Cornelis Aerts van Smorenburg (1665 – ca 1718)

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  1. His childhood

Cornelis Aerts “Cors” van Smorenburg was my husband’s great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. He was the son of Adriaan Jansz van Smorenburg (1630 – 1681) and Willempje Cornelisdr Lubberts (1630 – <1680). He was born in ca 1670 at Zeist, Utrecht,1-4 just two years before the French army of King Louis XVI invaded the Dutch Republic in 1672 via the eastern borders of the Gelderland and Utrecht provinces. By 1674, however, Stadtholder William III defeated the French and English forces and peace in the Dutch Republic was restored. William III also became king of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1689.5-8

Cors lived at the height of the Dutch Golden Age. Trade, industry, the arts and the sciences were flourishing and the Republic grew into an commercial giant that the rest of the world could not ignore. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch were the most economically wealthy and scientifically advanced of all European nations. Cors lived also at the time of the Nine Year’s War (1688 – 1697) and the War of the Spanish Succession (1702 – 1714), but these were fortunately fought just outside the borders of the Republic in the Lower Rhine areas and in the Southern Netherlands. At that time, most of the Dutch provinces were under the leadership of Anthonie Heinsius who was Grand Pensionary from 1689 to 1720 over five provinces, including Utrecht, where the Smorenburgs lived. Heinsius was running the Dutch affairs on behalf of King William III who was based in England and continued to do so after the king’s death in 1702. William IV was appointed Stadtholder in 1711, and Heinius continued in his position as second-in-command (Grand Pensionary) until his own death in 1720.5-10

   2. His wife

The 43 year-old Cors van Smorenburg married 28 year-old widow, Metje Teunisse Hertoch (née Kuijer) (1680 – 1758) on 23 September 1708 in the Roman Catholic Church at Hamersveld, after they gave notice of their intended marriage on 13 September 1708 at Leusden.1-3,11 Leusden is a town in Utrecht province in the Dutch Republic (or Republic of Seven United Netherlands).12 Initially, Hamersveld was a small farm village very close to Leusden but in the 1970s, Hamersveld was absorbed into Leusden as the border of the two towns expanded.13

Metje was the daughter of Teunis Teunisz Kuijer (ca 1650, Snoerenhof – after April 1713) and Seijmetie Hendriks (ca 1656, Stoutenburg, Utrecht – ?) of Hamersveld. She was born in ca 1685 at Hamersveld and had two brothers, Henrick Teunisz (*ca 1678), Teunis Teunisz (*ca 1680) and two sisters, Hendrikie Teunisse (*ca 1683) and Aaltje Teunisse (ca 1687- <1728, who married Jan Aartsz Smorenburg [ca 1692 – >1729], the nephew of Metje’s husband).4,11 Metje died at the age of about 77 years on 10 April 1758 at Soest op den Berg. Her estate was concluded on 20 May 1758 at Utrecht.1,4,14

Metje Kuijer’s first husband was Jacob Jansz Hertoch/Hertogh who died before 1708. They had no children.4,11 Her marriage to Cors van Smorenburg was her second and from their marital union six children were born.1 After the death of Cors, Metje became an affluent widow and owner of the estate De Oude Tempel op den Berg. Following the death of her second husband, the 42 year-old Metje had a relationship with 26 year-old Breunis/Bruijnis Janssen (*ca 1695). They tied the knot on 23 February 1721 at Zeist in the magistrate’s office.1,4,15 Their son, Teunis Breunisse/Brunis (≈3 April 1721, Soest, Utrecht – 20 June 1803, Soest) was christened in the Roman Catholic Church at Soest, five weeks after his parents were married.1,4,16 At the age of 32 years, Teunis, who resided in Zeist, married Gerritje Jans van Smorenburg, widow of Antonij Jansen, on 23 October 1753 in the magistrate’s office at Zeist.17

  3. His career

The Van Smorenburgs seemed to have made a good living at Soest, or more specifically at Soest op den Berg (now Soesterberg), which is about 8.5 km south of Soest and 5 km north-east of Zeist.18 It is uncertain how Cors earned his living but at the time of his death, Metje and her four surviving children inherited their large estate De Oude Tempel op den Berg. She bought out her four children on 22 February 1721,19 and the following day married her third husband.14 Her son from this relationship was christened five weeks after his parents were married.15 Metje continued to live at De Oude Tempel until her death in 1758. On 20 May 1758, the date that her estate was finalised, her surviving husband and their son, Teunis Breunisse, as well as her sons, Jacob and Cornelis van Smorenburg bought out the of her grandchild, Cors Gerritse Hagen, the son of her daughter, Seijmetie.17

How long the estate thereafter remained in possession of the Van Smorenburg family thereafter, is not certain. The lush, 24 hectare, tree-rich estate is situated on the eastern slopes of Soesterberg village, just south of the Amsterdam Road (N237) which was the historic route between Utrecht and Amsterdam. The estate house and its gardens were located on the northern part of the estate, but the original house no longer exists. At one stage, the southern part of the estate was also used for forestry – the monumental 100 year-old lane of beech trees remained as evidence. And at some point, Prince Hendrik (1876 – 1934), husband of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, had a hunting cabin on the estate. The historic De Oude Tempel estate has been up for luxury residential development since 2018.20-24

  4. His death

It is uncertain when Cors van Smorenburg died. It must have been between 1718 and 1720, as Metje had a child in 1721 born from her relationship with Breunis Jans. Her status was indicated “widow” on this marriage record.1,4,14

   5. His children

Soon after their marriage at Hamersveld, Cors and Metje moved to Soest.1,4 This assumption is based on the fact that all their children were christened at Soest. The couple had six children, listed in records as ‘Van Smorenburg, or ‘Smorenburg’. They were Jacob I (≈12 February 1709, who died before 1710), Jacob II (≈25 February 1710, who died before 1716), Arien (≈23 September 1712 – 4 June 1767), Seijmetie (ca 1714 – ?; who married Gerrit Hagen), Jacob III (≈22 March 1716 – >1758) and Cornelis Corse “Kees” (≈27 February 1718 – 29 January 1789).1,25

The youngest child of Cors and Metje van Smorenburg, became my husband’s great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. READ MORE on Cornelius Corse Smorenburg.

 

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To Marja Ruff of Haarlem in the Netherlands, a huge thank you for your interest and support of my family research work! Your endless supply of information and references to primary documents, researched in your own time, have greatly enriched the story of the Smorenburg family being told here. I am forever in your debt!

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  1. Smorenburg Web Site by Martin Smorenburg. https://www.myheritage.nl/site-family-tree-395529131/smorenburg
  2. Arie Schipper (van Smorenburg). http://search.ancestry.com
  3. Cors Jansen Schipper. https://www.myheritage.com/names/cors_smorenburg
  4. Gezinsblad Metje Theunisse Kuijer. http://www.gensdvf.nl/FullRecord.csp
  5. Dutch Golden Age. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Golden_Age
  6. Dutch Empire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Empire
  7. History of the Netherlands. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Netherlands
  8. William III of England. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_III_of_England
  9. Anthonie Heinius. https://oudeennieuwekerkdelft.nl/oude-kerk/markante-personages/anthonie-heinsius
  10. Anthonie Heinius. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthonie_Heinsius
  11. Kuijer. https://oudscherpenzeel.nl/wp-content/uploads/genealogie-pdf/Kuijer.pdf
  12. Utrecht Province, Netherlands. https://www.google.co.za/maps/place/Utrecht,+Netherlands
  13. Leusden. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leusden
  14. Notarissen in de stadt Utrecht 1560 – 1905, archief 34-4, inventarisnummer 1608, 20-05-1758, C.P. van Cuylenborgh, aktenummer 181, Utrecht Archief
  15. Record of third marriage of Metje Kuijer. Zeist, Archief DTBGAZeist1004, invertarisnummer 2434, 23-02-1721, Zeist CIV Trouwen, 1676-1770, folio 19
  16. Christening record of Teunis Bruijnis. Archief DTB Archief Eemland 932, inventarisnummer 21, 03-04-1721, Soest RK dopen 1713-1742
  17. Marriage record of Teunis Breunisse/Brunis. Zeist, Archief DTBGAZeist1004, invertarisnummer 2434, 23-10-1753, Zeist CIV Trouwen, 1676-1770, folio 136
  18. Soesterberg. https://www.google.co.za/maps/place/Oude+Tempellaan,+Soesterberg,+Netherlands
  19. Notarissen in de stadt Utrecht 1560 – 1905, archief 34-4, inventarisnummer 1186, 22-02-1721, C.F. Pronckert, aktenummer 127, Utrecht Archief
  20. De Oude Tempel. http://www.utrechtsebuitenplaatsen.nl/buitenplaats/de-oude-tempel
  21. De Oude Tempel (Soesterberg). https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Oude_Tempel_(Soesterberg)
  22. Oude Tempel – wonen op een landgoed. https://www.soest.nl/soesterberg/oude-tempel-wonen-op-een-landgoed/
  23. Flantzer, S. Prince Hendrik of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Prince Consort of the Netherlands. Unofficial Royalty: The site of royal news and discussion. http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/april-19-daily-featured-royal-date
  24. E. van der Ploeg (2016). Strikt beschermde soorten in de Oude Tempel Soesterberg, onderzoeksresultaten. Bureau Viridis. https://oudetempel.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/1d-Bijlage-11.Onderzoeksresultaten-strikt-beschermde-soorten.november-2017.pdf
  25. Jan Smorenburg Schipper (van Seijst). http://94.210.208.15/persons/person616.html

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