[OL]Advice re van Oldenburg ancestor

oldenburg-l
1

In a message dated 02/26/2002 8:57:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,
blubry@cox.net writes:

The genealogist who made the documentary link to my line of Garrisons
speculates that Gerrit was of German descent in view of the van Oldenburg
appelation, citing the fact that Oldenburg is near the Dutch border.
However, Gerrit seems to have been closely connected to the Dutch community
in New Amsterdam--his children were all baptized in the Dutch Reformed
Church--so I question whether he might not have been Dutch rather than
German. Any advice or comments about the van Oldenburg appelation would be
most appreciated.

Mark,

I don't dispute the case that Yair Malachi made, but here's another
viewpoint, for what it's worth.

Fully half or more of the New Netherland colonists were other than Dutch, and
included Germans, French, Walloons, Swedes, Norwegians and even a few Poles,
Italians and Portuguese. There were any number of Germans among the New
Netherland colonists, and quite a few of those were from Oldenburg (city or
Grafschaft/county) and nearby areas of Ostfriesland. Among those was my own
ancestor, who came to be known as Jan Snedeker among the Dutch. A great many
of the non-Dutch settlers adopted or acquiesced in a more Dutch-sounding
version of their name or even another surname, sometimes based on their place
of origin. Surnames were in those days a very fluid proposition among the
Dutch, especially in New Netherland.

My ancestor was born in Oldenburg (city) about 1608, probably as Schniddeker
or Schnitker or variant thereof. Around 1630 he migrated to Amsterdam, where
he lived for several years, married and had children before emigrating to New
Amsterdam sometime between 1636 and 1640. There is evidence that he
continued to adhere, more or less, to the Lutheran church while in Amsterdam,
but after arriving in America was identified with the Dutch Reformed church
for the remainder of his life.

Having said that, however, I can't say with certainty that your ancestor
actually came from Oldenburg. Perhaps Yair is right, that he was born Dutch,
but I would not take it as a foregone conclusion.

Regards,
Ted Snediker

2

Dear Yair, Betty, Fred and Ted,

Thanks for your thoughtful and helpful responses. From them I conclude that
German ancestry is likely, but my ancestor may have been born in Holland.
Someday before my string runs out (I'm now 72) I hope to start looking on
the ground in both Holland and Oldenberg, even tho as Fred points out I
would be looking for a needle in a haystack.

Warm regards,
Mark Garrison

3

Dear Mark,

Sorry, I've discarded all the earlier messages. But as I remember, this
discussion is about a Jansen. My great-grandfather's wife's maiden name was
given in the census as "Anna Johnson," birthplace "Holland." (My great
grandfather's family was from Oldenburg--from Gristede.) I thought I'd never
find anything about "Anna Johnson" and made no attempt. However, someone on
the Ostfriesen list picked up on my "Stulken" name. She brought my attention
to the family history of someone who had traveled by covered wagon to Nebraska
with my Stulken great grandparents and had named them in the story. The author
of that history was connected to "Anna Johnson's" family. I'm now in contact
with "Anna Johnson's" descendants and have learned that her last name was
really "Jansen" and she appears to have been from Oldenburg, not Holland. So,
don't give up. Join every appropriate list you can think of. Search broadly.
Find out as much as you can about the people who might have been friends and
neighbors of your ancestor. And good luck!!!!

Marilyn Stulken

Mark Garrison wrote:

4

Dear Marilyn,

Thanks for encouragement and advice, I'm just getting the hang of using
lists and message boards and have found great asistance.

Mark

Dear Mark,

Sorry, I've discarded all the earlier messages. But as I remember, this
discussion is about a Jansen. My great-grandfather's wife's maiden name

was

given in the census as "Anna Johnson," birthplace "Holland." (My great
grandfather's family was from Oldenburg--from Gristede.) I thought I'd

never

find anything about "Anna Johnson" and made no attempt. However, someone

on

the Ostfriesen list picked up on my "Stulken" name. She brought my

attention

to the family history of someone who had traveled by covered wagon to

Nebraska

with my Stulken great grandparents and had named them in the story. The

author

of that history was connected to "Anna Johnson's" family. I'm now in

contact

with "Anna Johnson's" descendants and have learned that her last name was
really "Jansen" and she appears to have been from Oldenburg, not Holland.

So,

don't give up. Join every appropriate list you can think of. Search

broadly.

Find out as much as you can about the people who might have been friends

and

neighbors of your ancestor. And good luck!!!!

Marilyn Stulken

Mark Garrison wrote:

> Dear Yair, Betty, Fred and Ted,
>
> Thanks for your thoughtful and helpful responses. From them I conclude

that

> German ancestry is likely, but my ancestor may have been born in

Holland.

> Someday before my string runs out (I'm now 72) I hope to start looking

on

5

You're welcomed. You and my husband are the same age. May you both have MANY
good years ahead.

Best wishes,
Marilyn

Mark Garrison wrote: