Francois SOHIER

Francois — Sara SAYE. [Gezinsblad]

Susanne trouwt Isaac SELOIVRE 1641, Breskens (Zeeland, NL). Isaac geboren 1616. [Gezinsblad]

Aantekeningen:

Susanna, geboren v1649.
            L666, Belijdenis Breskens 3‑4‑1666, Susanna Selovre; vertrokken met
            att. naar Middelburg |
            Zij is ondertrouwd Breskens 24.9.1667 voor de kerk (getuigen waren
            Engel Jacobs en haar vader Isaac Seloivre) (1) met Anthonij LUNÉ,
            geboren Sluis v1647.
            L658, Belijdenis Breskens 3‑4‑1666, Anthonij Lunee; vertrokken met
            att. |  T351 (otr, Anthoon Luné, jm v
            Sluijs, won. tot Middelburg, m Susanna Seloivre, jd v Breskens, won.
            op Breskens; get. zijn couzijn Engel Jacobs, haar vader Isack
            Seloivre).
            Zij is ondertrouwd Middelburg (Wal) 16.8.1674 voor de kerk (2) met
            Jan DERMOUT, VOC (Pvlt) en ziekentrooster, afkomstig uit Middelburg
            (Wal).
            Lidm. Schoondijke 1‑7‑1679 met attest Jan
            Dermout en huisvr. | Pvlt VOC 59780, Jan Dermouth, Middelburg,
            ziekentrooster, met de Honsholredijk naar Batavia, vertrek 4‑5‑1680,
            aankomst 1‑12‑1680; vrouw Susanna Secooier(?), kind Isacq Dermouth;
            Opm: ook vermeld onder 59920, Jan Desremous/ Der Mont, Meenen,
            ziekentrooster, met de Hendrick Mourits naar Batavia, vertrek
            15‑2‑1680, aankomst 2‑9‑1680; vrouw Susanneke Selooier?, benoeming
            15‑1‑1680 | Vermeld 1682 als man van SS

Susanna trouwt Anthonij LUNÉ 24 sep 1667, Breskens (Zeeland, NL). [Gezinsblad]

Susanna trouwt Jan DERMOUT 16 aug 1674, Middelburg (Zeeland, NL). Jan geboren < 1645, Middelburg (Zeeland, NL). [Gezinsblad]

Aantekeningen:

3 maal gehuwd
saac (1642) was probably born around 1642 as eldest son, as he did confession in April 1660, and he probably would have been 17 or 18 years by then. He was a cartwright and a schoolmaster in Schoondijke, where he lived until July 1683. He was married at least three times. His third wife
probably died in Dec.1682 after the birth of her first child Anna.

It is this Isaac (1642) who in 1683 went to the States. I now think, that he went on a kind of contract base as schoolteacher for a period of five years, because in 1689 he is back in Middelburg, where he signs for the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) to serve as a junior merchand in Batavia.

These contracts were generally also for a period of 5 years. Isaac (1642) probably died on his way to Batavia, as over 80% of the people on board this particular ship died during the voyage.

Now you start wondering: how thus this connect with the American data?

My hypothesis is that Isaac (1642) took with him on this voyage to America his eldest son Isaac (1665) and his next eldest daughter Susanna (1668). His eldest daughter Janneken (1666) and his other children stayed behind, and I guess they went to live with their grandmother in Middelburg, who was, as you know, by then a widow. When Isaac (1642) was about to return to Middelburg, his two children had probably already married and must have decided to stay in America. So Isaac returned alone.

What makes me think so?
First: Isaac (1642) is (reasonably certain) the one, who signs as junior merchand for the VOC. The record says that he is from Schoondijke, and that the VOC has to pay every year part of his salary to Susanne Sohier. This fits well, as she probably kept his children.

Second: Isaac (1642)'s son Isaac (1665) was alive in 1681 as he is mentioned in a codicil of his grandfather Isaac (1616).

Third: It seems strange that a father would leave his whole family behind when he wants to emigrate, so this indicates that the stay was planned for a shorter time. The construction found here is logical. The father takes two children with him, and the eldest daughter stays behind with the smaller children to stay with the grandmother.

Four: The American data show that Susanne's husband Peter King was called a brother in law of the "American" Isaac. [Actually, brother in law to Hendrick van Levinigh who was a brother in law to Isaac]

Fifth: If the "American" Isaac is identical to Isaac (1642) he must have been married at least 6 times, and fathering children at old age, but, what is more a problem, some of the children are having the same name as the children left in the Netherlands (Jaquemijntje and Janneke). That is very
unusual.

So if we accept that the "American" Isaac is really two Isaac's than we have a better picture. The Isaac (1642) is the one, who is found on the tax rolls of Newcastle, Delaware, from 1683. The Isaac (1665) is the one who married. Peter King is then really a brother in law, and we have no children with the same name in one family.

Isaac (1665) must have been married four times. When he married Janneken van Wilkenhof, he is called "laest wedr. van Hester Leenda" which translates as "last widower of Hester Leenda". This means that he was already a widower when he married Hester Leenda. It is reasonable to suppose that he was already married in 1688, when his father went back to the Netherlands. The same holds for Susanna.

By the way: Concerning Peter King (Pieter de Coninck) who married Susanna Slover (according to the Slover-book). It might be, that he is the son of Jacob de Coninck and Agnes van de Riviere, who was baptised in Groede Nov. 26, 1670. It is known that Jacob went to New York between 1677 en 1683. As the distance between Groede and Schoondijke is only 5 kilometers the families sure must have known each other.

But now: how to prove this?

During WorldWar2 the archives in Middelburg were destroyed, so nothing can be found there any more. I had hoped, that it would be possible to compare the "American" Isaac's signature with the signature of Isaac (1642) and of Isaac (1665). Both are known and a copy of them is in the possession of mrs. Jeanne Stark. (dstark4 at juno.com ). Also, in the early 17th century there is a change in writing as some characters are written in a different style. This makes it possible to say if the handwriting belongs to an older or a younger person. But until now, no signature has been found in America. Maybe this note will renew efforts to solve this question.

Aantekeningen:

Isacq DERMOUTH