Martinus Van Watteghem and Maria Vereecke couldn't postpone Their marriage any longer.
 I recently received a message from Mrs. Veerle de Leyn, telling me she had retrieved the marriage record of the above mentioned couple in the parish books of Desteldonk in the year 1706.

Here is the transcription  and its translation:

"20 martij Juncti sunt matrimonio 
habita dispensatione super 
tribus bannis et tempore clauso 
martinus Watteghan et 
maria verheecke coram 
petronella dhanens et 
Georgio verheecke et 
me ministro 
van(de)Brande Past(or)" 

"On 20 March have been married
after having obtained dispensation
of the three marriage announcements and in due time
Martinus Van Watteghem and
Maria Verheecke in the presence of
of Petronella Dhanens and
George Verheecke and of
me celebrator
van(de) Brande, parish priest"

 Mrs. de Leyn also argued that  there could be a very good chance that Franciscus Van Watteghem, who married Agnes Van der Cruyce  and  died  in Watervliet on  11.9.1750, could be the first born child of Martinus and Maria Vereecke.

Mrs. de Leyn also discovered that a Martinus Van Watteghem was the godfather of the first born child of Franciscus and Agnes van der Cruyce, and  in addition, that Maria Vereecke was the godmother of their second born child.

Those findings make us believe that Franciscus, husband of Agnes van der Cruyce, could be a son of Martinus and Maria Vereecke.
Mrs. de Leyn also drew my attention on the inventory of belongings dressed in Evergem on 27.7.1763:  Nr. 495. (p. 186) Martinus Van Watteghau + 30-10-1762 Evergem, in which a Franciscus, son of Martinus and Maria Vereecke, was mentioned.

We also did know that Franciscus Van Watteghem, husband of Agnes van der Cruyce died being 44 years old, thus he must been born somewhere in 1706 and probably also in Evergem since other children of Martinus Van Watteghem and Maria Vereecke were born there.

Unfortunately baptism records from that  year at Evergem are lost, but coming back to the text of the marriage record of Martinus Van Watteghem and Maria Vereecke, we can assert that Franciscus indeed was their first born child and must have been born rather shortly after their marriage on 20 march 1706 for three good reasons:

1. -        they have been granted dispensation for the proclamation of the three marriage announcements, the so called bans (these took 3 weeks!);
2. -        According the parish priest the marriage was done "tempore clauso", meaning that the wedded was done in due time;
3. -        marriages were not wedded during the Lenten season, exception made for some urgent circumstances. In the year 1706 Easter was on 4 April. Their wedding was on Saturday 20 March, only 8 days before the start of the Holy week.

We now are confident to may say that the explored branches Livinus Van Watteghem x Petronella Van Peteghem (x2)/ Marie Anne Lippens (x1) and  Franciscus Van Watteghem x  Agnes Van der Cruyce are immediately linked.

A lesson that can be learned is that the names of the godparents are sometimes of quintessence importance for making some progress. In this case they where really the key to the solution!

18-01-2007 om 00:00 geschreven door Steen