Hidde Jetses De Vries (abt. 1700 - 1781)

Born about 1700 in Irnsum, Friesland, Nederland

Ancestors

Husband of Trijntje Douwes Yntema — married 12 Jan 1737 in Sneek, Friesland, Nederland

Descendants

Died 4 Dec 1781 at about age 81 in Sneek, Friesland, Nederland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bertram Sluys [send private message]

Hidde Jetses De Vries is geboren in Friesland in 1700

Biography

Hidde Jetzes (Yetses) De Vries from Sneek married Trijntje Douwes Intema from Tjerkwerd on Jan 12 1737. Children: (unnamed infant, died Dec 6 1737), Reinskien (1738), Sibbeltie (1740), Jikke (1742), Eelkje (1745), Jetze (1752), Jeltje (1755).

Hidde's family was Doopsgezinde (Mennonite - the Waterlander branch). Since they were baptized as adults, there are no birth or baptism records for most people. I've determined birth years according to when they were married and whether they were named after a grandparent or further back. These years should be taken as guidelines but not precise years since we have nothing else to go on.

There was another Hidde de Vries in Sneek. Hidde Geerts de Vries moved to Sneek and became a citizen there on Sept 14 1742. He was originally from Franeker but came here from Amsterdam. In 1744 and 1749 he and his wife live alone in the Scharn neighborhood of Sneek. Whoever he was, he apparently had no children. He was a metzelaar or butcher; his wife's name is not listed anywhere. He died in 1778. We really don't know if he was related to our Hidde or not.

With having 2 Hidde de Vries' in Sneek at the right time, I checked all the possible children out with grandparents, etc. All 6 listed in Sneek have traditional names for our Hiddes: Jetze - named after his father's father. Jikke (Ieke) - named after her father's mother. Sibbletie - named after her mother's mother. Eelkje - named after her mother's father's mother. Rinske (Reinskien) - named after her father's father's mother. Jeltje - named after her father's mother's mother's father Jelle.

There were several people whose father was Hidde de Vries in the mid to late 1700's across Friesland. The most prominent 'family seems to come from Hidde Sjoerds and Swopke Tjerks, living around 1600. Their son Tjerk Hiddes de Vries was in the Dutch navy who married Nanke Atses. He fought in the 2nd Anglo-Dutch war, becoming a captain in 1665 and an admiral in 1666, fighting bravely. He was killed in the St. James Day battle on July 25 1666. This family was Reformed; it's doubtful our Hidde was related to them. There were other de Vries families in the area that were Doopsgezinde.

There were other de Vries families in Sneek, and most of them seem to have been married by the justice of the peace rather than in church. This may indicate they were Mennonite, or it may indicate everyone was expected to be married by the justice.

While they belonged to the Mennonite church for many years, and his daughter Eelkje was buried by the Mennonite church three years before her father, Hidde was buried by the Reformed church in Sneek. Several Mennonites seemed to keep flip-flopping back and forth between Mennonite and Reformed at this point, and the De Vries family seems to have been among them.

Hidde was a houtkoper (timber merchant). Later he was simply called a koopman (merchant). In 1772 a carpenter named Arjen Gerrits owed Hidde 220 guilders. There was an Uilkje Wijtses De Vries who was elder/pastor of their church, the Waterlandse Doopsgezinde in Leeuwarden from 1726 to 1762. Perhaps they were related.

The 1749 census lists Hidde Jetzis as living in Sneek, in the area of buiten de Noorder Poort (outside the North Gate), working as a coopman (merchant), 3 adults and 4 children in his home, net worth 64 guilders 1 stuiver, “verhoging” (promotion?) 13 guilders. According to Sneek’s citizen book from 1737, he came from Irnsum but most recently lived in IJlst.

Jetse Hiddes and Jiske Iepkes are by far the most likely parents for Hidde. It wasn’t certain until I found a record that stated Hidde Jetsis de Vries became a citizen of Sneek on May 22 1737, having moved there from IJlst and originally coming from Irnsum. The things that support it: 1. Jetse Hiddes, like Hidde Jetses, originally came from Irnsum but then moved to IJlst. 2. All of Hidde's children were, if Jetse Hiddes was his father, named after close relatives, something that was very common in those days. 3. Only the marriage dates of these “ancestors” could be found, indicating that they were most likely Mennonite. And Hidde was a Mennonite when he married. 4. The surname “De Vries” (the Frisian) indicates that whoever took the name came from a different place in Friesland than where they lived. And most Mennonites took on surnames, it seems. ^[1]

Sources

• Marriage: Trouwregister Gerecht Sneek, archiefnummer 28, Collectie doop-, trouw-, lidmaten- begraafboeken - Tresoar, inventarisnummer 0648, aktenummer 90 as found at [1]

• May 22 1737 citizen book (born Irnsum, lived in IJlst then Sneek): Burgerboek Sneek, archiefnummer 348, Verzameling copieën van elders berustende stukken - Tresoar, inventarisnummer 6109, aktenummer 15028 as found at [2]

• 1749 Quotisatie Kohieren (census): Schoterland, Sloten, Smallingerland, Sneek, Stavoren, archiefnummer 5, Gewestelijke bestuursinstellingen van Friesland 1580-1795 - Tresoar, inventarisnummer 6482, blad 126, aktenummer 28683 as found at [3]

• Death of child: beluidensboek Sneek, archiefnummer 28, Collectie Doop-, Trouw-, Begraaf- en Lidmaatboeken (DTBL) - Tresoar, inventarisnummer 0653, aktenummer 3641 as found at [4]

• Death: begraafboek Sneek, archiefnummer 28, Collectie Doop-, Trouw-, Begraaf- en Lidmaatboeken (DTBL) - Tresoar, inventarisnummer 0655, aktenummer 5219 as found at [5]

• Notes on Hidde Jetses de Vries' children (Eelke, Jikke, Reinskje, Jeltje): Geslachtlijst van de familie Halbertsma By Gerrit Cate as found at [6]

• Sept 14 1742 Hidde Geerts de Vries: Burgerboek Sneek, archiefnummer 348, Verzameling copieën van elders berustende stukken - Tresoar, inventarisnummer 6109, aktenummer 14806 as found at [7]

Footnotes

1. ↑ Entered by Bertram Sluys.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Bertram Sluys for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Bertram and others.