Genealogie Bos

This is my English-language Genealogy & Ancestry Blog.
(Mijn Nederlandstalige blog is genealogiebos.blogspot.nl).

19 Nov 2013

Cornelis Geeritsz de Haen drowned in 1648 in Brazil after falling off a bridge

This is a story about Cornelis de Haen from Dordrecht, The Netherlands, who fell off a bridge in Brazil.

Maeijken Jansdr de Ridder was born in Dordrecht. Maeijken married 
(1) Cornelis Geeritsz de Haen on 4-9-1639 in Dordrecht, after their intention to marry had been registered on 21-8-1639. Cornelis drowned on 1-5-1648 in a river after falling off a bridge in the Pernambuco area in Brazil. 
(2) Cornelis Pietersz Brand on 4-2-1649 in Dordrecht, after their intention to marry had been registered on 31-1-1649
Both of Maeijken's husbands were born in Dordrecht. Maeijken had a son Pieter with her 2nd husband, baptised on 22-9-1649 in Dordrecht. 

After returning from Brazil Cornelis Volckersz. van Embden and Hendrick Helmich gave a testimony on 29-1-1649 in Dordrecht about the drowning of Cornelis Geeritsz. de Haen in a river between Mauritsstad and Recife after falling off a bridge together with another, unknown man. Grietge Jansdr., widow of Boudewijn Dircxsz., Cathelijn Jansdr. Goetleth, wife of Frans Fransz. Dermoeijen, currently in Brazil, and Willemken Jans, sister of Seger Jansz. van Geelkercken, currently in Brazil too, declared they had received letters from their relatives describing how De Haen was drowned. Due to those testimonies Maeijken was able to remarry. 

Strangely, a Cornelis de Haen from Dordrecht is also mentioned on a list of soldiers who died on 19-2-1649 in the battle of Guarapes in the Pernambuco area. If that really is Maeijken's husband, her marriage on 31-1-1649 was bigamous and her son illegitimate. 

Sources: Archieven.nl, GaHetNa.nluwstamboomonline.nl.

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