BERNARDUS ANTHONIUS SOMERS en CATHARINA WILLEMS BOSJuly 1, 1849Marriage of Bernardus Antonius Somers and Catharina (Trientje) Willems Bos. About nine years after the death of Heere Berends Bot and eight years after Catharina (Trientje) married for the second time, the communal goods and properties are separated.First must be determined which part of the goods is in and wich part is out of community of goods according to the contract of marriage. June 18, 1857, registrated July 2, 1857.Separation of communal goods, properties, etc. between Trijntje Willems Bos, now wife of Anthony Somers, and her late husband Heere B. Bot, all from Uithuizermeeden.Appearing before me Mr. Abel Hendrik Werenus Buning, notary in Uithuizen, office in Onderdendam and the Courthouse in Appingedam, Prov. Groningen, in the presence of witnesses listed below and in the presence and with approval of the Hon. Mr. Anthonius Beckering, judge in Onderdendam, are:1.Tryntje W. Bos, widow of H.B.Bot, now remarried with Bernardus Anth. Somers (farmer) living in Uithuizermeeden, as mother and guardian of her 5 children, under age Willem, Rengenius, Tryntje, Johannes and Petronella, children from her first husband H.B. Bot. Also present is B.A. Somers as guardian of the children.2.Berend Hero Bot, no occupation, living in Uithuizen. Berend Hero Bot and the 5 children under age, will, according to the law, receive 1/6th part each of the inheritance of their late father Hero. B. Bot from his marriage with their mother Tryntje W. Bos.3.Kornelius Coerts, gold and silversmith in Uithuizen, as guiding guardian of the children, since September 17, 1848, to look for the interest of the children, since these interests differ from the interests of the mother.The couple T.W. Bos and B.A. Somers, declare before me (the notary, in presence of the judge) to be willing to the separation of the material goods of T.W. Bos and her late husband H.B. Bot and then to divide these goods between the heirs of H.B. Bot, according to the marriage contract made June 21, 1832. They were married out of community of property of the goods they brought in into the marriage (except the first f. 1000,00 per person) and in community of property concerning profits and losses during their marriage. The marriage contract shows that Heere has brougt in a total of f. 3500,00 to support the start of the marriage and Catharina f. 1000,00. Later, Catharina’s mother Petronella Reinjes Feddema, widow of Willem Jacobs Bos, gave her an interest-free advance on her inheritance of f. 2000.00, to support the marriage. In community of goods f. 1000,00 for each partner. Out of community of goods f. 2500.00 for Heere and f. 2000.00 for Catharina = f. 4500.00 in total.Note 1:Catharina was born in a very rich family. Her parents gave her in total f. 3000.00 to start her marriage.According to the thesis of Richard Paping (s) a farm-hand could earn about f. 75.00 a year, when he lived on the farm. So a farm-hand had to work about 40 years for that money.Heero received even more.These gifts were considered an advance on the subsequent inheritance.This document includes a full 28 pages. So there was a lot of work .In the first place the provisions of the marriage contract are repeated, as well as purchases of farmhouse and shed and the ‘beklemmingen’. (See Note 2 on the page of Heere Berend Bot for an explanation of ‘beklemming’)After mentioning the date of death of Heere the document goes on with the 'Inventory of the goods of the late Heere Bot, and his wife Trientje W.Bos, from Uithuizermeeden. (No 10249 dd 5 July 1849)' .Of course, after so many years, the only thing they can do, is making a copy of the old inventory (see the previous page).A few corrections were made and there is a lot of cash, because some pieces of land and securities are sold.So the new inventory is (small differences will appear because of rounding to whole guilders):Possessions :To be harvested from the field: f 3725.-approximately 43 hectares (= 106 acres) of pasture, clover, rye, barley, oats, beans, chickpeas, canola, winter cabbage and summer cabbage.Live stock f 2313.-10 cows, 12 calves and a bull, 11 horses, 4 pigs, 24 sheep, 14 of which dairy sheep, 10 lambs and 20 chickensHouse holding goods f 670.-Farmers tools f 1446.-(Including a churn with accessories of f 40,-).Linnen goods and white blankets f 40.-Silver works and cash: f 6.-Added:Loan issued to Jan Jans Coerts f 363,-Loan issued to Cornelis Coerts and Johanna Jans Lammerts f 252,-Payment of baker Luursema from Uithuizermeeden f 48,-Land sold to Nicolaas Jacobs Rengers and Hilje Siewerts Huizingate Uithuizermeeden. f 12760,-Land sold to Ties Jans Klein and wife in Uithuizermeeden f 1855,-Farm house with barn, marked nr. 143, with a ‘vaste en altoos durende beklemming’ of about 36 ha. farm land and corresponding salt marsh and accretion, where the buildings are located, doing annual midwinter a fixed rent of 280 guilders, standing and located in Uithuizermeeden. f 31053,-Securities sold f 2911,-Posessions total: f 57440.-Out of community of goods -f 4500.-In of community of goods f 52940.-Debts and costs in total: f 2310.-Catharina gets half of this amount plus the wedding gift of f. 2000.- that was out of community of goods: that is f. 28470.-.Catharina gets the farm house with barn, marked nr. 143, with a ‘vaste en altoos durende beklemming’ of about 36 ha. farm land and corresponding salt marsh and accretion, where the buildings are located, doing annual midwinter a fixed rent of 280 guilders, standing and located in Uithuizermeeden. She has to pay the difference of f.31053 - f.28470 = f. 2583.- Furthermore Catharina has to pay her share of the debts f. 1155.-Note 2:See the previous page Note 2 for an explanation of ‘vaste en altoos durende beklemming’. So it comes down to that Catharina will be entrusted the house and the use of the land after payment of f. 3738.-. The heirs of Heere Berends Bot get f. 26470.- plus the wedding gift of f. 2500.- that was out of community of goods: that is f. 28970.-.Their share of the debts is f. 1155.-.The six children of Catharina inherit f. 4636.- each.Berend Heeres Bot gets all the live stock, the house holding goods, the farmers tools, linnen goods and white blankets and the silver together valued at f. 4471,-'.His part of the inheritance is f. 4636,-. So he will get payd in cash extra: f. 163,-.The rest of the inheritance (f. 23179.-) is for the other 5 children. This amount will be transferred in cash to Kornelis Coerts. But, since Catharina has married again, there is no need for a guardian anymore and Catharina gets the money back to manage it herself. Catharina gets the house and the use of the land. Her son Berend gets everything thats in the house and nobody moves. So nothing changes. At least not until Berend gets married to Anna Maria Poelma in 1870.December 30, 1858 Bernardus Antonius Somers buys a piece of land of about 0.29 acres for the Roman Catholic Parish St. Jacob in Uithuizen. This peace of land is used by Jurjen Berends Westerdijk and his wife. They pay an annual rent of 13 guilders.Appearing before me Mr. Abel Hendrik Werenus Buning, notary in Uithuizen, office in Onderdendam and the Courthouse in Appingedam, Prov. Groningen, in the presence of witnesses listed below Bernardus Antonius Somers, farmer, who declared according to the official report of the public sale, made by me, notary, on December 30, 1858 (copied in the courthouse of Appingedam on Feb.1 1859 part 65, number 25), that he had bought for the Rome Catholic Church of St.James (Jacobus) in Uithuizen, three lots of land, together 0.29 acres, used (with ‘beklemming’) by Jurjen Berends Westerdyk and his wife, paying every year on midwinter a rent of f 13.-.…………………. The intension of this purchase is to use the f 13.00 rent to pay for the celebration of four annual Holy Masses in perpetuity:•one on November 21, to remember Willem Jacobs Bos, in life farmer in Usquert where he passed away November 21, 1839.•one on the anniversary of the death or the funeral of Petronella Reinjes Feddema, widow of Willem Jacobs Bos, now alive, farmer in Usquert.•one on July 3, to remember Hero Berends Bot, in life farmer in Uithuizermeeden, where he passed away on July 3, 1848. •one on November 7, to remember Reinier Hero’s Bot, living in Uithuizen, where he passed away November 7, 1857. Note 3:See the previous page Note 2 for an explanation of ‘vaste en altoos durende beklemming’. Note 4:According to his death certificate, Rengenier (Reinier) died November 8, 1857 However, there is a special clause:If some day a Roman Catholic Parish will be established in Uithuizermeeden then the last two Masses should be celebrated in that parish. And they get half the yield of the land and the lots may never be sold for any other reason. ……………….Signed by:B.A.SomersW. Legebeke, Chairman of the church boardK.Coerts, Clerk of the churchboardC.J. VroomJ. Sterenbergmr. A.H.W. Buhingh, Notary Registrated at Onderdendam, Dec 5, 1859.Part 48 folio 158Received for expence stamp and seals included, f.3.69Februari 19, 1872Extract from the documents of separation and further distribution of the lagacy of the late Petronellla R. Feddema, Widow of WJ Bos, made for Trijntje W. Bos, wife of Mr. Somers.Petronella Reinjes Feddema is the mother of Trijntje. She deceased at the age of 80, on December 6, 1871. A copy of this document is made specifically for Trijntje. The others are likely to have received their own copy.Appearing before me Mr. Abel Hendrik Werenus Buning, notary in Uithuizen, office in Onderdendam and the Courthouse in Appingedam, Prov. Groningen, in the presence of witnesses listed below:•Trijntje Willems Bos, wife of Bernardus Antonius Somers, farmers in te Uithuizen•Eltje Willems Bos, wife of Jacob Pieters Bos, farmers in Uithuizermeeden•Reinje Willems Bos, farmer in Eenrum•Regiena Willems Bos, wife of Jan Willems Boelens, farmer in Rottum•Johannes Willems Bos, farmer in UsquertThey are mentioned as ‘the only children and legitimate heirs of Petronella Reinjes Feddema’.They inherit each for 1/5.The heirs themselves mutually compiled an inventory state 'which they wish to consider an inventory made for this document'.Posessions:Cash:f 74.000,-House in Uithuizen, estimated by the heirs f 5.000,-Received by the heirs to start their marriage,now mentioned as a debt to the testatrix5 x f 2.541,11 = f 12.705,55Received by the heirs, now mentioned as a debt to the testatrix5 x f 8.500,-f 42.500,-Spanish securitiesf 635,-Turkish securitiesf 638,-Totalf 135.478,55Liabilities:Debt to Johannes Willems Bosf 34.000,-Remains to inheritf 101.478,55That is per personf 20.295,71Allready received f 11.041,11Each partner will receive f 9.254,60Catharina (Trijntje) gets her share in the form of the Spanish and Turkish securities and f 7981.60 in cash.They all declared that the rent from the farm, and interest of the f.34000.00, the goods of the house, like silverware, futniture etc., etc., is divided among themselves; so there is nothing else to be distributed, and declared that they made this inventory to the best of their knowledge and is acceptable by each of them.They all declared hereby that they are satisfied with all that was done in an orderly way.All the persons are known to me Mr.Buning, notary.Done in Uithuizen in the home of the Somers, in the present of Johannes Danhof and Kornelis Zwart, both laborers from Uithuizen. And after reading of this document, family and witnesses signed.Signed Tryntje W.Bos, B.A. Somers, E.W.Bos; J.P. Bos, R.W. Bos; R.W.Bos; J.W. Boelens, J.W. Bos, J.J. Danhof and K.K. Zwart. Mr.A.H.W BuningRegistrated in Onderdendam feb.21 1872, Part 62 folio 145Received for stamps and seals f.378.67D.Rave,(clerk)May 3, 1877 Bernardus Antonius Somers dies and Trijntje is widow for the second time.Februari 24, 1878 Trijntje goes to the notary to arrange custody, in case she should die before her daughter (Reinera Antonius Somers, from the second marriage) comes of age.Appointed is 'Berend Hero's Bot, timber merchant in Bedum and in the absence of the same Johannes Hero's Bot, land user inEenrum, whom I will request to put up with that appointment’.Juli 16, 1882Catherine Willems Bos dies in Uithuizen. Four years before her son William emigrates to the US.At this point, it would be welcome of course, if there is a property settlement.Then I can determine what legacy goes to her son William (who emigrates to the US in 1886) and her daughter Catharina Hero Bot wife of Johannes Tjaarts Alma .To date I have not seen this property settlement yet.
Richard PapingVoor een handvol stuivers.Werken, verdienen en besteden: de levensstandaard van boeren, arbeiders en middenstanders op de groningse klei, 1770-1860.Nederlands Agronomisch-Historisch instituutRegio ProjectGroningen 1995page 349