This bible was printed in 1856, by Johannes Enschedé & Zonen in Haarlem, Holland. It contains a copy of the New Testament, and the Book of Psalms.
A few handwritten pages at the start provide a family tree and a history of ownership of the bible, which is very interesting to delve into. It tells us that it was signed by Thomas Klipperink, the Dutch Reformed Church Minister at Haarlem, and that it was first owned by Grietje Stelling. The silver locking mechanism that closes the Bible dates back to 1847.
Grietje Stelling (1824-1875)
Grietje was the daughter of Cornelis Stelling and Ariaantje Zijp, born on July 21st, 1824 in Schellinkhout 1, a small village between Hoorn and Wijdenes. Cornelis Stelling was born in 1795 in Midwoud, son of Jacob Stelling and Aagje Blaauw. Ariaantje Zijp was born on August 10, 1795 in Twisk, daughter of Maarten Zijp and Grietje Spanjaard. They married in Twisk on April 20, 1817. The Zijp’s were an influential and prominent family in Twisk throughout the 19th century. Ariaantje’s father Maarten Zijp was the mayor of Twisk; his brother Henricus was the mayor of Midwoud 2.
Grietje was one of 14 children 3, the fourth eldest and the second eldest girl. In 1847, Grietje Stelling married Pieter Stapel in Opperdoes 4. Pieter was the son of Cornelis Stapel, a cattle farmer, and Maartje Berkhout. Pieter was born on February 25, 1825 in Opperdoes. Their first child, Cornelis, died at only 12 days old, in 1850. The next child, also named Cornelis, survived infancy and later married Immetje de Boer. He died in Twisk in 1924. Their third child, Maartje, was born in 1853 and would become the next owner of the bible.
Grietje died at the young age of 51, on November 13, 1875.
Maartje Stapel (1853-1931)
Grietje passed the bible to her daughter Maartje Stapel, born September 30, 1853 in Twisk 5.
Maartje’s birth record in the Burgerlijke Stand is signed by her great-uncle Klaas Zijp Mz., son of Maarten Zijp above. Klaas Zijp was a brother of her grandmother Ariaantje Zijp, and followed his father as the mayor of Twisk in 1847, holding office until 1888.
Maartje was born at the then Twisk Nr. 113, in the main street of Twisk. Her father Peter, like most men, was a small landholder and farmer in Twisk. She married Cornelis Wijdenes on April 22, 1875, in Twisk. They shared the same great-grandparents in Maarten Zijp and Grietje Spanjaard: Cornelis’s mother was also a Zijp.
Their daughter Trijntje Wijdenes, would marry Klaas Zee in 1877.
