From 1852 to 1919, the Aalten electoral district was one of the sixteen Gelderland electoral districts for the Provincial Council. The district comprised the municipalities of Aalten, Winterswijk, and Dinxperlo and held three seats.
Following the constitutional revision of 1848, which for the first time enabled direct elections of the Provincial Council under census suffrage (voting rights for men who met a certain income requirement)1 – and the Provincial Act of 1850, Gelderland was divided into sixteen districts in 1852, including Aalten.2
With the introduction of universal male suffrage in 1917 and the Elections Act of 1919, the elections of April 10, 1919, were the first to use proportional representation within a single province-wide constituency, after which the Aalten electoral district ceased to exist.3
Origin and background
During the reign of King William I (1772–1843), provincial governments were appointed bodies in which nobility and local notables held seats without election. It was only with the constitutional revision of 1848 that members of the Provincial Council could be directly elected, albeit still on the basis of census suffrage.1
Establishment of the Aalten electoral district
In 1850, the Provincial Act came into effect, which determined, among other things, how members of the Provincial Council were elected. Two years later, the Act regulating the division of provinces into electoral districts of November 5, 1852 (Bulletin of Acts and Decrees No. 197) established the final division: Gelderland was split into sixteen electoral districts, including Aalten.2
Abolition and transition to proportional representation
The constitutional revision of 1917 introduced universal male suffrage and heralded the abolition of the district system. The Elections Act of 1919 put an end to small electoral districts and introduced a single province-wide constituency with proportional representation in all provinces. This system was first applied during the Gelderland elections of April 10, 1919, at which point the Aalten electoral district ceased to exist.3
Delegates
Some well-known Council members representing the Aalten electoral district: 1
In 1847, a large group of people from the Achterhoek departed for America, hoping for a better life. Among them were dozens of residents from Aalten. Just before they reached their final destination, their ship, the ‘Phoenix’, caught fire on Lake Michigan. An estimated 250 to 300 people lost their lives.
Memorial plaque for the Phoenix disaster, Sheboygan
The beautiful wooden boat named ‘Phoenix’ was only two years old when it steamed toward the west coast of Lake Michigan on November 20, 1847, carrying approximately 175 Dutch passengers, 23 crew members, and an unknown number of other occupants. The emigrants on board came from Winterswijk, Aalten, Varsseveld, Apeldoorn, Holten, and various other places. A day later, they were to reach their Promised Land in Sheboygan after an exhausting voyage. Children were put to sleep in the cabins for the last time.
On November 11, the Phoenix had departed from Buffalo to sail via Lake Erie and Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. Only thirty miles from their destination, the Phoenix entered the harbor of Manitowoc. Some cargo was unloaded, but when the captain noticed the weather conditions were too stormy, he kept his ship in the harbor until the lake would calm down. The crew went ashore. Some claimed they were intoxicated upon their return.
At one o’clock in the morning, with the lake calm and the night filled with stars, the Phoenix departed for the final leg of the journey to Sheboygan. Due to the heavy load, the boilers overheated, but the crew treated the matter lightly. However, around four o’clock in the morning, thick smoke and the stench of smoldering wood emerged from the engine room, and the alarm was raised.
Burn or drown
Painting of the Phoenix disaster
Vain attempts were made on board the Phoenix to extinguish the fire with buckets of water. But the wooden vessel soon burned like a torch. Two lifeboats were lowered into the water, with which 43 occupants managed to cover the five miles to the coast—one using a wooden shoe as an oar; twenty-five of them were Dutch.
The remaining passengers had two options: burn or drown. They jumped into the water but stood no chance. The water was ice-cold, and they became hypothermic within minutes. Even if one could swim, any attempt to reach the shore was futile.
An estimated two hundred and fifty to three hundred people died, including nearly 100 children. It is remarkable how the handful of surviving emigrants still managed to start a new life. They had no choice.
Residents of Oud-Aalten on the Phoenix
In the middle of the last century, many people from the Achterhoek left for religious reasons. They were mostly dissenters from the Dutch Reformed Church who no longer felt at home here due to their liberal thinking. This was also true for the Achterhoek passengers on the Phoenix, including the Aalten residents Brusse, Navis, and Krajenbrink from the rural district of Lintelo.
From oral tradition, the names of fourteen people from Aalten who became victims of the disaster are known. Regarding others, one is left in the dark. They departed from Aalten on August 16, 1847, together with 78 others. However, conservative estimates suggest that fifty to seventy-five residents of Aalten perished.
A list of (possible) passengers of the Phoenix and who likely did or did not survive the disaster can be found on the website dutchgenealogy.nl by Yvette Hoitink.
Podcasts and documentary
From left to right: cameraman Maarten Schellekens, documentary filmmaker Diny van Hoften, Mary Risseeuw from Sheboygan, and podcaster Joske Meerdink.
At the end of 2020, Winterswijk podcast creator Joske Meerdink from Omroep Gelderland accidentally came across the story of the Phoenix disaster. She was surprised that she did not know the story and noticed that the Phoenix disaster was also relatively unknown to her fellow villagers. Consequently, she decided to delve into the story.
During her search, Joske, together with documentary filmmaker Diny van Hoften, visited Sheboygan, where they spoke with descendants of the disaster’s survivors. They also joined a shipwreck hunter to search for remains of the Phoenix (and found them!).
Her search resulted in a series of podcasts and a two-part documentary. These can be heard and viewed at Omroep Gelderland.
The documentary that Omroep Gelderland broadcast in early 1998 about the Phoenix disaster can also be seen here. In the documentary, made by Sacha Barraud, a group from the Achterhoek, including Aalten resident Evert Smilda, is followed as they travel to Sheboygan in late 1997 to attend the 150th anniversary commemoration of the Phoenix disaster.
Emigration to North America
During the 19th century, thousands of people left the Achterhoek region to build a new life in the United States. Many residents also departed from Aalten, searching for freedom, land, and new opportunities.
The ‘t Walfort Estate lies between Aalten and Bredevoort. Historically, it was part of the ‘t Walfort Manor (Havezathe) and comprises woodlands, hedgerows, and wooded banks. The boundaries of the estate were marked by so-called hunting posts (jachtpalen). Today, 13 of these posts are still visible; one of them stands on the former driveway to the manor and is therefore not on the boundary of the hunting grounds. It is presumed that more posts originally surrounded ‘t Walfort.
According to the re-enacted Hunting Act of 1814, hunting grounds had to be demarcated with posts bearing the text “private hunt of” (private jagt van) followed by the owner’s name. These hunting posts marked the extent of his hunting territory.
A description by the Gelders Genootschap mentions that the hunting posts were placed around 1837/1838 by the then owner, Baron Jan van Pallandt van Walfort (1776–1844). He lived in Arnhem on the Klarenbeek estate and also purchased Angerenstein and Rennenenk in Arnhem. He was also a member of the Provincial Executive (Gedeputeerde Staten) of Gelderland.
The hunting posts are made of red sandstone, presumably sourced from quarries in the vicinity of the Weser or the Main rivers. Their total length is 2.5 to 3 metres. The posts are rectangular (approx. 25 x 20 cm) with chamfered corners. The top is a four-sided pyramid. In terms of finish, they are gefrijnd: horizontally ribbed. On one side, there is a rectangular, smoothly finished field containing the text: “Havezate Walvoort of Walfort Privative Jacht”. Several of the remaining posts are either damaged or have been shortened.
The hunting posts have been designated as a municipal monument by the municipality of Aalten.2
Map of the Free Hunting Grounds of Walfort Manor, 1836
All hunting posts in a row
The numbers of the photographs correspond with the numbers on the map above.
After the Allied powers definitively defeated Napoleon in 1815, the Northern and Southern Netherlands were unified. The new Kingdom of the Netherlands was ruled by King William I. However, problems soon arose between the south and the north. There were significant political, economic, cultural, and religious differences.
Belgian Revolution in Brussels, 1830. By Gustave Wappers
National Militia Call-up
On February 15, 1827, the Provincial Gazette of Gelderland published a Decree in which 460 men from Gelderland, including twelve from Aalten, were summoned to appear at the ‘Government Building’ in Arnhem at 8:00 AM on February 27 as reservists of the National Militia. As of March 1, they were required to be ‘under arms.’ A number of them would not return alive.
More residents of Aalten served, as evidenced by the decorations awarded later (see further on in this article). However, we do not yet have a complete overview of them. Further information is therefore welcome.
Ten Days’ Campaign
In August 1830, the Belgians revolted. At the end of September, an army was sent from the North to restore order. The Belgian resistance proved more stubborn than expected, and after a few days, the army was forced to withdraw from Brussels.
To avenge this defeat, King William I sent a larger force to Belgium on August 2, 1831. France decided to intervene and sent an army of 40,000 men to the Southern Netherlands. Consequently, William I withdrew his army. All in all, the conflict had lasted 10 days.
The Ten Days’ Campaign took place from August 2–12, 1831. The military operation was led by Prince William of Orange (the later King William II), who agreed to an armistice on August 12, 1831, after the Belgians surrendered Leuven. In the following week, the Dutch troops withdrew to North Brabant. Only the Citadel of Antwerp remained occupied under the command of Chassé (‘General Bayonet’) until the capitulation in December 1832.
In 1937, G.H. Rots wrote in the Aaltensche Courant about the Ten Days’ Campaign:
“Peace arrived, and the population returned to their labors. But peace would not last forever. The struggle between the Northern and Southern provinces ignited, and known as the ten days’ campaign, battle had to be joined once more. Once again, young men from Aalten marched off to join the struggle. This conflict was not particularly bloody, and most returned safely to their homes.”
Those who had participated in that ten days’ campaign received a medal. In our youth, there were two veterans in Aalten who wore this decoration. During national festivities, they would be seated in a landau, drawn by two horses, and took the place of honor in the procession. The names of these last Aalten veterans were Lorijn and Loohuis. The medal of the latter is now in the possession of Mr. J.S.S. Prins.”
The Citadel of Antwerp
Marshal Gérard and the French princes pay their respects to General Chassé amidst the ruins of the citadel.
Shortly after the uprising in 1830, a portion of the Dutch military had retreated to Antwerp. At the end of October, General Chassé concentrated them in the citadel. This garrison was reinforced after August 1831. On December 24, 1832, General Chassé surrendered to the French army, which had been called to aid by the Belgians, following heavy artillery bombardments and a 25-day siege.
The French Marshal Gérard also demanded the important Scheldt forts Lillo and Liefkenshoek. These were no longer under Chassé’s command, so they could not be negotiated. Gérard then offered the choice between surrendering the forts or taking the soldiers to France as prisoners of war. Only William I could provide a solution. He refused.
Prisoners of War
On December 29 and 30, 1832, over 4,500 Dutch soldiers departed for Northern France as prisoners of war. However, because France and the Netherlands were not at war with each other, they were effectively hostages. The journey took eight days of marching through Zwijndrecht, Melsele, St.-Niklaas, Lokeren, Deinze, Desselgem, Kortrijk, Menen, Ypres, Vlamertinge, Poperinge, Steenvoorde, and Cassel. On January 5, Saint-Omer was reached via Arques. Part of the Infantry continued to Béthune, another part with the Artillery and Engineers to Hesdin, and the Navy to Aire.
The La Barre barracks in Saint-Omer, where a large portion of the Dutch soldiers remained in captivity.
On May 21, 1833, the Convention of London brought about a partial lifting of the state of war. The prisoners of war were to be released. On June 8, four French frigates, three corvettes, and one brig set sail from Dunkirk for Vlissingen. A day later, they made landfall in Vlissingen and marched to Middelburg that same day.
It would take until 1838 before the Dutch King William I sullenly threw in the towel. With the signing of the Treaty of London in 1839, the separation of Belgium became a fact.
Awards and Recognition
All those who had been under arms and were deemed to have participated in the military operations during the Ten Days’ Campaign were decorated with the Metal Cross. This commemorative medal, also known as the ‘Hasselt Cross,’ was awarded in recognition of their proven loyalty to King and Fatherland. The bronze crosses were struck from the metal of the cannons captured from the Belgian Army of the Meuse during the Battle of Hasselt on August 8, 1831.
By Royal Decree of May 31, 1833, King William I of the Netherlands instituted the Antwerp Medal 1832. This was to be awarded as a “reward to those who, during the siege of the Citadel of Antwerp in the period from November 28 to December 24, 1832, served in the citadel and subordinate forts (Vlaamsche Hoofd, Burcht, Zwijndrecht, and Austruweel), as well as on the flotilla on the Scheldt before Antwerp.”
Decorated Aalten residents
A number of Aalten residents are known to have been decorated with the Metal Cross (MK) for their participation in the Ten Days’ Campaign and/or the Citadel Medal (CM) for the defense of the Antwerp citadel. Below are the names and decorations currently known to us.
MK: Jan Anthonij Bekink (1812-1898), lived in the Peperstraat.
MK: Joan Henricus (Jan Hendrik) Bennink (1807-1832), lived on the Prinsenstraat. He was a flanker with the 2nd Battalion of the 14th Infantry Division when he passed away in a hospital in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
MK: Dirk Jan Hoornenborg (1807-1876), born at Nieuw Hoornenborg on the Haart, lived in Gorssel from ca. 1845 and passed away in Kring van Dorth.
MK: Johannes Christianus Kötcher (1807-1876), lived in Bredevoort.
MK: Hendrik Jan Loohuis (1812-1905), lived the final years of his life in the Avondvrede Rest Home.
MK: Petrus Bernardus Smit (1807-1876), lived on the Hogestraat.
MK+CM: Tonij Stapelkamp (1807-1889), lived on the Hogestraat.
CM: Paulus Lorijn (1811-1899), came to Aalten from Wageningen in 1844 and lived successively at the Piepert, Heurne, and the Roman Catholic hospital on the Hogestraat.
CM: Roelof Somsen (1808-1891), lived on the Pennings farm in Dale.
Toni Stapelkamp’s decorations: the Citadel Medal and the later issued (large) personalized medal for the Commission of Acknowledgement; on the right, the Bronze Cross of the Ten Days’ Campaign (photo submitted by A. Stapelkamp)Zutphensche Courant, 30 November 1882Aaltensche Courant, 1 April 1899Zutphensche Courant, 8 October 1890Nieuws van den Dag, 9 August 1898Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad, 9 June 1905
For nearly two centuries, the municipality of Aalten bore a lime tree (lindeboom) in its official coat of arms. In 2005, Aalten merged with Dinxperlo, which meant a new municipal coat of arms had to be created. Nevertheless, the lime tree remains a central symbol in the local identity.
The coat of arms of the municipality of Aalten (1818–2010)
The coat of arms for the municipality of Aalten was applied for on 3 October 1815 by the then mayor, Christiaan Casper Stumph, and according to his accompanying note, it must have appeared on very old judicial documents. Before that time, the mayor had been obliged to make use of his own family coat of arms. The “very old judicial documents” turned out to be a stamp that Aalten had used as a municipality between 1795 and 1798, until it was incorporated into the Bailiwick (Ambt) of Bredevoort, which used a seal bearing the letters “AB”.
Following the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the High Council of Nobility (Hoge Raad van Adel) drew up guidelines for the registration of municipal coats of arms in 1816. On 7 October 1818, the first official coat of arms was granted to the municipality of Aalten by Royal Decree.
The description of Aalten’s first coat of arms reads:
“Of silver charged with a green tree, standing on a ground of the same.”
The Lime Tree near Berkenhove cemetery, at the junction of the Romienendiek and the Barloseweg
Origin and meaning
The origin of the tree coat of arms is unclear, although there appears to be a connection with surrounding towns. In ancient times, Bredevoort and Groenlo also bore a tree in their coats of arms, as does the nearby German city of Bocholt, which still uses a tree in its emblem today.
The former mayor’s residence on Wehmerstraat in Aalten, featuring the municipal coat of arms on the façade.
The exact reason why the Aalten administration chose a lime tree at the beginning of the 19th century is not documented. It could have been a liberty tree, or it may have been derived from a freestanding lime tree on the Aalten Es near Berkenhove Cemetery, which stood there as early as the 18th century, was replanted in the first half of the 19th century, and replanted once more after World War II.
The choice of a lime tree aligns with a broad Western European tradition. Since the Middle Ages, the lime tree served in many villages as a court-tree (dingboom) or justice-lime (gerechtslinde). Beneath this central tree, administrators and judges gathered to dispense public justice. The symbol thus referred directly to local jurisdiction and the self-governance of the place of origin.
The Municipal Reorganisation (2005)
The current coat of arms of the municipality of Aalten (since 2010)
On 1 January 2005, the municipalities of Aalten and Dinxperlo merged to form the new municipality of Aalten. According to the guidelines of the High Council of Nobility, the heraldic elements of both former municipalities had to be combined into a new design.
On 8 June 2010, the new, composite coat of arms was officially established by Royal Decree. The shield was divided horizontally:
Upper half: The original green lime tree of Aalten on a silver field.
Lower half: The two crossed swords with golden nooses from the old coat of arms of Dinxperlo (originally granted in 1897), placed on a black field.
Crest: Since then, the shield has been surmounted by a golden count’s coronet (three leaves and two pearls).
The Aalten Lime Tree in Delfshaven
An interesting example of the Aalten coat of arms outside the Achterhoek can be found in Rotterdam-Delfshaven. On Havenstraat stands a building dating from 1886, which features a gable stone depicting the old coat of arms of Aalten.
Photo: Google Streetview
Sources
High Council of Nobility (The Hague): Register van Overheidswapens, registration dated 7 October 1818 (Municipality of Aalten) and revision dated 8 June 2010.
Municipality of Aalten: Council resolutions and correspondence with the High Council of Nobility regarding the alteration of the coat of arms (procedure 2005–2010).
In 1937, G.H. Rots described in a series of articles how things transpired in Aalten in former times. Regarding the years of the French occupation, he wrote:
“During the French period, Aalten enjoyed the blessings (?) of French rule. The slogan ‘Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity’ was prevalent at the time, and the liberty tree was planted on the Market Square in Aalten. A new municipal government was appointed, new laws and regulations were established; in short, a different spirit blew through the government buildings. The Batavian Republic was founded, and the House of Orange was finished.
French soldiers were also billeted in Aalten, with all the associated calamities. Although the majority were pro-Orange, people did not dare to express their opinions, and the new regime was accepted. This situation lasted from 1795 to 1799. Secretly, a large part of the population loathed the French occupation.
Then, in 1799, rumors circulated that a Dutch nobleman, A.R. van Heeckeren, also known as Suideras, had crossed the eastern borders at the head of a large army as a liberator and was victoriously driving the French out of the villages.
In other parts of the country, there were also incursions by the English and Russians, who were engaged in war with the French, and thus also with the Batavian Republic. The Orange supporters regained courage, and when Suideras marched into Winterswijk on September 5 and allowed the Orange flag to flutter from the tower once more, Aalten also prepared to receive the liberator.
Great excitement took hold of the population. A certain Jan Derk Hoopman arrived with an axe and already began to chop down the liberty tree. In the afternoon, Suideras arrived in Aalten. The bells were rung. A large crowd welcomed the liberator while singing and dancing. People adorned themselves with Orange, believing that the suffering was finally over. It proved to be a false hope, for the French did not allow themselves to be easily defeated by Suideras.
By the following day, word arrived that a French army was approaching, and indeed, the French General Girod arrived in Aalten with his troops. Jan Derk Hoopman fled, and likely many others took to their heels as well, as house searches were conducted and heavy punishments were meted out. The joy had thus been short-lived. High taxes had to be paid, and earnings were meager.
The ministers held religious services in the open air. For instance, Reverend Westerbeek van Eerten climbed onto a farm cart and encouraged his fellow believers, who had gathered near the ‘De Pol‘ house.
A state of decline set in. The pressure of French rule became increasingly heavy. Young men had to draw lots for French conscription, and when Napoleon needed soldiers for his campaign to Russia, Aalten also had to provide a contingent. They left, never to return. Their remains rest beneath the soil of the Russian steppes, or they perished in the cold waters of the Berezina.
Liberation
Until 1813. Napoleon was defeated in the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig. The Prussians entered our country. The Prince of Orange arrived in our country from England, and once again the cry was ‘Orange Above’. There was jubilation in Aalten once more. The bells were rung again, and now the Orange flag would continue to fly.
One of the Orange scions, Prince Frederick, was at school in Berlin. Having heard of the revolution in the Netherlands, he traveled by stagecoach to The Hague. The route followed the great postal road, which we have described previously. The border crossing took place at the Heurne, and when the population heard that Prince Frederick would pass through Aalten, they went to meet the carriage, unhitched the horses, and pulled the coach through Aalten amidst loud cheering as far as the Zelhemseweg, to the spot where the lime tree stands. Well, that tree was planted then as a memorial to that event, and later the lime tree was established as the official coat of arms of Aalten.
Once more, the boys from Aalten would have to march against the French. When Napoleon escaped from Elba and equipped a large army to reclaim his former glory, the Netherlands had to place its army alongside the allies against him. Young men from Aalten also fought in the Battle of Waterloo. We know what became of Napoleon’s fate then. It had been his final convulsion.”
Prince Frederik of the Netherlands (1797–1881)
Source
‘From Aalten’s Past’, by G.H. Rots, Aaltensche Courant, 11 March 1938 (via Delpher)
The Galgenbulte (Gallows Hill) on the Hollenberg, also known as Klaeskesbulte, was formerly the site where the gallows were erected. This was where condemned criminals, witches, and other scum drew their final breath.
The execution site was strategically located along the road from Aalten to Bredevoort. The hill was excavated in 1939 to widen the main road.
Approximate location
Vehmic Court
During the medieval period, a veemgericht (Vehmic court) was established on the Hollenberg, near the ’t Walfort manor. This was a special court whose sessions were held in the open air near a thicket known as ‘Sleehegge’. Four times a year, justice was administered here at sunrise. A nearby small farmstead is called Galgenhutte. It is said that the equipment for the executions was stored there in a small building. According to local lore, those sentenced to death were permitted to eat their final meal there.
In 1430, Free Count Berend de Dücker, then the mayor of Bocholt, presided over the court here. He led the Vehmic court for 60 years. This Berend was notorious for his severe sentencing, frequently condemning individuals to hanging. The condemned person was hanged with a noose made of willow withes by three anonymous veemschepenen (Vehmic jurors).
A well-known threat used by parents for disobedient children, which persisted until the 20th century, was: ‘De Düker zal ow halen‘ (The Dücker will get you).
Records from the ‘Administrative Organisation of the Lordship of Bredevoort’ indicate that the residents of Kempink and Goorhuis in Heurne were responsible for transporting the convicted criminal to the Hollenberg after the sentence had been read at ’t Zand in Bredevoort. By order of the officer, they were also required, without exception, to transport the gallows, wheel, cross, and other instruments of execution to the site.
By the end of the sixteenth century, the Vehmic court at ’t Walfort had disappeared. It is the only location in the Netherlands where the existence of a Vehmic court has been proven.
Klaas Nijman
On 3 October 1729, following a trial in Bredevoort and sentencing at ’t Zand, Klaas Nijman—32 years old and born in the district of Bocholt—was executed on the Hollenberg. He was a ‘beggar and vagabond’ accused of violent theft, arson, and other offences. Although he had been banished from various places, he continually returned. As a deterrent to others, he was strangled on the Hollenberg and subsequently set on fire.
On 12 February 1770, Harmen Brunsink was executed on the Hollenberg. He lived at the Vosheurne farm in Lintelo and had murdered ‘Aunt’ Hendersken Tannemaat. Harmen did not get along with this live-in aunt of his wife. He claimed to alerted neighbours that she had fallen, but the number and nature of the injuries made his story unbelievable.
Harmen was sentenced to death. The executioner bound him to a wooden cross; first his legs and then his arms were broken. He was subsequently beheaded with an axe. His body was placed on a wheel atop a pole and secured with chains. His head was placed on a stake above it to deter others.
“The fact that death sentences were carried out even after the time of the Vehmic court proves that the end came for many a condemned soul in the vicinity of ’t Walfort. To the right of the road to Bredevoort, hidden under brushwood and trees, is a small mound. That is where the gallows were erected. When someone was to be executed, a number of men were officially summoned to form a circle around the place of execution. This was in case the noose should break or the condemned should break free; the circle of men stood hand-in-hand to prevent escape.
After a long period in which no more death sentences were passed, the last gallows is said to have been erected at the beginning of the last [19th] century. The condemned man was named Klaësken, and surrounded by the circle-closers, he went in procession to the gallows. It seems, however, that they wanted to give the man a chance to flee, for when they reached the Walfortallee, they said to him: ‘That is the road to Prussia.’ The man did not take the hint, and on the hill, as the last in a line of condemned men, he met his end on the gallows. That is why that small mound is still called the Klaëskesbulte.”
In an era when the government provided little to no poor relief, many people were left at the mercy of begging. They roamed from place to place, struggling to make ends meet. During the eighteenth century, the number of vagrants increased significantly. Because these individuals were often regarded as a nuisance by the authorities, and churches lacked the resources to offer them a chance at a better life, the office of the ‘armenjager’ (‘vagrant hunter’ or ‘parish beadle’) was established. This ‘official’ was employed by the local government but often led an impoverished existence himself.
Appointment of Vagrant Hunter Willem Hondarp in 1768
The image below is a fragment from the deed in which, following the death of Antoni Freriks on 5 January 1768, the appointment of Willem Hondarp as vagrant hunter was recorded. The deed also outlines the duties of the office. A complete translation of the transcription follows:
“Whereas, due to the death of Toni Frederiks, Vagrant Hunter of the parish of Aalten, said position has become vacant; and whereas it is of the highest necessity for the peace, quiet, and security of the husbandmen and citizens of Aalten against all violence and nuisance from foreign vagabonds and beggars that this vacant position be filled by another capable person: I have, upon the good testimony given to me of the fearlessness of the person of Willem Hondarp, appointed the same Will. Hondarp, as I hereby appoint him by virtue of these presents, as Vagrant Hunter of the parish of Aalten, upon such emoluments as have been given from of old and are still given. Commanding the aforementioned Willem Hondarp to cause all foreign beggars, vagabonds, and tramps to depart forthwith from the parish of Aalten and indeed from this Lordship; and should any be found who commit any violence or protest, to resist them with force and, if possible, to bring them to the Lord’s prison within Bredevoort.
Vagrant, by Pieter Quast, 1634. Etching: Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
Further commanding him that he shall tolerate no collections, whether by strangers or residents, unless they be provided with a proper note or attestation from the officer or, in the absence of the stadtholder of this Lordship; and to allow those so provided to pass and repass freely and unhindered. Furthermore, in the event that the voogd [warden] or deputy warden should require him, Willem Hondarp, in any exploit and should call or have him called for that purpose, he shall immediately go with said warden or deputy warden and obey and assist him to the best of his ability. Furthermore, to pass through the neighbourhoods from time to time and take care that no nuisance is caused to the husbandmen by any person; further to apprehend and bring in, if possible, all foreign and unauthorised hunters hunting in this Lordship, and should he know any whom he could not bring in, to report them to the officer or his stadtholder, and further to do all that a faithful and orderly Vagrant Hunter is obliged to do, and to take care as much as possible that no complaints arise from the husbandmen.
However, should it happen that the same Willem Hondarp should fall short in any matter and should request proper assistance from the husbandmen, and such assistance be refused him, he shall give notice of that refusal to the officer or to his stadtholder.
All this until our revocation. Given at Walfort House, the 10th of March 1768, and signed by my own hand as Drossard of this Lordship and confirmed with my customary seal.
Signed: Ad. de Pallandt”
Legal Proceedings
On 20 February 1804, a court case was held in Bredevoort against Jan Willem Brusse(n), vagrant hunter. On 23 December, at the house of Goormans in Barlo, he had ‘murderously assaulted’ Willem Beskers. Brusse had struck him on the elbow with a sabre, wounding him so severely that he could no longer use that arm. Brusse confessed but claimed that when he asked Willem Beskers for proof that he was permitted to collect alms, Beskers attacked him. Brusse maintained he had acted only in self-defence. Fine: 25 guilders.
At the beginning of 1750, the quiet village of Aalten was shaken by a series of remarkable religious phenomena. During church services, people burst into tears, sighed loudly, or collapsed as if they had lost consciousness. Some even spoke of encounters with angels or attacks by the devil. These events garnered national attention and would go down in history as the Aalten Commotions.
What happened in Aalten was not an isolated incident. A year earlier, a religious revival had begun in Nijkerk, which quickly gained national fame. The stories of these Nijkerk Commotions spread rapidly and also provided the breeding ground for a separate, intense movement in Aalten.
Impression of the Nijkerk Commotions by Reinier Vinkeles (1788, Atlas Van Stolk)
According to Reverend Philippus de Roy, who served the Reformed Congregation of Aalten at the time, there was a reluctance to repent and a ‘civil religion’ prior to these events, where people faithfully fulfilled their ecclesiastical duties, but faith was not “a matter of the heart.”
At the beginning of 1750, this suddenly changed. In a short period, hundreds of people in the congregation were deeply moved by a realization of their sins. This occurred in such an impressive manner that it spread “from house to house.” De Roy wrote about this:
“Now since the beginning of this year, God has revealed Himself in an outstanding (…) manner through His Spirit in our midst: and discovered hundreds of souls to themselves, by granting them a vivid understanding of the state of misery by nature.”
Intense emotions and physical phenomena
The revival was accompanied by extreme emotions and physical reactions. People became so fearful of God’s punishment that they felt they would “burst from anxiety” or as if their throats were being constricted. Sometimes they tore open their clothes to get air, but this did not help. Reports were made of “indescribable” sighing and groaning, and people trembled and shook throughout their entire bodies.
Some people were so overwhelmed that they fell to the ground and prayed loudly for forgiveness. A woman who fell to her knees during a meeting confessed her sins and pleaded on God’s promises. Later she explained that it was “impossible to restrain oneself because of the heavy burden of sin. Even if the whole world had been there, I would not have been able to keep quiet.” It was not uncommon for people to have to be transported home on carts after a meeting, as if they were wounded.
A village in turmoil
The influx of people was enormous. Church services and catechism classes, which were often held in homes, attracted so many people that the church was too small to accommodate all the visitors. The catechism classes, where the Sunday sermon was discussed, were the places where the commotion was most intense. During an outdoor gathering in May 1750, an “enormous emotion arose simply from the singing of a psalm”.
According to some reports, the number of those “moved” in Aalten was 1,700, even larger than in the more famous Nijkerk, where there were said to be 1,000. Such figures are difficult to verify, but they indicate the perceived scale of the movement.
Responses and the pamphlet war
The remarkable phenomena did not go undiscussed. A lively debate emerged in pamphlets and writings. Critics pointed to possible exaggeration and disorder in the worship services. De Roy responded to this criticism with a letter, addressed to an unknown lady, which was published in print. This booklet, Brief geschreven aan de WelEdele Juffer N.N. (Zutphen 1750), became a sensation: 5,000 copies were sold in three weeks, and a second edition followed as early as July 1750.
The success of this booklet provoked a critical response. In an anonymous pamphlet, De onfeilbare Proef-steen van De nieuwe en zeldzaame Bekeering (Leeuwarden 1750), the movement was fiercely attacked. Opponents accused the commotions of “fanaticism” and “religious enthusiasm.” De Roy did not leave this unanswered and wrote his own defense: De Feilbaarheid van den zo genaamde ONFEILBAREN PROEFSTEEN aangewezen (Zutphen 1750).
End of the commotions
The most intense phenomena in Aalten lasted only a few months. By around the summer of 1750, the intensity decreased. The meetings continued, but the massive emotional outbursts and dramatic scenes became increasingly rare. This pattern was similar to the commotions elsewhere in the Netherlands, such as in Nijkerk. Criticism from ministers, ecclesiastical boards, and anonymous pamphlets played a role in this and contributed to the movement slowly fading out.
Sources
M.J. Oosting, De Aaltense beroeringen in 1750, Aalten 1987
Philippus de Roy, Brief geschreven aan de WelEdele Juffer N.N., Zutphen 1750
De onfeilbare Proef-steen van De nieuwe en zeldzaame Bekeering, Leeuwarden 1750
Philippus de Roy, De Feilbaarheid van den zo genaamde ONFEILBAREN PROEFSTEEN aangewezen, Zutphen 1750
Traveling—whether through one’s own country or abroad—is a pastime of all ages and all peoples. Traveling and the writing of travelogues also took place in Overijssel. The Deventer scholar Mr. G. Dumbar wrote extensively about our country in the 18th century, including Gelderland. In the ‘Tegenwoordige Staat van alle Volkeren’ (Gelderland section), he describes towns and villages in the Achterhoek, from which we derive several insights. Starting at Borculo and moving toward Lichtenvoorde, we shall recount how Dumbar viewed the old lands of the County.
Much has changed; the heathlands and peat bogs have largely disappeared. The treacherous sandy tracks have been replaced by excellent paved roads. The impoverished, hut-like farmhouses have been transformed into proper dwellings for both man and livestock. Many forests have likewise vanished, and along with this progression over the last two centuries, numerous noble houses have gone as well. Towns and villages have changed, yet not so much that they have lost the prominence they already held to this day.
Illustration by Piet te Lintum from the article ‘Boerenleven‘
The Lordship of Bredevoort
From Neede, he moves on to the Lordship of Bredevoort, of which we read that it is of great antiquity. In 1245, the Castle of Bredevoort was granted as a fief by Herman, Count of Loon, to Otto of Nassau, Count of Gelre and Zutphen. William, Duke of Jülich and Gelre, pledged the fief in 1388 to Hendrik van Gemen for three thousand French Shields. Jacob van Bronckhorst later held the same right of pledge with the consent of the States of Gelderland. However, having chosen the side of the enemy in 1580, the town, along with the castle and the Lordship of Bredevoort, was given to Prince William I. His descendants still held the Lordship in 1741.
The Town of Bredevoort
As for the town of Bredevoort, conditions in 1741 were better than they are today. At that time, it was home to the bailiff and the Richter, as well as two deputies, a Stadtholder, an Advocate-Fiscal, a Landscribe, and a Commander. Furthermore, several officers resided there. All these high-ranking gentlemen spent a great deal of money in the small town, which must have appeared very distinguished at the time. The common man living in the villages of Winterswijk—notably the largest village in all of Gelderland at the time!—Aalten, and Dinxperlo, had to dance to the tune of the bailiff of Bredevoort and his clique.
Bredevoort itself was said to be very strong in 1741. The surrounding lands consisted entirely of marshland, where no one dared to venture. Moreover, three companies of infantry were stationed there; where all these people were sheltered remains a mystery to me.
The citizens of Bredevoort made the outsiders from Winterswijk and Aalten feel that they were of a superior class. When it was bitterly cold in winter and the frost was hard, the people of Aalten and Winterswijk were required to come and chop ice for the ice cellars. The mail had to be delivered by the men of Winterswijk and Aalten for nothing. Additionally, a wagonload of twig brooms had to be delivered to Bredevoort every year. If a hunt for thieves, robbers, vagabonds, or wolves was to be held, the people of Aalten and Winterswijk were allowed to beat the bushes and carry the rifles, while enduring the insults of the gentlemen. How the people of Winterswijk and Aalten must have rejoiced when the French in 1795 put an end to this state of affairs.
Meanwhile, we now write 1951, and it must be said: the two Cinderellas, Winterswijk and Aalten, have become fine maidens since 1741 and are in a state of glowing prosperity. It is, however, the irony of history that the stepmother, Bredevoort, is now sometimes treated somewhat stepmotherly herself. When one walks across her uneven cobblestone streets, one cannot help but feel pity for the outgrown lady of two centuries ago.
Aalten Surpassed Bredevoort
Markt Square, Aalten by Jan de Beijer, 1743
When the modern textile industry emerged, Aalten was the favorite. The Driessen family from Bocholt were the founders of Aalten’s rise, establishing themselves here as early as 1826. They attracted other industries. Although there were some dark pages in the previous century, Aalten turned the tables and is now the leader in the former Lordship of Bredevoort. Naturally, the municipality currently faces concerns as great as those of its sister municipalities, but that does not change the fact that Aalten has truly come into its own.
It is, meanwhile, astonishing how much marshland, how many vast heaths, and how many wild forests existed in 1741. If history had not been faithfully recorded and if we did not have more sources at our disposal, one could hardly believe that such conditions existed. Today, one sees prosperous lands and lush pastures that are a delight to the eye.
What we have described here is approximately all that is told of the Achterhoek. It is little. However, one must not forget that in 1741, someone from Amsterdam regarded the region we have described as a kind of jungle, which he preferred to stay as far away from as possible. It is therefore quite understandable that in earlier centuries, the population of East Gelre was much more closely related to Germany in economic and geographical terms than to the Dutch West. The attitude of the Germans has brought about a great change in this regard in recent years.
Our attention has been drawn to the lead article in the “Weekblad der Belastingen,” no. 3562, titled “Accountable liability from the old days,” by Mr. A. A. Vreede of Arnhem. The article discusses a tax collection in the municipality of Aalten in the year 1717. We have derived an excerpt from this, omitting considerations of a theoretical and technical nature, but conversely supplementing it with details of a local nature provided to us by the author, which were of less interest to the readers of the aforementioned trade journal.
A notable resident of Aalten, Peter Huijninck, farmer and lay judge (assessor on the court day), was appointed in the year 1700 by the Receiver-General of the County of Zutphen, after consultation with the “Heirs,” as collector (receiver) of the Verponding (land tax) for the parishes of Aalten and Dinxperloo.
These parishes, along with the town of Bredevoort and the parish of Winterswijk, belonged to the Lordship of Bredevoort. The lords of the manor of Bredevoort (since 1612 the Princes of the House of Orange-Nassau) had traditionally granted representative powers, in each parish separately, to a few of the most prominent bailiff families, and failing that, to other landowners. These persons authorized by or on behalf of the lord of the manor also held administrative functions until approximately the beginning of the 16th century; thereafter, they only oversaw the corvée labor and the collection of certain annual revenues, which later included some liability for the receipt of the land tax. Related to this was the fact that the appointment of a receiver took place in consultation with these authorized persons, referred to above as “Heirs,” and that the provision of security by an appointee was required in the deeds of guarantee of that time for the benefit of the Receiver-General and for the service of the Heirs.
These documents, like all other voluntary deeds as well as judicial deeds, were established by a declaration in a court session. The court, consisting of the bailiff (judge) or the Stadtholder (deputy judge), two lay judges (assessors), and a Landsschrijver (clerk), was seated in Bredevoort, but held sessions alternately in each parish where necessary. Upon the appointment of Peter Huijninck as collector, his brother Hendrik Huijninck acted as guarantor, and in the deed of guarantee, various fixed assets of both were pledged as security for the administration.
For several years things went well, but gradually the collector became negligent with the collection, and an increasing backlog arose in the remittance of funds to the office of the County in Zutphen. At the repeated insistence of the Receiver-General, temporary improvements occurred occasionally; for instance, the lay judge Peter Huijninck, in his capacity as collector, requested on Mercury (Wednesday) April 21, 1717, at the Court Day in Aalten, to seize the real estate of Jan ten Heetbrink the Younger and of Mechtelt Brethouwer, widow of Derk Nachtegaal, due to overdue land tax, but no lasting improvement followed.
It was common knowledge in Aalten that this situation could not continue and that legal action against the negligent collector was inevitable. It is therefore understandable that the heirs of the since-deceased guarantor Hendrik Huijninck feared that the real estate pledged by him would also be targeted. As a result, on Venery (Friday), June 18, 1717, the collector Peter Huijninck and his spouse Geesken Locken appeared before the court, stating that the aforementioned heirs were bothering them daily by insisting on measures to keep them indemnified, and hereby pledged a one-fourth share in the estate and property Westendorp in IJzerlo and two-thirds in the Snoejenbos, located on the Haart, as far as Arent Snoejenbos has it under lease, so that the heirs could recover any damages from it.
This happened just in time, for only ten days later on Luno (Monday), June 28, 1717, a representative of the Receiver-General Hendrik van Essen appeared before the court to issue an executory summons against the collector Peter Huijninck, inviting him to settle a sum of 17,134 guilders, 1 stiver, and 10 deniers at the office of the County within ten days, as arrears for the years 1713–1716, and threatening a judicial sale of the fixed assets pledged in the guarantee deed. A copy of the summons was served the following day by the bailiff (court officer or bailiff), Jan Keunen, to the collector, speaking with his wife Geesken Locken.
Now the heirs of the guarantor, who did not yet feel safe despite the deed of June 17, were truly struck with fear, for that very same day, schoolmaster Rutger Muller of Aalten, son-in-law of the deceased Hendrik Huijninck, appeared before the court on their behalf to seize the movable property of Peter Huijninck, as well as the crops and the manure rights of lands leased by him, also his peat pond and the peat standing on it in the Barlosche Veen, furthermore on Smeenk’s mowing rights, and on his men’s and women’s seats in the Aalten church. This action by nephew Muller was finally too much for uncle Peter. Being ill himself, he had his son Adriaan file an objection on July 2, 1717, against this seizure, which he called worthless and illegal.
The collector was unable to comply with the summons of the Receiver-General. On August 5, 1717, the court determined that the public sale of the pledged fixed assets would take place on September 10, 1717, in Aalten at the house of the widow of the late Harmen Evers. (Probably on the west side of the Landstraat, the second building north of the Hoekstraat). In the presence of the Court, consisting of the Stadtholder Jacob Becquer (Becker, ed.) and the lay judges Jan Evers senior and Jan Evers junior, the Receiver-General, assisted by two legal experts, conducted the sale on the aforementioned September 10 after reading the conditions of sale and a description of the properties. The first auction was by bidding, the second immediately thereafter by Dutch auction, and according to the bidding list, there were many interested parties.
Lot 1. Three-fourths part of the Westendorp estate in IJzerloo. The owners were Peter Huijninck for 5/8, and the heirs of Hendrik Huijninck for 3/8, of which each had pledged 3/8; thus 1/4 remained outside the sale. The buyer of the 3/4 share was Gijsbert Prins for 2,950 guilders.
Lot 2. The home of Peter Huijninck at the Market in Aalten 1. Buyer Willem Lourens Kampf on behalf of Adam Willem Kampf for 1,740 guilders.
Lot 3. Farmland at Smeenk-Winkel, one and a half schepel. Buyer Derk Neerhof for 505 guilders.
Lot 4. A piece of farmland at Smeenk-Winkel, size not mentioned, buyer Willem Eppink for 480 guilders.
Lot 5. Six schepel of land, called the Wijntjesstuk, buyer Adam Willem Kampf for 465 guilders.
Lot 6. Four pieces of garden land in Smeenkgoorden, size not mentioned, buyer as before for 205 guilders.
Lot 7. The Dalshof, size not mentioned, buyer as before for 230 guilders.
Lot 8. The Horsterkamp in Linteloo, size not mentioned, buyer Jan Evers for 600 guilders.
Lot 9. The Grevincksweide near Aalten, size not mentioned, buyer Jan te Bokkel for 470 guilders.
Lot 10. The lease corn of the pledged separate lots, as well as the annual fee, the services, and the small leases owed by the farmer of Westendorp, all for the current year; buyer Jan Arentsen for 95 guilders.
Lot 11. The lease corn in sheaves of three-fourths of Westendorp stored in the farmer’s dwelling; buyers Wessel Broekhuys for 55 guilders and Jan Arentsen for 25 guilders. The owner of lots 2–7 was the collector Peter Huijninck, and of lots 8–9, the heirs of the guarantor Hendrik Huijninck.
Immediately after the second auction, the final award followed, at least in name, for nearly five weeks later on October 14, the Receiver-General had it declared before the Court that a higher bid had been made for lots 3 and 4 at Smeenkwinkel by the Dowager van Nagell tot Ampsen, née Baroness van Coeverden, and that the first buyers could be dismissed. These men, the farmers Neerhof and Eppink, did not remain silent and filed a protest with the Court on October 18, along with the declaration that they faithfully followed the conditions of sale and would quietly continue to cultivate and sow the purchased land. It is to be hoped for them that they were not disappointed.
The total proceeds amounted to 7,542 guilders, so that the initial backlog of over 17,134 guilders was reduced to over 9,592 guilders. It would be logical for the Receiver-General to attempt to recover this remainder from the collector’s other assets as much as possible and, if necessary, have it collected from the negligent taxpayers by means of a new collector. However, he followed another very unusual path. Since the so-called Heirs were also liable according to the manorial law of Bredevoort, he issued a summons to the Heirs of Aalten and Dinxperloo immediately after the auction, without specifying certain individuals, which summons was served to the bailiff as the judge of the common lands.
Reinier Jurrien Baron van Coeverden and Walfaerdt 2 was at that time the representative of the Lord of the Manor with the titles of Hofrigter, Verwalter, Bailiff, and Judge. The Receiver-General then had it investigated which persons were liable as Heirs according to the existing national law, and on Jody (Thursday), October 7, 1717, he had a virtually identical summons issued before the Court, whereby the aforementioned sum of 9,592 gld. 1 st. 10 d., plus costs, was claimed from the Gentlemen Bailiff Jan Roerdink and Bailiff Berent Arentsen at Ahave, both as “Heirs” of Aalten and residing there, as well as the Gentlemen Reynen van de Mebele and Rosier Jegerink, both in Dinxperloo, as “Heirs” of that parish, the amount split according to the statement and subject to their right of recourse.
Understandably, the “Heirs” were very little pleased with this action by the Treasury. They did not contest the claim, but they were in no hurry to pay either. Those from Dinxperloo, whose share was relatively small, were the first to be persuaded to pay their portion and enjoyed the support of the local administration. To recover this advance, a commission appeared before the Court on Sabbathy (Saturday), November 20, 1717, consisting of Dr. Jur. Evers of Aalten, Vooght Grotenhuys, and Garrit Jegerink, both of Dinxperloo, “authorized” by the “Gemeinthe Dinxperloe,” to seize the movable property of the meanwhile deceased collector and to request that it be inventoried urgently and sold two days later due to a lack of fodder for the horses and “beasts.”
It will be remembered that schoolmaster Rutger Muller, on behalf of the heirs of the guarantor, had also had the same goods seized in June. Both parties continued to dispute each other’s rights in a lengthy procedure. The Court did go to the house of the Widow Peter Huijninck on Monday, Nov. 22, for the inventory, but the sale did not take place for the time being, although provision will have been made for the livestock. More than half a year later, on June 24, 1718, at the insistence of the aforementioned Muller, the Court ordered the Bailiff and the Under-Bailiff in Aalten to store the seized goods in a neutral place after inventory at the house of Jan Janknegt, one of the court officers. Furthermore, the Protocol contains no more details about this case.
The Heirs of Aalten remained passive for the time being, so the Receiver-General deemed it advisable to put more pressure on them. After three months, on Jovis (Thursday), January 6, 1718, Hendrik Casper Stumph, “Doctor of Laws” in Aalten, appeared before the Court as the serving advocate for the Receiver-General and requested the setting of a “clear fixed day” for the judicial sale of their fixed assets.
a part of Bennink; two parts of Het Slaa in Haart-Heurne.
The auction was set for March 8, 1718, again at the house of the Widow Evers, at two o’clock in the afternoon.
Both Heirs now saw that the matter was becoming serious and that they would have to pay up. In the meantime, order had also been established from the official side. The old collector Peter Huijninck had died at the end of October, and another Aalten resident, Adam Willem Kampf (also written Campf and Cempf), was temporarily charged with the observation of the collector’s office. He moved into the house at the Market of his predecessor, which he might have already bought in advance at the judicial auction, and on March 12, 1718, he and his spouse Gesina Smits passed a deed of guarantee, in which the estate Bulsink in Linteloo and the lots purchased at the judicial sale of the late Peter Huijninck were also pledged, while Dr. Jan Casper Evers acted as guarantor, pledging the Busscher Kamp, located between Aalten and Bredevoort, for Kampf’s administration.
The overdue tax was now collected with due speed as much as possible, and finally, Bailiff Roerdink and Bailiff Arentsen seem to have emerged without too much damage.
After a few months, the temporary collector received a permanent appointment with the official title of “Receiver.” Beforehand, however, conditions had been set on both sides. The appointee had to take over the administration of his predecessor as it stood and pledge his guarantee to an amount of 1,000 guilders for the indemnification of the Heirs, should they so desire; on November 30, 1718, his guarantee deed was supplemented to that effect. In return, his minor son Seger Adolph became an assistant to his father with the prospect of later becoming his successor, so that on the same November 30, the receiver Kampf took an oath of office for himself and also for his aforementioned son. The young Kampf, however, later became a mayor elsewhere.
Footnotes
The property on the east side of the market square with an exit in the Peperstraat, bordering to the north on the plot where the café Keizer is currently located, and to the south adjacent to the house of Gijsbert Grevinck, which on the other side bordered the brewery with front garden of Lemmert Te Kavestede. According to an inscription on a gable stone, this last plot was renovated in 1799 by Lourens Becking and Willemina Geertruid Schaars into a home, distillery, and agricultural barn. ↩︎
“Walfaerdt” is likely a variation of “Walvoort,” the name of the well-known manor house located between Aalten and Bredevoort. The spelling “Walfort,” which was later used officially and in surnames, is said to be incorrect, while the pronunciation “Walvoort” is correct. ↩︎
One of the last known witch trials in Bredevoort, and perhaps even in the Netherlands, was the trial of Marry Hoernemans in 1675. She successfully passed the water ordeal, after which she walked home with her head held high, her innocence proven once and for all.
In the seventeenth century, it was believed that witches were women who had made a pact with the devil. They were said to have received supernatural powers in exchange for renouncing God and His saints. It was believed that witches could, for example, churn butter from a ditch, make people infertile, or cause crops to fail.
Women who fell outside social norms – for instance, unmarried women without children – ran an increased risk of being accused of witchcraft. In the event of unexplained occurrences, such as illness or fire, they were often singled out as the culprits. It was then up to the accused to prove her innocence, often through a witch trial.
A certain Marry, the second wife of Hendrik Hoernemans, lived in Bredevoort in 1675. From his first marriage, Hendrik had a son named Jan. As often happens, the stepson did not get along well with his stepmother, and they frequently quarrelled. Jan repeatedly told others that his stepmother was a witch.
Marry was furious about this accusation and went to court. She presented the problem but added that she did not want the judge to punish her stepson. However, she requested to undergo a so-called water ordeal to prove she was not a witch. The judge deemed it unnecessary: “Surely everyone knows you are not a witch,” he said. “Your son surely didn’t mean it that way and made those remarks in his anger.” Marry, however, was not to be swayed. She was determined to pass the test.
At her insistence, the judge agreed, and on 26 July 1675, the water ordeal was carried out. As was customary in witch trials, Marry was completely stripped. Her hands and feet were bound together, and the executioner, along with his assistant, threw her into the water three times.
Marry sank like a stone every time, and if she hadn’t been pulled up repeatedly, she would certainly have drowned. According to folk belief, a real witch would float because she was supported by the devil. Marry sank – and was therefore not a witch. Afterwards, Marry dressed and went home satisfied without saying another word. It was now proven that she was not a witch and that her stepson was a liar.
Late in 1664, the Bredevoort church council commissioned Joannes Holthus to construct a new clockwork mechanism for the church tower, as the old one was worn out. It was installed in 1666, marking the beginning of an eventful history that ultimately concluded right where it once began: the Sint Joriskerk (St George’s Church) in Bredevoort.
In the year 1664, the Netherlands was still the Republic of the Seven United Provinces. Johan de Witt governed the country and Michiel de Ruyter ruled the high seas. In the eastern corner of Guelders lay the small town of Bredevoort. Joannes Verschage was the minister here, and Gerhard van Hengel and Bernard Ecckervelt served as the churchwardens.
If you wanted to know roughly what time it was back then, you looked at the sundial which is still present on the exterior wall of the church. But if the sun was not shining, you depended on the clockwork in the church tower. However, that was not working well; it was dilapidated and out of order, according to the church management. A new clock was required.
Joannes Holthus
The church management entered into negotiations with clockmaker Joannes Holthus from Arnhem. In December 1664, they signed a contract stipulating that Holthus would deliver a clock within eighteen months that would strike the hours and half-hours. The agreed price was 300 Carolus guilders, of which 50 guilders was paid as an advance. The clock was delivered neatly on time; by the summer of 1666, it stood in the tower. Afterwards, however, it emerged that the agreed sum was insufficient.
In 1667, all parties signed for an additional sum of 228 guilders. Yet problems must have arisen regarding the payment. Holthus was forced to litigate in court. He fell into poverty, had to enter service somewhere, and had to leave or give up his children, ultimately dying in penury. Following his death, his daughter Jasperina continued the lawsuit until at least 1692. We do not know the outcome.
Through the centuries
After some time, a striking train was added to the turret clock, which also struck the quarters before and after the hour. A chime (voorspel) that announced the strikes was also introduced. This possibly occurred in 1680, a year that is engraved into the ironwork. In 1886, the clock was restored by Gerrit Jan Heinen from IJzerlo, who lived at the ‘Klokkemaker‘ farmstead.
Following nearly three centuries of faithful service, the clock was replaced in 1942 by a new mechanical turret clock. The old clock went to Aalten, where it spent a period gathering dust in the fire station. Afterwards, it ended up in the Aalten Oudheidkamer (historical museum), which was later incorporated into the Frerikshuus Museum and ultimately the Nationaal Onderduikmuseum. In 2017, the clock became a municipal monument.
Back to Bredevoort
However, the Bredevoort clock no longer fitted the museum’s concept, and an alternative location had to be found for it — preferably a place where the public could admire it. At the beginning of 2025, local interest group Bredevoorts Belang took over the turret clock. Reinstalling it in the tower of the Sint Joriskerk was no longer possible. The church’s interior committee proposed placing the clock in the church loft (boerenzolder), and the church council agreed.
The 1666 clock by Joannes Holthus now takes pride of place in the church loft, and everything is still in working order!
The 1666 Bredevoort turret clock (photo: Ap te Winkel)The sundial on the Sint Joriskerk (photo: Jos Wessels)A forged strip with inscription (photo: Ap te Winkel)
Technical Description
The turret clock consists of two interconnected segments. The segment containing the striking trains is 120 cm long, 65 cm wide, and 104 cm high. The section with the time train (gaande werk) and the chime mechanism (speelwerk) is 81 cm long, 58 cm wide, and 104 cm high. The following texts have been applied to forged strips:
“JOANNES HOLTHUS ME FECIT (made me) 1666. JOANNES VERSCHAGÆ PASTOR HUIUS ECCLESIÆ (shepherd of this church) GERHARD VAN HENGEL DR. BERNARD ECCKERVELT KERKMEISTEREN IN BREDEVORT“.
The clock is equipped with a double striking train, which kept Bredevoort on time by striking on both the hours and the half-hours. Furthermore, fifteen minutes before and after the hours, four tones resonated from three bells.
The corner posts are decorated with a beautifully forged scroll. The connections consist primarily of cotter pins. The entire mechanism stands on a wooden platform (beun). A large block of sandstone functions as the driving weight; this stone is almost certainly original. The stone hangs from a rope of braided hemp, as does all the other ropework. The entire mechanism works perfectly.
The clock is described in the book: Achterhoekse klokken en uurwerkmakers, by J.L. Sellink, A.F. Abbink, and R.E. Wiggers, (ISBN 90-9003816-7). On page 8, Mr Wiggers writes about the clock, stating among other things: “The escapement consists of a Graham escapement with a tooth shape according to Schwilgué; this must have been built in after 1715. The chime, however, appears to be original and constructed directly in 1666. The current position for the time train is also authentic, and its winding arbor is likewise identical to the other three arbors.”
In the year 1660, a certain Hendrick Janszen ‘van Brevoort’ came with his wife and four children (3, 12, 16 and 17 years old) to New Amsterdam, now New York. At that time there was no official surname, and in archives someone was mentioned with first name, patronymic (Janszen, or ‘son of Jan’) and the place where they came from (in this case ‘Brevoort’). They had left Amsterdam on 8/9 March 1660 with the ship De Moesman and arrived before 30 May.
We do not yet have more information about the Bredevoort origin of this Hendrick Janszen. Do you? Then we would like to hear from you !
Brevoort Estate, between 54th and 55th Street, near 1st Avenue, 1866. Photo: The Museum of the City of New York
Hendrick’s son Jan Hendrick (1644-1714) used the surname Brevoort from 1696 onwards. In the centuries that followed, the Brevoort family in New York would grow into a well-known family with prestige and wealth.
Jan Hendrick Brevoort bought land in Harlem, where he held the position of overseer in 1678 and 1679. In the early 18th century, he exchanged Harlem for the south of Manhattan. At his death, he left his farm in the ‘Bowery‘ to his children. His son Hendrick (1670-1718) eventually owned most of the land, which then belonged to his son, also named Hendrick (1711-1771). He further expanded the property to 30 hectares. When the Brevoort family split up their possessions and sold most of them, this gave them a fortune. The head of the family was Henry Brevoort (1747-1841).
Henry Brevoort Jr.
Henry Brevoort Jr. (1782-1848) and his wife Laura Brevoort-Carson had a mansion built on the remainder of their land, at 5th Avenue and 9th Street. This area was on the rise and the Brevoorts took a prominent position in it. Henry Jr. was known as a literary spirit and he was friends and corresponded with the writer Washington Irving (1783-1859). In addition, he was a municipal councillor for many years.
Henry Jr. was adventurous and traveled a lot. For example, he accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Northwest from 1803 to 1806 and spent much time in the North American wilderness, working for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company. In the north of the state of Michigan, in Mackinac County, there is a hamlet called Brevort (pictured left), named after Henry, who explored the area in 1845, along with his friend Washington Irving.
In the city of New York in particular, various places, streets and buildings still refer to the Brevoort family. Here are a few examples.
The bend in Broadway
Characteristic of American cities is the rectangular street pattern. However, deviations from this pattern also occur. If you study the street pattern of New York, you will see, for example, that Broadway, one of the most famous streets in the world, also makes a bend. According to tradition, this would be due to one man, who was determined to defend his country.
The 35-hectare farm of Henry Brevoort Sr. was located on the outskirts of the city in the early 19th century. As the population of New York increased, the city government announced plans in 1815 to extend Broadway in a straight line to 23rd Street. However, this would cut through Brevoort’s land. He protested and the city council gave in: Broadway was diverted, so that the orchards of Brevoort’s farm, where 10th Street is today, were spared.
The Brevoort apartment complex, Manhattan
In the Greenwich Willage neighborhood, in the heart of Manhattan, there is an apartment complex called ‘The Brevoort’ at the beginning of 5th Avenue. The complex was built in 1955 and has 20 floors and 277 apartments. The building replaced the famous ‘Hotel Brevoort‘, once one of the leading hotels in New York. This is where the rich and famous and sometimes even royal guests stayed. The hotel was also known for the legendary parties that took place there. Aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh received the Orteig prize of 25,000 dollars in this hotel for his solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the most famous residents of the current apartment complex ‘The Brevoort’ was Buddy Holly. He lived there in 1958-1959, from his marriage until his fatal end. He recorded the so-called Apartment Tapes here.
Traces of Brevoort in Brooklyn
There are also several places in the borough of Brooklyn where family members of the Brevoorts once owned land. This includes a street (Brevoort Place), an apartment complex (the Brevoort Houses – 13 seven-storey buildings with a total of 896 apartments), a Brevoort Playground and a Brevoort Post Office.
Brevoort Place, Brooklyn
Brevoort Houses, Brooklyn
U.S. Post Office Brevoort Station, Brooklyn
Brevoort Theatre, Brooklyn
Although this theater has long since disappeared, it is still worth a mention. The Brevoort Theater once stood on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Brevoort Place. When it opened in 1918, it was Brooklyn’s largest movie theater, with 1,800 seats and another 700 on the balcony. The theater also had a stage and an orchestra pit.
Although it was mainly shown in films in the first decades, the Brevoort Theatre became famous around 1960 because many well-known artists performed there, including James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Sam & Dave, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Pattie LaBelle & the Bluebells. However, this period did not last long. The theater closed its doors for good in the 60s of the last century and was demolished in 1968.
Gunpowder Tower Disaster Bredevoort 1646, 3D impression by Paul van Druten
On Sunday, July 12, 1646, around four o’clock in the afternoon, the gunpowder tower of Bredevoort Castle, containing 320 barrels of gunpowder, was struck by lightning. Forty people were killed and an unknown number were injured in the ensuing explosion.
The tower caught fire upon impact. The explosion was so violent that the Ambthuis (administrative house) also collapsed. The town suffered extensive damage from the explosion, and almost all houses lost their roof tiles and windows. The houses surrounding the castle had collapsed. For three days, survivors were sought beneath the rubble using shovels and pickaxes.
In 1938, G.H. Rots wrote a series of articles in the Aaltensche Courant about the history of the municipality of Aalten. Regarding the gunpowder tower disaster in Bredevoort, he wrote:
“The year 1646 was once again a disastrous year for Bredevoort. It was the 12th of July, and an oppressive heat hung over the town. Dark clouds gathered, and everything indicated that a severe thunderstorm was imminent. And indeed, lightning soon cleaved the sky, followed by heavy claps of thunder. And suddenly, a terrible blow, followed by a dreadful sound.
Lightning had struck the gunpowder tower, causing the gunpowder present (320 tons) to explode. The entire tower was blown apart, as was the nearby Ambthuis; tiles were torn from almost all houses, and windows were blown in by the air pressure. The number of deaths in that disaster amounted to 19 at the castle and the Ambthuis alone. There were also numerous deaths in other houses in the town.”
Bredevoort Castle in 1597
Victims
“The deceased included, among others, the Governor of the city Willem van Haersolte and his spouse, the Drostinne Cathrijne van Brakel and her eight children, and her niece Berentjen van Brakel. Furthermore, Joh. van Langen, lieutenant to Georg Ernst Count of Bronkhorst, and also his French mistress (sic) Jeanne van Sédan. An elderly woman present there, Maria Glazen, along with the manservant and the maid, were also among the victims.
The sentry on duty, named Hendrik Otterpoëll, was buried under the ruins. In other parts of the town, the house of Jan Stenneken was destroyed. He and his wife Marycken van der Halle were killed. The names of the dead in other parts of the town were Derk Trix, ensign, Harmen ter Male, F. zum Moorelagen, Bailiff of Winterswijk, and his wife Janne Beerninck, with her sister Christine Beerninck, widow of the late N. Brinkhorst, judge of Haaksbergen.
The house of Berent Grimme was destroyed; his wife and four children lost their lives. The house of Casper Evers was hit, under which three people were killed, named Arent Hamaeker, a child of Berent Maes, and a child of Herman Broekman. Under the house of Derrick ter Woerle Wiltschut, three of his children were killed, as well as the soldier Gerrit Jansen and Jan Schulten.
We have specifically mentioned these names because one might perhaps derive names of those living today from them.”
The deceased who lay under the rubble of the Ambthuis were laid out on July 15 at the home of the widow of the late minister D.J. Verhagen. The bailiff with his wife and eight children were buried on the morning of Thursday, July 16, in the choir of the St. George’s Church. It is not clear how many people remained under the rubble. In total, forty people died that day. The sources make no mention of the number of victims who were injured.
One son of Drost Wilhelm van Haersolte survived the disaster. Anthony, as he was named, happened not to be home that day: he was staying in Zwolle. He continued the family line in Zwolle and founded the Haersolte Almshouse there, which is assumed to be connected to the disaster in Bredevoort.
Sources
‘From Aalten’s past’, by G.H. Rots, Aaltensche Courant, 18 February 1938 (Delpher)
In earlier centuries, the population of Aalten regularly suffered from forced contributions. A forced contribution (brandschatting) is a (usually high) sum of money that a village or region had to pay to passing troops to prevent them from looting and burning the village or region.
The soldiers in question usually received irregular pay and were primarily paid from these forced contributions. If the amounts could not be raised, the troops felt entitled to looting and other misconduct. Since multiple armies often passed through a region during wartime, the imposition of this ‘war tax’ usually led to bitter poverty. Additionally, the population often suffered from roaming, dismissed mercenaries.
This practice plagued many areas not only in the Middle Ages, but also during various wars in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. In the peripheral areas of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, for example, such as North Brabant, Limburg, and the eastern border regions, it led to a major economic and demographic decline during these centuries.
Looting, forced contributions, and rape by Spanish soldiers, by C. van der Burght (Source: Zeeland Archives)
Historical Description
In 1938, G.H. Rots wrote a series of articles in the Aaltensche Courant about the history of the municipality of Aalten. He wrote the following about forced contributions in Aalten:
“In the years before 1597, the year of the conquest of Bredevoort by Prince Maurice, Bredevoort had regularly been in the possession of the Spaniards. However, one should not think that there was peace and quiet in the Ambt of Bredevoort at that time. Troops regularly passed through and stayed in Bredevoort and the associated districts. The village of Aalten suffered particularly from these passing troops. There was little dispute over property rights. The soldiers simply took whatever they liked, and the Ambt of Aalten was repeatedly levied for forced contributions, i.e., ordered to hand over a number of horses, cows, or money to the passing troops.
One could also strike a deal with the marauding bands and prevent the seizure of livestock and horses by paying a sum of money. As evidence of how Aalten suffered under these repeated raids and robberies, the following is mentioned in that regard.
On March 2, 1582, English horsemen arrived in Aalten and took 16 people prisoner. These prisoners were released after paying a ransom of 2,000 guilders.
An honorable citizen named Hondarp, however, was transported to Zutphen but was later released for a ransom of 200 dalers. The son of the aforementioned Hondarp was taken prisoner on October 17 while he was in Doetinchem. He had ridden to Doetinchem on horseback, and it seems his appearance suggested he did not lack means, as he was able to regain his freedom upon payment of 100 dalers and the surrender of his horse.
On December 1 of that year, soldiers from Lochem arrived and demanded 100 dalers to prevent looting. Things did not go well for Hondarp, as on January 15, 1583, he was taken prisoner along with his wife and son. They could only extract 60 dalers from him, for which they finally regained their freedom. In March of that year, another group of soldiers from Doetinchem arrived and stole a number of horses ‘at the Pas’. The owners were able to buy them back for 51 dalers, except for the best horse, which the soldiers took with them.
On May 29, the people from Doetinchem returned and stole a horse and a cow, but this time no ransom was paid, probably with the thought: if they get no money, they won’t return so quickly. But the next day it was the same story again; 3 horses were stolen. The ransom decreased, as they only had to pay 9 dalers, with which the soldiers were satisfied.
However, looting was in the blood of the garrison at Doetinchem, as they repeatedly came to Aalten. On June 18, they stole three horses; the ransom was 13½ dalers.
On the 10th, they were back again, and now they demanded 3 horses, 2 cows, 2 heifers, and 3 bulls. The heifers were slaughtered and valued at 10 dalers. The rest were bought back for 10 imperial guilders and the bulls for 10 dalers.
On June 14, one horse was stolen, which was bought back for 3 dalers and 18 stuivers. It would get even worse, for only two days later, soldiers from Bergh, Doetinchem, and Nijmegen arrived and stole 41 horses, 4 oxen, 33 cows, and 37 head of barren cattle. Only a portion of these could be bought back for 674 dalers.
And now more robberies followed. On July 19, 20 horses were taken by soldiers from Bronckhorst. On August 11, another 6 horses. On September 14, soldiers from Ulft stole 3 cows, for which a ransom of 15 dalers was paid by the owner.
On September 17, a company of soldiers led by a certain Stael arrived and seized 11 cows, 40 horses, 40 head of large cattle, and 12 oxen. They took the best livestock with them, and the rest was bought back for 419 dalers. Until now, it had always been livestock, but on December 15, soldiers from Lochem arrived and demanded 8 horses and 2 carts of buckwheat. On March 15 of the following year, a carter with a wagon of rye, drawn by 2 horses, drove through the IJzerlo field. Some horsemen from Bergh and Doetinchem seized everything, and the carter saw his property taken away.
Now they began taking heads of households prisoner again. They were released for a ransom or in exchange for other prisoners languishing in the dungeon at Bredevoort. Immediately after Whitsun, a large raid was undertaken, and many horses and cows were seized and partially bought back. Subsequently, on June 9, June 20, and June 24, there were repeated raids and thefts of horses and livestock.
And the measure was not yet full. The population of Aalten had a hard time, for on July 13 and 14, 1584, 15 people were taken prisoner in the municipality of Aalten and 600 head of cattle and horses were stolen. The prisoners were released for a ransom of 1,100 guilders. Who can fathom the sorrow of the population in those days?
Because of all these mentioned raids, people became fearful. They hardly dared to go outside with a horse, ox, or other animal; danger lurked from all sides. Soldiers were stationed in all the surrounding fortresses, and whenever they needed something, they went out looting. It was in the middle of harvest time, but the farmers left the grain in the fields; why should they harvest? Soon the enemy and also the State soldiers would come—for in this regard it was ‘six of one and half a dozen of the other’—and steal their possessions.
There were also farmers who fled and tried to find a living in regions further to the east. Those who remained here complained to the village authorities, but what could they do! In those years, a certain Jan Holstein was the advocate (voogd) of Aalten. He addressed petitions to the Lady of Anholt. It seems, however, that she was also powerless to end the situation. It was wartime, and the soldiers, mostly mercenaries and volunteers, demanded money, food, and drink on time. And when the army leadership could not provide that on time, the soldiers tried to obtain it themselves through looting and robbery. The population became the victim.”
Billeting
“Added to all that misery was the fact that garrisons were relieved of soldiers by billeting them with farmers and village residents. The people themselves had almost nothing to eat, and when soldiers were billeted, they would act out if they did not receive enough food. If people had provisions, they were largely hidden, otherwise everything would be seized. To make matters worse, an extra tax was imposed on the population. The Lady of Anholt needed money, and the Stewards traveled around to collect the funds; but everywhere there was poverty and want.
Then it would seem as if peace would return, and nothing would be heard for a year. But suddenly it would flare up again. As in the summer of 1586, the looting began once more. The Aalten farmers then pursued the looters as far as Enschede and Oldenzaal. They wanted their stolen cattle back. They had to return empty-handed, and the suffering was almost unbearable.
One of the worst afflictions was when the soldiers brought their wives and children with them. Then they also had to be given something to eat. In January 1587, such a troop was to be partially billeted in Aalten. Fear struck the hearts of the population. It was heard that they were mercenaries from Wallonia in Belgium, who were notorious for their ferocity and cruelty. Outposts had already been sent out because it was suspected that Geuzen soldiers were in the vicinity. On a Sunday morning, such an outpost troop of 20 men arrived in Aalten, led by the landdrost Thieseling. They moved on to Bocholt, where a Spanish cavalry unit had arrived under the command of Colonel Taxis.
Reconnaissance had determined that no State or Geuzen soldiers were to be seen, and so it was agreed to ride back to Groenlo and then carry out the billeting. But between Aalten and Bocholt, they were suddenly ambushed by the Geuzen soldiers, and a fierce battle broke out. The Geuzen were victorious, and the fear remained. The dreaded billeting did not happen.
Near Bredevoort, there seem to have been fertile meadows in addition to marshes. Specifically, there was a town meadow at the Swanebroek and several private grazing lands. But in 1587, everything had been grazed bare by the enemies’ horses, the meadows were completely ruined by riding, and afterwards a period of rain came and everything was flooded, so that no hay could be harvested that year. While they had been spared billeting in the spring, in December of that year a large number of horsemen suddenly arrived from Groenlo and stole horses, cows, and pigs. Sixty molders of rye and buckwheat were also to their liking, along with 43 wagonloads of unthreshed grain.
On March 26, 1588, it was a number of State soldiers who looted in Aalten. Thus, the population was bitten first by the cat and then by the tomcat. The advocate of Aalten, Jan Holstein, wrote a letter on June 9, 1588, to Godfried Gerardi, advisor to the Lady of Anholt, in which he recalls the situation in Aalten. The harvest cannot be safely brought in. Citizens of Aalten have been taken prisoner and are being held hostage elsewhere. There is no money to ransom these people.
On July 4, 1588, an army of 2,000 infantrymen (foot soldiers) and 300 horsemen approached Aalten. They entered the village, and the residents fled fearfully into their houses. What would happen to them now? The command was held by the Spanish governor and field commander Verdugo and Count Herman van den Berg. It appeared, however, that they were just passing through towards Bocholt-Recklinghausen, so Aalten was spared billeting or robberies this time.
The Lady of Anholt considered ways to end the robberies. She needed money to pay the soldiers’ wages and therefore decided to introduce an extra levy (extra tax). But of course, you can’t pluck feathers from a frog. Aalten had to provide an extra 70 dalers, and the advocate of Aalten wrote to the Lady that he did not know how he would collect this sum, which had been easy to pay in the past, at this time. The population is starving, horses and cows are almost non-existent, and what remains is being stolen.
Yes, my readers, who can fathom the depth of misery of the unfortunate population, for not only the mentioned afflictions hit the people. It is as if everything conspired to complete the system of destruction, for while the crops promised somewhat of a good harvest, a violent storm arose accompanied by heavy hail and destroyed all the crops standing in the fields. How deeply our ancestors had to drain the cup of misery is indescribable and cannot be understood by us, who do complain about bad times.
For even more atrocities were to occur. The hordes of soldiers who roamed about and often indulged in strong drink threatened women and daughters with dishonor if they were not given what they demanded. In 1597, Bredevoort was taken by Prince Maurice. The change in government had come, but it did not bring the protection of home and property. It remained restless in the Ambt of Bredevoort. The fortunes of war fluctuated, but soldiers were soldiers; one group might be slightly better than the other, but on average they could all be painted with the same brush.”
Twelve Years’ Truce
“Only in 1609, when the Twelve Years’ Truce was made, could the population catch its breath again. With the changing fortunes of war, religious disputes had also flared up. As long as the Spanish domination existed, the Reformers could not show themselves openly. No sooner had the tide of war turned than the change in the churches also took place. The victors took measures against the vanquished that, in hindsight, are indefensible.
After the Twelve Years’ Truce, the conflict began to flare up again. In Groenlo, there was still a garrison of Spanish soldiers. That was a breeding ground for bad elements. They roamed the rural districts and again stole everything they could. The new Lord of this municipality, Prince Maurice and later Frederick Henry, was constantly petitioned for protection. Finally, on July 17, 1627, Frederick Henry decided to rush to the aid of his subjects in the County. A significant military force of 55 squadrons of cavalry, 168 companies of foot soldiers, and 75 cannons entered the County, coming from the direction of Emmerich. The siege of Groenlo was laid, and a fierce battle erupted there between besiegers and besieged.
After the siege had lasted a month, Frederick Henry took the city and thereby established the rule in the County. For thirty days, Frederick Henry stayed in Groenlo and visited the surrounding places. Aalten also received an official visit from Frederick Henry. He encouraged the population. Since then, a member of the House of Orange has never made an official visit to Aalten. If a street or square in Aalten ever needs to be named again, it might well be named after this liberator of Aalten territory. For afterwards, peace returned, except for small robberies compared to the past, until the peace was signed in 1648, ending the Eighty Years’ War.”
In the southeast of England, at the mouth of the Thames, lies the town of Canvey Island. Four centuries ago, it was in danger of disappearing into the sea, until in 1622 the Dutch came to the rescue with their ‘water management skills’. After a successful reclamation, many Dutch workers continued to live there, perhaps including one or more Oud-Aalten residents.
In the early 17th century, Sir Henry Appleton, the most important landowner on Canvey Island at the time, met the Dutchman Joas Croppenburg. He proposed to drain Canvey Island in the same way as had been done in Amsterdam. In 1622, several landowners of Canvey Island signed an agreement and Croppenburg hired another Dutchman, Cornelius Vermuyden, to reclaim the island.
Vermuyden recruited between two and three hundred compatriots to get the job done. They built a series of seawalls and successfully made Canvey Island habitable by reclaiming 15 kilometres of land by embanking the island with locally mined chalk, limestone and heavy swamp clay.
Dutch colony
After Canvey Island was drained and available for both agriculture and living, many of the Dutch workers who had helped reclaim the land decided to settle there permanently. A Dutch colony developed on Canvey Island within a few years. Dutch even remained the official language in Canvey until about 1700.
The Dutch settlers named all kinds of roads in their settlement after places in their homeland. There is an Aalten Avenue, Zelham Drive, Goirle Avenue, Haarlem Road, Urmond Road and Waalwyk Drive, among others.
Photo: Google Streetview, 2024
As yet, no tangible connection has been found between this history and specific Oud-Aalten residents who would have been involved. Hopefully, relevant information about this will one day ‘surface’!
During the 17th and 18th centuries, over two hundred men from Aalten and Bredevoort enlisted on ships of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Some were still minors; many never returned. What prompted them to trade the rural Achterhoek for a dangerous sea voyage to the East, thousands of kilometers from home?
The VOC and its administration
The VOC (1602–1795) was the world’s first multinational and grew into a powerful colonial enterprise with trade monopolies and its own military force. In nearly two hundred years, over 4,700 ships departed for Asia. In the 18th century alone, approximately 655,000 people were aboard VOC ships.1 Only a small portion came from the Achterhoek. From the records, we know over 200 names of men from Aalten and Bredevoort who entered the service of the VOC.
That we know this is thanks to the meticulous personnel administration. Personal details, roles, ships, destinations, and the reason for leaving service were recorded in the so-called ship’s pay ledgers. These sources have largely been preserved and can be consulted online via the website of the National Archives. The table at the bottom of this article was compiled based on these records.2
Aalten and the VOC: involved from the beginning
The involvement of Aalten residents with the VOC did not only begin when men enlisted as soldiers or sailors. An Aalten native played a notable role as early as its founding in 1602. Wessel Schenk, born in Aalten and later a merchant in Amsterdam, invested 30,000 guilders in the new company at that time. This made him one of the largest shareholders of the VOC.3
The service was risky: more than half died en route or in Asia, while only a third demonstrably returned alive. Enlistments took place throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, with slight peaks in the 1720s and 1760–70.
Optical print of Batavia in 1780 (source: Wikipedia)
Motives for departure
Why did these men choose an uncertain existence at sea? For many, it was a matter of poverty or a lack of prospects: a steady income with the VOC offered security. For others, the urge for adventure and independence played a role, a chance to see the world and escape the constraints of rural life.4
Military roles
Nearly half of the men from Aalten and Bredevoort held a military position. Until 1755, there was a garrison in Bredevoort5, which may have played a role in this. For military personnel, the VOC presumably offered the opportunity to utilize their experience with weapons and discipline, often for better pay and with more career prospects. At the same time, it is equally possible that men with experience in the civic guard were deployed for such roles. The departure of the garrison from Bredevoort seems to have had no demonstrable influence on the number of enlistments.
Names and data
The table below contains the details of individuals from Aalten and Bredevoort who were in the service of the VOC. Some individuals are listed multiple times because they made several voyages. This table is not flawless and is likely not exhaustive. For some individuals, it is not certain that they actually originated from Aalten or Bredevoort, as the origin is sometimes difficult to read and spelling varies. Partly for this reason, names are undoubtedly missing, but possibly also because parts of the administration have been lost.
The 📜 behind each name contains a link to the relevant entry in the National Archives, where the scan of the original document can also be viewed. A 🌳 refers to the family tree of the person in question on FamilySearch (free account required), where known – work in progress!
At the beginning of the 17th century, Wessel Schenk and his half-brother Salomon Voerknecht from Aalten were among the largest grain traders in Europe. Their activities spanned from Amsterdam to Danzig, Königsberg, Genoa, and even the New World. Other family members were also active in trade and entered into marriages that strengthened their position. What began in Aalten grew into a network with international influence.
The Schenk / Voerknecht family
In the mid-16th century, a certain Jenneken ter Woert lived in Aalten. From her first marriage to Salcke Schenk, she had two children: Gertruid and Wessel Schenk. Around 1568, she remarried Johan Voerknecht, with whom she had four children: Salomon, Hans, Judith, and Anna Voerknecht.12
In 1575, Johan Voerknecht was a keurnoot (lay judge) of the Bredevoort court3, a position indicating social standing. Whether the family belonged to the Aalten ‘elite’ is unknown to us. However, it is striking that all the children later became successful in trade or married partners of distinction. This suggests a connection to influential networks that enhanced their social and economic opportunities.
Merchants in Amsterdam, Danzig and Königsberg
From the late 15th century, merchants in the Low Countries specialized in the transport of bulk goods, especially grain and salt. This trade, known as the moedernegotie (mother of all trades), formed the economic foundation of Holland for centuries and made Amsterdam the most important staple market in Europe.4
The Schenk-Voerknecht family also benefited from this. They maintained close ties with the Hanseatic cities of Danzig (Gdańsk) and Königsberg (Kaliningrad). Some family members even settled there, either temporarily or permanently.
Danzig, 1628 AD
The Schenk and Voerknecht children grew up during the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648), yet they managed to break into international trade regardless. The period of the Twelve Years’ Truce (1609–1621) provided favorable conditions: a brief phase of peace and armistice. Eastern Netherlands had eight garrison towns (including Bredevoort) that were in constant need of forage, particularly grain. This was not only for bread but also for the production of beer.
Wessel Schenk was a grain merchant and did good business in the Achterhoek during that period. He was also active in the trade route from Danzig to Genoa, Italy.5 His half-brother Salomon Voerknecht was likewise a very successful merchant.
Largest carriers from Amsterdam to the Mediterranean, 1590–1620:
Carriers
Total
Shipments
With a partner
Jasper Quinget
201
197
4
Jan and Philippo Calandrini
91
25
66
Guillelmo Bartolotti
66
42
24
Caspar van Ceulen
63
35
28
Isaac la Maire
56
42
14
Willem Willemss
49
48
1
Salomon Voerknecht
45
13
32
Wessel Schenck
30
25
5
Biographies of family members
Wessel Schenk
Born around 1566 in Aalten. In 1606, he lived on the Breestraat in Amsterdam. In archival documents, he is referred to as a “merchant lord.” Other sources indicate that he also regularly stayed in Danzig.
Upon its founding in 1602, Schenk was one of the largest shareholders of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He also saw opportunities in the New World. Together with his nephew Jan Holscher, he invested in expeditions to New Netherland, in the northeast of the present-day US. In 1614, he was a co-founder of the New Netherland Company, the predecessor of the West India Company.6
In 1609, he included in his will that he would leave 4,000 guilders to the poor of his birthplace, Aalten. Because he was often traveling, he had a will drawn up in 1616, leaving his affairs in Amsterdam to his nephew Jan Holscher.
In 1619, Wessel, as a citizen of Danzig, contractually transferred the annual income from two Aalten farms (Lutke Grievinck and Goorhuis) by proxy to his sister’s daughter Gertruid Tols, widow of Johan Brunss.7 In 1632, he was back in Danzig and sold by proxy “a garden or courtyard with timber structures in two parcels” outside the Regulierspoort in Amsterdam. He must have died shortly thereafter, presumably unmarried.8
Gertruid Schenk
Born around 1565 in Aalten. Around 1584, she married Albert (?) Hengst van Juchteren in Anholt. After 1590, she remarried Henrick Toll. In 1600, she lived on the Nieuwe Zeedijk in Amsterdam. Gertruid was also active in the family business. In 1616, Gertruid and her brother Wessel received a letter of recommendation from the States-General addressed to the city council of Danzig—a sign that their commercial position was officially recognized. Gertruid passed away after 1628.9
Salomon Voerknecht
Born around 1568 in Aalten. In 1597, he married Jannetje Hooft in Amsterdam. She was a descendant of a prominent Amsterdam merchant family that produced one of the greatest Dutch writers of the Golden Age: Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft. Father-in-law Jan Pietersz Hooft was a brother of the mayor of Amsterdam, Cornelis Pietersz Hooft, and through this marriage, he also became the brother-in-law of the later mayor Volckert Overlander.
In 1618, Salomon, on his own behalf and as proxy for Judith and Hans Voerknecht, sold a piece of land, the Bullensche maat in Lintelo, to Roelof Damme and Catharina Smitz. In 1619, he sold—partly on behalf of his wife, and as proxy for his sister Judith, widow of De Marez, and brother Hans (“citizen of Danzig“)—their parental home in Aalten near the churchyard, including the courtyard and land, to Wessel Brethouwer and Mechteld Machtes.
In 1637, Salomon was a senior merchant in the service of the VOC in Batavia. He had gone from Danzig to the East Indies and remarried a widow there. On October 24, 1637, in Batavia, “weak in body but still sound of mind,” he recorded his last will and presumably died shortly thereafter. His eldest son Johan became the deputy bailiff of Amsterdam in 1656.10
Hans Voerknecht
Born around 1569 in Aalten. Hans Voerknecht (also called Schenk) was likewise active in trade. In 1605, he was mentioned as a merchant in Amsterdam, along with Salomon Voerknecht and Wessel Schenk. In 1608, he was in Danzig, and in 1619, he was even recorded as a citizen of that city. He presumably died there not long after.11
Judith Voerknecht
Born around 1569 in Aalten. Around 1585, she married Daniel de Marez, a merchant in Danzig. He is immortalized in an almost life-sized painting of the De Marez and De Schilder families. While in surrounding countries only monarchs had themselves immortalized in this manner, here powerful merchants displayed their status. In 1619, her brother Salomon sold the parental home in Aalten on her behalf (and that of other heirs).12
Anna Voerknecht
Born around 1571 in Aalten. Around 1590, she married the merchant Joost Grevinckhoff, also from Aalten. A deed from the court at Bredevoort from 1615 mentions that Seigneur Wessel Schenk sold a large number of lands and tenant farms on behalf of Joost and Anna, who were then residing in Königsberg. The deed concerns a debt settlement: Joost and Anna were deeply in debt, primarily to Anna’s brother, Seigneur Salomon Voerknecht, “citizen and merchant in Amsterdam” (Seigneur was the title of address for wealthy merchants at that time). Because they could not pay, they transferred their entire property in Aalten—including their house, land, and hereditary rights—to Salomon and his wife Joanna Hooft.13
Jan Holscher
Born around 1584 in Dülmen (near Münster). In 1601, he came to Amsterdam, where he entered the service of his uncle, the merchant Wessel Schenk. Although he managed his uncle’s business, he also traded independently. He held shares in a company that traded with Guyana. Together with his uncle, he also participated in the Hans Claesz Company. In 1613, Thijs Volckertsz Mossel sailed for this company to the Hudson River. In 1612, Jan Holscher married Elisabeth de Hardouin from Rouen in Amsterdam.14
The Capture of Bredevoort in 1572 was the conquest of the fortified town of Bredevoort by a Sea Beggar (Geuzen) army led by William van den Bergh during the Eighty Years’ War. The siege lasted from 9 June to 20 June and resulted in the successful seizure of the town by the besieging forces. This operation was part of William of Orange’s second invasion, aimed at opposing the ‘Spanish’ Army of Flanders.
During the Eighty Years’ War, Bredevoort was under Spanish authority. However, from the autumn of 1570, rumours circulated in the Achterhoek of an imminent attack by insurgents, known as the Geuzen. Until 1572, this remained merely a threat. Following the Capture of Brielle on 1 April 1572, Count William van den Bergh, the brother-in-law of William of Orange, assembled an army of approximately 5,000 men in Wesel. His objective was to undertake a campaign through the Achterhoek and along the IJssel. This campaign was marked by the plundering of churches and monasteries, among other targets.
Fortress Bredevoort, etching by Willem Baudartius (1606)
Siege
On 9 June, a trumpeter appeared before the city gate to demand the town’s surrender on behalf of William of Orange. The choice was simple: swear an oath of allegiance to the Prince, or face battle. The demand was accompanied by harsh warnings; should they choose to fight, the town would face an assault in which neither property nor life would be spared. The Drost (Bailiff), Jasper van Broeckhuijsen, replied that they first wished to await the opinion of the pandheer (mortgage holder), Dirk van Bronkhorst-Batenburg.
Meanwhile, William van den Bergh captured the city of Zutphen the following day and sent letters to the towns that had not yet been conquered, inviting them to Zutphen to swear the oath to the Prince. The Bailiff of Bredevoort advised the citizens to go, but this advice was not followed.
Van Broeckhuijsen eventually managed to convince the pandheer in Anholt that Bredevoort was incapable of defending itself against such superior numbers. Van Broeckhuijsen then travelled to Zutphen to negotiate. On 19 June, a treaty was concluded in which the house, town, and lordship were surrendered to the Prince, though the pandheer would retain his rights.
Bredevoort Castle, by Jacobus Craandijk
Capture
On 20 June, Bredevoort was captured and occupied by Gisbert van Heerde and his regiment of French troops. Jasper van Broeckhuijsen and all officials of the lordship were dismissed, and Jacob van der Capellen was subsequently installed as the new Bailiff. The remainder of the army advanced westward to capture Doetinchem. However, peace was short-lived.
In the meantime, Don Frederick was approaching with a large army for a punitive campaign, and by November, Bredevoort was once again a theatre of conflict. On 20 November, Jacob van Bronkhorst, son of the Lord of Anholt, retook the town for the pro-Spanish forces of the Duke of Alba and his son Don Frederick. A month later, the Geuzen plundered Bredevoort Castle, the Schaer Monastery, St George’s Church, and the St James’s Church in Winterswijk.
Following the Massacre of Zutphen, Van den Bergh fled to Germany, accompanied by the Geuzen who had been stationed in Bredevoort. They took five cannons and ammunition from the town. The pandheer Dirk van Bronkhorst-Batenburg now openly declared his Spanish sympathies. Bredevoort would remain under the Spanish flag until the siege of 1597 by Maurice of Nassau, the future Prince of Orange.
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