Re: Van
-
In reply to:
Re: Van
Ted Steenwerth 12/17/11
The name Henry, by itself, doesn't do much.I have probably two dozen Henry VS in my family file.I would need a little more information.Let's start with a birth date - actual or estimated.Would definitely narrow down the search.
The reference to a Van Steenburgh being from Germany is another matter.First, Dutch and German Languages are so similar, it is difficult to tell the difference.Next, You do know that there was no such thing as Germany until 1878, right?And even after that, Germany was the reference used by non-Germans, and alludes to the ancient Germanic tribes of middle Europe.Germans called themselves "Deutschlanders".Watch a recording of a Hitler speech.He always called his country Deutschland.As far as a German named Van Steenbergh - very possible.Borders were pourous and immigrants moved back and forth.Also, borders changed often.My ancestors were "van Ceulen", which means "Of Cologne".Dutch people from the German city of Cologne, except that COlogne wasn't part of Germany then, and Germany did not yet exist.Cologne was, in fact, part of the Spanish Netherlands in the 1600s.Spain also owned southern France and the northern Italian states.Borders changed frequently over the centuries, so there is a flaw in referring to origins based upon the maps of today.
More Replies:
-
Re: Van
Ted Steenwerth 12/21/11