map source Route 66
On 9 May 1661 the widow of Cornelis Van Der Hoeven, Geertje
Van Fulpen, arrived in New Amsterdam with six children on the ship Beaver
from Amsterdam. They came from Beesd, Gelderland, the Netherlands. Geertje and
Cornelis were our 9xgreat grandparents.
Beesd was and is more a village than a town, even today
(1977 census) having 4,031 people including farmers in the area. It is on the
right bank of the Linge river, just west of the A2 motorway. It is in the
Betuwe, the western arm of Gelderland - an area bounded by the Rijn (Rhine),
Waal and Lek rivers. It seems to have never made much impression. The earliest
record is in 1129, a footnote to the foundation of the Marienwaerd cloister. And other than in cloister
records there is little of note until recently.
In March 2003 cousin Terry visited Beesd. Below are some pictures he took. Click to see a larger image.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interior of 1825 Reformed Church |
|
|
