Five Brothers and a War

van Pelts in America

Two lines on the passenger list are highlighted. Theunis (Latin name = Anthonius) Jansen was really Theunis Jansen Laenen, who was born in Pelt (later Overpelt), within the principality (prince bishopric ) of Liège in 1622. His brother, Matthijs (“Thijs”) was born in 1626. Thijs’ wife, Marijken, died en route and was buried at sea. Theunis left home in Pelt when he was 17 years old, moving to Tiel, in the Dutch province of Gelderland—and just 21 km (13 miles) from Capelle, Noord Brabant. He then became Theunis Jansen (probably Janszoon “John’s son”) Laenen, van Pelt (“from Pelt”), and it was likely that at this point, the “from” part stuck, as it was then one of the norms that surnames be adopted based on the family’s geographic origins. It was probably just shortened to Theunis van Pelt. The reason they were listed as being from Liège on the passenger manifest is because that was the Diocese in which (Over)Pelt was located. It is possible that the diocese extended into Tiel at that time, so perhaps they remained in the same diocese, depending on which side of the Waal River they lived on, despite their 67 km (41 mile) relocation.

The Roman Catholic diocese of Liège extended into present day Holland (note the red marking of the border). Of course, the nation of Belgium did not exist until well into the 19 th Century.

van Pelt

Overpelt

Five Brothers and a War

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