Required Reading There is one small book that I keep bringing off the shelf - over and over again. It is The Low Countries & History of the Northern and Southern Netherlands by J.A. Kossmann-Putto and E.H. Kossman. Published in 1993, copies of the English and Dutch versions should be available from the Publisher - Flemish-Netherlands Foundation, Stichting Ons Erfdeel vzw, Murissonstraat 260, 8931 Rekkem, Flanders, Belgium. There are several invaluable maps, including one showing the borders of the Low Countries after the Peace of Munster (1648). At this time, Flanders, Artois, Hainaut, Brabant, Limburg, and Luxembourg were part of the Spanish (Southern) Netherlands. Also at this time, Dunkirk, for example, was part of Flanders. The history of this area is complicated, and readers of the Gazette, especially serious students of Flemish history (and de Bo/de Boo family history), would no doubt benefit from having personal copies. The best companion to this reference is Pieter Geyl's classic History of the Dutch-Speaking Peoples 1555-1648 (please see References Section of this Issue). -RFD
Migrations of Flemish Textile Workers For a variety of reasons, Flemings have been leaving their homeland for centuries: For example, about one-third of William the Conqueror's army invading England (1066) were Flemish mercenaries; skilled weavers moved to England and to other European locations beginning in the 13th C; religious warfare and better work opportunities scattered families in the 16th-17th Centuries; the exodus continued during and after WWI and WWII. It has been recorded that the first DEBOO immigrant to England might have been a skilled weaver who established at London by 1535. During my travels in Europe during 2001, I met Prof. Boudien de Vries of Leiden University and Jaap Vogel, historian at Rotterdam. Both were actively working on projects involving migration of Flemish textile workers circa 1586-1700. The following summary is taken from Prof. De Vries' recent paper (please see References Section). It provides valuable dimension to the history of Flemish immigration. The revolt against Spanish rule in the south (1568) triggered the formation of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces in the northern Netherlands and the departure of between 50,000 to 1000,000 refugees northwards. Eventually, the 'small newborn republic' would receive 500,000 new settlers, a number unequalled in the pre-industrial era. Leiden, the city of particular interest in this study, became a major textile centre largely because of this population shift. [Concurrently, we know Norwich, Colchester and other English cities had previously prospered in a similar fashion] Study of marriage records 1586-1650 showed that most of the new settlers came from the Southern Netherlands, notably Flanders. These workers were attracted by the opportunities at Leiden; they were called 'refugees' because of their expulsion as Protestants. Some Flemings who had previously immigrated to English cities also came back across the North Sea to places like Leiden and Haarlem because of the superior wage level in the Republic. The Flemings settled and prospered here. Eventually, the new generations continued the trade, but by the end of the 16th C the industry was in decline and the immigration system faded. Of particularly interest to us, and especially for namesakes living in the Netherlands today, are the high odds of having immigrant ancestors who went north to help build the Dutch textile industry. We know that de Bo/de Boo has deep roots (late 15th C) in Zeeland and South Holland, for example. Were the first Dutch namesakes skilled weavers or textile workers from West Flanders? - RFD
Flanders and the Flemings Confused and frustrated as you try to learn the complicated history of this small corner of Europe? How old is the Flemish culture, you ask? What is the Flemish language - and how does it differ from Dutch? Your worries are over. Just copy - and KEEP HANDY - the nice little summary about the history of Flanders and its people at: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~sfreer/flemish.html - RFD
The famous "BELGIUM-ROOTS' Project (http://belgium.rootsweb.com) has a Virtual Library worth visiting. For example, one reference of particular importance for American DEBOO families is: Vanderhaeghe, Jan. 1992. Emigranten naar Amerika (Emigrants to America), Vlaamse Vereniging voor Familiekunde, Afdeling Antwerpen, v.z.w., 533 pp. Yes, DeBoo is found in the List of Names. - RFD
Koekelare & Moere The towns of Koekelare and Moere in West Flanders are
two of the most important reference locations for genealogists interested
in our name. Records for Debou/Debo/ Don DeBoo of the USA and Edith Fosse Deboo of France, contributors to this Newsletter, have roots here. Janet, Don's wife, sent samples of some pedigrees she received from their relative at Bruges, Yvette Cornelissis-Deboo. Here is a good example of the universal spelling dilemma:
Note - All children were born at Koekelare between 1656 and 1667; the children of Jodocus and his two wives were also all born at Kokelare between 1690 and 1707. They were recorded as Catharina Debo, Sebastianus Dubois, Maria Catharina Debois, Franciscus Debo, Petronella Debo, and Maria Joanna Deboo. Meanwhile, all of the children of Petrus and his son Petrus were recorded as either Debou or Debo. The message is clear: Expect different spellings wherever you look, even in the 17th C, and even in Belgium. - RFD
Deboo Family Reunions Yes, we have had Deboo family reunions in Flanders. BIG Deboo family reunions! The first was held in 1985; 164 attended. The second was in 1988 with 120 persons in attendance. In both instances, we were all descendants of Henricus de Boo (ca. 1636-1708) and Catharina de Pape (ca. 1635-1719) of Wielsbeke. Like every party in Belgium, good food and good drinks were enjoyed by all. The feature was a gift of our Deboo "Stamboom" (family tree) from Henricus, born in 1636, to the youngsters of the current generation (please see References section for a brief description). Everyone received a copy of this large 1.6x1.6 m souvenir. We have discussed the possibility of an International DEBOO Family Reunion here during the past several years. However, we have not been able to determine interest levels in such an event. I suggest readers contact the Publisher of De Bootje Gazette (RFD) to express interest or to offer suggestions. We, in Belgium, would be very glad to meet our namesakes from around the world. - Marc Deboo, Lendelede, West Flanders
A Belgian Names List There are several excellent genealogical/family history websites on the Internet. A few are listed in our DEBOO HelpLine Section. Part of one other, specific to our "DEBOO Homeland" interests (eg, the area roughly bounded by Ieper, Veurne, Brugge, Gent, and Kortrijk) in Flanders, is the Index Genealogie Kelderman Letter D at home.planet.nl/~kelderg/stamboomD Several variants are listed, including Debo, Deboo and Debou. Over 100 names are included, with some dating back to the 18th C. This information will be of particular interest to non-Belgian individuals interested in finding family connections at places like Koekelare, Moere and Snellegem. - RFD
Origins Previous issues of our Gazette have presented information on the origin of our surname and efforts to pinpoint geographical distribution in Europe. Briefly, it is of Flemish origin, derived from the Dutch words for 'the messenger' - de bode. Namesakes studying the name have records for de Bo and de Boo in the late 15th C at Antwerp and at the historic Dutch town of Brielle. The definitive reference is Debrabandere (1995) - please see citation in our DEBOO References Section. Numerically, our research to date suggests the name in Europe is strongest in West Flanders. It occurs also in Holland, west Germany, northwestern France, and scattered around England. We know of significant migrations of DEBOO individuals in the 19th C from Belgium and England to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA. There is a separate origin of Deboo in India - from Persian immigrants of the Zoroastrian religion. Distribution seems to be centered near Bombay. Our knowledge is very weak on this line. Both lines can be found in North America (please see DeBoo 2003 in the References Section). There is no population center here as immigrants from Europe and from India went to the USA and Canada to find work at cities and towns from Quebec to Vancouver, from Seattle to Florida. -RFD
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