Annigje Oosterhof

(1826-1864) 

a.k.a. Annigje Jans Schans, Annigje Moes

Birth

“Annigje” is born 19th January 1826, her mother is Jantje Oosterhof.

Registration is on 20th January 1826, her father is listed as “Geert Oosterhof” (who is actually her uncle). The two witnesses are “Roelof Jakobs Veldhuis” and “Jan Schans” (who just three months later marries her mother, becoming Annigje’s step-father).

Source:
http://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000026376561490

Marriage

“Annigje Oosterhof” marries Klaas Moes in 1848 and signs her own name as “A Oosterhof”.

Annigje’s mother is listed as “Jantje Oosterhof” but no father is recorded.

Klaas’ parents are recorded as “Willem Berends Moes” and “Jantien Moes” (they both have the name Moes because they are second cousins).

Source: http://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000026369149894

Source: http://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000026382532219

Source: http://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000026368809424

Children

The registrations of the birth, marriage and death of her children variously name Annigje as “Annigje Schans”, “Annigje Jans Schans” and “Annechien Jans Schans” but Annigje herself never signs any of these documents (quite possibly she is never present at any of these events).

1. Willem Moes (Smilde 25.06.1848 – The Hague 17.02.1917)
2. Jan Moes (Smilde 13.01.1850 – The Hague 15.09.1914)
3. Jans Moes (Smilde 3.05.1852 – Smilde 18.04.1889)
4. Roelof Moes (Smilde 26.04.1854 – The Hague 17.12.1899)
5. Jantje Moes (Smilde 20.06.1856 – The Hague 13.08.1932)
6. Kornelis Moes (Smilde 29.07.1858 – Smilde 28.03.1859)
7. Kornelis Moes (Smilde 12.08.1860 – The Hague 17.11.1931)

Death

On 17th May 1864 two men named “Willem Bel” and “Henderikus Bakker” register a death (the previous day) of “Annigje Schans”, daughter of “Jan Schans” and “Jantje Roelofs Oosterhof”.

Source: http://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000026378331087

NAME CONFUSION

1.) Annigje’s birth registration lists Geert Oosterhof as her father but Geert is her mother’s brother, this cannot be correct.

There are only two possible explanations;

a) it is a deliberate conspiracy to conceal the truth or;

b) it is a mistake.

A) if the parties involved want to conceal the identity of her father it would be perfectly reasonable to record her birth without listing any father, intentionally listing an uncle would surely raise more questions than conceal them.

B) a mistake is the simplest answer which invariably makes it the most likely, the question then becomes is it a simple juxtaposition of the father’s name with that of the first witness? While this is the simplest explanation it seems highly implausible that the clerk, who made these records day after day, could make such an obvious mistake especially when the father is always the first to sign each declaration.

2.) Annigje’s marriage papers record her name as Annigje Oosterhof and she signs two of the “A Oosterhof”. One document specifically states that her father is unknown and her step-father is a witness to one document.

There are at least two possible explanations;

a) no one knows who Annigje’s father is;

b) it is known, but not officially recognised, that Jan Schans is her father.

A) the evidence as recorded will only support this conclusion.

B) it is possible that even though everyone knows Jan is her father the bureaucratic system will not permit a man other than the one registered at birth to be listed as her father on marriage papers.

3.) After her marriage Annigje’s name seems to change to “Annigje Jans Schans” but we have no examples of her signing this name so we cannot know if she was using it or if it was only being used by others to describe her.

There are at least three possible explanations;

a) Annigje chooses to declare Jan her father, regardless of whether he was her biological father;

b) Annigje’s husband prefers that she be known as Jans daughter rather than an illegitimate child so purposefully alters the way her name is recorded;

c) Annigje’s husband confuses Jan, her step-father, as her actual father.

A) There is only three months between her marriage and the first child’s birth, why change so suddenly after twenty two years?

B) Seems the most likely explanation although considering she is 6 months pregnant when they marry why would it be a concern for him?

C) Hard to believe especially when the first child is only three months after the wedding.

CONCLUSION

It seems to me on balance that the most likely explanation is that Annigje’s father was unknown to everybody (except perhaps her mother), Jan Jans Schans was her step-father her entire life but I do not think he was actually her father.

Why her surname changed to Schans after her marriage is likely to remain a mystery but I do not think it can be taken as evidence of Jan being her father.

Alex Moes – 12th June 2014