More on Isaac Slover

. Isack SELOIVRE (367)(368) was born about 1634 in Holland. He died on 16 May 1681/82 in Middelburg, Holland. He has reference number 3584. He has Ancestral File number FHHD-1T. Found this information 21 Feb 2001

This has not been proven yet.

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Seloivre - Slover - the first generations: Netherlands -- USA

For a long time I'm working now on the early history of Breskens, situated in the Western part of Zeeuws Vlaanderen in the Netherlands, near the river Schelde, opposite Vlissingen (Flushing). Among the people, who lived there in the 17th century, was an Isaac Seloivre, cartwright, and his family. I was aware that there was a connection to the States, but had no further details. Contact with mrs. Jeanne Stark brought me the first pages of the Seloivre genealogie, compiled by Mable Hadler. It soon became clear, that not everything fitted well. So now, based upon new evidence from the Netherlands, I present a new hypothesis. It should be clear that this hypothesis has yet to be proved. I hope, that this note will stimulate people in the States to further investigate the matter.

In this note I will first give an outline of what I think took place.

Afterwards I will give a short genealogy with dates. To avoid confusion I will add to the various Isaac's their (probable) year of birth.

The family came between 1628 and 1635 from the region near Calais in Northern France to the Netherlands and settled in the region of Groede and on the island of Walcheren (Middelburg). The name of the father is not known, the mother (or stepmother) was Isabeau Rohart. From that marriage 4 children are known, among whom two sons, Isaac (birth estimated around 1616) and Thomas (born around 1623).

Thomas died in 1667 in Groede and probably had no children. Isaac Seloivre (1616), after his marriage in 1641 settled in Breskens, where he became a cartwright. In 1673 he sold his business and moved to Middelburg, together with his wife Susanne Sohier. He died between 15 May
1681 and 25 April 1682 in Schoondijke or in Middelburg. His wife Susanne
Sohier, daughter of Francois Sohier and Sara Saye, came from the same region
near Calais. She died, probably in Middelburg shortly before 15 Nov. 1694.

From this marriage with certainty four children are known: Isaac (1642), Susanna, Sara and Elisabeth, and possibly a second son Abraham, who lived in Middelburg.

Isaac (1642) was probably born around 1642 as eldest son, as he did confession in April 1660, and he probably would have been 17 or 18 years by then. He was a cartwright and a schoolmaster in Schoondijke, where he lived until July 1683. He was married at least three times. His third wife
probably died in Dec.1682 after the birth of her first child Anna.

It is this Isaac (1642) who in 1683 went to the States. I now think, that he went on a kind of contract base as schoolteacher for a period of five years, because in 1689 he is back in Middelburg, where he signs for the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) to serve as a junior merchand in Batavia.

These contracts were generally also for a period of 5 years. Isaac (1642) probably died on his way to Batavia, as over 80% of the people on board this particular ship died during the voyage.

Now you start wondering: how thus this connect with the American data?

My hypothesis is that Isaac (1642) took with him on this voyage to America his eldest son Isaac (1665) and his next eldest daughter Susanna (1668). His eldest daughter Janneken (1666) and his other children stayed behind, and I guess they went to live with their grandmother in Middelburg, who was, as you know, by then a widow. When Isaac (1642) was about to return to Middelburg, his two children had probably already married and must have decided to stay in America. So Isaac returned alone.

What makes me think so?
First: Isaac (1642) is (reasonably certain) the one, who signs as junior merchand for the VOC. The record says that he is from Schoondijke, and that the VOC has to pay every year part of his salary to Susanne Sohier. This fits well, as she probably kept his children.

Second: Isaac (1642)'s son Isaac (1665) was alive in 1681 as he is mentioned in a codicil of his grandfather Isaac (1616).

Third: It seems strange that a father would leave his whole family behind when he wants to emigrate, so this indicates that the stay was planned for a shorter time. The construction found here is logical. The father takes two children with him, and the eldest daughter stays behind with the smaller children to stay with the grandmother.

Four: The American data show that Susanne's husband Peter King was called a brother in law of the "American" Isaac. [Actually, brother in law to Hendrick van Levinigh who was a brother in law to Isaac]

Fifth: If the "American" Isaac is identical to Isaac (1642) he must have been married at least 6 times, and fathering children at old age, but, what is more a problem, some of the children are having the same name as the children left in the Netherlands (Jaquemijntje and Janneke). That is very
unusual.

So if we accept that the "American" Isaac is really two Isaac's than we have a better picture. The Isaac (1642) is the one, who is found on the tax rolls of Newcastle, Delaware, from 1683. The Isaac (1665) is the one who married. Peter King is then really a brother in law, and we have no children with the same name in one family.

Isaac (1665) must have been married four times. When he married Janneken van Wilkenhof, he is called "laest wedr. van Hester Leenda" which translates as "last widower of Hester Leenda". This means that he was already a widower when he married Hester Leenda. It is reasonable to suppose that he was already married in 1688, when his father went back to the Netherlands. The same holds for Susanna.

By the way: Concerning Peter King (Pieter de Coninck) who married Susanna Slover (according to the Slover-book). It might be, that he is the son of Jacob de Coninck and Agnes van de Riviere, who was baptised in Groede Nov. 26, 1670. It is known that Jacob went to New York between 1677 en 1683. As the distance between Groede and Schoondijke is only 5 kilometers the families sure must have known each other.

But now: how to prove this?

During WorldWar2 the archives in Middelburg were destroyed, so nothing can be found there any more. I had hoped, that it would be possible to compare the "American" Isaac's signature with the signature of Isaac (1642) and of Isaac (1665). Both are known and a copy of them is in the possession of mrs. Jeanne Stark. (dstark4 at juno.com ). Also, in the early 17th century there is a change in writing as some characters are written in a different style. This makes it possible to say if the handwriting belongs to an older or a younger person. But until now, no signature has been found in America. Maybe this note will renew efforts to solve this question.


A short overview of the Seloivre-family in the Netherlands:

NN Seloivre, died before 1641, was married to Isabeau Rohart. Isabeau was as mother (though she might have been a stepmother, as the name Isabeau doesnot appear later in this family) present at the marriagecontract of Isaac Seloivre with Susanna Sohier, together with Samuel du Rietz [du
Rije] and Dominique Favereau, his brothers in law.

Children of NN Seloivre and (probably) Isabeau Rohart (order unknown):
1. Jeanne. She married before 1636 Dominique Favereau, schoolmaster first in Arnemuiden, later in Middelburg. Favereau originated from Calais. Jeanne and Dominique were still alive in 1656 when their child Jeanne was born. But very little else is known.

2. Marij? She married Samuel du Rijets (or du Rije), farmer in Groede/Breskens.

3. Isaac (1616). Follows.

4. Thomas. Born in Marcq (near Guines, Calais) around 1623, buried Groede 16 Mar. 1667. He was a cartwright in Groede. He was married to Maria Boussemaer, but no date is known. Also unknown if there were any children from this marriage.

Isaac (1616). He was a cartwright in Breskens. In 1673 he sold his business and moved with his wife to Middelburg. In May 1681 he made, lying sick in bed in Schoondijke (thus in the house of his son) a codicil (addition to his will). In this codicil he arranges that the share of his daughters Sara and
Elisabeth will go to their children and not to theirs husbands. Further he gifts a black coat to his son Isaac and another one to his grandson Isaac. Soon afterwards he dies (still in Schoondijke? or in Middelburg?), as his wife is called a widow in April 1682. Isaac (1616) was married to Susanne
Sohier, daughter of Francois Sohier and Sara Faye, born also in the region of Calais, and died probably in Middelburg around Nov. 1694. (A marginal note on the codicil says, that a copy was given to Sara Seloivre on 15 Nov. 1694.)

The following living children of Isaac (1616) and Susanne Sohier are known:
1. Isaac (1642) Follows.

2. (unsure) Abraham. There is an Abraham who married in Middelburg 11 Jan. 1674 to a Jacquemijntje Kerlijn(?). He died in 1717. Abraham and his wife appear as witnesses at baptismes of children of Isaac (1642), but that's the only clue for a relationship.

3. Susanna. She did confession in Breskens 1666, and married (1) (bethrothal Breskens 24 Sept. 1667) to Anthonij Luné, and move with her husband to Middelburg. She remarried (bethrothal Middelburg 16 Aug. 1674) with Jan Dermout. Both were still living in 1682. There was a child Isaac.

4. Sara. She did confession in Breskens 1668. She married (1) (bethrothal Breskens 6 Sept. 1670) with Hendrick Antheunissen Fijoen, smith, first in Koudekerke, later in Groede. She remarried 27 July 1681 Michiel Jansen Faro, and after his death (bethrothal Groede 12 Apr. 1698) Jannis Hage, both
smiths. Sara Sloovers was burried in Groede 27 Nov. 1739. There were several children from the first and second marriage.

5. Elisabeth. She did confession in Breskens 1672. Was married to Andries de Jonge. Both were living in Middelburg in 1682, but nothing else is known.

Isaac (1642). Isaac did confession in Breskens April 1660, which dates his birth around 1642. He was a cartwright and a schoolmaster in Schoondijke. In July 1683 he left Schoondijke and went to Nieuw Nederland as it was called then. He came back to Middelburg around 1689, got a job (Oct. 1689) with the VOC as junior merchand and left for Batavia March 1690. He probably died on
this (very bad) voyage.

He was married (1) probably at the end of 1664, though no record is found yet, with Jaquemijntje de Winter, daughter of Adriaen de Winter and Janneken Deckers, born in Oosterland. Practically all old records of Oosterland were destroyed during the war, so nothing can be found anymore. She died in 1676 and Isaac remarried Groede 24 Mar. 1677 with Dina Dircxs Koevoet, an older widow, born Groede before 1631. She died in 1681. He then married for the third time Schoondijke 24 Aug. 1681 with Anna Weseperius (also Wijnsiperius), born Middelburg. She probably died at or shortly after the birth of her first child Anna in Dec. 1682.

The following children of Isaac (1642) are known, first from his first marriage:
1. Isaac, bapt. Schoondijke 6 Apr. 1665 (Easter monday). (witnesses: Isaac Slove sr., Janneken Deckers, grandmother) He is mentioned in the codicil of his grandfather Isaac (1616). He probably is the "American" forefather.

2. Janneken, bapt. Schoondijke 11 Jul. 1666. (witnesses: Pieter Centsen Brandt, Jacobus Gallo, Susanna Selover). She lived in Aardenburg, Vlissingen, Oosterland, Rotterdam, etc. Was married to Govert Jans Mallefou. Died after 1727. Details have yet to be found.

3. Adriaan, bapt. Schoondijke 11 Dec. 1667.(witnesses: Cornelis Adriaens de Winter, Antonij Leune, Susanna Soier). Died young.

4. Susanna, bapt. Schoondijke 28-10-1668. (witnesses: Boudewijn de Smith, Ferdinande Tabbaert, Susanna Sojer). She probably went with her father and brother to Nieuw Nederland, were she married Pieter de Coninck (Peter King). See the discussion before.

5. Jakemijntje, bapt. Schoondijke 12 Oct. 1670. (witnesses: Heindrick Antheunissen Fioen, Jacob Steenaart, Janneken Schovaarts) She lived in Oosterland in 1706. Was married two times, to resp. Cornelis Leenderts van de Eerst and Anthonij Anthonisse Laan. She died before 1727 as her son
Anthonij Laan was in 1727 heir of his aunt Adriana Seloivre.

6. Adriana, bapt. Breskens 25 oct. 1671 (witnesses: Abraham Seloivre, Joris Caeu, Jacoba Houterijve). She did not marry and eventually was buried in Groede 15 Jan. 1727. Her heirs ab intestato were Janneken Seloivre, living in Rotterdam, and Anthonij Laan, son of Jaquemijntje Seloivre. Actually there is a small problem here, as also the "American" should have been
heirs. But maybe there was no contact anymore between them.

7. Elisabeth, bapt. Schoondijke 12 Nov. 1673. (witnesses: Reijnier de Clerq, Elisabeth Selover). Nothing else of her is known. Probably died young.

8. Adriaan, bapt. Schoondijke 1 Jan. 1676. (witnesses: ds van der Burcht, Jan Meeusen, Sara Selover). Nothing else of him is known. Probably died young.

And then from the third marriage:
9. Anna, bapt. Schoondijke 6 dec. 1682. (witnesses: Cornelis Lambrechtsen Coppendraijer, Jacomijntje Kerbi (or Kerli?)). Nothing else of her is known. Probably died young.

Leiden, Sept. 2000
Drs. Huib J. Plankeel

Followups:

Re: Seloivre - first generations - NL - USA Bill Hull 10/29/00


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