Useful resources

A selection of useful resources for historical research.

Overview of genealogical sources

A brief overview of the genealogical sources in the Zeeuws Archives.

Civil Status

Baptismal, marriage and death registers

Other genealogical collections

Map of Zeeuws Municipalities in 1816-1970

Map of former Zeeuws municipalities between 1816-1970: take a look at the map

More information about Zeeuws municipalities after 1821 (with map) is available on the website Gemeentegeschiedenis.nl.

How to convert historical currencies

The International Institute for Social History (IISH) has a nifty calculator for converting the purchasing power of the historical guilder to the current euro and vice versa: www.iisg.nl/hpw/calculate.php
If you would like to convert an amount in Flemish pounds, you have to multiply the amount by 6 in order to calculate the amount in guilders.

Calendar calculator

Huib Plankeel has created a calendar programme to determine which (holi)day happened on which date. You can use this for Dutch dates, as well as dates from neighbouring countries. The programme is called Kalcalc: http://www.grijsbaard.nl/Kalcalc/kalcalc_intro.html

Convert the years of the French Period

The French started the Republican Era at the foundation of the first French Republic on the 22nd of September 1793. The civil status deeds from the Zeeuws-Flamish municipalities from the 22nd of September 1793 till the 31st of December 1805 are dated by this republican calendar.

A republican year consisted of 12 months of 30 days, with 5 extra days at the end of jours complémentaires, which had a sixth day added in leap years (the 3rd, 7th, 11th year). The last syllable of the word referenced the seasons:

  • Autumn months: Vendémiaire, Brumaire, Frimaire
  • Winter months: Nivôse, Pluviôse, Ventôse
  • Spring month: Germinal, Floréal, Prairial
  • Summer months: Messidor, Thermidor, Fructidor

The years were referred to with Roman numerals:
I = 1792/93
II = 1793/94
III = 1794/95
IV = 1795/96
V = 1796/97
VI = 1797/98
VII = 1798/99
VIII = 1799/1800
IX = 1800/01
X = 1801/02
XI = 1802/03
XII = 1803/04
XIII = 1804/05
XIV = 1805/06

A website that can convert the republican dates to the Gregorian calendar and the other way around is Gentools.be. Another website is http://www.ravels-weelde-poppel.be/ (choose ‘Hulpmiddelen Genealogie’ > ‘Conversietabel Franse jaartelling’).

Jobs during the French Period

The Civil Status Deeds from the 1796-1814 period are mostly written in French. This list gives translation for a great number of jobs. View the list

Genealogical databases and websites

A selection of often used genealogical databases and websites. View the selection