Neeltjen Jacobs Prijem
This is a excerpt from an email recieved from Yvette P. Hoitink on 29 June, 1999.
Yvette's
website
Groeten Yvette!
Neeltjen Jacobs Prijem is indeed the battered wife. Below I
will include the
Dutch text and the (approximate) translation. I copied the text from the
judicial records at the Tholen municipal archives. Neeltjen is an ancestor
of a friend of mine. She and I were in Tholen on ancestor hunt a few years
ago, so that's how I got the information.
"Op 4 juni 1629 verschijnt Nelken Jacobs geassisteerd
met Jan Jacobs Prijem
ende Jacob Jacobs Prijem beijdde gebroeders van de voorseijde Nelken Jacobs
de welcke hebben verclaert alsdat de voorseijde Nelken haer suster ende zij
mede niet lander connen lijden ofte verdragen het groot misbruijck haer bij
haeren man Jacob Jacobsen Uull alle avond bij nachte ende ontijdden Int
huijscomen utte herberge gehouden wordt bij Barbel Jans werd aengedaen, te
weeten haer schoppende, slaende dreijgende menichmaell oock met een mes haer
hals aff te snijden, sweerende dattse van niemands handen zall sterven als
vande sijnne ende haer diergelijcke ende meer ander gewelt is aendoende
dat niet lijddelijck off verdrachgelijcken en is gelijck hij nu heden den
2den Junij 1629 des avonts thuyscomende haer soo schandelijck heeft
getrackeert gelijck men aen haer hooft ende andere ledemaeten zijn can ende
meenende oock vastelijcken soo sij uutten huijsse niet hadde gecoomen haer
ter doot soude gebracht hebben begeerende ende versouckende anden officijer
daer toe staende sal recht gedaen werden naer behooren present Willen
Adrijaen ende Cor. Jacobsse als schepenen."
Translation (in double-Dutch since I try to follow the original Dutch text
as closely as possible):
"On June 4, 1629 appears Nelken Jacobs assisted by
Jan Jacobs Prijem and
Jacob Jacobs Prijem both brothers of the aforementioned Nelken Jacobs who
have declared that the aforementioned Nelken her sister they could no longer
suffer or bear the great abuse done to her by her husband Jacob Jacobsen
Uull all evenings in the heat of the night when coming home from the tavern
kept by Barbel Jans, kicking her, beating her, threatening as well manyfold
to slit her throat with a knife, swearing she will die by none's hands but
his, and doing her such and other violence which is unsufferable or
unbearable and today the 2nd June 1629 in the evening coming home he has
violated her so disgracefully, like one can see from her head and other
limbs and meaning for certain had she not gotten out of the house he would
have killed her, wishing and requesting from the officer (= approx DA) that
justice will be done, present Willem Adrijaen and Cor. Jacobsse as elderman."
I will summarize the testimony of the witnesses, Job Janssen Braeber, 42 years
old and Lijenen Imanssen 35 years old.
"They kept watch in Stavenisse in the night of 2-3
June when they saw Jacob
Jacobs Uull having been at Barbel Jans' place at one o'clock, just after he
got home they heard a lot of yelling and crying of the wife of Uull, and
heard him beat her. She was relieved by her brother Jacob Jacobs Prijem."
Isn't this a real glimpse into the life of an ancestor?