Huijch Gerritsz (abt. 1550)

Born about 1550 in Enkhuizen, Noord-Holland, Nederland

Descendants

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Huijch Gerritsz is geboren in Noord-Holland in 1550 Join: Netherlands Project Discuss: netherlands

Biography

Children: Oetje (1575), Willem & Jan (April 3 1683, witness Griet Hendrix), Pieter (Oct 30 1686, witness Cuneer Alberts), Stijn (June 13 1589), Hillebrant (April 25 1591), Niesgen (Jan 12 1595).

This is a guess based on the names of Oetge’s daughter and mother (Griet). The Enkhuizen baptism books start in 1580; Oetge would have been born before that. There were 3 other men named Huijch having children in the late 1500’s: Huijgh Oets & Sibbele Gerrits, Huigo Bratsz & Aecht Luijtes & Huige Broers & Dericken Ariaens.

Huijch (Hugo) and Griet would have been among the people of Enkhuizen who turned from Roman Catholicism to Calvinism, therefore the first generation of Reformed people. The Calvinist religion had been gaining ground in the south of the Netherlands since 1540, but it didn’t reach this part until 1572 when Holland and Zeeland were conquered by William of Orange and many people changed their belief system – at least in theory. This same year the Westerkerk changed from Roman Catholic to Reformed. In 1580 they started writing down baptism records, one of the first churches in the Netherlands to do so. The 80 years war between the Netherlands and Spain lasted from 1566 to 1648, mostly being about political and religious freedom. There was a ceasefire between 1609 and 1621, giving the Dutch Calvinists some time to bicker with each other about predestination vs. free will. Enkhuizen was a very prosperous city throughout the 1500’s and 1600’s, having the largest fishing fleet in all the Netherlands. It also had one of the 6 offices of the East India Company and had important connections with the West Indian Company. Many of the Enkhuizers at this time would have been fishermen and would also have enjoyed great wealth for that era.

Sources

Baptism of daughter Stijn: 1702-09_3 DTB Enkhuizen 3. Gereformeerde doopinschrijvingen, 1581-1592 Toegangsnummer: 1702-09 Doop-, trouw- en begraafboeken Enkhuizen Inventarisnummer: 3 Folio: 65 as found at [1] and [2]