From Utrecht to Brazil - Resources?

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Permalink Reply by Taco Goulooze on November 8, 2012 at 9:05am

Laura, Goedemiddag too!

I assume you're referring to Nicolaas Jan Francois, born 24th April 1805. Anyway, the former Dutch colony of Suriname is bordering to the north of Brazil, so you might want to expand your search into that area, too. I'll keep an eye out for the name.

Taco

Permalink Reply by Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana on November 8, 2012 at 9:35am

Thank you so much! I'm also looking for a George Wersel; I have Census records with a George who stated he was born in Brazil, so there may be more than NJFW. He was in Brazil in 1841 and 1848 as the attached documents confirm: 

My knowledge of the vast reach of the Dutch is woefully lacking, but I'm learning! Thank you again so much, and you know if you or someone you know ever needs research here in the US MidWest, I'm happy to try to help!

Laura

Permalink Reply by Taco Goulooze on November 9, 2012 at 4:28am

There's a good chance George grew up in Brazil, but he was born on 29 Jan 1843 in Utrecht as Gerardus Bernardus Nicolaas Wersel, according to this birth registration on FamilySearch (record 140)

Also, I see that Nicholas Wersel is listed in the 1862 Cincinatti City Directory as a paper hanger, which is also his occupation in the Netherlands both before he joined the army and in the 1840s, when his children are born. So what does someone who papers walls for a living do travelling up and down to Brazil? :)

Permalink Reply by Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana on November 9, 2012 at 7:08am

I shared my tree on Ancestry with you...I hope this will help a little. Here's the challenge: as with many families, they name their sons the same thing, and I believe there is a generational overlap that is creating some challenges. The public tree that I posted about 10 years ago is NOT correct (it's out there but I can no longer access it, a topic for another discussion) So:

I ONLY have in my online tree information that I can prove through a record of some sort, such as a BDM, naturalization, etc. I'm not properly convinced that NJFW's father was Andre, so I haven't added anything back from that (I've also restricted myself to generations on my on-line tree...I don't have complete info on all my great grandparents; until I do I won't begin fully researching the next generation.).

 The tiny bit of oral history I was able to glean about this line's history was that NJFW went to Brazil to make furniture for Don Pedro II. It would appear that they were not simply makers of furniture, or hangers of paper, but were considered as the elite in these businesses. How else could he afford to travel back and forth? I can place NJFW in Brazil in 1841/1848 with the documents I attached...I have no idea whether or not he was going back and forth regularly or if these were the only two trips he made. No children were born to his wife at this time (a good thing!) so that helps to confirm I have the right husband and wife. To important pieces of information I do not have: was he taking his family with him when he traveled to Brazil (which would explain George's indication he was born in Brazil); who are NJFW's siblings (which might help work out the reason Brazil was part of the equation and how did NJFW get into the United States. I'll note here that Frank John's wife, Anne Marie Wagner (Mary Anne as she was known in her adult life) was born in Alsace-Lorraine and I have documentation that puts some of her extended family in St. Louis, MO. It wouldn't surprise me if the Wersel's came through New Orleans, ending up in Cincinnati. It's an educated but undocumented guess.

I trust the information that I have on NJFWs children, and one of them is the George that you mention above. "Gerardus" George is the only one for whom I haven't found a clear line; Nicholas was fairly easy to find/source and Frank John is my direct line. Frank, and later his son Frank, owned a very large furniture manufacturing company in Cincinnati Ohio in the a later part of the 19th century into the beginning of the 20th century. I have a vast quantity of original documentation on the 'Frank' line. I've been in contact with someone who is part of the Nicholas line.

That leaves George. At about the time I ran into some snags with him, I shifted my research focus to another line. So, George, born in 1843 has not been researched by me.

LOL, this is probably far more than you wanted, but it also helps me to write out what I know, what I don't know yet and what I can look into to help me uncover what I don't know.

If you have any other questions, please let me know! I so appreciate your help and interest!!

Laura

Permalink Reply by Taco Goulooze on November 9, 2012 at 7:48am

Hey, if you need proof that NJFW's father's name was Andre, see attached PDF. It's NJFW's military registration, listing dob, parents. profession and a physical description!

EDIT: oops, file was too big. I'll just e-mail.

Permalink Reply by Taco Goulooze on November 9, 2012 at 8:10am

These are the marriage supplements for NJFW's marriage, including extracts of birth records of NJFW and his wife, and death records for some of their parents:

LINK

Permalink Reply by Taco Goulooze on November 9, 2012 at 8:47am

I just read on the Nationale Militie Certificaat (image 1009 from the previous link to the marriage supplements) says that NJFW had a one year's reprieve from military service on the grounds that he is an only child. So much for siblings!

Permalink Reply by Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana on November 9, 2012 at 12:45pm

Gah!! Well, evidence is evidence, one way or another. THANK YOU.

Permalink Reply by Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana on November 9, 2012 at 6:43pm

Didn't have a chance to really look at anything because I was at work. This is awesome! Thank you for locating it for me...nothing like documents that are hiding in plain sight!