Petronella Katers (1792-1857)

Petronella Katers (dutch link) was baptized in Hulst in Zeeland on 28 Feb 1792, the daughter of Jacobus Katers and Hermina Sweijen. She is my third great-grandmother. Her father was in the military, he was from Boxmeer, North Brabant, and had married her mother in Nijmegen, Gelderland. They were Roman Catholic, an exception in my family.

Before 1795, the family has moved to the town of Groningen. Petronella’s sisters are both baptized there in the Carolieweg Parish. Her father is now a store keeper, although it is unclear what he is selling.

In 1810 Petronella married Hendrik Berends, who took the surname De Haan. He was Dutch Reformed, and his parents were skippers from Oude Pekela; he was born in the ship, which at that point was moored in Groningen.

One can speculate about how these two met. Maybe Hendrik’s family shopped at Jacobus’ store, when they were in town with their ship, or maybe Jacobus bought the peat, that Hendrik’s family was transporting from Oude Pekela; we’ll never know.

In 1814 Hendrik and Petronella buy their own boat from Reinder Koenes Bont and his wife. The sellers declare

they sell their ship, now moored in Groningen, with all equipment (zeil en treil), anchors and ropes, and everything else that belongs to the ship

The boat was most likely a flat-bottomed ship with side boards, one mast and two or maybe three sails. The flat bottom was needed to allow for passage through the shallow canals and lakes, but they also sailed on the Zuiderzee, and probably close to the coast on the North Sea as well. You can see an example here, although this one is possibly a bit bigger than the 1814 one.

Reinder Koenes Bont and his wife sign the contract, as does Hendrik (3rd signature) and two witnesses; Petronella declares she cannot write. She does learn to write her name, though, she does sign her name in 1855 in the marriage certificate of her youngest son Hendrik.

Hendrik and Petronella go at least as far as Antwerpen with their ship, in 1820 son Martinus died in Groningen, his death certificate lists his birth place as Antwerpen, Belgium. Some of the children are born in the ship, and registered at various places (Groningen, Bedum and Stedum), some in Groningen, probably at Jacoba’s sister’s house, the father being absent with the ship; except the youngest, Hindrik in 1832. At that point father Hindrik is a laborer. What happened between 1829 and 1832? Hendrik dies 9 months later in the hospital in Groningen of pneumonia, leaving Jacoba with at least five small children.

But she managed, and at least two of her children go on to have progeny. As usual, while I write these stories, I find all kinds of things that were sloppy or incomplete. I need to record where the boat was moored at the birth of the children. While it is in the birth certificate, I did not put it in the database for most of the children. And so we keep busy!