Articles that
have been published
about the Westerhout family:
about the Westerhout family:
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Oldenburgische Familienkunde, Oldenburgische Gesellschaft für Familienkunde e.V. Jahrgang 51 - 2009 Das abenteuerliche Leben des Zioke Janssen (Westerholt) aus Sandel bei Jever und seine Nachkommen in Malacca und Singapur. Von Gerold Diers. German Article, from Page 95 to 108 Hosted at the "Landesbibliothek Oldenburg Digital" English translation of upper article: The life and adventures of Sjouke Janszen Westerhout from Sandel near Jever, and his descendents in Malacca and Singapore. By Gerold Diers. Translated by Megan Freeland. (pdf file) |
The Westerhout family started to do family research a long time ago, finding a draft will from "Johannes Barthlomeus Westerhout" created circa 1842 in the 1960s. The will was mentioning a "walking stick with a gold head which gold articles" Johannes got from his father in 1880, then from his father (*1) "Soewkes Janson Westerhout" in 1771 and then from his father "Jan Jacob Westerhout" at Clevins and Wrgt Sande in 1740.
Later, a will from (*1) "Sjouke Jansz Westerhout" from 1774 was found in Dutch VOC archives, discribing the "a walking stick with a golden knob" he got from his parents in the "Jeverland, under church village Sandel, from father and mother Jan Jacobs living in Hustum and Greet Swouke, born in church village Cleeveren".
This was when the Westerhout family from Singapore decided to contact "Gerold Diers" and "Heero Onnen" from the "Oldenburg Society for Family Research". As result, a marriage record from "Johann Jacobs Jr. and Grethe Zioke" and birth record from "Zioke Janssen" was found in the church book Sandel/Jever.
After these findings, the upper article was published.
As fluent German language speaker living in Germany since 1977, I got word that the 1st Westerhout was born in Sandel, Jever in today's Germany. The Westerhout family was claiming that "Zioke Janssen", later "Sjouke Jansz: Westerhout" would be of Dutch origin, which turned out to not be correct.
After contacting "Gerold Diers" (see upper article) in 2020 after the 1st Corona lock down, we both began to research where it was clear that 1st family member with the "Westerhout" name was born as citizen of the Jeverland (as Zioke Janssen), exclave principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, part of the 'Holy Roman Empire'. He was not German (Germany didn’t exist until 1871) and was originally not of Dutch origin. We found that Zioke's/Sjouke's parents and grandparents were wealthy farmers (and not dyke builders as assumed) within the Sandel/Jever parish.
Zioke Janssen immigrated to the Netherlands in 1741 as a 'Hollandgänger' to work at the VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie , Dutch East India Company), the 1st stock listed multinational company in modern history as junior sailor, to sail to Batavia (Jakarta) from Hoorn via Texel. He quickly climbed the ranks, was understeering officer in 1748 and captain commander in 1759. He later settled and started a family in Malacca. Like many, he had no prospects as being the oldest child in his home country, where the youngest inherits everything (Zioke had two half-brothers where the youngest brother inherited everything with the farm).
After more than four years, reviewing church books in Sandel and Cleverns (part of Jever, Germany) and many documents at the "Lower Saxony State Archives Oldenburg (NLA OL)" we found three further generations (now going back to ca. 1605), three farms from the new 3rd and known 4th generation and the farm location where the 1st Westerhout was born and christened.
The Westerhout family tree now counts 14 generations (per 2023) and is mainly present within Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, UK and Germany.
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