Name
Douwe Claesen.[1] His last name is a patronymic meaning “son of Claes.” The first name Douwe is a typical Frisian name that was also in use in Holland.[2]
Origin
Douwe Claesen was from Medemblik.[3] Located on the Zuiderzee [a bay of the North Sea], Medemblik was part of the West-Frisia area of the province of Holland.
Migration
Douwe Claesen sailed to New Netherland on 23 December 1657 on the ship St. Jan Baptist [St. John the Baptist], with skipper Sijmon Claesen. He owed 36 guilders in passage fees, the customary fee for someone over the age of twelve.[4]
Settlement
Douwe Claesen would have arrived in New Netherland in early 1658. As a bricklayer, he probably settled in an urban area, perhaps New Amsterdam.
Biographical Details
Douwe Claesen was probably born between say 1607 and 1619. He would not have gone to New Netherland as a bricklayer if he was an older man. He had his first known child in 1645 (see Marriage and Children) and was probably at least twenty years old at the time. His patronymic indicates he was the son of a man named Claes. No child named Douwe, son of Claes, was found in the index of Medemblik baptismal records, which start in 1619.[5] If Douwe was indeed born in Medemblik, he was probably born before 1619. He died at an unknown date after 23 December 1657.[6]
Marriage and Children
The name of Douwe Claesen’s wife is unknown. He had two children baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church of Medemblik:
- Aeffgen, daughter of Douwe Claesz, baptized 5 November 1645.[7]
- Jacob, son of Douwe Claesz Metselaers, baptized 12 February 1648.[8] Presumably died young.
- Jacob, son of Douwes Claesz Metselaer, baptized 9 May 1649.[9]
The name, place, and use of “Metselaers” [Bricklayer’s] identifies this father as “Douwe Claesen van Medenblick Metselaer” [Douwe Claesen from Medemblik, bricklayer] in the list of passage fees.[10] The spacing of the children is plausible for a group of siblings.
Education
Douwe Claesen would have spoken Dutch, or perhaps a Frisian dialect.
Occupation
Douwe Claesen was a “metselaer,” a bricklayer or mason.[11] He may have been employed by the West India Company, who hired many tradesmen to go to New Netherland.
Church Membership
Douwe Claesen had his children baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church of Medemblik.[12]
Associations
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Douwe Claesen would have gotten to know his fellow passengers on the St. Jan Baptist: Jan Snedich, Claes Snedich, and Adem Breemen, and the skipper, Sijmon Claesen.[13]
Source Editions
Van Laer, A.J.F. “Passengers to New Netherland.” Year Book of the Holland Society of New York. 1902. Pages 5–37. Contains a summary of the passenger list, with “Douwe Claesen” on p. 6.
Citations
[1] List of passage fees from Holland to New Netherland from 1654 to 1664, folio 4, Douwe Claesen, in New Netherland Council, Dutch colonial administrative correspondence, vol. 14, 1661–1662; imaged, “Digital Collections,” New York State Archives (URL), identifier https://digitalcollections.archives.nysed.gov/index.php/Detail/objects/54615), image 8–9 of 180; citing series A1810-78, New York State Archives, Albany, New York.
[2] “Corpus of Given Names in the Netherlands,” Meertens Instituut (https://nvb.meertens.knaw.nl/verklaring/naam/Douwe), entry for Douwe > Explanation.
[3] List of passage fees from Holland to New Netherland from 1654 to 1664, folio 4, Douwe Claesen.
[4] List of passage fees from Holland to New Netherland from 1654 to 1664, folio 4, Douwe Claesen.
[5] “Personen,” index, West-Fries Archief (https://www.westfriesarchief.nl/archieven/personen/), search for first person: Douwe, second person: Cla* with role “vader” [father]. Also, “1702-20 Doop-, trouw- en begraafboeken Medemblik, 1598–1893,” finding aid, West-Fries Archief (https://hdl.handle.net/21.12114/A9CC76EDB2EB4D51BD30F5B422ABD855), entries for baptismal registers.
[6] List of passage fees from Holland to New Netherland from 1654 to 1664, folio 4, Douwe Claesen.
[7] Baptism of Aeffgen, daughter of Douwe Claesz, 5 November 1645, in Dutch Reformed Church (Medemblik), baptismal register, 1619–1667, p. 110; imaged, “Personen,” West-Fries Archief (https://hdl.handle.net/21.12114/A7B17340BEE745B3A3181142DD19F571); citing call no. 1, Record Group 1702-20: Doop-, trouw- en begraafboeken Medemblik [Baptismal, marriage, and burial books Medemblik], West-Fries Archief, Hoorn, Netherlands.
[8] Baptism of Jacob, son of Douwe Claesz Metselaers, baptized 12 February 1648, in Dutch Reformed Church (Medemblik), baptismal register, 1619–1667, p. 121; imaged, “Personen,” West-Fries Archief (https://hdl.handle.net/21.12114/8040550E87234A39BD7D306521BF2EF9).
[9] Baptism of Jacob, son of Douwes Claesz Metselaer, baptized 9 May 1649, in Dutch Reformed Church (Medemblik), baptismal register, 1619–1667, p. 128; imaged, “Personen,” West-Fries Archief (https://hdl.handle.net/21.12114/27DF4B6FE50B43008906B7603BB79D9F).
[10] List of passage fees from Holland to New Netherland from 1654 to 1664, folio 4, Douwe Claesen.
[11] List of passage fees from Holland to New Netherland from 1654 to 1664, folio 4, Douwe Claesen.
[12] Baptism of Aeffgen, daughter of Douwe Claesz, 5 November 1645 (p. 110) and Jacob, son of Douwe Claesz Metselaers, baptized 12 February 1648 (p. 121), in Dutch Reformed Church (Medemblik), baptismal register, 1619–1667.
[13] List of passage fees from Holland to New Netherland from 1654 to 1664, folio 4, Douwe Claesen.
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