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View Tree for Jan ClaaszJan Claasz (b. 1705, d. Bef. Sep 1776)

Jan Claasz (son of Claas Thyssen and Grytie Jans) was born 1705, and died Bef. Sep 1776 in Westermeer. He married Swaantje Dirks, daughter of Dirk Jans and Antie Olkes.

 Includes NotesNotes for Jan Claasz:
Jan Claasz arrives at Westermeer with a church attestation from Rotstergaast on 08 April 1744 (at the introduction of the "quotisation tax"). He is described as a farmer, having lost many beasts. He has a family of four persons over the age of twelve and five younger at the time of his death abt. September 1, 1776, (church records at Westermeer say 1775). During this period Rotstergaast had no church member records (1744) so ancestry of Jan Claasz could not be followed there. The Rotstergaast church is in the parish of Joure. The Joure baptism books sometimes give birth dates, but more often do not.

After Jan Claasz's death in 1776, Ids Lourens, a farmer at the Scharren, and Evert Arends, groats maker at Joure, are appointed as guardians for Dirk, who was 24 years old, and Aaltje, 23 years, and Lamkjen, 17 years. The mother is till alive and the older children do not need a guardian since they were over 25 years old. Ids Lourens married Antje Dirks, a sister of Swaantje. Since Janke and Olkjen are not mentioned, we assured they died before 1776.

Jan Claasz farmed one to five plots in Westermeer around 1738. In 1748 he was working up to eight farms. The records (every ten years) of 1768 and 1778 show that he is farming again on farms one to five, but in 1788 his son, Klaas Jans is using these farms.

These five to eight farms are in the lake district, and often the lakes, after a storm, eat up cultured land. It may be that in 1600 or so they had been complete farms, and that what Jan Claasz was working was the remainder of all five/eight farms--just enough land left for one farmer halfway through the 18th century.

Judicial sources consulted for information include:
Recterlijk Archief (Judicial archives) of the municipality of Haskerland, book--series H (pertaining to orphans), volume 14, page 130.

In 1776 (RA HAS H!$ 130) the inventory of the late Jan Klaasen and Swaantje Durks is described as follows:
Cattle: 9 cows that had been ill, 78 cows perhaps ill, 2 cows in good health, together with their calves valued at f1318.
Horses: 3 horses and one foal
Pigs: 3 pigs
Sheep: 11 sheep.
Also buck-wheat, rye and oats standing in the fields.

The son of Jan Klaasz takes over the farm. The records are signed, by among others, Luite Jans, Jeltje Jans and Palskjen Jans. We rrecotgnize son Luite and daughter Jeltje, so perhaps Palskje is also a daughter, although there is no record of her in the baptism book. Also records do not state whether Swaantje has died by the date listed, 09 May 1776. The previous farmer of this land is listed in record books as Dirk Jans, who may be the father in law of Jan Claasz.

Children of Jan Claasz and Swaantje Dirks are:
  1. Antje B., b. 14 Apr 1744, d. date unknown.
  2. Jeltje, b. 16 May 1745, d. 1745.
  3. +Klaas Jans, b. 04 Apr 1746, Westermeer, d. 05 Jan 1802, Westermeer.
  4. Jeltje, b. 08 Oct 1747, d. date unknown.
  5. Hiltje, b. 20 Jun 1749, d. date unknown.
  6. Lutje, b. 26 Dec 1750, d. 03 Jan 1750/51.
  7. Dirk, b. 08 Oct 1752, d. date unknown.
  8. Aaltje, b. 19 May 1753, d. date unknown.
  9. Janke, b. 19 May 1754, d. date unknown.
  10. Olkjen, b. 18 Jan 1756, d. 1771.
  11. Lamkjen, b. 21 Oct 1759, d. date unknown.
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