Jacob and Pieter Adriaensen Van Woggelum
The Soogemackelyck Brothers
c.1616-c.1659 and c.1620-c.1681

Jacob and PieterAdriaensen Van Woggelum were born before 1626, probably in Alkmaar, North Holland, the Netherlands. They were orphaned about 1626, when their father, Anneken Pieter's first husband, Adriaen Joosten died.

At that time, the widow and her two boys lived in the Spiringbuurt, a neighborhood up against the inside of the west end of the north wall of the city of Alkmaar. The Spiringbuurt was in the oldest part of the city near the Geestpoort, the western city gate.

In the documents of New Netherland, Anneken and her sons Jacob and Pieter Adriaensen are often given the by name Soogemackelyck. This name is Dutch for "so easy going."*

The Orphan Master's Court Document

Op huyden den lesten nov. 1626 hebben de heeren weesmeesters der stadt Alcmaer opt versoeck van Jacob en Jan Pietersoonen oomen ende Pieter Jacobsz. nois uxoris mede oom van de kinderen van Anna Pieters tot voocht over de voorss. kinderen gecommitteert Dirck Jansz. Huijdecooper om(m)e derselver kinderen goederen te regul(e)ren ende administreren ende alles te doen tgene een getrou voocht toestaet. Mits doende rekening bewijs ende reliqua ende genietten salaris nae(r) behoiren.

The translation of this document is not yet finished, being hung on the meaning of one contracted word. It is a record of the assignment of Dirck Jans Huijdecooper, uncle of Anna Pieters' children, as their guardian. Children with only one living parent were considered orphans under the jurisdiction of the weesmeesters or orphan masters court. The custom was that a surviving parent was never appointed guardian of the children.

_____
* Surnames can generally be sorted into four main categories based on their origin: patronymic, locality, occupation, and personal characteristic..

Patronymic surnames are based on the father's name; local surnames are based on a geographic feature, such as the name of the town of origin or the topography of the area; occupational surnames are derived from the trade of the oringinal person who bore the name; and personal characteristic surnames derive from a physical or personal quality of the person.

One source suggested that Adriaen Joosten was called Soogemackelyck because he was lame, and thus "so easy going."

** The orphan master's minute was researched in the archive in Alkmaar, North Holland, the Netherlands by Tom Van Baar t.vanbaar@quicknet.nl.