 | Jacob Kornelis Kruize
Jacob was the illegitimate son of Trijntje Sijbolts. Jacob had a two-year older half-sister named Trijntje - born in 1763. Jacob was born some time in 1765 in Uithuizen. He lived his life as a farmhand.
On August 10, 1788, Jacob Kornelis married Eiske Jakobs (Damhof) in Oosterwijtwerd - registered in Uithuizen. Uithuizen is the town where Jacob's mother was originally from. Why was Jacob in Uithuizen? Not certain. Perhaps there is relation there yet to be discovered. Below is Jacob and Eiske's marriage record. Jacob would have been 23. |
 Marriage Record of Jacob Kornelis and Eiske Jakobs - Aug. 10, 1788 - Uithuizen  Church Baptismal Record of Eiske Jacobs 24 Sept. 1765 at Oosterwijtwerd, Groningen |  Transcription of Marriage Record |
Declaration of Family Name
Jacob Kornelis and Eiske Jakobs had a total of 9 children born in the city of Stedum. Two of the 9 died as children: Trijntje as a teen girl and Derk as an infant.
During the early 1800's - around the time Jacob and Eiske were still making a family - Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor, took control of the Dutch people. By written decree it was mandated that all Dutch subjects comply with the choosing/assignment of a surname. Prior to this decree most of the Dutch provinces still adhered to the patronymic naming conventions - the practice of giving children born the "surname" of their father's first name.
An unconfirmed story has been passed down how Jacob Kornelis came to choose our surname of Kruizenga.
The story has it that Jacob was stricken with grief over the death of his 13-year old daughter Trijntje in 1806. When she succumbed to death, Jacob spoke the words "she crosses". "Kruiz" means "crosses over".
Wil Kruizinga has explained to me that the name Kruiz was a common first name in the Netherlands. So Kruiz 'inga' or 'enga' could also mean 'son of Kruiz'.
In any case, the surname KRUIZE was declared.
During the early 1800's - around the time Jacob and Eiske were still making a family - Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor, took control of the Dutch people. By written decree it was mandated that all Dutch subjects comply with the choosing/assignment of a surname. Prior to this decree most of the Dutch provinces still adhered to the patronymic naming conventions - the practice of giving children born the "surname" of their father's first name.
An unconfirmed story has been passed down how Jacob Kornelis came to choose our surname of Kruizenga.
The story has it that Jacob was stricken with grief over the death of his 13-year old daughter Trijntje in 1806. When she succumbed to death, Jacob spoke the words "she crosses". "Kruiz" means "crosses over".
Wil Kruizinga has explained to me that the name Kruiz was a common first name in the Netherlands. So Kruiz 'inga' or 'enga' could also mean 'son of Kruiz'.
In any case, the surname KRUIZE was declared.
Where Jacob Lived and Died
Home Location of Jacob Cornelis & Eiske Jacobs Dam - 95 Stedum
 1832 Stedum Land Registry Map - Archives |  1832 Stedum Land Registry Overlay Today's Map |
1832 Stedum Land Register Record
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I wrote a letter to the historical archivist in Loppersum, Groningen,
Netherlands concerning the present location and/or existence of House
No. 95 - the home mentioned on Jacob Cornelis' death certificate as
being the place of his death.
The folllowing are the messages I received.
The folllowing are the messages I received.
Dear Mr. Kruizenga,
In answering your e-mail of february 24th I can tell you that the house where Jacob Cornelis Kruizinga lived and died can not be found. So I can't say if the house still exists today.
All houses were numbered in those days, but these numbers changed so now and then. When new houses were build between the houses that already existed, they were numbered like 94a, 94b etc. Every ten or twenty years they adapted the housenumbers to the new situation. So 94a became 95 and 94b became 96 and the original number 95 became 97. The problem is that nobody kept a record of these changes (at least not in Stedum before 1899) so that makes it as good as impossible to answer your question.
There is a populationsregister of Stedum of 1830 in which I can see that Jacobs widow, Eiske Jacobs Dam, is still living in the same house together with her daughter, son in law and grandchild. Eiske died in 1838 and her daughter moved with her family to Westeremden, a nearby village. What happened to the house in Stedum, or who lived there since then, is unknown.
I think there is a small chance that the house still exists. I guess Jacob was a poor man who lived in a small, simple house, not the kind of house that lasts for hundreds of years. But there are still some old houses in Stedum, also small and simple ones, however I'm afraid we will never find out if Jacobs number 95 is one of them.
A good impression of Stedum around 1830 can be found on the website www.hisgis.nl. (go to Groningen and then "Naar de kaarten". It could be hard to find Stedum on the map but maybe in combination with googlemaps you can.)
I hope to have been at your service.
Sincerely yours,
Jeroen Hillenga
Archivist of the municipality of Loppersum
In answering your e-mail of february 24th I can tell you that the house where Jacob Cornelis Kruizinga lived and died can not be found. So I can't say if the house still exists today.
All houses were numbered in those days, but these numbers changed so now and then. When new houses were build between the houses that already existed, they were numbered like 94a, 94b etc. Every ten or twenty years they adapted the housenumbers to the new situation. So 94a became 95 and 94b became 96 and the original number 95 became 97. The problem is that nobody kept a record of these changes (at least not in Stedum before 1899) so that makes it as good as impossible to answer your question.
There is a populationsregister of Stedum of 1830 in which I can see that Jacobs widow, Eiske Jacobs Dam, is still living in the same house together with her daughter, son in law and grandchild. Eiske died in 1838 and her daughter moved with her family to Westeremden, a nearby village. What happened to the house in Stedum, or who lived there since then, is unknown.
I think there is a small chance that the house still exists. I guess Jacob was a poor man who lived in a small, simple house, not the kind of house that lasts for hundreds of years. But there are still some old houses in Stedum, also small and simple ones, however I'm afraid we will never find out if Jacobs number 95 is one of them.
A good impression of Stedum around 1830 can be found on the website www.hisgis.nl. (go to Groningen and then "Naar de kaarten". It could be hard to find Stedum on the map but maybe in combination with googlemaps you can.)
I hope to have been at your service.
Sincerely yours,
Jeroen Hillenga
Archivist of the municipality of Loppersum
Dear Mr. Kruizenga,
I send you another e-mail because in spite of the things I wrote in my previous e-mail, I think I might have found your ancestors home after all.
The widow of Jacob Cornelis Kruizinga appears in the register of real properties. I have searched this while writing my first e-mail but I overlooked her name. (the registration was introduced in 1832 so Jacob wouldn't be in there for sure). After having send the e-mail I thought a little further about your question and I figured that if I can't find the widow in the landregister, then maybe I can find her neighbours whose names I know from the populationsregister of 1830.
Well, to make a long story short, I found the widow herself in the landregister because she owned the little house that she lived in (number 95). The big advantage of the landregistration is that there are maps belonging to it which can be consulted via the internet. So when you know the registrationnumber of a certain site or parcel, you also know the location.
The house of Jacob (number in landregistration A44) doesn't exist anymore. It is not in Stedum but outside Stedum in the open field by a road that is called the Hemerterweg (which means road to Hemert). The road is still there but the house is gone. From old maps I know that it dissapeared between 1953 and 1962.
If you have further questions please let me know, I'll be glad to answer them.
With kind regards,
Jeroen Hillenga
I send you another e-mail because in spite of the things I wrote in my previous e-mail, I think I might have found your ancestors home after all.
The widow of Jacob Cornelis Kruizinga appears in the register of real properties. I have searched this while writing my first e-mail but I overlooked her name. (the registration was introduced in 1832 so Jacob wouldn't be in there for sure). After having send the e-mail I thought a little further about your question and I figured that if I can't find the widow in the landregister, then maybe I can find her neighbours whose names I know from the populationsregister of 1830.
Well, to make a long story short, I found the widow herself in the landregister because she owned the little house that she lived in (number 95). The big advantage of the landregistration is that there are maps belonging to it which can be consulted via the internet. So when you know the registrationnumber of a certain site or parcel, you also know the location.
The house of Jacob (number in landregistration A44) doesn't exist anymore. It is not in Stedum but outside Stedum in the open field by a road that is called the Hemerterweg (which means road to Hemert). The road is still there but the house is gone. From old maps I know that it dissapeared between 1953 and 1962.
If you have further questions please let me know, I'll be glad to answer them.
With kind regards,
Jeroen Hillenga
Dear Mr. Kruizenga,
The 1830 population registry is not online, but I will give you the names of those living in the house number 95 with Eiske Jakobs Dam: Hindrik Okkes Zigterman (the son in law) age 28, born in Loppersum (he is registered as Hindrik Jakobs Zigterman, but I'm almost certain that the civil servant made a mistake) Stijntje Jakobs Kruisinga (the daughter) age 23 born in Stedum Berent Hindriks Kruisinga (grandson) age 3, born in Zeerijp. There is a comment behind his name wich says that the father is living in Zeerijp. He is the son of Hindrik Jacobs Kruizenga and Sijpke Harms.
With kind regards,
Jeroen Hillenga
The 1830 population registry is not online, but I will give you the names of those living in the house number 95 with Eiske Jakobs Dam: Hindrik Okkes Zigterman (the son in law) age 28, born in Loppersum (he is registered as Hindrik Jakobs Zigterman, but I'm almost certain that the civil servant made a mistake) Stijntje Jakobs Kruisinga (the daughter) age 23 born in Stedum Berent Hindriks Kruisinga (grandson) age 3, born in Zeerijp. There is a comment behind his name wich says that the father is living in Zeerijp. He is the son of Hindrik Jacobs Kruizenga and Sijpke Harms.
With kind regards,
Jeroen Hillenga
Jacob Kornelis Kruize died on Saturday the 19th day of October 1822 in Stedum - the town where his children were born. He was 58 at the time of death.
Note the transcription of Jacob's death record to the right: father is listed as not being known. Birth: at Uithuizen Profession: Farmhand (laborer) Mother Trijntje's Profession: Day Laborer |  |
