Polstraat 9-11, Aalten

Overview

De Ahof, also known as De Pol, was a manor house and estate on the edge of the village of Aalten. Old records refer to it as ‘Hof ten Ahave’, later shortened to Ahof. The name derives from the word ‘aa’ (water), meaning a manor by the water.

Early history

De Ahof was first mentioned in a charter from 1281, when it was subject to the Lordship of Bredevoort. It was later granted in fief to the Count of Lohn, who resided at the castle in Stadtlohn. Little survives of the original estate and manor house, farm and associated watermill, and it is therefore not known what the old manor house looked like.

The present monumental farmhouse ‘De Pol’ dates from 1743. It is one of Aalten’s oldest buildings and for a long time was also one of its most prominent farms. The name ‘De Pol’ refers to a raised area in the landscape.

Moat and watermill

At the beginning of the twentieth century, P. van de Weele of Rotterdam wrote a booklet about the manor house. The earliest resident he was able to trace was the widow Trijne van Ahave, who lived there in 1529. Her husband’s name remained unknown.

Van der Weele wrote that the moat around the building had only recently been filled in. It was connected to the Slingebeek. On the west side of the manor stood a watermill consisting of two buildings on opposite banks of the stream. The mill served both as a corn mill and an oil mill, but fell into disrepair towards the end of the nineteenth century. In 1901 the municipality demolished the mill and its associated buildings.

When Van der Weele wrote his booklet, Engelbartha Hendrika Arentzen was the last member of the family that had lived at the house for many years. In the early twentieth century De Pol came into the possession of the Prinsen family, with Hente Prinsen as its last resident.

Sociale functie

Mayor Bekius worked to preserve the building in its original state. Over the centuries De Pol fulfilled an important social role. Long ago it was a significant meeting place because the leading farmer of the area lived there. During the French period it served as a gathering place for resistance activities, and in 1906 it was the setting for Aalten’s first football match. In 1988 De Ahof was given a new use as a petting farm.

Archives

Verpondingskohier (Land Tax Register), 1647

Reiner Grievinck Schulte ten Ahave.
House and barn, valued at 18 dalers. 27 – 0 -.
A yard of 3 schepels of sowing land. 9 – 0 -. ’t Blijck: 3 mudde of sowing land. 25 – 0 -.
On the ’t Bergh plot: 2½ mudde. 20 – 16 – 8. Rovenkampken: 2 schepels. 4 – 3 -.
t’Weideken an t’Blick 3 sch. 6 – 4 – 8. Klouvers camp 5 sch. 10 – 8 -.
Den Meulencamp 1 mdr. 8 – 6 – 8.
Enclosed land called ’t Seechfrede, 3 cow-grazings, is assessed under Haart.
On the Esch: 2 schepels of sowing land. 4 – 3 -.

Residents

First known residents:

Reijntgen ten Ahoff (Aalten – Aalten, 1567), married
(1) before 1542 to Styne to Kortbeck (Heurne – Aalten, 1549/1550), daughter of Johan and Alyth te Cortbeeck
(2) to Hilleken

Next residents, daughter of Reijntgen and Stijne and son-in-law:

Johan Grevinck (Aalten – Aalten < 1598), son of Berent and Hermannen Grevinck
Stijne ten Ahoff / Ahave (Aalten – Aalten, 1623)

Next residents, widow and second husband:

Herman ten Poelhuijs (Meddo – Aalten, 1601), z.v. Coene Harmelinck alias ten Poelhuijs (den Olden)
Stijne ten Ahoff / Ahave (Aalten – Aalten, 1623)

Next residents, son of Johan and Stijne and daughter-in-law:

Reiner Gr(i)evinck (Aalten)
Hendrixken Theben (Winterswijk), daughter of Johan Theben and Joist Lebbinck

Reijner is recorded as Scholte between 1601 and 1664 (Hofboek).

Next residents, son:

Gijsbert Gr(i)evinck (Aalten, ca. 1606 – Aalten, 1665/1666)

Gijsbert Reinerszoon Gr(i)evinck was subject to the manor in 1636 and was then 30 years old (Hofboek).

Next residents, son and son-in-law:

Berent Gr(i)evin(c)k (Aalten – Aalten, 1700/1701), married
(1) married in Aalten on 01-04-1667 to Jenneken Scha(a/e)rs (Aalten – Aalten, 1678/1679)
(2) married in Aalten on 05-03-1679 to Gerritjen Locken (Aalten)

Next residents, daughter and son-in-law:

Berent Arentsen (Varsseveld), married in Aalten on 11-12-1701 to
Janna Gr(i)evink (Aalten – Aalten < 1748)

Next residents, son and daughter-in-law:

Roelof Aren(t/z)sen (Aalten, 23-01-1707 – Aalten, 1744–1747), married in Aalten on 26-12-1731 to
Barta Willemina (te) Bak (Aalten, 25-11-1714 – Aalten, 04-04-1771)

Next residents, widow and second husband:

B(e/a)rent ter Dam (Aalten, 01-11-1716 – Aalten, 10-03-1796), married in Aalten on 13-05-1747 to
Barta Willemina (te) Bak (Aalten, 25-11-1714 – Aalten, 04-04-1771)

B(e/a)rent was a nephew of Roelof Aren(t/z)sen.

Next residents, son of Roelof and Barta Willemina and daughter-in-law:

Bernardus Arent(z/s)en (Aalten, 19-07-1733 – Aalten, 26-09-1780), married (1) in Aalten on 22-04-1758 to
Janna Geertruid Roerdink (Winterswijk, 02-11-1738 – Aalten, 27-07-1767)

After marrying Janna Geertruid Roerdink, Bernardus succeeded his stepfather Berend ten Dam as steward of De Ahof. On 17-12-1760 he renewed the oath of fealty required for that office. Bernardus is mentioned as Roelof’s guardian on 07-10-1777. After the death of his sister Johanna Willemina, he also became guardian of her children. Bernardus was buried in Aalten on 30-09-1780. The children Grada, Roelof and Willem Lodewijk are mentioned in the will of their aunt Gesina dated 20-04-1785 (Judicial Archive of Bredevoort, inv. no. 601, sealed wills).

Next residents, widower and second wife:

Bernardus Arent(z/s)en (Aalten, 19-07-1733 – Aalten, 26-09-1780), married (2) in Aalten on 20-08-1768 to
J(oh)anna Willemina Hijink (Winterswijk, 11-02-1751 – Aalten, 23-11-1808)

Next residents, widow and second husband:

Garrit Jan Roerdink (Winterswijk, 26-02-1744 – Aalten, 09-01-1817), married in Aalten on 18-07-1784 to
J(oh)anna Willemina Hijink (Winterswijk, 11-02-1751 – Aalten, 23-11-1808)

Garrit Jan was a brother of Janna Geertruid Roerdink.

Next residents, son of Bernardus and Janna Geertruid and daughter-in-law:

Roelof Arent(s/z)en (Aalten, 12-08-1763 – Aalten, 07-10-1849), married in Aalten on 18-07-1784 to
Johanna Harmina L(i/e)essink alias Roerdink (Winterswijk, 11-02-1761 – Aalten, 01-12-1840)

Roelof and Johanna Harmina were first cousins.

Next residents, son and daughter-in-law:

Bernardus Arent(s/z)en (Aalten, 19-10-1788 – Dorpbuurt, 10-05-1840), married (1) in Aalten on 20-08-1811 to
Josi(e)na Aleida te Lintum (Woold, 12-12-1789 – Woold, 01-03-1823)

Bernardus moved to Winterswijk around 1820, returned to Aalten after his wife died and, after his second marriage in 1827, lived at Rikkers in Dorpbuurt.

Population Register 1823–1837

“De Pol”

Aalten 230

Roelof Arentzen (Aalten, baptised 18-12-1763), assessor
Johanna Harmina (Roerdink) at Liessink (Winterswijk, baptised 11-02-1761)

Population Register 1838–1850

Aalten 213

Roelof Arentzen (Aalten, baptised 18-12-1763), assessor
Johanna Harmina (Roerdink) at Liessink (Winterswijk, baptised 11-02-1761)

Next residents:

Jacobus Arnoldus Hendrikus Prins (Aalten, 02-08-1814), bierbrouwer
Engelbartha Hendrika Arentzen (Aalten, 24-06-1802)

Population Register 1850–1860

“Nieuwstraat”

Aalten 213

Jacobus Arnoldus Hendrikus Prins (Aalten, 02-08-1814), bierbrouwer
Engelbartha Hendrika Arentzen (Aalten, 24-06-1802)

Next residents:

Population Register 1860–1870

Aalten 214

Roelof Arentzen (Aalten, 01-02-1812), molenaar
Hendriene Hondorp (Aalten, 05-12-1816)

Population Register 1870–1880

Aalten 286

Roelof Arentzen (Aalten, 01-02-1812), molenaar
Hendriene Hondorp (Aalten, 05-12-1816)

Population Register 1880–1890

Aalten 327

Roelof Arentzen (Aalten, 01-02-1812)
Hendriene Hondorp (Aalten, 05-12-1816)

Next residents:

Bernardus Arentzen (Haart, 21-10-1842), farmer
Tonia Tolkamp (Haart, 09-06-1850)

Next residents:

Population Register 1890–1900

Population Register 1900–1910

Population Register 1910–1920

Address Directory 1934

Address Directory 1967

Owners

This overview is incomplete.

Year	Plot	Owner	Description
1832	I-185	Roelof Arentzen, assessor	2,940 m² house, barn & yard
1881	I-185	Bernardus Arentzen, kunstdraaijer	2,940 m² house & barn
1894	I-4561	Engelbartha Hendrika Arentzen	6,411 m² house, yard & garden

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