Aijsse Lupkens (1641- )

Aijsse was baptized on 19 Dec 1641 (376 years ago) in Blijham in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. She is my 8th great-grandmother, as well as my 4th cousin 10x removed, because of some cousin marriages later, there are several lines of descent. Aijsse married Engel Abels in 1664, and they had six children.

Aijsse and Engel must have had some property, because they make up a marriage contract, even though this is a first marriage. Marriage contracts for second marriages are common, as the future of the children from the first marriage had to be secured. Present for the groom were Harmen Hindriks and Hans Harmens; Homme Doedens and Hidde Mennes, brothers-in-law; Cornelis Aites, uncle; Jan Hindriks, cousin; and Jan Harmens, cousin; and for the bride: Luppe Feijes and Tjaecke, father and mother; Tjarck Feijes, Aeldrick Feijes, Louwert Feijes, and Here Feijes, uncles; Berent Geerts, uncle; Wibbo Harmens, uncle; and Eenje Harmens, cousin.

From this we can infer that Engel had two sisters (he has two brothers-in-law), that he had at least two more uncles, named Harm and Hindrik, whose sons are present. Aijsse’s father had four brothers living, and Aijsse had at least three other uncles, of which Wibbo is married to a sister of her father, Berent prob. was married a a sister of her mother, and a Harm, who is a brother of her mother Tjaecke Eenjes, whose son is Eenje Harmens.

By carefully comparing the people present at the marriage contracts, you can get an good overview of the family relationships. It is quite a puzzle, and sometimes quite dizzying, but without these documents, genealogy in the days before surnames would be nearly impossible.