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From: Smits Jozef <>
Subject: [Fwd: Re: For Jos Smits --> A few questions]
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 1998 12:47:56 +0100


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Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 20:47:45 +0100
From: Smits Jozef <>
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To: Marcel Blanchaer <>
Subject: Re: For Jos Smits --> A few questions
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Marcel Blanchaer wrote:
>
> In a geboortakte dated 1829 at Betecom ('distrikt Leuven, provincie
> Zuid-Braband') , the father, age 26, is designated a 'landwerker' born in
> Bael. The mother, age 24, is a 'landwerkster', age 24, 'geborn en wonende
> in deze gemeente' [presumably Betecom]. The first signature is that of the
> father.
>
> My questions:
> 1) Is a 'landwerker' more like a 'landknecht' or 'boerenknecht " than a
> 'landbouwer'? Is there any real difference?
> 2) Is it common or uncommon for a man of this beroep in 1829 to be literate
> enough to be able to sign his name (very clearly and with some 'style')?
> 3) Is it unusual for the mother to designated as a 'landwerkster' than as
> the usual 'zein huisvrouw'? (The doopakte confirms the child was the
> 'filius legitimus' of the parents.)
> 4) Might the 'bevolkingsregister' for the appropiate year reveal more about
> the origins, work and the economic and social status of the father and
> mother?
>
> Thanks. Marcel B.

hi Marcel,

here a some answers as far as I can judge about it:

1) Yes there is definitely a difference: landwerker, landknecht,
boerenknecht indicates the worker, whereas landbouwer indicates the
farmer, not necessarily proprietor of the land he works on with his
family, farmhands and cowboys. "They however should be friends" (quote
from "Oklahoma" a musical I love much).
2) It is uncommon this man can write. However: we are in the Dutch
period of our country and the Dutch government, whatever later "Belgian"
propaganda may have put them in bad light, did something for our people
in respect to economics and education (see also my text on emigration in
the book on Vanderkelen).
3) It is not unusual that his wife was called "landwerkster". On the
larger farms the farmhands lived on the farm and their whole family was
occupied in it.
4) This can indeed be verified in the "bevolkingsregisters" if they
exist for this period at all: it would have been the same address as the
farmer himself.
It is a pity you do not quote any names in your questionnary: I myself
have ancestors in Betekom: Jozef Jacobs, farmer, b. Betekom 14.4.1769,
d. Betekom 23.8.1852, m. Maria Wijns, b. Heist-op-den-Berg 1780, d.
Betekom 15.4.1849.
Their daughter: Joanna Jacobs, b. Betekom 13.5.1806, d. Booischot
10.1.1865 is the mother of my g-grandmother Maria Theresia De Cleyn.
Maybe we are from the same family? And you know:in genealogy the female
line is much more sure than the male line!!!
If I can be of any further help let me know.
jos

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