How a widow gets through life

Of all the children, Willem's eldest daughter lived the longest and one of her children, Maria, also lived to a ripe old age. This granddaughter even gave him his only great-grandchild! But let's start at the beginning and that is when Evertje from Vlieland married Claas Boef, five years her senior, who came from a well-known island skipper family. Their marriage lasted less than ten years. Yet Evertje never remarried after his death. She lived on as a widow for another 45 years.

Marriage and children

We have not found a wedding date. But we did find the day  Evertje was baptized again as an adult in the Island Church at her confession on November 9, 1691, and a month later we find the names of her and her husband next to each other, on the day they both were accepted as members in the Reformed Church of Vlieland. Apparently they also got married around that time, because ten months later (1) their son Ysbren was born. Indeed, in addition to Casper Willem and Arend, we have found another grandson of Willem de Vlamingh!

Evertjen Willems and Claes Boef accepted as members in the church of Vlieland in 1691

This Ysbren has never been discovered before, because his father is described in the Vlielander baptismal book as Claes Claesen (without Boef) and his mother's name has been abbreviated to “Eeuwertje Vla” due to lack of space (which often happened with the mothers' surnames). Unfortunately, it is not known how old this child has become. We don't see his name anywhere else anymore. Two years later they had a daughter Maria who did survive (2).

The 12 ditto (October) IJsbren Son of Claes Claesen and Eeuwertje Vla.

Baptism book Reformed municipality of Oost-Vlieland, archive number 28, Collection DTLB - Tresoar, inventory number 0741, deed number 3647. Found via Alle Friezen

The family lived on the island in Groote Straat (now Dorpsstraat), number 96. This was Claas Boef's parental home. Like his father, he sailed to Danzig with freight. As Claes Buff, he even registered as a citizen (3) of that city in 1692! During the Nine Years' War (1688-1697), many Dutch skippers settled in Danzig to sail under a neutral flag, which was safer.

The Sound Channel in 1726 seen to the south. In the right foreground Helsingør and Kronborg Castle. On the left the Swedish coast. (The Maritime Museum in Amsterdam)

It was not necessary to actually live in Danzig as a registered citizen. Evertje probably just stayed in their house on Vlieland. A look at the toll registers of the Sound confirms Claas was usually in the Netherlands during the winter months. At the end of the Nine Years' War he simply gave up Fliland again as his place of residence. That is the last time we meet Claas Boef in person. He left for Danzig at the end of August 1699 and most likely died somewhere abroad not long afterwards. Leaving Evertje behind as a young widow. From that moment on she will bravely live her life as Widow Boef.

Claas Boef in the Sound toll registers

Bring home the bacon

Earlier that year, on March 10, 1699, Evertje and Claas had already moved from Vlieland to Amsterdam (4), to the Herengracht to be precise, on the corner of the Korsjespoortsteeg (5). The question arises: How did a young widow with children make a living now that the bread winner was gone? It looks like Evertje had a number of sources of income.

Firstly, she had shares in ships, perhaps partly from her husband and later via an inheritance from her brother Cornelis (6). She earned more than two thousand guilders from the sale of such a ship part.

1/16 part of the ship called De Vrouw Rachel (Amsterdam City Archives)

In addition, Evertje, like her brother and cousin, traded in bonds from which she earned interest. Although we did not encounter nearly as many as with Cornelis, it still amounted to a lot of money. For example, a naval lieutenant owed Evertje 5,000 guilders in 1706 and in 1710 she received another 2,000 guilders from an Amsterdam merchant (7). From the high amounts we can see Willem's eldest daughter was doing well.

Furthermore, Evertje occasionally inherited something. For example, a man called Hendrik Vierstooker (8) and his son (9), who both lived on Vlieland, left everything they owned - without any exception - to her by will. And over the course of her life, Evertje inherited a number of houses from different family members, which she then rented out, providing a steady source of income.

About a wall

During her life, Evertje got into a terrible fight with a neighbor (13). The incident shows what a powerful woman Willem de Vlamingh's eldest daughter is.

As soon as Evertje moved into her house on the Singel, things went wrong. Neighbor Jan van Tiel instantly demolishes the wall of her kitchen at the back of the house because he believes it is on his property. When Evertje hires skilled workers to have this investigated, the neighbor chases them away under severe threat.

Things are clearly getting rough on that particular morning. Ultimately, the case is settled in court in Evertje's favor, but that does not end the dispute. The annoying neighbor immediately sends a notary to Evertje again because he has complaints about the gutters. However, the widow is not at all afraid of her annoying neighbor. This is evident from the fact that two weeks later she buys a second building, right on the other side of the buildings owned by Jan van Tiel! She was just as tough a woman as her mother Willempie. As a sailor's wife you had to be quite independent. Evertje's new house at Bergstraat number 6 had the image of a bushel in the facade and it was completely restored not so long ago (in 2018).

The legacy of 34,000 guilders

When Cornelis dies, he leaves a legacy of 34,000 guilders to Evertje's daughter. A staggeringly large amount, especially for that period of time. The legacy is for Evertje's daughter, but if Maria dies it will go to Evertje herself and to those whom Evertje favors in her will.

So in the years after Cornelis' death, Evertje gets busy drawing up her will (14) and especially with the correct distribution of those 34,000 guilders. It is interesting to take a look at the impressive list of beneficiaries:

1) Nicolaas Witsen Jonaszoon (reigning alderman)                                                4,000 guilders

2) his sister Catharina Witsen, wife of Gerrit Hooft Gerrits (alderman)               4,000 guilders

3) Nicolaas Witsen (Mr. President Alderman)                                                         4,000 guilders

4) Nicolaas Warin (resident = diplomatic representative)                                     2,000 guilders

5) Pieter de la Court (secretary)                                                                               2,000 guilders

6) Elisabeth Blocquerie, Hendrik Lijnslager (captain at the admiralty)                2,000 guilders

7) Mrs Blocqerie, wife Hogenhouck (mayor of Leiden)                                         2,000 guilders

8) Jacob Hooft Gerrits (secretary)                                                                            2,000 guilders

9) her cousins ​​Willem, IJsbrand, Cornelis,

and nieces Neeltje, Anna and Catrina Beth (each 1,000), which together is      6,000 guilders

10) her cousin Gerrit Post and her niece Cornelia (Keetje) Post (each 3,000)    6,000 guilders

                                                                                                                                    --------------------

                                                                                                                                  34,000 guilders

Looking at this list, it seems Willem de Vlamingh's eldest daughter moved into the highest echelons of society. It looks like she hung out with mayors and secretaries. We also come across a well-known name: Nicolaas Witsen, but the man who once sent Evertje's father on an expedition to the Southland had already died childless almost twenty years earlier.

Furthermore, Evertje leaves her house to her niece (15) Keetje (Cornelia Post), as a thank you for her faithful services and care in times of health and sickness. The sixteen-year-old girl lived with Evertje as a maid and took care of her.

Banns of Cornelia Post where she is assisted by her motje (= auntie) Evertje Vlaming

In addition to the house, according to Evertje's last will, Keetje also will receive all the furniture, clothes, porcelain, gold, silver and jewelry, without exception, both on Vlieland and in her homes here in Amsterdam. So Evertje also had a house on Vlieland! Would she have gone there occasionally? How many footprints do Willem de Vlamingh's children have on that beautiful island?

How fond Evertje was of her cousin Keetje is also evident in 1744 when the girl marries (16). Because both her parents have already passed away, she is assisted by her motje Evertje (her auntie). Evertje showers the girl with a long list of expensive bridal gifts. Yet not everything Evertje owns goes to Keetje. She makes an exception for the full Damasks and other pieces of fabric. And her gold chain with the medal is for Mary's child, Evertje's grandson! While her daughter receives almost nothing, she leaves a memorial medal to Mary's son (17).

Two medals bequeathed in the last will of Evertje Vlaming widow Boef in 1739

Could this be the medal that is specifically mentioned in all wills? The one all family members so faithfully pass on to each other? Cornelis earned it as admiral of the return fleet. He left it to his cousin Arend. When Arend died, his aunt and godmother Evertje received this precious heirloom and after her death she now wants to leave it to her grandson. The same medal as the one her father Willem de Vlamingh probably once received, because he also returned as commander-in-chief of the return fleet. Or did the VOC only start that tradition much later?

The suspicion Willem de Vlamingh also received a medal for his services is reinforced when we read that Evertje has another necklace with a medal! She gives her other gold medal to Mr. Secretary Nicolaas Witsen. Perhaps Willem de Vlamingh really did receive a medal for his trip to the Southland, after all that voyage was much more exciting and important than all those return fleets. In that case, it seems most logical to us if Evertje, as the eldest daughter, inherited this from her father.

Whatever the medals were earned with, we get the impression they symbolized the heroic sea work Willem and Cornelis did in their lives. Nice thought that Evertje wanted to pass one on to her grandson. It shows how proud all family members must have been throughout their lives of the accomplishments Willem and Cornelis once achieved.

After her death

Evertje Vlaming died on November 15, 1744 (18) in her house on the Singel. Three days later, her body was transferred by boat to Vlieland, where she was buried. That same day, in the islander books it says: November 22: Received for the Right of Burial (a fine of) thirty guilder for the Corpse of Evertje Vlamingh brought here from Amsterdam.

On November 18, 1744, the family paid a fine of 5 guilders to be allowed to bury Evertje elsewhere

(Fines on burials)

The other seven deaths on this page - just like with Cornelis and Arend - are all buried pro bono. Maybe that's a coincidence. Perhaps it also tells us how far Willem de Vlamingh's children have come, while they have never forgotten their origins and all returned to their home base. Would they have been placed together in the same family grave at the cemetery? It's a shame we cannot find out exactly where any of them were buried. Or maybe they were all laid to rest in a very chic way in the church on Vlieland? Which we suspect, because thirty guilders was the highest tax class at the time!

For Maria it was a bitter pill to swallow that her mother had left almost everything to Keetje. Ultimately, Maria and her husband persuaded the girl to renounce her inheritance. Keetje was told the condition of the estate was such that when the charges and debts were deducted, nothing remained (19). Instead, Keetje chose the 6,000 guilders who were offered to her in exchange (20).

Signature Evertje Vlaming widow Boef

Finally, we can report thirty years after Evertje's death, Cornelis' legacy of 34,000 guilders was neatly distributed according to her last wishes. All bonds were sold and the money was distributed to the rightful heirs (21). However, so many new descendants had now been added that not much remained of the generous amount per person. For example, all of Pieter de la Court's grandchildren each receive less than a hundred guilders, while it once seemed like a huge amount of money.