The Laaxem Vogelzangs.

Translation:

In the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, on the thirtieth of the month of January , in the forenoon of eleven hours, appeared before us “Grietman”- administrator- officer of the civil registry of the administrative district of Gaasterland, Province of Friesland, Jan(according to the Latin baptismal registration “Johannes”) Harmens Vogelzang thirty four years old, fisherman and living in Schaarl; born at Mirns and Bakhuizen, son of age of the later Harmen Jans Vogelzang, while living fisherman, and of Geeske Jans Krul, while living spouses, and having lived and died in Schaarl. Grandson on father’s side of Johannes Melcherts, while alive a labourer, and Grietje Kornelis without occupation having lived and died at Mirns Bakhuizen, en from mother’s side of Jan Jansen Krol and Gatske Aukes, while alive spouses, both having lived and died at Mirns Bakhuizen as mentioned.

And Geeskje Joannes Konst, thirty three years of age, without occupation and living at Mirns Bakhuizen, born at Bovenkarspel, widow of Lubbert Sijskes Bosman, while alive baker, having lived and died at Mirns Bakhuizen as mentioned, daughter of age of Johannes Konst, while alive tailor, having lived and died in Balk ( in the attached death certificate referred to under the name of Jan Evert Konst) and of Trijntje Tjallings de Boer, while alive labourer, having lived and died in Balk; granddaughter on father’s side of Andries Christiaan Konst, tailor when living, and of Geesje Maatcate, both having lived and died at the Zeldam, district of Deldin; and from mother’s side of Tjalling de Boer and Akke Pieters, while alive spouses, labourers, having lived and died at Stavoren.

Having checked the birth and death certificates as having been properly prepared, who have requested us to carry out the intended marriage, of which the announcements as such have been posted on the front door of our home the district office, of the district of Hemelumer-Olderheert and Noordwolde, and which events took place on the twenty fourth and thirtieth of December last year, and in the last mentioned district on the sixth and thirteenth of January of this year, at each time at twelve o clock in the afternoon.

Since no objections against the announced marriage to our knowledge, has been made known did we agree to the request, after reading of the mentioned twelve attachments, which will be attached to this certificate in accordance to the sixth chapter of the Civil Code, did we record in writing the fact that we asked the about to become spouses if they mutually wanted to become husband and wife, to which each of them gave a positive answer, and thus do I declare in name of the law that Jan Harmens Vogelzang and Geesje Joanane Konst, previously mentioned, are united in marriage of which we have made up the official document in the presence of Willem Pieters Albada, fifty eight years of age, police constable, living at Oude Mirdum; Hidde Jacob Koornstra fifty three years old and police servant, living at Balk; Willem Tjietjes Roskam, thirty years old, living at Wyckle and police constable; and of Franks van Elschot, twenty one years old, clerk, living at Balk and no relatives of the mentioned contractors, which document along with us and the contractors, after having read the document I declare that I requested the contractors to sign, they requested not to do this as they had not learned how to write.

W.P Albade, J.H Vogelzang, W van Sinderen, H J Koornstra; F van Elschot, W.T Roskam.

As a point of interest the name “Krol” means “curl” and probably in 1811 was chosen based on the nature of the registrant’s curly hair.

Death Certificate of Jan Harmen Vogelzang.

Translation:

In the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty eight, on the thirteenth day of the month of March, appeared before us Teuke Harmen Visser, official of the Civil Registry of the district of Gaasterland, Province of Friesland

Joost Sents Stoker, fifty years of age, teacher and Bouke Jans Terpstra, twenty six years of age, labourer, living at Mirns/Bakhuizen, which declared to us that

Jan Harmens Vogelzang, fifty nine years of age, fisherman and shopkeeper living at Mirns/Bakhuizen, born in Laaxum, spouse of Geeske Johannes Konst, without occupation, living at Mirns/Bakhuizen, son of Harmen Jans Vogelzang and Geeske Jans Krul, both deceased

On the twelfth day of the month of March of this year, in the morning at the eleventh hour at Mirns and Bakhuizen in the house numbered sixty three has died: and have we prepared this document read it to the declarers, which they thereafter along with us have signed.
J.S. Stoker , Bouke J Terpstra, Teuke H Visser

In Chapter 6 we saw that Jan Melcherts had 8 children. The third one was Harmen who married Geeske Krul (Krol). This couple had 10 children:

1. Joucke Harmens Vogelzang, born in Bakhuizen and baptized there on March 14, 1796 in the RC church. While haying in the Kolderwolde he suddenly died on Jul 21, 1818. He was unmarried.

2. Johannes Harmens Vogelzang, born at Bakhuizen where he was baptized in the RC church o n Dec 26, 1796. He died in Laaxem on Apr 11, 1862. His civil wedding was at Balk on Jun 14, 1833 where he married Neeltje Aukes Sonsma, born at Oudemirdum. She was baptized at the RC church in Bakhuizen on Dec 27, 1806 and was the daughter of Auke Martens Sonsma, butcher at Oudemirdum and of Grietje Johannes Koshoorn. She died at Laaxem on Nov. 3 1874. Johannes was Fisherman.

3. Jan Harmens Vogelzang, born at Bakhuizen and baptized there in the RC Chruch on Apr 7, 1798. He died in Mirns on Mar 12, 1862. He married in Balk on January 30, 1833 to Geeske (Gatske) Konst, who was born at Bovenskarspel on Sep. 26, 1799. She died in Mirns on Apr 29, 1871/ Geeske had been married before, on May 20, 1825 to Lubbert Sipkes Bosman who was born at Balk on Aug 7, 1788 where he died on Jan 15, 1829. Lubbert was a baker by profession. Jan Harmens was fisherman and shopkeeper and also some form of an innkeeper. He was the progenitor of the Lemmer branch of the Vogelzangs.

4. Hendrik Harmens Vogelzang, born in Barkhuizen where he was baptized in the RC church on Apr 6, 1801. He must have died prior to 1811 as he is not mentioned in the Napoleonic name registry.

5. Jannetje Harmens Vogelzang, born in Bakhuzen and there baptized on Dec. 30, 1803 in the RC Chruch. She died at Mirns on Feb 21, 1872. She married in Balk on Jan 30, 1833 a Lammert Sjoukes va n der Wal who was born in Mirns on Nov. 3, 1808. He was the son of Sjouke Fimmes van der Wal and Gatske Lammerts van der Meer. Lammert died in Mirns on March 11, 1897. He was a short person which excused him from military service. They had two children.

6. Berend Harmens Vogelzang, born in de Wiel and baptized in the RC church in Bakhuizen on Jul 23, 1803. He also must have died prior to 1811 as his name is also not mentioned in the Napoleonic registry.

7. Cornelis Harmens Vogelzang, born in de Wiel and was bapatized in the RC church at Bakhuizen on Sep 1, 1807. He died in Bakhuizen on Oct 22, 1807.

8. Grietje Harmens Vogelzang, born at Warns and baptized in the RC church in Bakhuzen on Oct 6, 1808. She never married and died on March 4, 1877 at Mirns.

9. Berend Harmens Vogelzang, born at Staovren on Feb 9, 1814. He died on March 13, 1814.

10. Berendje Harmens Vogelzang, born in Stavoren on Aug 15, 1815 and baptized in the RC church in Bakhuizen on Aug. 30, 1815. She remained unmarried and died in Hemelum on Apr. 30, 1891. She had the nickname “Freule”- baroness.

The three ladies Gatske, Griet and Berendje were called the “Bot Ladies”as they sold bot (a type of flat fish) caught by their fisherman brothers, door to door. They were not too accurate in turning over the monies collected in the sale. Apparently quite a bit got lost on the way in the purchase of alcohol. The brothers, all of whom were still single, got fed up with this and decided that enough was enough. After some deliberation, they came to the conclusion that the best way to solve the “women selling bot” problem was to find themselves a wife. Jan Harmens found the widow Geeske Konst and married her in January 1833.

His older brother, Johannes, walked to Oudemirdum and visited a well known farmer’s maid. They agreed to get married in the fall of 1832. However, there was a minor problem in that she had to finish her contractual obligations to serve the farmer until June 1833. The fact that she was to get married made no difference to the farmer- a deal was a deal. During the interim time of the fall of 1832 and June 1833, he never saw his bride to be. However, room was made in the parental home in Laaxum, as sister Jannetje got married on the same date as Jan Harmens, January 30, 1833 to her Lammert and moved to Mirns. The last sister, Berendje- the “baroness”, was pawned off to a different village and thus the parental fisherman’s home, built in 1808, had made room for the new couple. The parents in the meanwhile had died in 1829 and 1830 respectively.

Whispering has it that one of the sisters had a child out of wedlock. However, there is no proof of this.

Picture of the HL7 from Laaxum. It was built in 1947 for Johannes Vogelzang as the first post war vessel built by the shipyard “Volharding”owned by van der Werff in Stavoren. Type of vessel is called a “zeil schouw” and was build of steel with an auxiliary engine.
Vessel is shown in Stavoren Harbour, 1947.