Family History   (translated from the Dutch by Frits van Zeggeren, Toronto)

The familytree in Holland can be traced back to Jan van Seggere, who must have been born around 1701, probably in Germany because some 1727 records show that he came from Scheunemor. That place cannot be found on maps but it's most probable that it's the current Schönemoor, just north of Delmenhorst (near Bremen) in Niedersachsen. It's nowadays part of the municipality of Ganderkesee.

The familyname von Seggern nowadays still is a common name in the Delmenhorst region. Probably the von Seggern's are related tot the families : "S/Zeggerden / Seggerne / Seggerde / Seggern" who lived in the Braunschweig area since 1200 and in the Oldenburg area since 1400. There are 2 small villages with a related name in these regions: Seggerde near Braunschweig and Seggern near Oldenburg. (Fromt: Gerd von Seggern, Curt von Seggern: Chronik der Familie von Seggern, Delmenhorst, 1999)

Jan van Seggere married Alida Margrita Suers on 31/1/1727 in Amsterdam; she was 24 years old and came from Dulmenhorst, which was very probably the current Delmenhorst. According to records neither of his parents were then still alive. The reliability of this information appears not to be too high. One of the parents had to consent to the marriage, but because of travel distances it happened sometimes that both parents were declared deceased. Jan's sister however, Geertruy van Segger, was present.
Jan van Seggere lived on Lelygracht in Amsterdam. It's noteworthy that around that period a Gerrit van Seggeren arrived from Scheunemoer. 1731 records show Gerrit to be a mason. Jan's profession is not known. It's probable that Jan en Gerrit were related but I haven't been able to proof that. Jan died on 25/5/1760 and is burried in Karthuizer cemetery. Alida Margrita probably died 27/7/1772 at least if she is the Grietje van Zeggeren who died that date.
Jan and Alida had one son: Harmanus van Seggeren, who was born on 1/3/1740 and baptized in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The birth certificate spells the name of his father "van Seggeren". Harmanus was a haulier. He married 22-year old Neeltje van der Henst on 21/6/1765. He lived on Anjelierstraat and she on Lindegragt. Both took their mothers as witnesses. Harmanus and Neeltje had one son: Hendrik van Seggeren, who was baptized on 24/1/1772 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Hendrik also became haulier; he married Jannetje Meijjer. They had three children: Hendrik van Seggeren (baptized 25/5/1796), Harmanus van Zeggeren (baptized in the Old Church on 30/12/1798) and Johannes Jacobus van Zeggeren (born around 1803 and bacame tobacconist). Father Hendrik died on 23/12/1834 on Tuinstraat. His son Hendrik lived on the Singel and was a stableboy; he married Elisabeth Verwoert on 2/6/1830 (at which time he was a servant). Father Hendrik was a witness at the wedding. Jannetje Meijjer still lived at that time,although she apparently died before father Hendrik. Hendrik jr. died on 28/1/1851 on Rozengracht. At that time he was a haulier's helper. At that time people movbed and changed jobs quite a lot.
The younger Harmanus (also written as Hermanus) became a shipmate and married Maria Bos on 18/1/1833. Maria was Born on 11/5/1809 and came from Burgsloot or Buiksloot (near Hoorn). He died 8/11/1845. Hermanus and Maria had three children they were married: Hendrik Bos (1827), Hermanus van Zeggeren (28/8/1829), and Jacobus van Seggeren (1831). Note that the name was spelled indiscriminately with S or Z. On 28/11/1843 they had another child: Wilhel Gerardus, probably born on Lauriergracht.
From 1851 Amsterdam kept a population register by streetname, thus we know that that Maria Bos was a widow in 1851 and lived on Laurierdwarsstraat with six children: Hendrik, Hermanus, Jacobus, Gerrit, Jan and Maria Geertruida (born 10/12/1841). Gerrit must have been Wilhelmus Gerardus. Jan and Maria Geertruida were probably also children of Maria and Hermanus. I have not yet searched for their birthcertificates. The oldest sons probably provided the income for the family around 1850.

The son Hermanus became a haulier's helper (in the tradition of his father and grandfather). He married Catharina Hendriks (born 29/4/1832). He lived then on Palmstraat and gave cartier as his profession. They had two sons: Hermanus (25/4/1861) and Jan Coenraad (21/11/1855).
Hermanus jr. became a tinsmith and married Hendrika Wilhelmina Kniese on 20/11/1884. Jan Coenraad, at that time coachman, was a witness. Hermanus and Hendrika lived in Vinkenstraat when their son Hendrik Lodewijk was born on 2/10/1889. Hendrik Lodewijk later became a grocer; he died in 1954. He had a grocery on Willemstraat and had 5 children: Frederik Johannes, Hermanus (moved to Wieringerwerf), Johannes Jacobus (Jan), Hendrik Lodewijk and Bertus Hendrikus Cornelis (moved to The Hague). Jan in 2000 still lives on Sarphatistraat in Amsterdam.
Jan Coenraad, the other son of Hermanus, married Maria Beumer and died on 9/6/1905.

Wilhelmus Gerardus (apparently called Gerrit) became coachman with Crock & Laan in Krommenie and died in 1884. He married Jacoba Maria van Paare (born 26/12/1843) on 13/3/1867. Maria moved the day after the wedding to Krommenie where Gerrit had moved two weeks earlier. They had 6 children: Gerrit (5/2/1868), Jacobus (13/3/1869; also called Koo; became engraver of coffin nameplates on Leliestraat), Hermanus (15/8/1871 in Bloemendaal, became a cook in Breda), Maria Margretha (20/11/1873), Matthijs (unmarried) and Wilhelm Hendricus (7/7/1877, named Willem).
Willem lived on Haarlemmerweg and was first concierge, then a pubmanager in Leliestraat and later bankdoorman in Hoge Sluis. When 21, he married 19-year old Keetje Smitskamp ("Aunt Kee"), daughter of Christiaan Smitskamp and Adriana Scherpenzeel.

Their son, Wilhelmus Gerardus, was born 20/4/1900 and died in 1984. He became captain of the Royal Java Packetline and, as the story has it, even became honorary citizen of Sydney (this in connection of his war service). He married Joan Smart and had two children: Robert John and Nicholas. Richard. Nicholas nowadays lives in the UK and married Denise Anno. Their grandfather Willem also went to Sydney in 1950 and died there.

Gerrit (died 11/3/1942 in Haarlem) became coachman with the ARM in Amsterdam. He married Klaasje Zandbergen on 16/11/1899. They lived on Jacob van Lennepkade and are the parents of Gerardus Wilhelmus (27/8/1900, became insurance agent). Jacobus (Ko), Dien and Klaziena (Klaas). Gerardus Wilhelmus married Cornelia Johanna Seyffert (26/1/1902) on 15/11/1923. They had six children: Gerardus (9/9/24), Abraham (29/12/25), Wilhelm (27/10/27), Johan (23/7/29) Margaretha (22/11/32) and Ernst (12/7/40). Gerardus Wilhelmus died on 22/5/1988. The oldest son Gerardus married Maria Charlotte de Roos (15/3/22) on 21/10/50 in Amsterdam. Gerardus, like his father, was an insurance agent. They had two children in Haarlem: René (29/5/55) and Johanna Petronella (Ans, born 9/9/57, dental hygienist). Ans married Erik Jan Repko (dentist) on 1/8/80; they moved after having lived for a year on the Caribbean Isle of Curacao to Schagen and had 4 children: Jeroen, Maarten, Jasper and Martijn. René (Occupational Health Physician) married Marisa Alexandra Antonietta Giunta d'Albani (3/10/60, company lawyer) on 17/5/1991) in Amsterdam. They have two children: Laurens Alexander (15/5/94) and Alexander Gerardus (20/3/97).