Introduction to Ten Bruggencate

the name || history || occupations || in the Groote Straat in Almelo || 1915 telefoonlijst || migration

Where the name ten Bruggencate originates, is not clear. Huizinga1 explains it as a small farm (a "kate" or "kotterstede") near a bridge, but B.J. Hekket2 in his book "Oost Nederlandse familienamen" suggests the possibility that the name is derived from the first name "Burg.". The Meertens Institute explains it as an address name, and so agrees with Huizinga.

There are many different spellings of the name. At present ten Bruggenc/kate and ten Bruggen C/Kate are the variants, in the US and England it frequently becomes Bruggencate or Tenbruggenkate. Earlier the spelling variations were also great, see here for some signatures

Between 1750 and 1780 there is mention of a hayfield named the "Bruggenkate Maate"

  • Gerrit de Korvenmaker van het Boomshuijs registers on Oct 25, 1750 the purchase of the Bruggenkate Maate, purchased from Lucas Brinkhuijs for ƒ240.3

  • 14 Sep 1767 Fennigjen Smit, widow of Jan Hendrik ter Haar, with her guardian Jacob ter Haar, also as proxy for Swierbertus ter Haar and Everwijn ter Haar, sells to Albert Zeijgers and his wife a half hayfield with trees in the Bolkshoek, between Zeijgers and the field of Jan van Lochem, named the Bruggenkatenmate, of which the other half belongs to Jacob ter Haar21

  • and Hendrik Boom and his wife Maria van de Schuppe transfer on 21 July 1768 the ownership of their hayfield, named de Bruggenkate Maate, situated in the Heerlijkheid and Gericht Almelo, in the Bolkshoek, with all the rights thereupon attached, to Albert Zeijgers en his wife Geese van Hinsenveld, in exchange for another piece of land.4

  • 17 Nov 1780 Jannes ter Haar and his wife Catharina Stevens transfer to Albert Zeijgers and his wife and heirs the ownership of a half hayfield in the Bolkshoek, between the farm of Zeijgers and the field of Jan van Lochem, named the Bruggencate Mate, of which the other half already belongs to the buyer.22

    • A bit of history.

    The ten Bruggencate's have been in Almelo for a long time. The oldest known ancestor is Harmen ten Bruggencate, who buys a field in 1568.23 He had at least 2 sons, Harmen and Lubbert, and a daughter Zwenneke. A Lebbert ten Bruggenkaten is listed in the tax register of Twente in 1601.5 In one secundairy source a son Simon is mentioned, but that name does not occur again in the family. I'm not convinced he actually existed, but for the moment he provides a link that cannot be discarded yet.

    Hattink says that circa 1450 a Geesje ten Bruggencate is mentioned in the diary of the Prior of the monastery in Albergen. 24 And c. 1520 the Prior loaned money from a Ghesa ten Bruggencate25, who also gave him her money for safekeeping during the wartime. These women lived in Dulder or Dulre.

    In 1786, the time of troubles between the Countess of Rechteren, and the Patriots, there was in the inn of ten Bruggencate a riot between the soldiers of the militia an those of the Countess of Rechteren. The militia attacked the Countess' men, and a number of them were wounded.17
    The inn, located close to the "Leeshuis", played also a minor role during the textile strike of 1888. On 29 February the strikers held a meeting there. The strikers unanimously turned down the conditions of the employers.18 I don't know (yet) whether this was the same inn, and which ten Bruggencate owned it, maybe Gerrit (1745 -c. 1797), son of Abraham and Maria ten Bruggencate in 1786, and Harmen (1794-), zoon van Hendrik ten Bruggencate en Stiene Voerknecht, of zijn opvolger, in 1888.

    What did they do for a living?

    Many of the ten Bruggencate's were skippers. Ter Kuile mentions a Harmen ten Bruggen Cate, who transports wood from Almelo to the west of the Netherlands in 1605.16 Drs. G.J. Schutten mentions circa 1674 a Hermen, Jan en Wolter ten Bruggencate, skippers from Almelo, who spend the night in Zwolle.6 In 1750 there were 5 ten Bruggencate's (2x Harmen, Berend, Abram, en Isaac) who testify to the need for more water in the river Regge, to keep the waterway to Zwolle open.7 And in 1795 Gerrit en Hendrik Jan, with his sons Lambert en Cornelis ten Bruggencate are listed in a toll register.8

    But bij 1795 most of them had become merchants: Jan (1760-1827), merchant in grain and linnen, Baarent (1765-1843), merchant, Benjamin (1735-1813), merchant in linnen, Gerrit (1738-1822), merchant, weduwe van Gerrit (=Geertruid ter Brake, 1742-1827) merchant, Harmannus (1744-1796), merchant in linnen, Geertruid (c.1730-a.1795), merchant.9 When in Twente the weaving industry started, first as a cottage industry, they became "fabrikeurs" the middleman between the home weavers and the large customers.
    Harmen (c.1720-b.1806) en zijn zoon Thomas (1748-1823) owned large fields for the bleaching of linnen, his son Benjamin (1791-c.1860) started in 1844 with chemical bleaching of fabrics.10 In 1915 there is still "De Bleek" where de Firm of Ten Bruggencate and Sons used to do their bleaching.11

    Migration

    Early on a number of ten Bruggencate's went to Amsterdam. Maybe it was necessary for the shipping business to have someone in Amsterdam, or maybe there was more work there. In 1717 banns are announced for a Femmetje ten Bruggenkaete, from Almelo, 36 year old, and Christoffel Arentse van Kuijlenburgh. She says that her parents are deceased, and a connection has not been found yet. After that there are quite a few marriages and baptisms in Amsterdam. Most of them are descendants of Jan and Geesje Houtman.
    And so there are more, many girls went later from Almelo to Amsterdam as maid, before they married (in Amsterdam or Almelo). They are sometimes difficult to fit in, because the say that there parents are deceased.14

    Ten Bruggencate's have been found in many countries. In the 18th century Jan ten Bruggencate dies in Demerarij in Suriname. In the 19th century there are ten Bruggencate's in the US (Johan and descendants) and in England (descendants of Albertus) en Willemina Weijdeman. In the Ellis Island database are 5 ten Bruggencate's: Frits and Albertus are sons of Albertus and Janna Schuttevaar. They cross the ocean several times. The other three are Bernard and his sons Gerard Louis and Lambertus. Bernard is going to the Dutch East Indies as government official, Lambertus was employed by the Asiatic Petroleum Co, and Gerard Louis was going to Shanghai.

    In the Groote Straat

    A number of ten Bruggencate's and their descendants lived in 1873 in the Groote straat in Almelo. Their houses, with all the others in the Grootestraat, have been drawn by P.J. Lutgers (1808-1874), and have been published in a small book.19 The list follows here:
    #17. Johan ten Bruggencate (1837-1913, son of Bernardus and Johanna Berendina Aleida ten Bruggencate)
    #18. Mr. W. ten Bruggencate (1842-1912), son of Bernardus en Aleida ten Bruggencate. Unmarried. Lawyer
    #20. Ten Bruggencate
    #35. H. ten Bruggencate (prob. Hermannus, 1828-1913, son of Gerrit ten Bruggencate and Christina Johanna Hagedoorn)
    #36. Bernardus Prinsen (1838-), married to Aleida ten Bruggencate.
    #37. A. Sonberg (maybe Abraham, 1818- , son of Jan Somberg and Johanna Wanschers. Johanna is a daughter of Abraham Wanschers and Hendrika ten Bruggencate)
    #41. F. ten Braake (maybe Fredrik, 1797- , son of Benjamin ter Braake and Margrieta Walderink. Benjamin is a son of Gerrit ter Braake and Geesken ten Bruggencate. Fredrik was married to Zwaantje Troost, 1805- , daughter of Hendricus Troost and Geesje ten Broeke. Hendricus was a son of Jan Troost and Geesken ten Bruggencate)
    #62. D.L. Bartelink (prob. Dirk Lenard, 1827- , son of H.P.W. Bartelink and Fredrica ten Bruggencate. He was married to Everdina H. B. Boom, 1824- , greatgranddaughter of Gerrit ter Brake and Geesken ten Bruggencate)
    #65. E(gbert) Scholten (1783-), gehuwd met Johanna ten Bruggencate.
    #82. A. ten Bruggencate (prob. Aalder, 1834-1913, son of Hendrik Jan and Trina Johanna ten Bruggencate)
    #88. Hendrik P. W. Bartelink (1827-), son of H. P. W. Bartelink and Fredrica ten Bruggencate, married to Hendrika Johanna Mokkelencate, greatgranddaughter of Gerrit ter Braake and Geesken ten Bruggencate.
    #95. Widow ten Bruggencate (prob. Trina Johanna, 1807- , daughter of Jannes ten Bruggencate and Jenneke Selhorst, widow of Hendrik Jan)
    #105. Widow Hazekamp (maybe Albertina Gerritdina ten Bruggencate, 1814- , daughter of Izaak ten Bruggencate and Fenna Katherina Loreij)
    #121a. B. Boom, apothecar (Bernardus 1800- , son of Gerrit Otto Boom and Aleida ten Bruggencate), married to Dirkje Ravenswaaij.
    #123. A(braham) ter Braake (1825-), married to Hendrika Margaretha ter Braake. Tobaccofactory "De Zwarte Moriaan". Both descend from various ten Bruggencate's.
    #143. Ten Bruggencate, apothecary (Jan, 1813-1884, son of Lambertus ten Bruggencate and Christina Elizabeth Hooglandt)
    #146. D. (Hendrikus) ten Bruggencate (1839-1915), son of Gerrit ten Bruggencate and Dina Klumpers, married to Hermina Aleida Dietz. Baker
    #152. B. ten Bruggencate (prob. Benjamin, 1829-1887, son of Bernardus and Johanna Berendina Aleida ten Bruggencate)
    #178. Ten Bruggencate, office
    #185. J(an) H(endrik) Hombrink, married to Christina ten Bruggencate, 1825- , daughter of Harmen ten Bruggencate and Gebbe Piepers)

    1915 telephone listings See Herman de Wit's site for the complete 1915 telephone listings of the Netherlands.

  • 'sGravenhage ( pg.276)
    H2647 Bruggen Cate, Mr. J.D. ten, Gr. Hertoginnelaan 41
    H2819 Idem, Molenstr. 39 (9-4)
    S1828 Idem, Huis, Zeekant 4
    H4108 Bruggencate v. Tubergen, Mevr., A. ten, Bezuidenhout 255
  • IJmuiden (pg 439)
    103 Bruggencate, W. ten, Cand. Notaris, Kanaalstr. 65
  • Groningen (pg 357)
    302 Bruggen Cate, Mr. B. ten, Secr. b.h. college v. curatoren der Rijks-Universiteit, Emmaplein 1
    970 Houten--ten Bruggen Cate, Wed. H. v., Damsterdiep Z.Z. 38
  • Almelo (pg 11)
    168 Bruggen Cate Wzn., B. ten, Agenturen, drogisterijen, Grootestr. 54
    226 Bruggen Cate, Bernard B. ten, Kapokfabr. "Java", Bornebroekscheweg (kant. 9 - 12, 2 - 6)
    230 Idem, woonh., Molenkampspark 18
    132 Bruggen Cate, J.A. ten, Kapok- en wattenfabr., C 421, Ambt-Almelo.
    177 Bruggen Cate, Mr. H.J. ten, Adv. en proc., Grootestr. 66
  • Lisse (pg 476)
    469 Bruggencate, G. ten, Notaris, Sassenheim
  • Utrecht (pg 673)
    676 Bruggenkate, M.J. ten, fa. v. d. Waal, Spruit & Co., Apoth., Ganzenmarkt 18
  • Zwolle (pg 753)
    150 Bruggenkate & v. Reede, Ten, Schoutensteeg.
    • Endnotes
    1. Huizinga, A. Encyclopedia van namen: een vraagbaak over de afkomst van onze Nederlandse en Vlaamse familie- en geslachtsnamen. Amsterdam: Strengholt, 1955.
    2. Hekket, B.J. Oost Nederlandse Familienamen: hun ontstaan en betekenis. Enschede: Van de Berg, 1996.
    3. Register van Aangave van 50e pennink en collaterale successien binnen het Land Gerichte der Heerlickheijt Almelo voorvallende. Inv.#2628+.
    4. Landgericht Almelo Inv # 2649, fo 144-145.
    5. Het verpondingsregister van Twente van 1601. Vereniging Oudheidkamer Twente, 1985. pg 394, nr 1906. (Met dank aan Cor Sellenrode)
    6. Drs G.J. Schutten, Varen waar geen water is, Hengelo: Uitgeverij Broekhuis, 1981, pg 51.
    7. Ibid. pg 59.
    8. Ibid. pg 109.
    9. Volkstelling Stad Almelo 1795. RAO. Statenarchief inv. #5320-5371.
    10. B. Bolk, et al., Schering en Inslag, Hengelo: Twents-Gelderse Uitgeverij Witkam, 1982, pg 176.
    11. H. Hagens en J. Nieuwerth, Almelo in Oude Ansichten, Zaltbommel: Europese Bibliotheek, 1969, pg 102.
    12. Mr. G.J. ter Kuile, Sr., De opkomst van Almelo en omgeving , 2e druk, Zwolle: N.V. de Erven J.J. Tijl, 1947, pg 52-53.
    13. Drs. D. Schlütter Met den Koorde of door het zwaard, Oldenzaal: Twents-Gelderse Uitgeverij de Bruyn, 1994, pg 96.
    14. Ondertrouwen Amsterdam, voor 1811. Gemeente Archief Amsterdam.
    15. Landgericht Almelo Inv.#2642 28 May 1791.
    16. Mr. G.J. ter Kuile, Sr., De opkomst van Almelo en omgeving , 2e druk, Zwolle: N.V. de Erven J.J. Tijl, 1947, pg 104.
    17. J. Abbes, De Almelose Patriottenbeweging, Enschede: Van de Berg, 1997, pg 51.
    18. J.G.H. Oude Brunink, "Jacob Cornelis van Marken en de Almelose werkstaking van 1888", Jaarboek Twente #2 (1963):85.
    19. P.J.Lutgers en G. Prinsen tek., J. van Kooij tekst, De Hoofdstraat te Almelo 1873-1980, Almelo: Stichting Stadsherstel Almelo, 1984.
    20. G.J.I. Kokhuis Historie van Almelo, van prehistorie tot heden Hengelo: Twents-Gelderse Uitgeverij Witkamp, 1985.
    21. Landgericht Almelo Inv# 2649, fo 120-120v (LDS Film 1393438)
    22. Landgericht Almelo Inv# 2651, fo 41v-42 (LDS Film 1393439)
    23. Hattink, R.E. "In en om Almelo" Almelo : Twentsche Boekhandel, 1903
    24. idem
    25. Kuile, Sr, Mr. G.J. ter. Twentsche Eigenheimers. Almelo: Hilarius, 1947, pg 21.
    26. Stadsgericht Almelo Inv# 2618*, fo 4-6 (excerpt).