This farm was built around 1910 on the instructions of its first occupants, Herman Bulsink—originally from the Nonhof farm—and his wife Everdina Hendrina Blekkink. Their foster son, Adolf Melitz, later became the primary occupant.
Melitz was German by birth, but became a naturalised Dutch citizen in 1938. Shortly after the German invasion, he joined the Dutch National Socialist Movement (NSB) and in 1941 enlisted in the Waffen SS, with the rank of Obergefreiter. In September of that year, he took part in fighting on the German–Russian front near Dnepropetrovsk and Rostov, where he sustained permanent injuries to his nose and arm.
In 1942, the farm was listed in the telephone directory as a ‘Regional Farm’ of the N.J.S. (Nationale Jeugdstorm, a youth movement). Reportedly, following the Liberation, the farm was set on fire by local people as an act of retaliation and was never rebuilt.
In 1947, Melitz was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of 2,000 guilders, and disenfranchisement.
Aaltensche Courant, 13 March 1934Aaltensche Courant, 6 July 1937Aaltensche Courant, 21 April 1939Directory for the local telephone service, January 1942
De Graafschapper, 1 August 1945De Graafschapper, 11 July 1947Aaltensche Courant, 18 July 1947
Projection from ‘Farm and Field Names in Aalten’ on Google aerial photograph, with 1967 house numbersFragment of the cadastral map, 1950 (plot C-4316); the contours of the vanished farm are visible on the left
The “Walfort” Sunday school association in Dale was founded in November 1934, according to its statutes. This date marks the first board meeting; however, the earliest recorded members’ meeting dates back to 28 November 1930.
According to a newspaper report from 1937, before this small building was established, Sunday school education was held at the Havezathe ’t Walfort estate.
Due to a lack of interest, Sunday school activities were ceased in 2000. The school building was sold in 2007. The association’s archive was donated to the Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers (Heritage Centre) in 2013.
There was also a Sunday School Dale West, located near the present-day Romienendal on the Aladnaweg.
‘Neerhof’ is an ancient farmstead located in the rural district of Dale in Aalten. Many people who carry the surname Neerhof today—including descendants of emigrants in the US and Canada—can trace their roots back to this place. There is even a Facebook group they can join: I’m a Neerhof.
The last Neerhofs to live there left the farm in the second half of the 19th century. Since then, the farm has been occupied (primarily) by the Houwers family. The original farmhouse is gone; the current house was built in 1893.
During World War II, the Houwers family sheltered people in hiding. One of these, a French non-commissioned officer from the Pyrenees, sent them a letter after the war.
Fun fact: There is a street in Canada named ‘Neerhof Lane’.
Archives
Judicial Archive of Bredevoort
Tuesday, 6 February 1616: Statholder Joannes ter Woert, assessors Jan ten Berge, Henrick Menekinck, Peter Cloeck.
Margin note: Anno 1629, 19 January, Jenneken Neerhave declared this to be redeemed. Therefore, void.
Appeared Jan Filette and Enneken Huijsinck, spouses, who declared for themselves and their heirs that for a received and well-paid sum of money, they sold a yearly pension to Juerden ten Neerhave and Jenneken, spouses, and their heirs: three dalers (per daler calculated at thirty stuivers, per stuiver at fifteen placken). Payable annually on Candlemas, first due on Candlemas 1617. Pledging as security their estate Hoff ant Benninck Vehne, along with house and yard within Bredevoort, and all their movable and immovable goods, to recover the aforementioned yearly pension along with costs and damages by distraint according to land law. With the right reserved to redeem the pension annually by giving one quarter’s notice, and then on Candlemas (Purification of Mary), fourteen days before or after without delay, by paying the sum of fifty dalers of the aforementioned currency. This ceded and issued, and renounced by hand and word; guarantee, better written deed, and confirmation promised. All under penalty of distraint as prescribed, without exception or deceit.
Wednesday, 19 February 1617: Statholder Herman van Munster, assessors Johan Nachtegaell, Herman Steinrot, Peter Evertz.
Appeared Bernt Huijninck and Enneken Snijders, spouses, who declared for themselves and their heirs that for a well-paid sum of money, by right of perpetual and irrevocable inheritance, they have transferred and sold to Joerden ten Neerhave and Jenneken, spouses, and their heirs, a piece of land, of approximately three schepelsaet, on the Aelter Ess, situated with one side bordering land now belonging to the purchaser, Mechtelt Snijders, and with the other side bordering the common road, with one end bordering Peter Martens’ land, and the other end stretching to the Barlschen Heelwech, with its appurtenances and rights, free of all encumbrances. This inherited, ceded and issued, and renounced by hand, straw, and word; guarantee, better written deed, and hereditary confirmation promised according to land law, by hypothecation of their goods. Without exception or deceit.
Saturday, 10 January 1618: Drost and Judge Gosswin van Lawick, assessors Henrick Menekinck, Jan ten Berge.
Appeared Gerrit Gijsberts, gatekeeper in Bredevoort and Mechtelt Snijders, spouses, who declared for themselves and their heirs that for a well-paid sum of money, they transferred and sold by right of perpetual and irrevocable inheritance to Joerden ten Neerhave and Jenneken, spouses, and their heirs, a piece of arable land of approximately two moldersaet, called Snijders Stucke, on the Aelter Ess, bounded on one side by the Nonhaver Cruijss plot and on the other side by land belonging to the purchaser, with one end bordering Peter Marten’s land and the other end stretching to the Barlschen wech, with its appurtenances and rights, free of all encumbrances, reserving to the Hoff ten Ahave the tenth sheaf. This inherited, ceded and issued, and renounced by hand, straw, and word; guarantee, better written deed, and hereditary confirmation promised according to land law. Without exception or deceit.
Wednesday, 29 March 1620: Statholder Herman van Munster, assessors Herman Steinrotz, Lenardt van Elverfelt, Peter Evertss.
Appeared Peter Evertz and Margareta Mächtes, spouses, who declared for themselves and their heirs that for a well-paid sum of money, they transferred and sold by right of perpetual and irrevocable inheritance to Joerden ten Neerhave and Henricke ten Ruell Geesken, spouses, and their heirs, a piece of land previously purchased from the Marcke, with its ditches, embankments, and boundaries, situated in the parish of Aalten, district of Lintell, in the Aelter Hemell, with one end stretching to the Kortbeker Maet, with its appurtenances and rights, free of all encumbrances, reserving the lord’s taxes as may be assessed upon it. This inherited, ceded and issued, and renounced by hand, straw, and word; guarantee, better written deed, and hereditary confirmation promised according to land law, by pledging the sellers’ goods. Without exception or deceit.
Appeared Willem ten Brincke and Marrie, spouses, who declared for themselves and their heirs that for a well-paid sum of money, they transferred and sold by right of perpetual and irrevocable inheritance to Joerden ten Neerhave and Jenneken, spouses, and their heirs, a piece of land of approximately one Moldergeseijs on the Aelter Esch, bounded on one side by Ebbert Wever’s land and on the other side by Geerdte Lock’s land, in its borders and boundaries, with one end stretching to the Heelwech and the other end to Hoeneper Landt, with all its old and new appurtenances and rights, free of all encumbrances. This ceded and issued, and renounced by hand, straw, and word; guarantee, better written deed, and hereditary confirmation promised according to land law, under hypothecation of the sellers’ goods. Without objection or deceit.
5 Mtr. gesaeis, Jorden Neerhof, hier gaet af 1½ sch. an Kerck, blijft 4 mdr. 2½ sch. 38 – 10 – 8. An de Kerck te Aelten 2 dlr. 3 – 0 -. Een stuck groen lants in Lintel gelegen van 3 voeder hoij gewass of 2 koeweidens 9 – 0 -.
Liberal Gift 1748
Below is a fragment from this tax register mentioning Hendrik Neerhof and Janna Eppink, as well as their son Rosier Neerhof and his wife Beerndeken Beestman. They declared under oath that their assets amounted to 1800 and 700 guilders respectively and paid their taxes duly.
Immediately below it is noted that the couple Hindrik ter Beek and Lisebeth op den Heuvel lived ‘in Neerhofs Spikker’ (or ‘Spieker’). They possessed less than 500 guilders but evidently paid a voluntary contribution.
J(oe/o/ue)rden was a farmer at Neerhof in 1650 (Land Tax Register, original register).
Child:
Salike Nerhofs (Dale), married Wendel Brunsinck in Dinxperlo in 1664
Next residents:
Hendrik Neerhof (? – < 04-1697) ⚭ ca. 1654 Deve (Eva) te Gantvoort (? – > 03-1697), this was her second marriage
On 29 March 1697, Deven Neerhoff, widow of Hendrick Neerhoff, appeared before the statholder in Bredevoort with all her children “born of her first and second marriage”. The children, therefore, evidently came from two of the mother’s marriages. Who the first husband was, we do not know.
As far as is known, Deve was the only child of Thoebe te Hondorp, called Gantvoort, and Lotte te Welpshof. Deve was an heir to the Gantvoort farmstead, and thus her children were as well. The document describes how Deve and seven of her children sold their inheritance share in the Gantvoort estate to the eighth child and (half-)sister, Hendersken, and her husband, Wander Nijhof.
(Step)children:
Hendersken Neerhof (c. 1655), ⚭ (1) 1679 Aalten Lubbert Luiten, (2) 1682 Warner Nijhof at Nijhof in Barlo
Jenneken / Jannetie Neerhof (Bredevoort, bap. Jan. 1658 – < 1700), ⚭ 1693 Aalten Antonij ten Hietbrink, they left for Amsterdam
Geertjen Neerhof (c. 1662), ⚭ 1684 Aalten Hendrik ter Sligt at Gantvoort in Barlo
Derck Neerhof (Bredevoort, bap. May 1665), ⚭ 1694 Aalten Wendele in ’t Heegt
Geert Neerhof (Aalten, bap. 04-10-1668), ⚭ 1702 Aalten Geesken Hoopmans, they left for Varsseveld
Thobe Neerhof alias Tolkamp (Dale – Barlo, 1720/1721), ⚭ 1694 Aalten Geesken Nieuwhof at Tolkamp in Barlo
Hendrik Neerhof alias Hondorp alias Lijsen, ⚭ 1690 Aalten Grietjen Lijsen at Liezen in Dale
Antonij / Tonis Neerhof alias Vrieseler (Aalten, bap. 02-04-1671 – < 1760), ⚭ 1705 Bocholt Schwantgen Frieselaer (Swenneken Vrieseler), they lived at the Haesencamp in Silvolde from 1707 onwards (source)
Next residents, son and daughter in law:
Derck Neerhof (Bredevoort, bap. mei 1665) ⚭ 18-11-1694 Aalten Wendele aan ’t Heeght (Aalten, bap. 02-12-1666)
Children:
Hendrik Neerhof (1695 – 1763), ⚭ 1717 Janna Eppink
Dersken Neerhof (1697 – 1719)
Janna Neerhof (1700 – ?)
Eva Neerhof (1697 – 1719)
Jan Neerhof (Buunk) (1700 – 1787), ⚭ 1724 Berentje Buunk at Beunk in Lintelo
Dela Johanna Neerhofemployed (Dale, 06-02-1843), daughter of Willem Neerhof and Engelina Heusinkveld at Krieger. So she is a cousin of the four aforementioned brothers *
* * They left (presumably in the spring of 1868) for Haart 19 (Lievers) and, in 1869, for America. At the same time, the newlywed Houwers couple moved from Lievers to Neerhof.
Next residents:
Arent Jan Houwers (Dale, 28-04-1824 – Dale, 28-10-1880), farmer ⚭ 02-04-1868, Aalten Grada Aleida Ormel (De Heurne, 13-10-1843 – Dale, 12-04-1875)
Following their father’s death, the three orphans were taken in by relatives on other farms (as noted below). ‘Bouwplaats Het Neerhof’ was to be let out for the time being:
The following residents came from Wisch in early 1881:
In the rural district of Dale, there was once the manorial estate known as Neerhof. Here is a piece of history about ‘t Neerhof that we found in a booklet:
“When the Saxons were subjugated by the Franks and Charlemagne became the landowner, he established Frankish landholdings where the ‘schout’ or ‘scholte’—the lord’s representative—would reside. They were responsible for collecting taxes, and the Saxon farmers became subservient to the lord’s ‘hof’ (court/estate).
In every district of Aalten, we find an old, distinguished estate, all of which strongly suggest that they share the aforementioned origin. In the past, all these farmsteads were surrounded by a moat. Each farmstead is situated on the edge of an ‘es’ (es-land) in such a way that the latter extends around it, virtually in the shape of a half-moon, so that the ‘Hof’ forms the centre. This indicates that the large-scale cultivation of the essen must have originated from the ‘Hof’ and was continued progressively further outwards.
The Aaltense Es is, in fact, the es of the district of Dale (= low-lying area). It lies within a semi-circle with a radius of approximately two kilometres around the Havezathe (manor house) De Pol, with the latter as its centre point.
A remarkable circumstance now arises in that we still find two adjacent estates in Dale called ‘Nonhof’ and ‘Neerhof’. Both farmsteads lie quite a distance from the Ahof ‘De Pol’, but this is clear if we take into account the location and extent of Dale; these farmsteads could easily occupy their positions in the lower-lying west of Dale. It is said that brothers and sisters of an order may also have lived here.
In the past, the Neerhof and Nonhof estates belonged to the St. Antonie vicarage, which was established in the Aalten Church. Later, they became domains of the sovereign.
According to some, the name is derived from ‘d’n Heerhof’, which merged into ‘de Neerhof’.
At the beginning of the 17th century, we also encounter the spelling ‘Neerhave’.
Bredevoort Judicial Archives, voluntary deeds, 29 March 1697In 1748, five soldiers were billeted at Neerhof.Excerpt from the land registry entry, 1876Graafschapbode, 4 December 1880Nieuwe Vlaardingsche Courant, 25 August 1888Graafschapbode, 31 August 1889Excerpt from the land registry entry, 1960
On 8 February 1945, a mistake bombing took place in the Aalten rural district of Dale, in which eleven people were killed. In memory of these victims, a monument was unveiled in 1988 on the corner of Aladnaweg and Grevinkweg.
Less than three months before the end of the war, on February 8, 1945, American B-26 Marauder bombers took off from their base in Cambrai in northern France. Their primary target was the area around Kleve, and if that was not possible, they had an alternative target at Groenlo. At Kleve it was too cloudy and so they flew on, but also in the Achterhoek the visibility was poor. Just after 11:00 a.m., they dropped 528 fragmentation bombs.
Two hours later, the aircraft returned safely to Cambrai. Their mission report stated: “Impossible to determine further damage or to locate pattern accurately due to 80% cloud cover”.
Death and destruction
The deadly cargo ended up in the vicinity of the Elshoek and the Grevink in Dale, with terrible consequences. The hundreds of splinter bombs caused death and destruction. The shards flew horizontally across the ground and affected both people and animals. Everywhere lay dismembered horses, cows, sheep, chickens and geese. Some farms suffered direct hits.
All doctors, nurses and emergency services were sent to the crash site. In the mud and among the rubble, they provided first aid to the wounded. These were transported on stretchers and ladders to Huize Avondvrede on the Hogestraat. From there, the seriously injured were transferred to the emergency hospital in Harreveld.
The bombing eventually claimed eleven lives and left several people permanently disabled.
Thes laughter offerings
In the kitchen of the Neerhof family’s farm ‘t Olde Nooitgedacht , Joop de Roon from Rotterdam was found dead. At the Glieuwe farm, where the Hogenkamp family lived, daughter Anna and sons Herman and Jozef were killed. The Bekerhuis farm of the Te Grotenhuis family was completely destroyed. There were four victims here: the children Arie and Teun te Grotenhuis and the brothers Hendrik and Gerrit Stronks, who were in hiding there.
In addition, bombs also fell in the Haartsestraat. Clarel Smit, who had just left Van Lente’s house, was so injured in his feet and legs that he died four months later in the emergency hospital in Harreveld.
The monument
The monument in memory of the victims consists of four stones, from the remains of the house of the Te Grotenhuis family. Mr. Te Grotenhuis piled up these stones at the place in question after the bombing. For years, the stones functioned as an unofficial memorial. In 1988, at the insistence of the local population, they were recognized as an official monument.
The monument for the victims of the mistake bombing in Dale
The names of the victims are inscribed on the memorial stone:
G.J. BRUS 62 YEARS OLD
G.A. BRUS-STRONKS 63 YEARS OLD
A.J. TE GROOTENHUIS 12 YEARS OLD
A. TE GROOTENHUIS 10 YEARS
M. VAN DER HARST 25 YEARS OLD
J.M. HOGENKAMP 22 YEARS OLD
H.J. HOGENKAMP 15 YEARS OLD
J.B.A. HOGENKAMP 6 YEARS OLD
J. DE ROON 18 YEARS OLD
H.W. STRONKS 33 YEARS OLD
G.W. STRONKS 26 YEARS OLD
Sources
Aalten in wartime, J.G. ter Horst
If only I could see them again, the bombing of Dale 8 February 1945, H. de Beukelaer
On or under, Aalten, the land of the people in hiding and of illegality, G.W. Vaags
Interview with Karel Aversteeg (Louis Veldhuis and Gerrit Nijman)
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