| The wife of Rev. Wouter Kolff, Petronella
van Duyren, originally came from Nijmegen, just like her
husband. To visit her two elder sons, for instance to be present
at the baptism of her grandchildren, she sailed the rivers.
The oldest of the two was a minister at Brandwijk in the Alblasserwaard,
the other at Nieuw-Beijerland. Even though the family were
boatsmen no longer, Maassluis remained for long their basis.
Later Rotterdam took the place of Maassluis, while also from
Middelharnis the close ties to the rivers and the estuaries
stayed of importance. |
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The family Rouffaer derived the name from the Jamin family
(from a certain Benjamin Jamin in the 17th century, name to
be pronounced in the French/Walloon way!). Someone who does
research on the history of these names moves along the rivers
Meuse and Rhine, and comes across Arnhem, Venlo, Roermond,
Maastricht, and finally Liege. These people found their way
well from Dordrecht to Liege and from Kleef to Maassluis.
Of the villages behind the river dikes they knew little, perhaps
occasionally here and there because of an appointment as minister
for a short time. |
| One must, I think, imagine that business relations and the
circle of friends could only be found villages or towns that
had a port. Notable is that the name Benjamin, which is very
frequent within my sub-branch of the family, has come from
the Rouffaer family, another true
family of the rivers. |
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They were not Hollanders, nor Utrechters neither Gelrians,
but people from the rivers. Not inland, not at sea: in the
first place they felt at home in the hustle and bustle on
the quays, along the landing stages and the moorings, and
they were part of the impetus that grew there over the centuries. |
Above: Grote Kerk
of Maassluis
Below: Geertruidenberg, 16th century |
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Dirk Kolff, archivist
(translation to English: Marius Kolff) |
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