kootstory

KOOT Genealogy story

The beginning

The story of the Koot family begins when Milis Henrichen Vogels Kotter, son of Henrich and Gretigen Voges Kotteren, moved from Nordwalde to Wassenaar in the western part of Holland. Nortwalde today is situated in Germany in the environment of Osnabrück. During that time it was a part of the properties of the bishop of Utrecht. Utrecht belonged to the 'United Netherlands' as well as Holland did.
To move from one area to another, or even from one town to another, was not too simple. One had to prove to have or to earn money enough to survive for one or two years, afraid to be an economical load for the community. There were no social funds in that time. Mostly the church of the place of departure gave the guarantee, in the form of a written document, which the people could fall back on, in economical sense. The guarantee of Milis Henrichen Vogels Kotter, called a 'borgbrief', is reproduced here. It is written in a mix of Dutch and German and ends in latin.

click on the picture to enlarge it gerest den
18 febr 1762
als vertroken
naar Voorburg
Ich Endes Lenenter Pastor der Parochiall Kerke des Kerspels Nortwalde und desselben Worste heren tun kunde und zeugen undt bekennen Vermits desen offenen versiegtelten brieves das Milis Henrichen Vogels Kotter aus dem Kispel Nortwolde in der Westroder oder an buchter Baurschafft im Stiffsmunster kendtlich belegen von Ehrlichen Christlichen Eltern als benahmt Henrich en Gretigen Voges Kotteren Ehlich gebohren tegenwordig Welker tegenwordig Wohnhafts in Hol, Hollandt en der de Obacht oder Jurisdictie van Soetermar ende Wante Gott Vermode solle den selven in andere Dorpen Statten oder desselven Joredictienes de Wetten, darinnen sich selvs dar neder te setten, te Verhijraden, in sodanige armoeden denselven antenehmen. Wihr betten ende begehren Wante deselve in sodanige oder da nicht bliven konnende wihr allen teijde Urbietig in unseren Kerspel Wo innen derselve gebohren ende Ersogen Wederom op ende an te nehmen ende denselven daseger anmoden sollen entlasten werden ende solches bij Wahren trew, ende onse einkommende haab ende goederen, stellende deselve tott bevangende Executie als nach Wahren ende inhaltende regten ende dessen Exceptiones, zur Wahrer ohrkodt hebben ich Herr pastors und Armmesters deses met onseren tauff und zu namen Warhten onder geschreven und nevens ondergeschreevenen notaris met sijnen ende onseren Sein segell bevestigen laten geschehen in onseren dorff Nortwalde im hoch Stiftts Munster belegen den 17 Septembris 1747
In pramisforum pastoris et provisieforum paupenim igitur fidem Frans Josephus Haselt, notarius pub et immate deluper reguisitus schrifzsel, et subsignavit insppria pualges Henricus Hermannus Deitespaft Nippe

The, non literal, translation is about as follows (the written language is very ample during that time with very long sentences):
I, parish of the church of the community of Nortwalde and in name of the Lord, announce and witness, by this sealed letter that Milis Henrichen Vogels Kotter from the community of Nortwalde on the west side on a farm in the diocese of Munster, being the descendend of honest Christian parents named Henrich and Gretigen Voges Kottern, married, born here, now living in Holland under the jurisdiction of Soetermar or in another village or town under the same jurisdiction including the laws, that he can establish, can marry and that he is accepted in his economical situation. We pray and hope that if he cannot stay, we always accept him again in our community where he is born and grow-up, and that, with loyality, our cattle and goods will be available to him with the rights and exceptions, in honoust announcement of myself, parish and the assistance committee with our names as undersigned and also the undersigned notary with his seal in our village Nortwalde in diocese Munster on 17 September 1747.
The undersignment is in latin. In the side-line is written that he moved to Voorburg on 18 February 1762.

The origin of the surname 'Voges Kotteren' is unknown. The name changed from ' Vogels Kotter', 'Voges Kotteren', 'Vogelskoot' to 'Koot'. Surnames were not fixed. This was established later, during the occupation of France (Napoleon) around 1810.

A farmers wedding party in 1903

It was a traditional wedding on the 6th of May 1903 between Huibertus Adrianus Koot and Cornelia Geertruida van Leeuwen. Looking to the official wedding photograph taken on that day, we have a marvelous moment of group of important Cathlic farmer families from that period of time. The photograph gives an excellent condensed overview of the connections between the families Koot, van Leeuwen, Hooijmans and van der Ham. It is a significant representation from the most important farms in the neighborhood. And additional we see some nice examples of traditional costumes of the province Zuid Holland.

click on the picture to enlarge it

On this picture we see:

1: ?

2: Johannes Cornelis Koot (1856-1939)

3: ?

4: Willem Johannes van der Ham (1870-)

5: Hendricus Adrianus Koot (1868-1939)

6: Petrus Johannes Koot (1871-1946)

7: Johannes van Noort

8: Cornelis Koot (1861-1906)

9: Leonardus Johannes Hooymans (1865-1928)

10: Adrianus Kortekaas (1864-)

11: Jacoba Bergman (1833-1921)

12: Archangela Maria van Leeuwen (1879-1943)

13: Johanna Elisabeth Mooyman (1870-1961)

14: Maria van Leeuwen

15: Maria Petronella Hooymans (1859-1949)

16: Polien van Noort

17: Adriana Maria Koot (1875-1936)

18: ?

19: Johanna van der Post (1862-1911)

20: Johanna Maria Hooymans (1874-1961)

21: Anna Maria Arkesteijn (1863-1933)

22: Cornelis Hendricus Koot (1866-1906)

23: Maria Petronella van Leeuwen (1878-1959)

24: Johanna Maria Koot (1880-1952)

25: Cornelis Koot (1827-1909)

26: Cornelia Geertruida van Leeuwen (1877-1956)

27: Huibertus Adrianus Koot (1870-1952)

28: Jacoba Maria Hooymans (1846-1927)

29: Adrianus van Leeuwen (1842-1929)

30: Cornelis Johannes Koot (1855-1915)

31: Petrus van Leeuwen

32: Johannes van Leeuwen (1881-)

33: ? girl friend of 34, not his later wife

34: Leonardus Adrianus van Leeuwen (1882-)

35: ? so-called Zwarte Sjaan

36: Elisabeth Schilperoort (1864-1938)

Besides the bridal couple Huibertus Koot and Cornelia van Leeuwen (27 and 26) the groom's father Cornelis Koot (25), farmer on the farmhouse Oost Duivensteijn untill that date. On the occasion of the marriage in 1903 his son Huibertus took over this farm. We see also the sister of the groom Adriana (17) with her husband Willem van der Ham (4) living on the Oostenburg farm.

Cornelis Koot, the groom's half-brother (30) with his second wife Elisabeth Schilperoort (36) farming on Reedenburg are on the picture as well. More distant in the family is cousin Cornelis Koot (8) with his wife Maria Hooymans (15) governing the farm Essesteijn and on the party as well.

The farmers Koot were not settled in Voorburg alone. We see Cornelis Koot (22) and his wife Johanna van der Post (19) living next door Oost Duivensteijn in Leidschendam where they had a farm (a riding school to-day). Of course there were members of the family on the wedding party not having a farm. Hendricus Koot (5) is milkman in The Hague and his wife is probably not present to keep the dairy.

Oost Duivensteijn about1930

with Elisabeth Cornelia (1914) and Johanna Maria (1908) Koot.

The couple continuous the farm Oost Duivensteijn and is the second generation Koot on this palce.They get 9 children. Four of them died very soon. The eldest son Adrianus Johannes Koot shall, with his wife Maria Barbara van Haaster, continue the farm in 1936. Typical for the family the eldest daughter Jacoba Maria Koot married Arnoldus Cornelis van der Maarel in 1932 who is farming on the Hoeve Nabij in Voorburg (Westvlietweg, incorporated by Leidschendam in 1938) until they leave in 1955 to start a chicken farm in Apeldoorn.

Life was sometimes hard on a farm far from the village. The children of this Catholic family must go to a Catholic school, operated by nuns opposite the St. Martinus church. And that was a twenty minutes walk. It was quite normal to have diner at noon, so the children went home to eat and went back very quickly, good weather or bad.

Each farm had some personnel, sometimes living on the farm. Farm laborers and domestic staff was quite normal during that time. But the children needed to help with making cheese and that kind of work as well.

Oost Duivensteijn

begin 1914

Left to right:

unknown girl for domestic work,

Huibertus (father),

Cornelia (mother),

Jacoba (Co, 1906),

Adrianus (Arie, 1909),

Anna van der Tocht (domestic),

Johanna (Jo, 1908)

The picture on the right is nade in 1943, 40 years later and the couple from above is surrounded by all children and their partners. Grandchildren are not on this photograph. Picture is taken in the back yard of their house in Voorburg.

Farmers and milkmen

As said in the previous chapter there were may farms managed by the family Koot. Wassenaar, Voorburg, Veur (Stompwijk) en later also further away one can see farms from the family Koot. Besides the farmers, the Koot family has also many milkmen.

Huibertus Adrianus Koot (1870-1952) bought a milk shop in 1932 (Opwijckstraat, Voorburg) operated by his son Cornelus Leonardus (1917) and his daughter Elisabeth Cornelia (1914) with the name H.A. Koot (left).

After the marriage of his son he took over the shop and started for his own. From now it is C.L. Koot (right).