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Archiver > Huguenot > 2000-03 > 0952454718


From: Carl Smarling <>
Subject: Re: [Huguenot] The Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam
Date: Tue, 07 Mar 2000 13:45:18 -0500


jean boutcher wrote:

> Marty,
>
> Your mention of "Matthyssen" has caught my eye and
> has prompted me to submit an enquiry concerning my
> ncestor Catharina Hansen Webber's half- brother
> Hendrick Matthysen.

Hi, Jean and All --

I would assume that this particular subject has been touched on several times
over the history of this list, which is the subject of patronymic naming
systems. I know for a fact that the subject cycles through the Swedish lists
on a fairly regular basis.

The fact of the matter is that under the patronymic naming system the male
children of any particular person named Matthys or Mathij would all have
taken on an "after name" of Matthyssen, or if you will, Matthy's - son. If
this particular Matthys had two sons (highly unlikely, as too small a
number), say Jan (Matthyssen) and Dirck (Matthyssen), the grandson's of the
original Matthys would bear the "after names" Janssen (for the first one) and
Dirckssen (for the second one) up to such time as the family stopped naming
this way. Thus, from a 21st Century US perspective we think of first names
and surnames, but from a 17th Century European perspective we are dealing in
"fore-names" and "after-names". It's just a different thing, that still goes
on to some degree in places like Iceland, but was legally abandoned in
Sweden, for example, in the early 1900s. Yes, it confuses things.

The answer to the basic question is that there are many, many Matthyssens
around at the time of the Dutch Colonists, none of whom have any blood
relation to any other.

I believe Marty was referring to Mathij (or Matthys) Jansen van Keulen. His
father would have been Jan with a probable Matthyssen for an aftername. And
in turn his father Matthys somebody.

I don't believe anyone has tracked down Margrietje Hendrickse's parentage,
but she is believed to have been christened in about 1623/1624, more than
likely in The Netherlands. If someone has I'd be delighted to hear about it.

Just for the record then, this Matthys Jansen Van Keulen who married
Margriet Hendrickse, who in turn later married Thomas Chambers, had four
children. In order: Katryn Matthyssen from whom the Van Steenberghen line
descends; Annetje Matthyssen from whom the Pearson or Peersen line descends;
Jan Matthyssen from whom the Jansen line descends; and then Matthys
Matthyssen (1648-1730) from whom the Van Keuren (and various spellings) line
descends. My interest lies in the Van Keuren line.

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