A Gezina mystery in Amsterdam
In 1883 there are in Amsterdam two death certificates for a Gesina ten Bruggencate. Neither lists the parents, both are listed as widow of Christoffel Ubbink or Upp. The birth dates are different, one was 70 yrs old (whch would make her birth year around 1812-1813), the other 59 yrs old (est. birth year 1824); both were born in Almelo. One dies in the hospital, the other possibly at the home of her employer. To make things more confusing, I have a portret of a Gezina tB, born in 1824, which I have not been able to identify.
Recently I found the patient registers of several Amsterdam Hospitals online at the Amsterdam Archives. The registers not only lists names, birth dates, place of birth and occupation, but also husband’s name, sometimes parents’ names, address in Amsterdam, when they came in, when they were discharged or died, and how many days they were a patient. I did not find any reasons for hospitalization, but some records mention that as well.
And there were two Gezina ten Bruggencate under various spellings (of course).
Records of Gezina, born 1812
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Records of Gezina, born 1824
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So there are clearly two Gezinas.
1. Gezina (1812) was married to Christoffel Ubbink. The death date in the patient register corresponds with the death certificate, which also stated that she died in the hospital. And everything fits there (except the birth date is one day off, according to her birth certificate in Almelo she was born on 13 Dec 1812). See here for more info on this Gezina
2. Gezina (1824) was the daughter of Egbert tB and Sophia Scholten, and was clearly born as Stiene, but called herself Gezina in Amsterdam. Her sister Barta was also in Amsterdam, her parents have no daughter Gezina. See here for more info on this Stiene/Gezina
But the problems are not solved. Why does her death certificate gives her husband as Christoffel Ubbink? Did the two policemen who registered her death know both women, and got them mixed up? Stiene is usually a seamstress, but in her death certificate she is a maid, as is the other Gezina.
And as Stiene died in 1883, and the portrait was taken in 1885, I still don’t have a candidate for that Gezina!
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