Oud Aalten

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Category: Business

  • The Driessen Textile Family

    The Driessen Textile Family

    Gebroeders Driessen, Aalten – Steam Weaving Mill and Natural Bleachery

    The Driessen family is a lineage of textile entrepreneurs, originally from Bocholt, just across the border in Germany. Members of the family were active as textile manufacturers in Bocholt, Aalten, and Leiden. It is a Catholic family, which was included in the Nederland’s Patriciaat (Blue Book) in 1961.

    The recorded lineage begins with Rutger Driessen, a weaver in Bocholt. In 1667, he paid taxes, but by 1672 he was considered too poor to be subject to taxation. Little is known about his son Johann Driessen (1663–after 1713) and grandson Gerard Driessen (1702–after 1738).

    The family’s social ascent began with Gerard’s son Bernard Driessen (1731–1772). He traded in textiles, which he purchased from home-weaving farmers around Bocholt and sold in Holland. The family likely owes its rise to the fact that, due to their poverty, they could not become members of the Boomsidenambt, the guild of cotton weavers. Guild members were prohibited from trading fabrics that had not been woven by fellow members. As the Driessens were not part of the guild, they were not bound by this rule and could trade freely in cotton produced by home-weavers.

    Thanks to this trade, Bernard became so prosperous that he was appointed schepen (alderman) of Bocholt, marking the family’s entry into the urban patriciate. However, he died at the age of 41 during a business trip to The Hague, before he could further strengthen his position.

    Expansion of the Textile Trade

    Two of Bernard’s sons continued the trade and expanded it significantly by employing hundreds of home-weavers: Peter Driessen (1756–1843) and Hermann Driessen (1765–1817). Initially, they worked together, but they later went their separate ways. Both brothers became very wealthy.

    Both married daughters of Johann Jacob Hölscher, a member of the cotton weavers’ guild and also an alderman of Bocholt. Peter married Elisabeth Hölscher, and Hermann married her sister Gertrud. These marriages demonstrated that the Driessen family had by then integrated into the local elite. Consequently, Peter Driessen served as the second mayor of Bocholt for fourteen years (1797–1811) and, in 1813, he was a member of the council of the Rees district during the Napoleonic era. In 1841, in his advanced years, he received a Prussian distinction: the Ritter des Roten Adlerordens (Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle), 4th class.

    From Trade to Manufacture

    Peter Driessen had approximately 500 home-weavers working for him around Bocholt. These weavers were formally independent but reliant on the ‘reder’ (merchant-manufacturer) who supplied the yarn and financed the loom. The rise of centralised workshops—precursors to factories—made it possible to exercise greater supervision over production. Looms could henceforth be used continuously. In this way, the merchant became a manufacturer or ‘fabriqueur’.

    Settling in Aalten

    To protect Dutch industry from British imports, King William I introduced an import duty of 25% to 45% on cotton fabrics in 1823. This made exports from Bocholt to the Netherlands virtually impossible. To circumvent this levy, two Driessen cousins settled in Aalten, just across the border: Heinrich Driessen (1794–1879, son of Mayor Peter) and Anton Driessen (1797–1879, son of Hermann). In Aalten, they established various textile enterprises, including a steam weaving mill and a bleachery.

    Over a period of more than 140 years (1826–1969), the Driessen manufacturers developed into the most significant employers in Aalten and the surrounding area. The factory buildings and private residences of the Driessens defined the village’s appearance. Until the second half of the 20th century, these manufacturers left a significant mark on the social and economic life of Aalten.

    Sources

    • ‘Geweven goed. De textielgeschiedenis van Aalten en Bredevoort’, H. de Beukelaer and J.G. ter Horst
    • Wikipedia
  • Communal Freezers in Aalten

    Communal Freezers in Aalten

    In the 1950s and 60s, so-called communal freezers emerged in the Netherlands, particularly in rural areas. These were facilities, often established on a cooperative basis, where residents of villages or rural districts could rent one or more lockers to freeze food.

    The communal freezers provided a solution at a time when most households did not yet have their own freezer. Home-grown vegetables and fruit, or meat from home slaughtering, were primarily stored there.

    In 1962, the Netherlands had approximately 700 of these communal freezers. However, their use declined rapidly in the 1970s, when the freezer became a common household appliance.

    Ten Have's freezer-locker plant, Haartsestraat 1-1, 1969
    Ten Have’s freezer-locker plant, Haartsestraat, c. 1969 (photo: L. Lievers)

    Locations

    There were also communal freezers in the municipality of Aalten. Some well-known examples (provisional list, April 2025):

    Do you have any additions or corrections to this list, or photos of (vanished) communal freezers in Aalten? Do you know if anything has been preserved? Please let us know!

    Newspaper reports

    Communal freezer in Aalten - Dagblad Tubantia, 21 January 1958
    Dagblad Tubantia, 21 January 1958
    Communal freezer, Aalten - Zutphens Dagblad, 8 February 1958
    Zutphens Dagblad, 8 February 1958
    Communal freezer Heurne, Aalten - Dagblad Tubantia, 9 December 1959
    Dagblad Tubantia, 9 December 1959
    Communal freezer lockers Lintelo - Dagblad Tubantia, 19 April 1963
    Dagblad Tubantia, 19 April 1963
    Communal freezer Bredevoort - Dagblad Tubantia, 11 February 1966
    Dagblad Tubantia, 11 February 1966
    Communal freezer Barlo (1969) by willempie133
    Onnink’s communal freezer in Barlo, ca. 1969 (photo: willempie133)

    Sources

  • Anton Driessen

    Anton Driessen

    Textile manufacturer

    Johan Bernard Anton (known as Anton) Driessen (Bocholt, December 5, 1797 – Aalten, March 7, 1879) was a prominent textile manufacturer in Aalten. Anton descended from a textile dynasty in Bocholt. His father Herman (1765–1817) was also a textile manufacturer, as was his brother Peter Driessen (1756–1843), who also served as an alderman and second mayor of Bocholt.

    After their father’s death, Anton and his younger brother Joseph founded the textile company ‘Gebrüder Driessen‘. In 1826, Anton and Joseph Driessen submitted a request to King William I to establish a textile factory in Aalten. The motives for the Driessen brothers’ request were the increased import duties in the Netherlands. They had chosen Aalten ‘as this place was best suited for this purpose‘.

    They requested permission to establish a fustian weaving mill and bleachery, as well as a cotton spinning mill and dye works. The Driessen brothers were granted permission for the establishment on the condition that it be located within the village center of Aalten.

    Not long after, their cousin Heinrich Driessen also requested permission from the King, which was likewise granted.

    In Aalten

    Anton moved to Aalten in 1826. He initially lived with Meijerink in the Kerkstraat. His brother Joseph remained in Bocholt, where they maintained a branch office.

    The company started “in the Barn and Garden Room of Mr. Bonninghoff”. This most likely referred to the house at Markt 18 belonging to the justice of the peace G.J. te Gussinklo, who had purchased the Borninkhof farm in 1804. Owners were often referred to by the name of their farm.

    For the processing of the yarn, Anton Driessen relied on the many home workers living in the area. Furthermore, the municipal report of 1826 mentions, among other things: “Several households have settled here, primarily from Bocholt“. The report for 1827 mentions for the first time that, alongside agriculture as the primary source of livelihood, much fustian was woven for the manufacturers from Bocholt. There were approximately 218 fustian weavers at that time, “performing the work in their homes“.

    On November 22, 1827, Anton Driessen married Isabella Dees in Bocholt.

    Johan Bernard Anton Driessen (1797-1879)
    Marriage of Anton Driessen & Isabella Dees - Opregte Haarlemsche Courant, November 29, 1827
    Opregte Haarlemsche Courant, 29 November 1827
    Markt 18, Aalten
    Markt 18, Aalten
    Landstraat 25, Aalten
    Landstraat 25, Aalten

    In that same year, the cotton spinning mill was moved from Bonninghoff’s barn and garden room to a better-equipped building in the center of the village. Driessen had purchased a house there from Manus Scholten, located at the site of the current address Landstraat 25.

    However, the relocation did not proceed without incident. Two neighbors, the schoolmaster H. Schotman and the farmer W. Obrink, submitted a formal objection to the municipal council, fearing noise nuisance and fire hazards. The municipality, however, rejected their objections. The two neighbors did not leave it at that and subsequently addressed their grievances to the Governor of the province of Gelderland. However, the Governor also saw no reason to give “any follow-up” to their objections.

    At the end of 1827, Anton Driessen was able to begin converting the house into a spinning mill. The new premises had an upper floor, which, along with the ground floor, was designated as workspace. Machines were installed on both levels.

    Beekhuize

    Dijkstraat 14, Aalten – Beekhuize
    Villa ‘Beekhuize’, Dijkstraat 14, Aalten

    In 1833, Anton wished to build a new residence. To this end, he had purchased a house from the Degenaar heirs at the end of the Landstraat—now called Dijkstraat. He intended to demolish that house and build a new, modern residence with a warehouse, barn, and stables on the site. For this, however, he required more space than the existing plot. Anton Driessen submitted a plan to the municipal council with the request, “since the beautification of a Village is always one of the most pleasant duties of a Local government, to kindly grant the same, and consequently to support the undersigned in his intention as much as possible”.

    To realize Anton’s plans, both the stream and the street had to be diverted. Furthermore, a new bridge was required. Because the piles of the old bridge had almost decayed, the construction of the new bridge was not only highly necessary, but according to Driessen, the relocation was also less costly. In addition to diverting the stream and building a new bridge, Driessen also needed land for his plans. To this end, he exchanged a piece of land with the municipality. Negotiations regarding these matters lasted several years.

    In March 1835, Driessen was able to begin construction. For the production of the necessary bricks, he had meanwhile requested permission to establish a brickyard on the Schaarsheide and to excavate a three-hectare site. Due to the poor state of the roads in East Gelderland at that time, it was more practical and economical to set up a field kiln near the construction site than to purchase bricks elsewhere.

    The stately villa that Anton Driessen had built on the current Dijkstraat is known to every resident of Aalten as Beekhuize.

    Grave

    Anton Driessen is buried in the old Roman Catholic cemetery on Piet Heinstraat in Aalten.

    Sources

    • Delpher
    • ‘Geweven goed. De textielgeschiedenis van Aalten en Bredevoort’ (Woven Goods: The Textile History of Aalten and Bredevoort), H. de Beukelaer and J.G. ter Horst
  • Stad Munster Lodging House

    Stad Munster Lodging House

    Peperstraat, Aalten (no longer extant)

    Stad Munster Lodging House in Peperstraat, Aalten (image AI-generated based on an old photograph).
    Stad Munster Lodging House in Peperstraat, Aalten (image AI-generated based on an old photograph).

    Stad Munster Lodging House was once an important rest stop for travellers and mail coaches. It stood in Peperstraat, situated between the former post office and ‘De Postiljon’, opposite Stegers. Following the municipal reorganisation of 1816, it briefly served as a courthouse (Rechthuis). In 1873, the building was completely destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt.

    A Coaching Inn for the Diligence

    In previous centuries, when the mail coach—or diligence—was the official mode of transport, ‘Logement Stad Munster’ (also known as ‘Hotel Wamelink’) functioned as a coaching inn for the diligence and a place of rest for weary travellers. Those embarking on a long journey who could afford it would board at Hotel Wamelink, after which the journey continued, jolting and bumping towards its destination. Those with less to spend put on their ‘steffels’ (boots) and undertook the journey on foot; a walk to Arnhem or Zutphen was no rarity in those days. People had the time. Stad Munster welcomed travellers of all kinds, such as a manufacturer from Armentières in France, a merchant from Stadlohn, and a clerk on foot from Oosterwijk. Three English factory workers from Manchester, Ashton, and Oldham once stayed there for two months.

    In 1823, Johanna Maria Martha Mensinck was registered at this address as the lodging house keeper. She was the widow of Gerrit Jan Wamelink, who had passed away in 1822. Johanna died in 1854. Their son, Lambertus Hermanus Wamelink, continued the business. In 1852, at the age of 39, he had married Johanna Catharina Heming. After her death in 1854, he remarried Wilhelmina Louisa Hendrina Meijrink in 1856.

    Fire

    On 2 April 1873, a violent thunderstorm broke out over Aalten. Labourers in the fields fled into barns and garden sheds. Thunder rolled incessantly and lightning filled the sky. Suddenly, a loud crack was heard, and shortly thereafter, everyone could hear the tolling of the fire bell in the church tower above the sound of the rain. A lightning strike had hit the building next to the lodging house, which was occupied by Mr Van Eerden and the national tax collector, Mr Boudewijn.

    By the time the fire wardens arrived, both buildings were engulfed in flames. The fire engines could do little against such a blaze. The old lodging house—the pride of the Wamelinks, who had lived there since the beginning of the 18th century—burnt to the ground, as did the adjacent house on the corner of Kerkstraat. The lodging house was never rebuilt, and the site has remained an open passage between Peperstraat and Het Hoge Blik ever since.

    Owners

    Overview is incomplete.

    YearPlotOwnerDescription
    1832I-1152widow of Gerrit Jan Wamelink 490 m² house, barn
    1858I-2011
    I-2012    		widow of Gerrit Jan Wamelink
    heirs of Lambertus Hermanus Wamelink     		490 m² house, yard
    260 m² barn, stabling
    1863I-2011
    I-2012    		Wilhelmina Louisa Hendrina Meijerink,
    lodging house keeper    		490 m² house, yard
    260 m² barn, stabling

    Residents

    Population register 1823-1838

    Aalten 256

    Johanna Maria Martha Mensinck (Winterswijk, 16-08-1788), lodging house keeper

    Widow of Gerrit Jan Wamelink.

    Population register 1838-1850

    Aalten 271

    Johanna Maria Martha Mensinck (Winterswijk, 16-08-1788), lodging house keeper

    Population register 1850-1860

    Aalten 271

    Johanna Maria Martha Mensinck (Winterswijk, 16-08-1788), lodging house keeper

    Next residents, son and daughter in law:

    Lambertus Hermanus Wamelink (Aalten, 18-02-1813)
    (1) Johanna Catharina Heming (Vreden/D, 02-07-1822)
    (2) Wilhelmina Louisa Hendrina Meijerink (Aalten, 06-11-1823)

    Population register 1860-1870

    Aalten 271

    Wilhelmina Louisa Hendrina Meijerink (Aalten, 06-11-1823), lodging house keeper

    Population register 1870-1880

    Aalten 348

    Wilhelmina Louisa Hendrina Meijerink (Aalten, 06-11-1823), lodging house keeper

    Features

    Cadastral no.I-11441
    FunctionLodging house
    Year of constructionunknown
    Burned down1873

    Sources

    Stad Munster Lodging House, Peperstraat, Aalten
    Stad Munster Lodging House, Aalten – Fragment cadastral map, 1858
    Fragment cadastral map, 1858 (plot I-2011)
    Stad Munster Lodging House, Aalten – Fragment cadastral map, 1879
    Contours of the former Stad Munster Lodging House, taken from a cadastral auxiliary map from 1858, projected onto a map from 1879.
    Illustration: Piet te Lintum
    Stad Munster Lodging House, Aalten – De Tijd, 26 April 1873
    De Tijd, 26 April 1873
  • Gasworks

    Gasworks

    Bredevoortsestraatweg 109, Aalten (no longer extant)

    Gasworks, Bredevoortsestraatweg, Aalten

    At the beginning of the twentieth century, there was a growing demand for modern energy supplies in the Netherlands. Until then, many households and businesses relied on oil and paraffin lamps for lighting, and on wood or coal for heating and cooking. Gas lighting was seen as a major advancement.

    As in many other places, it was decided to build a gasworks in Aalten to provide households, businesses, and street lighting with gas. The arrival of the plant marked a significant step in the modernisation of local infrastructure, though it also brought its share of challenges.

    The Production Process

    In 1905, the decision was made to build a ‘coal gas plant’ in Aalten. Two years later, in 1907, it was put into operation. The plant produced gas through the dry distillation of coal. This process involved heating coal in the absence of oxygen, releasing gas that could be captured for distribution.

    The raw gas contained various impurities, such as tar, ammonia, and sulphur compounds. These were removed through condensation and chemical purification. The purified gas was then stored in a large gas holder (gasometer) and guided through a network of underground pipes to homes and businesses, where it was used for lighting, cooking, and heating.

    Installation of the Gas Grid

    The installation of the gas grid caused considerable disruption. Streets frequently had to be dug up to lay the pipes, leading to many complaints from residents.

    Until the end of 1908, people complained about the poor state of the roads and the inconvenience caused by the works. Nevertheless, the use of gas quickly became popular, and the gasworks grew into an essential utility within the municipality.

    In 1919, the municipality of Aalten took over the gasworks for a sum of ƒ 115,000, plus ƒ 29,602.87 for infrastructure such as piping and gas meters.

    Gas Tokens

    Until the 1950s, some households had a gas meter that operated with special gas tokens. This system, intended to prevent payment arrears, was also used in Winterswijk. The Aalten gas token was a zinc coin with a value of 10 cents. When the gas ran out, a new token had to be inserted into the meter.

    Gas token from Aalten, 10 front
    Gas token from Aalten, 10 back

    With the arrival of the geyser (water heater), this system fell into disuse. The pilot light of these appliances had to burn continuously, which was not permitted in combination with a coin meter. Around 1955–1958, gas tokens disappeared completely, partly due to the introduction of the national natural gas grid.

    The End of the Gasworks

    The discovery of the natural gas field in Slochteren marked the end of local gasworks, including the one in Aalten. The building subsequently served various temporary functions, such as a technical school and later a furniture factory (Fa. Hervo), until the premises were destroyed by fire in 1964.

    After its closure, the soil was found to be severely contaminated with hazardous substances such as sulphur and cyanide. The remediation of the site was only fully completed decades later, in 2009.

    Tram Stop

    There used to be a tram stop at the gasworks on the Lichtenvoorde-Bocholt line.

    Owners

    Overview is incomplete.

    YearPlotOwnerDescription
    m²

    Archives

    Address directory 1934

    Aalten C429 > Bredevoortschestraat 109

    Gasworks

    Features

    Cadastral no.I-12882/13058
    FunctionGasworks
    Year of construction1907
    Destroyed by fire1964

    Sources

    Aalten Gasworks, c. 1920
    Aalten Gasworks with the gas holder in the centre, ca. 1920.
    Aalten Gasworks – Fragment cadastral map (1908)
    Fragment cadastral map, 1908
    Aalten Gasworks – Het Vaderland, 16 August 1904
    Het Vaderland, 16 August 1904
    Aalten Gasworks – Aaltensche Courant, 19 December 1906
    Aaltensche Courant, 19 December 1906 (Ormelstraat 382a)
    Opening Aalten Gasworks – Zutphensche Courant, 26 June 1907
    Zutphensche Courant, 26 June 1907
    Fire in former Gasworks, Aalten – Nieuwe Winterswijksche Courant, 7 August 1964
    Nieuwe Winterswijksche Courant, 7 August 1964
  • History of the Aalten horn industry

    History of the Aalten horn industry

    Aalten is the only place in the Netherlands where a horn industry was established. Here, products were made from buffalo horn, such as pipes, combs, buttons, signal whistles, needle cases, and knife handles. Buffalo were not killed or specifically bred for their horns. Virtually all of the material was used, and the remnants were spread over the fields. With the advent of plastics and mass production after the Second World War, this industry disappeared.

    Horn turners

    Family ties had a strong influence on the emergence of the horn industry. From 1855, five horn turners began in Aalten: Bernard Vaags, Gerrit Peters, Abraham ten Dam, Willem te Gussinklo, and Wessel Becking.

    Bernard Vaags went on his Wanderschaft (journeyman travels) to Germany, where he apprenticed with a horn turner in Ruhla (Thuringia). Upon returning to Aalten, he bought a simple foot-operated lathe and started the very first horn-turning workshop. In a small upper room of his parents’ shoemaking shop ‘in den Dijk aan de beek te Aalten’ (Dijkstraat 9), he made parts for German buffalo horn pipes. In 1860, Vaags married Dora Willemina Prins. She also became a horn turner and was known as Piepen Deurken. They moved to the house next to Bernard’s parents’ home (Dijkstraat 7).

    Pipe turning, treadle lathe Aalten (1880)
    Pipe turning was manual, pedal-operated, and skilled craftsmanship. Here is an example of an Aalten treadle lathe from 1880.

    German pipes

    Gerrit Peters, son of a tanner, also apprenticed in Thuringia after Bernard Vaags. From 1863, he worked on the Hogestraat. In 1866, Gerrit married the wealthy Josina Aleida te Gussinklo and moved into her home. The property covered the entire length of the Köstersbulte, from the living area on the Markt to the Landstraat, where he established his horn workshop. He produced long pipe stems and components for the German pipe. In Germany, porcelain pipe bowls were attached to the stems and the pipes were traded.

    Combs

    Comb factory Ten Dam & Manschot, Damstraat, Aalten
    Comb factory Ten Dam & Manschot

    After Vaags’ death in 1868, his successor, Abraham ten Dam, tackled the business thoroughly. The cottage industry became a proper factory at de Stegge. In 1871, he and his brother-in-law, Bernard Manschot, founded the comb factory Ten Dam & Manschot on the Damstraat.

    It was the first and only factory in the Netherlands to make combs: white, black, and naturally coloured decorative combs, Mexican combs, nit combs, and moustache combs. These were made from buffalo horn, imported from countries including Brazil, India, and Thailand (then known as Siam). The manufacturing process generated even more dust and stench than pipe making.

    A revolutionary development in the production process was the switch to steam power, replacing traditional hand and foot power. In local parlance, it became known as ‘d’n Kamstoom’ (the Comb Steam). By 1920, the comb factory employed about 200 people, including women and children.

    Handles and knife hilts

    Horn industry in Aalten
    German pipes, W. te Gussinklo

    Willem te Gussinklo and Wessel Becking learned the tricks of the trade from Gerrit Peters. They worked together for a short time but separated in 1884. After the failed partnership, Wessel Becking continued in 1880 with Bernardus Gerhardus Vaags, a cousin and namesake of Bernard Vaags. Becking & Vaags made pipe stems and later also knife handles. When the sale of German pipes declined, the factory produced short briar pipes. The pipe factory in the Hoekstraat is still standing today!

    Johannes Peters left his father’s workshop on the Köstersbult and, in 1896, formed a partnership with Marcus Gans, a Jewish merchant. Gans financed the firm called PEGA (Peters & Gans). The pipe factory stood next to Peters’ home on the then Gasthuisstraat (now Haartsestraat). In addition to German pipes for German reservists, walking sticks with horn handles were manufactured. After the factory burned down completely in 1917, Johannes Peters established his pipe factory on the Admiraal de Ruyterstraat. Instead of German pipes, they primarily produced briar pipes.

    Buttons

    Dutch Button Works, Bredevoort
    Dutch Button Works, Bredevoort

    After the failed partnership with Wessel Becking, Willem te Gussinklo made German pipes and handles for walking sticks and umbrellas. By 1900, companies in Germany and England had begun producing buttons from horn. With that example in mind, Willem started making horn buttons in 1905—a first for the Netherlands. Soon, his son Willem te Gussinklo Jr. (‘Piepkes Willem’) joined the firm, developing into an innovative entrepreneur.

    Te Gussinklo’s first factory was at ‘t Dal in Aalten, the present-day Willemstraat. Due to the increasing demand for buttons, the company moved to the old Van Eijck weaving mill in Bredevoort in 1924. There, the production of buttons began. The international company N.V. Dutch Button Works (DBW) exported to England, Ireland, and America and was also the largest (horn) enterprise in Aalten.

    After World War II, the production of horn buttons declined. In 1976, this last branch of horn processing was forced to close down. This marked the definitive end of 120 years of the horn industry in Aalten.

    Video

    Source: Euregionetwerk Industriecultuur

    It rained pipe stems

    It rained pipe stems, by Paulien Andriessen

    Paulien Andriessen, a great-granddaughter of Gerrit Peters, became curious about her great-grandfather’s craft. He was the second horn turner in Aalten. Where had he learned the trade, and to whom did he sell those pipe stems? How did the Aalten horn turners and their successors fare?

    “When I passed my final exams, my uncle gave me a pipe as a gift. My mother and my sisters smoked pipes, so I didn’t find it strange at all. It was a ladies’ pipe with a slender stem, a small white porcelain bowl, and a horn mouthpiece. I had to smoke it a few times, my uncle explained, and then a beautiful picture would appear on the pipe bowl. So, I started smoking quite heavily, as I was curious about that picture. It took a few pipes, but to my delight, my smoking habit was rewarded. A picture appeared. It was a little bird, a dove.”

    In 2011, a book she authored was published by Fagus Publishers, titled ‘Het regende pijpenstelen, Honderd jaar hoornindustrie in Aalten’ (It Rained Pipe Stems: One Hundred Years of the Horn Industry in Aalten) (ISBN: 9789078202806)

    Sources

  • A merchant family from Aalten around 1600

    A merchant family from Aalten around 1600

    How the Schenk-Voerknecht family grew into an international merchant dynasty

    Hanze

    At the beginning of the 17th century, Wessel Schenk and his half-brother Salomon Voerknecht from Aalten were among the largest grain traders in Europe. Their activities spanned from Amsterdam to Danzig, Königsberg, Genoa, and even the New World. Other family members were also active in trade and entered into marriages that strengthened their position. What began in Aalten grew into a network with international influence.

    The Schenk / Voerknecht family

    In the mid-16th century, a certain Jenneken ter Woert lived in Aalten. From her first marriage to Salcke Schenk, she had two children: Gertruid and Wessel Schenk. Around 1568, she remarried Johan Voerknecht, with whom she had four children: Salomon, Hans, Judith, and Anna Voerknecht.1 2

    In 1575, Johan Voerknecht was a keurnoot (lay judge) of the Bredevoort court3, a position indicating social standing. Whether the family belonged to the Aalten ‘elite’ is unknown to us. However, it is striking that all the children later became successful in trade or married partners of distinction. This suggests a connection to influential networks that enhanced their social and economic opportunities.

    Merchants in Amsterdam, Danzig and Königsberg

    From the late 15th century, merchants in the Low Countries specialized in the transport of bulk goods, especially grain and salt. This trade, known as the moedernegotie (mother of all trades), formed the economic foundation of Holland for centuries and made Amsterdam the most important staple market in Europe.4

    The Schenk-Voerknecht family also benefited from this. They maintained close ties with the Hanseatic cities of Danzig (Gdańsk) and Königsberg (Kaliningrad). Some family members even settled there, either temporarily or permanently.

    Danzig, 1628 AD
    Danzig, 1628 AD

    The Schenk and Voerknecht children grew up during the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648), yet they managed to break into international trade regardless. The period of the Twelve Years’ Truce (1609–1621) provided favorable conditions: a brief phase of peace and armistice. Eastern Netherlands had eight garrison towns (including Bredevoort) that were in constant need of forage, particularly grain. This was not only for bread but also for the production of beer.

    Wessel Schenk was a grain merchant and did good business in the Achterhoek during that period. He was also active in the trade route from Danzig to Genoa, Italy.5 His half-brother Salomon Voerknecht was likewise a very successful merchant.

    Largest carriers from Amsterdam to the Mediterranean, 1590–1620:

    CarriersTotalShipmentsWith a partner
    Jasper Quinget2011974
    Jan and Philippo Calandrini912566
    Guillelmo Bartolotti664224
    Caspar van Ceulen633528
    Isaac la Maire564214
    Willem Willemss49481
    Salomon Voerknecht451332
    Wessel Schenck30255

    Biographies of family members

    Wessel Schenk

    Born around 1566 in Aalten. In 1606, he lived on the Breestraat in Amsterdam. In archival documents, he is referred to as a “merchant lord.” Other sources indicate that he also regularly stayed in Danzig.

    Upon its founding in 1602, Schenk was one of the largest shareholders of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He also saw opportunities in the New World. Together with his nephew Jan Holscher, he invested in expeditions to New Netherland, in the northeast of the present-day US. In 1614, he was a co-founder of the New Netherland Company, the predecessor of the West India Company.6

    In 1609, he included in his will that he would leave 4,000 guilders to the poor of his birthplace, Aalten. Because he was often traveling, he had a will drawn up in 1616, leaving his affairs in Amsterdam to his nephew Jan Holscher.

    In 1619, Wessel, as a citizen of Danzig, contractually transferred the annual income from two Aalten farms (Lutke Grievinck and Goorhuis) by proxy to his sister’s daughter Gertruid Tols, widow of Johan Brunss.7 In 1632, he was back in Danzig and sold by proxy “a garden or courtyard with timber structures in two parcels” outside the Regulierspoort in Amsterdam. He must have died shortly thereafter, presumably unmarried. 8

    Gertruid Schenk

    Born around 1565 in Aalten. Around 1584, she married Albert (?) Hengst van Juchteren in Anholt. After 1590, she remarried Henrick Toll. In 1600, she lived on the Nieuwe Zeedijk in Amsterdam. Gertruid was also active in the family business. In 1616, Gertruid and her brother Wessel received a letter of recommendation from the States-General addressed to the city council of Danzig—a sign that their commercial position was officially recognized. Gertruid passed away after 1628. 9

    Salomon Voerknecht

    Born around 1568 in Aalten. In 1597, he married Jannetje Hooft in Amsterdam. She was a descendant of a prominent Amsterdam merchant family that produced one of the greatest Dutch writers of the Golden Age: Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft. Father-in-law Jan Pietersz Hooft was a brother of the mayor of Amsterdam, Cornelis Pietersz Hooft, and through this marriage, he also became the brother-in-law of the later mayor Volckert Overlander.

    In 1618, Salomon, on his own behalf and as proxy for Judith and Hans Voerknecht, sold a piece of land, the Bullensche maat in Lintelo, to Roelof Damme and Catharina Smitz. In 1619, he sold—partly on behalf of his wife, and as proxy for his sister Judith, widow of De Marez, and brother Hans (“citizen of Danzig“)—their parental home in Aalten near the churchyard, including the courtyard and land, to Wessel Brethouwer and Mechteld Machtes.

    In 1637, Salomon was a senior merchant in the service of the VOC in Batavia. He had gone from Danzig to the East Indies and remarried a widow there. On October 24, 1637, in Batavia, “weak in body but still sound of mind,” he recorded his last will and presumably died shortly thereafter. His eldest son Johan became the deputy bailiff of Amsterdam in 1656. 10

    Hans Voerknecht

    Born around 1569 in Aalten. Hans Voerknecht (also called Schenk) was likewise active in trade. In 1605, he was mentioned as a merchant in Amsterdam, along with Salomon Voerknecht and Wessel Schenk. In 1608, he was in Danzig, and in 1619, he was even recorded as a citizen of that city. He presumably died there not long after. 11

    Judith Voerknecht

    Born around 1569 in Aalten. Around 1585, she married Daniel de Marez, a merchant in Danzig. He is immortalized in an almost life-sized painting of the De Marez and De Schilder families. While in surrounding countries only monarchs had themselves immortalized in this manner, here powerful merchants displayed their status. In 1619, her brother Salomon sold the parental home in Aalten on her behalf (and that of other heirs).12

    Anna Voerknecht

    Born around 1571 in Aalten. Around 1590, she married the merchant Joost Grevinckhoff, also from Aalten. A deed from the court at Bredevoort from 1615 mentions that Seigneur Wessel Schenk sold a large number of lands and tenant farms on behalf of Joost and Anna, who were then residing in Königsberg. The deed concerns a debt settlement: Joost and Anna were deeply in debt, primarily to Anna’s brother, Seigneur Salomon Voerknecht, “citizen and merchant in Amsterdam” (Seigneur was the title of address for wealthy merchants at that time). Because they could not pay, they transferred their entire property in Aalten—including their house, land, and hereditary rights—to Salomon and his wife Joanna Hooft.13

    Jan Holscher

    Born around 1584 in Dülmen (near Münster). In 1601, he came to Amsterdam, where he entered the service of his uncle, the merchant Wessel Schenk. Although he managed his uncle’s business, he also traded independently. He held shares in a company that traded with Guyana. Together with his uncle, he also participated in the Hans Claesz Company. In 1613, Thijs Volckertsz Mossel sailed for this company to the Hudson River. In 1612, Jan Holscher married Elisabeth de Hardouin from Rouen in Amsterdam.14

    Sources

    1. WikiTree – Jenneken Schenk ↩︎
    2. WikiTree – Johan Voerknecht ↩︎
    3. Gelders Archief (Arnhem), Archief Nassause Domeinen (toegang 0357), inv.nr. 13B – Hofboek Bredevoort 1506-1596, p. 605 ↩︎
    4. Wikipedia – Moedernegotie ↩︎
    5. Eppink, A. (2016) – Het wereldnetwerk van Seigneur Wessel Schenck uit Aalten. ↩︎
    6. Wikipedia – Nieuw-Nederland Compagnie ↩︎
    7. Heerlijkheid Bredevoort, Oud-Rechterlijk Archief Bredevoort – Volontaire protocollen 1619 (transcriptie) ↩︎
    8. WikiTree – Wessel Schenk ↩︎
    9. WikiTree – Gertruid Schenk ↩︎
    10. WikiTree – Salomon Voerknecht ↩︎
    11. WikiTree – Hans Voerknecht ↩︎
    12. WikiTree – Judith Voerknecht ↩︎
    13. WikiTree – Anna Voerknecht ↩︎
    14. WikiTree – Johan Holscher ↩︎