Franciscus (Frans) Mettes 15 September 1853 or 1854 - 2 February 1917

and

Gertrudis (Geertje) Oud 4 December 1853 - 25 October 1938

Franciscus (Frans) Mettes

Franciscus (Frans I) Mettes was born on 15 September 1853 or 1854 in Westerblokker. Frans died 2 February 1917 in Bussum at the age of 62 and was burried on 7 February 1917 at the R.K. Cemetery in Bussum. Gertrudis (Geertje) Oud was born 4 December 1853 at Westwoud N.H. and died 25 October 1938 in Bussum; Frans was the son of Willem Mettes, who was bapt. in Wognum on 6 November 1796, and who died 1 or 2 Dec 1855 in Westerblokker (Blokker), and of Willem's second wife, Geertje Ruiter. Frans was born as the younger brother of Catharina (Trijntje) Mettes, who was born 18 March 1852, Blokker and who died 11 May 1876, Zwaagdijk.

Gertrudis (Geertje) Oud

According to the birth registration below, Frans was born on 1853. Note the signature of Willem Mettes (Frans' father) at the bottom of the birth certificate. Also mentioned are the full names of Geertje Ruiter (Frans' mother) and the address, the Straatweg in Westerblokker, where Frans was born and where the family lived at the time.

Birth certificate Frans Mettes (see transcription on the right)

Heden den Zestienden September Achttienhonderd Drie en Vijftig is voor ons ondergetekende, Ambtenaar van den burgerlijken stand der gemeente Blokker verschenen Willem Mettes, van beroep landman, oud Zevenenvijftig jaren, wondende te Westerblokker, welke ons heeft verklaard, dat aldaar op den Vijftienden dezer namiddags ten vier ure in het huis staande aan de straatweg is geboren een kind van het mannelijk geslacht uit Zijne huisvrouw Geertje Ruiter van beroep zonder .... welk kind zal genoemd worden Frans. Zijnde deze inschrijving gedaan op aangifte van den vader. Van welke verklaring wij deze akte hebben opgemaakt in tegenwoordigheid van Dirk (?) de Boer, van beroep zonder, oud vijftig jaren, wondende te Oosterblokker, en van Pieter Zwan, van beroep Veldwachter, oud achten... jaren, wonende aldaar en is deze akte na voorlezing door ons met den comparant en de getuigen getekend. Birth certificate Geertje Oud

The Straatweg in Westerblokker

Frans' death notice

Interestingly, Frans' bidprentje (death notice) on the left mentions 1854 as the year he was born. Most likely, this was an error. Willem (Frans' father) was 57 years old when Frans was born. Willem died in 1855 when Frans was barely one year old, so it could well be that Frans' mother, Geertje Ruiter, did remarry after Willem's death. But more likely, Frans and his slightly older sister Catharina (Trijntje) were raised by the Oud family. Trijntje married Dirk Vriend 24 April 1873, but she died only three years later, and Dirk subsequently married to Trijntje Oud, when Frans had already (18 April 1875) married to Geertje Oud.

Geertje's death notice

Frans and Geertje Oud had eight children: 1. Franciscus (Frans II), 9 Nov 1881 Westwoud - 16-05-1958 Amsterdam 2. Petrus (Piet) 3. Margaretha (Gré) 4. Johannes (Jan) 2 Nov 18?? - 28 Oct 1959 Amsterdam 5. Wilhelmus (Willem) Franciscus, 1877 - 4 Jun 1942 (1952?) Amsterdam 6. Jacob (Jacques), 12 feb 1889 Berkhout - 2 aug 1963 Nijmegen 7. Theodorus (Theo, Heeroom) 1917 - 1967 8. Geertje