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Question: Can anyone help me with Belgium Genealogy!?
I am trying to find information about my ancestors that came here from Belgium!. My Great Grandfather Vetalis Van Puymbroeck moved to Baker City Oregon from Vrasene Belgium!. He was born on January 26 1870 in Westmunster Belgium and came to the US around 1887!. He then went back to Belgium and married a Dorthea Irena De Ridder (born 24 Feb!. 1885 in Vrasene) in 1906!. Her parents are Karel Lodewyk De Ridder and Rosalia Francisca De Clereg!. Dorthea then died after there third child and he soon married Margerite De Maere from Belgium!. I know Vetalis father is Carolus Ludoviens Van Puymbroeck and mother Freelina Melania Meersman living in Beveran, Waas!.
All this information has come from marriage certificates handed down to me!. I can't seem to find any information from belgium however and have no idea where to start!. Can someone please help me find records from Belgium!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Some names might be spelled differently:
- Dorthea => Dorothea
- De Clereq => De Clercq
- Beveran => Beveren
- Ludoviens => Ludovicus
- Vetalis => Vitalis
* I find a Carolus Van Puymbroeck: http://users!.belgacom!.net/gc942648/Abc/V!.!.!. PUYMBROECK
(some more names on http://users!.belgacom!.net/gc942648/genea!.!.!. but I don't find any more of your names there)
* on geneanet!.org I found
Karel De Ridder & Rosalia De Clercq
son: Theophile Frans De Ridder & Maria Ludovica Hofkens
son: Robert De Ridder
* via geneanet:
http://gw1!.geneanet!.org/index!.php3!?b=edd!.!.!.
http://www!.lenjou!.be/meersman_melanie_10!.!.!.
Carolus Van Puymbroeck & Melanie Meersman
The Lenjou family descends from another marriage of Meersman
http://www!.gencircles!.com/users/waasland!.!.!.
http://freepages!.genealogy!.rootsweb!.ance!.!.!.
Karel Lodewijk De Ridder & Rosalia Francisca De Clercq
daughter: Maria Leonie De Ridder
You might want to contact the town administration of Beveren (see beveren!.be), or their archive:
Gemeentearchief Beveren-Waas
Stationsstraat 2
B-9120 Beveren
+32 (0)3 750 15 11
+32 (0)3 755 26 23
Another idea: see http://www!.vvfovl!.be/en/indexen!.htm and contact the chairman of VVF Land van Waas!. He may have links to people that can help you further!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Welcome to the least genealogy-friendly country in all of Europe!.
You are immensely lucky that you've found as much as you have!. Most Americans never get that far!. Belgium publishes NOTHING on the internet!. Georges Picavet has graciously started his own website and done what he can to bring together Belgian researchers!. But he did that on his own and with no support from any Belgian officials!.
The lowdown on Belgium is that they have never centralized any of their records!. Every record is kept by the individual town and you have to contact the Hall of Records in the town where you want the records from!. There is no national archives holding records, nor are there any decent research centers!. If they were Catholic, contact the local parish for records back to 1400!. You can also contact the Universite de Leuvan if you know the names of any Catholic clergy to see what records are available on them!. They may or may not hold any records!.
Belgium became a nation in response to Napoleon!. They forced the Walloons and Flemish to unite even though they neither wanted to unite and they loathed each other for the first 150 years!. The lack of trust kept them from sharing information or records!. There's much kept in local town records, there's just no way of getting it from the internet!.Www@QuestionHome@Com