How common is it to have baptism witnesses listed in Amsterdam that lived elsewhere? Or is it possib

deannaouimette1.5191507205319685E12

How common is it to have baptism witnesses listed in Amsterdam that lived elsewhere? Or is it possible that relatives would come 156 miles to witness a baptism and then return home (to Westfalen)?

I have a couple in Amsterdam-- Johannes Pieter Voorberg (K6WD-ZWS) and Margaretha Blok having children in the 1770's. (Sources are attached) Their marriage intention record lists that he was of Volmarstein (Westfalen). It looks to me like three of the witnesses on the baptisms of his first two children are Johannes Pieter's siblings as I find him and these three siblings matching up being born to the same father in Volmarstein.

 

These siblings show up in Volmarstein in later records--marrying and having children there.

 

Volmarstein is 156 miles south-east of Amsterdam and I don't see a very direct river-route between the two localities.

 

How common is it to have witnesses listed in Amsterdam that lived elsewhere? Or is it possible that relatives would come that far to witness a baptism and then return home?

 

I appreciate your help.

 

Deanna

 

Adrien Kintziger

A possible route would be via the Ijmeer; Ijssel, Nederrijn,Rijn (Rijn is Rhine.)

ThieboutDelabie

That sounds a unlikely, but the other information seems to match up pretty well.

I guess being a witness also means they are a godparent, if you receive the honor to be a godparent, you might do some additional effort.

Is there a way to know their occupation and/or wealth? It would help to know if they had the time and money to come over. For example, if Isabella was the wife of a farmer, she would be in Amsterdam in August.

With what I see, I would say they did come over.

Ps: Apparently, the siblings of Johannes Pieter died in Amsterdam, is that correct?

A van Helsdingen

I have an ancestor who came from a village near Namur in Belgium who immigrated to Amsterdam. His parents were godparents to one of his children, and his brother to another. Both had stayed behind in Namur, but as stone masons I believe they moved around a lot from job to job.

deannaouimette1.5191507205319685E12

No, the siblings appear later in Volmarstein getting married, having children, and dying there.

 

Thanks

deannaouimette1.5191507205319685E12

Thanks

ThieboutDelabie

Could you add this information to the family tree because right now it states that they died in Amsterdam.

deannaouimette1.5191507205319685E12

Hi there,

 

I am in the middle of reconstituting all the Vorberg families in Volmarstein, so I should be updating the information soon.

 

Thanks,

Deanna