RUIGROK, ORIGIN. The family Ruigrok is a very large family with a rich past. It all starts with Jan Ruychrock (van de Werve), who lived about 1400 on a castle in 's Heerhendrikskinderen in the province Zeeland and starting in 1448 also in ‘Huys te Werve’ in Rijswijk (near The Hague) in the province Zuid-Holland. I show his descendants (as far as I found them) in a separate area of this website. The direct connection with the current families, Ruigrok, Ruygrok, Ruifrok and Ruigrok van de Werve (n) is still subject of research. Currently there are six branches: the Anthonius-branch, the Ewout-branch, the Bastiaan-branch, the Rui(j)frok-branche, a branch starting in Delft and a branche starting in Stompwijk. The Ewout-branche, to which my research is limited, is not descending directly from Jan Ruychrock (van de Werve), but has Leendert Ewoutsz. as oldest ancestor. In a lecture (in Dutch) by Drs. J.S. Jacobs (1983), we read the following about this descendance: Leendert Ewoutsz. lived in Wassenaar. He died between 26 May 1573 and 19 July 1579. His widow Neeltgen Florendr. remarried before the latter date with Aryen Thonisz., who would call himself ‘Ruychrock’in 1613. From her first marriage (with Leendert Ewoutsz.) Neeltgen Florendr. had three children: Crijn, Floris and Maritgen and out of her second marriage (with Aryen Thonisz. Ruychrock) she had two sons: Theunis Aryensz. Ruychrock and Leendert Aryensz. Ruychrock Crijn Leendertsz., is buried on 9 november 1631 in the village church in Wassenaar, "under the sarck of Neeltge Floren”. The name Ruychrock appeared for the first time in 1634 at his children Leendert Crijnenz. and Geertgen Crinendr., and then again in 1663, used by the children of Leendert Crijnenz. Evidently the descendants of Crijn Leendertsz. adopted the name of the stepfather of Crijn Leendertsz., Aryen Thonisz. Ruychrock, in the absence of a genus name of their own. So these Ruychrock's do not descend from Thonis Jansz. and Emmanuel Harpersdr., but from Leendert Ewoutsz. in Wassenaar, whose widow remarried with a Ruychrock. But this does not take us yet to a direct descendant of Jan Ruychrock van de Werve. Aryen Theuniszn's grandfather was married to Claesgen Gherytsdr. Her sister Hendricgen Gherytsdr. was married with Joost van de Werve Ruychrock, illegitimate son of Mr. Philips van de Werve Ruychrock and grandson of Jan Ruychrock van de Werve. This explanation is summarized in the diagram below: Recently PhD research at the VU University in Amsterdam (2000) and in Leiden (2010) gives a particularly fascinating insight into some aspects of governance and the nobles in Zeeland between ca. 1400 and 1550. A number of people from the old genus Ruychrock van de Werve was part of that administration and/or the peerage from Zeeland at that time. Thatswhy many data are available from that time.  The problem is, that the Dutch language used 400 years ago is even difficult to read and understand for the Dutch people of today. It is even harder to translate, because many words have no translation. So, yes, the link above leads you to the part of the website about Jan Ruychrock, but it is in Dutch.