 October 1969 in Oldeboorn and was buried there on 3 November 1969. children: 1. Hendrik. Hendrik married in 1939 with Grietje Hazeveld. They live in Canada. 2. Hinke. Hinke married in 1940 with Douwe Neef. Douwe died in 1999. Hinke lives in Canada. 3. Binnert. Binnert married in 1951 with Cornelia van Popta. They also lived in Canada. Binnert remarried after Cornelia's death. Binnert died in 2002. 4. Anna Maria. Anna married in 1948 with Jan Visscher. She lives in the Netherlands
The van der Duim Family