Joannis Verjans and Agnetis Noben had 6 or 7 children who were christened in Hoeselt, Limburg, Blegium. I have a conflict with a child listed as Joannes Verjans christened 28 Sep 1798 in Hoeselt, Limburg, Belgium. His birth date is listed as 16 Jul 1798. My Great Great Grandfather was Jan Verjans, same parents, birth date listed as 10, Jul 1798. Does anyone know where I could contact for church records? I wondered if the two could be the same with a change in names and a mistake in birthdate, but I would just be guessing. Thank you for any help you can offer. Marg, Mgstef@aol.com

There is probably no mistake.

From 01/10/1795 on France did incorporate what's now Belgium until 1814.

Around 1798 it was forbidden to baptise children. So people did _sometimes_ register their children when they where born and asked a undercover priest to baptise their child when it was possible.

This period is also famous for the armed resistance against the occupant in these regions (the 'Boerenkrijg' = Peasants war).

It was also usual to try to forget to resgiter sons, so that they couldn't be drafted in the army when they were 19 years old.

See:
http://www.mavicanet.ru/directory/eng/34364.html
http://www.rootsweb.com/~belghist/Flanders/Pages/religion.ht...


Greetings,

Luc Matthijs

Luc, Thank you for your responce, but I don't understand your stating "There is probably no mistake."

Joannis Verjans and Agnetis Noben had 6 or 7 children who were christened in Hoeselt, Limburg, Blegium.
One is listed as: Joannes Verjans christened 28 Sep 1798 in Hoeselt, Limburg, Belgium. His birth date is listed as 16 Jul 1798.
My Great Great Grandfather was Jan Verjans, birth date listed as 10, Jul 1798.
My point being: Joanenes birthdate 16 Jul, 1798
Jan birthdate 10 Jul, 1798
It is impossible to have two children born 6 days apart. The other option would be that Jan and Joanenes are the same person, but how can I find out birth name and which date is correct?

Marg,

Sorry, I tought that you meant the baptism/civil register difference (july/october)

"My point being: Joanenes birthdate 16 Jul, 1798
Jan birthdate 10 Jul, 1798"

Joannes or Johannes (Latin), Jan (Dutch), Jean (French) and John are the same first names.

I think that Jan (first name really used by himand his family), born 10/07/1798, was registered as Joannes in the civil registers on 16/07/1798 and baptised as Joannes in october of the same year.

Reread the civil registration and you will probably find that the document was written the 16th (mentioned somewhere at the beginning van the document) and that he was born the 10th (mentioned in the middel of the document).

Example: http://belgium.rootsweb.com/src/bel/cr/cr_birth_1804_f01.htm...

Jean/Joannes should be used in official documents until 1815 and possible again from 1830 on.

Jan/Joannes is normally used in 1815-1830 and could be used from 1830 on.

Greetings,

Luc

Thank you so much, Luc. That makes since to me. Jan is the name the family had. The 10th is the date the family had. Janenes and the 16th was information that someone took from church records. Your interpataion sounds correct. Thank you for taking the time to help brain storm this and for posting. You are a super nice person to do so.
Marg

Have your familytree back til the year 1590.

Theo, I would be interested in getting a copy of the information you are speaking of. Are you sure it is my Verjans family? Is Verjans a Dutch name or French?

I would also be greatly interested in the information you have on Jan Verjans. He is my great great great grandfather.

I would be happy to send you the information. E-mail your mailing address.

Maybe it's late to answer but I just looked today for a Joannes Verjans who went to the US with his family.
It seems (needs to be verified) that Joannes Verjans was born July 10, 1798 ("Jan" is the flamisch name for "Joannes").
I found an info on the net : Joannes is the son of Joannes and Agnes Nooben, he ha 6 children. His name became FERRIANS, it's just the english way to pronounce Verjans, and after that FERRIAN, his kids : John, William, Louis, August, Theodore, Alphonse. His wife (2d): Maria Gertrude FRANSEN. He arrived in NY, coming from Antwerp in 1862.
Why I'm a busy with that ?
My mother's name is... Verjans :)
Tell me please if you had an answer since 2003 :)
Martin