Lisabeth Pieters (1705-)

Lisabeth Pieters (dutch link) was baptized 10 Apr 1705 in Oude Pekela, Groningen, fifth child and only daughter of Pieter Zijtses and Grietje Sjuirts. She is my sixth great-grandmother. Her brother Foppe is also my sixth great-grandfather, there are multiple paths to the same ancestors!

The first four boys were named respectively after Grietje’s grandfather and father, and Pieter’s father and grandfather. Lisabeth was named after her father’s mother. The last two boys are named Klaes, and it is totally unclear after whom they are named.

In 1728 the banns for Lijsebet Pieters van de Oude Pekel A and Derk Harms from Scheemda, a town about 10 km north of Oude Pekela were registered. There is a large note with the registration: The deacons of the church did not want these two to marry, as he was very old, and she was very young, and it seemed likely they would need support from the church. Apparently the minister of Oude Pekela, Wilhelmus Uchtman,⁽¹⁾ wrote a letter supporting the couple to be, because the banns are posted, and they are allowed to marry, and they have six children baptized in Scheemda: Pieter, Ettje, Ettje, Gerrit, Harm, and Barend.

Derk was supposed to be from Scheemda, so I started looking for a baptism. A Derck, son of Harmen Dercks and Wupke Hindrix was baptized on 13 Oct 1704, but he would not have been an old man in 1728, so that does not seem right, also because he does not name a child Wupke. Because of the daughters Ettje, I thought that Derck, son of Harmen Harmens and Ette Harmens, baptized 28 Jun 1668 in Groningen, would be a possibility, but then I realized that Lisabeth’s maternal grandmother was also Ette, which makes the connection less likely. Although it could be possible that there are two Ettjes, named after his mother and her grandmother. But for the moment Derk Harms, this man whom the deacons considered too old to marry 23 year old Lisabeth, remains a mystery.

(1) Uchtman was minister of Oude Pekela from 25 Jan 1722 to 6 Apr 1733. He was apparently quite a character, and rather liked his drink. (source, dutch only)