Where do the Ver Steegt's have their origins?

On the page "What's in a name?" we can read that our name is derived from a small barrow-rut, possibly used as a ramp of a dyke. There is a theory which states where this "steeg" was exactly located in the Netherlands. At the end of 2005 there was a lively email correspondence between Mr. H.M. Kuypers, an authority on genealogy and heraldry in the Netherlands, and myself (Aat Versteegt). In his emails Mr. Kuypers shows it is very well possible our name is derived from the "steeg" that was the natural frontier between the two villages of Jaarsveld and Willige Langerak.

A very important basic principle for this theory is that Mr. Kuypers researched the first generations of our family tree himself and never found a record or listing in the archives where Jan Beerentsz Versteeg was actually listed with the surname of "Versteeg". On the other hand he found his children were indeed listed as "Versteeg". And as we all know, "Versteeg" stands for "from the steeg".

Mr. Kuypers found numerous deeds and certificates in several Old Court Archives (in Dutch: Oud Rechterlijke Archieven or ORA) where indications can be found where Jan Beerentsz and his family lived. Below we see some transcriptions of some of those deeds and certificates:

Jan Be(e)rntsz ORA Langerak 25 fol. 136vo dated 13-4-1629: Jan Beerntsz, liv. in Jaersvelt, stands surety for his son Barent Jansz, liv. in Nieuwpoort.

ORA Jaarsveld 903 fol. 141 dated 20-5-1635: The children and heirs by law of late Jan Beerntsz, former mayor of Jaersvelt, draw up a statement of affairs of all real estate left behind by their father. Among which 1½ morgen (a measure of land equal to about two acres) of land in the polder of Vijfhoeven [this is the most westward polder of Jaarsveld which borders on to Willige Langerak]. It shows a debt of 500 guilders owed by Gijsbert Jan Beerntsz because of the buy of 5½ morgen land. And also 175 gld. in favour of Weyntgen Reijers. There is also a statement(fol. 143) of everything Gysbert Jan Beerntsz owed his late father.

ORA Willige Langerak 2307 dated 1-11-1640: Gijsbert Jansz Versteech appears as uncle and guardian of the orphan children of Huybert Jacobsz Hogendoorn.

ORA Jaarsveld 867 fol 113 dated 1-12-1651: Hillichien Jansdr, widow of Gijsbert Jansen Versteech, for one half, Jan Gysbrechtsz, Pieter Roelofsz married to Ingetgen Gysbrechtsdr (daughter of Gijsbrecht) and Cornelis Gysbrechtsz (son of Gijsbrecht), together on behalf of Dirck and Marrichien Gysberts, children and heirs of Gijsbert Jansen Versteech, for the other half, confess to owe Pieter van der Laen, salesman in Rotterdam, an interest of 220 gld. a year of the capital of 4000 guilders, for which they commit their farmstead, existing of a house with 7 morgen land in a totall of 9 morgen, from which those7 morgen are free land and the remaining 2 morgen land to loan, feudal to the house of Wijck, situated in the polder of Vijfhoeven in the domain of Jaarsveld, adjacent plots above [east] Pauwels Jacobsz Hogendoorn, below [west] “the border of Willige Langerack”.

From the text above we can learn that our ancestors lived in the Vijfhoeven polder near the border of Jaarsveld and Willige Langerak. Let's take a look on an old map (1868) of that neighborhood where that was situated.

In the red circle we see the territory where they lived. On the map below we can see a bit better where that area is exactly situated.

Below we see an aerial view of the same area as it looks nowadays. The small road which bent at a right angle towards the dyke of the river Lek is the last part of the Tiendroad of Willige Langerak. It is very well possible that this used to be a small barrow-rut which leads to the ramp of the dyke, and was known as "the steeg".

That would mean that the roots of all descendants of Jan Beerentsz Versteeg are in this exact spot of the Netherlands.