This is a companion to my web page on Jannes van Wijk's Descendants in America. Many of those who are his descendants may not realize how illustrious their ancestor was. So this page is intended to give some description of his life and what is known of his ancestry.

I am very much indebted to our cousin Jacobus Knol, who did much of the detailed research on Jannes and his father and wrote the award-winning Frysk-language historical fiction book about Jannes In Earsten Dragonder. Thanks also to our cousin Tom Rittenburg, who helped a great deal with Jannes' military career and medals as well as translating the book. (Click on the book cover to see full size.) (Click here for a video about the Frisian language.)

1. Summary of Jannes' Military Accomplishments
2. Timeline of Jannes' Life
3. Jannes' Ancestors

I will begin with a summary of his accomplishments, before giving the chronology of his life and the information about his ancestors. In the only portrait photo that I have of Jannes and Janke, he is proudly wearing three military decorations. And the same decorations are at the top of the long slab that covers the graves of Jannes and Janke at the cemetery in Joure.

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When Jannes was young, the Netherlands were under the control of France. So he became a soldier in the Army of Napoleon's brother who was designated King Louis of Holland by Napoleon. In July 1810, France annexed the Netherlands and Louis's army was incorporated into the French Army. Jannes served from 26 Aug 1805 until 19 Mar 1814 when he deserted and joined the Dutch National Militia. While with the French army, he fought in Spain, where he was wounded. Napoleon had abdicated in 1814 but then returned and was finally defeated in 1815 at the battle of Waterloo (in what is now Belgium). Jannes fought 18 Jun 1815 at Waterloo as a Sergeant in the Dutch National Militia against Napoleon, who was finally defeated.
(Click here for a video on the Dutch troops at the Battle of Waterloo.)
(Click here for a web site (in English) about the Dutch troops at Waterloo.)

Dutch MWO Lanyard It was for his service at Waterloo that Jannes was awarded his highest honor, by King Willem of the Netherlands. He was made a Knight of the fourth class (Ridder Vierde Klasse) in the original awards of the Military Order of William (MWO = Militaire Willems Ordre). The orange lanyard that he is wearing over his shoulder and the medal that is on the viewer's left both on his tombstone and on his chest are the decorations of the MWO.

Dutch MWO Medal He was a member of the 3rd Battalion of the Dutch National Militia, promoted to Corporal 25 Apr 1814 and to Sergeant 6 May 1814. For his role at Waterloo 18 Jun 1815, he was awarded the Knight, 4th Class, of the MWO by Order in Council 17 Aug 1815 number 77. He was honorably discharged 31 May 1817. He had entered the Dutch National Militia as a voluntary substitute in conscription for Merkus de Leeuw from Steenwijk.

Dutch Silver Cross (Zilveren Herdenkingskruis) 1813-15 The award that is highest on his tombstone and in the center of those on his chest is the Dutch Silver Cross, which was awarded for those who fought for the independence of the kingdom of the Netherlands. This medal was first issued in 1865, 50 years after Waterloo, and as the name indicates it is made of silver.

French Médaille de Sainte-Hélène The award on the viewer's right on his tombstone and on his chest is the French Médaille de Sainte-Hélène. This medal was awarded in the mid-1800's by Napoleon III of France to all those then living who had fought as members of Napoleon's Army.

His service under French command saw the following highlights.

• 1805-Aug-26 - At age 15, Jannes joins the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Army of King Louis of Holland (Napoleon's brother)
• 1806-Sep-17 - His unit is apparently redesignated 1st Line Infantry Regiment until 18 Aug 1810 when it is redesignated.
• 1808-Oct-25 - Jannes and the rest of the Dutch Brigade under the command of Maj. Gen. David Hendrik Baron Chass@eacute; crossed the border into Spain, to aid King Louis Napoleon of Spain, another of Napoleon's designees.
• 1808-Oct-31 - Battle of Durango
• 1809-Mar-17 - Storming of Mesa de Ibor
• 1809-May-15 to Jun-13 - Defense of Merida
• 1809-Jul-28 - Battle of Talavera de la Reina
• 1809-Aug-11 - Battle of Almonacid
• 1809-Nov-19 - Battle of Ocana
• 1809-Nov-29 to Dec-23 - Jannes' unit escorts Spanish prisoners of war from Madrid to Bayonne
• 1810-Jul - France annexes the Netherlands.
• 1810-Aug-18 - His unit is apparently redesignatefd 2nd Line Infantry Regiment
• 1810 - King Louis' Holland Army is incorporated into the French Army, with the 2nd Infantry Regiment being redesignated the 123ième Régiment d'Infanterie de la Ligne (123rd Line Infantry Regiment). Combat in Spain changes into guerilla warfare.
• While in Spain, at an unspecified date, Jannes was wounded by a grazing shot on his head.
• 1811-Apr-12 - The two battalions of the 123ième Régiment d'Infanterie de la Ligne join the 130ième Régiment d'Infanterie de la Ligne
• 1812-Mar-29 - Jannes promoted to Corporal
• 1814-Mar-19 - Jannes deserts the French Army and joins the Dutch National Militia (redesignated 15 Apr 1815 the Landmilitie)
• 1814-Apr-11 - Napoleon abdicates and is sent into exile on the island of Elba.

His service under Dutch command saw the following highlights.

• 1814-Mar-19 - Jannes deserts the French Army and joins the 3rd Battlalion Dutch National Militia
• 1815-Feb-18 - Jannes' son Johannes is born at Bergen-op-Zoom in North Brabant (Netherlands)
• 1815-Mar-18 - Jannes' son Johannes dies at Bergen-op-Zoom in North Brabant (Netherlands)
• 1815-Apr-15 - His unit is redesignated the 3rd Bataljon Landmilitie)
• 1815-Jun-18 - Jannes fights in the Battle of Waterloo (Napoleon had left his exile and tried to regain his power but was finally defeated at Waterloo.)
• 1815-Aug-17 - Jannes is awarded the Knight, 4th Class, of the newly created Military Order of William, by King William of the independent Netherlands
• 1817-May-31 - Jannes is honorably discharged, at age 28, after almost 12 years in military service
• 1817-Jul-20 - Though living as a couple for at least two years, Jannes and Geertje Christoffels Ramkema marry at Leeuwarden (her home in Friesland), where they live until moving to Joure sometime between 1820 and 1824

Jannes' parents were Gerrit van Wijk (abt 1763 Culemborg, Gelderland - 4 Dec 1828 Amsterdam, Noord-Holland) and Gesina Leendert (30 Dec 1764 Zwolle, Overijssel - 23 Oct 1820 Zwolle). When he enlisted in the Army, Gerrit stated that he was born at Culemborg. However, my search of the records of every church in Culemborg in the years surrounding his birth did not find either him nor his apparent sister Antje van Wijk (who is known only because Jannes stayed with her in 1793 prior to his marriage to Gesina).

Jacobus Knol did find the banns and marriage records of Gesina's parents (Johannes Francois Leendert and Marie Geertruit Tines) at Zwolle, as well as the baptism and death of their first child, aslo named Gesina. We also know that Gesina had a brother Peter Leendert with whom she stayed in Amsterdam prior to the 1793 marriage, but nothing else is known of him. And that, in a very few words, sums up how far back we know who Jannes' ancestors were.

However, thanks to Jacobus Knol's research, we know quite a lot about Jannes' father and his two wives. Jannes was illegitimate when he was born. His father was a soldier, age 26, and his mother was 24. They had a second child about 1793, which was apparently the reason that they married 1 Dec 1793 in Amsterdam and then filed a petition to legiitmize the birth of Jannes. However, in 1796, the other child died (buried at the Bruder Kerk yard, which is now the site of a top-rated restaurant), and soon afterward, Gerrit deserted Gesina and Jannes.

Gerrit went to Friesland, where at Harns (Dutch: Harlingen), he fathered a daughter who was born 27 July 1799; the mother was Baafje Bruining. Gerrit then re-enlisted in the Army in May 1799 (at age 36!), only to desert in October 1799, along with a great many others, when the English sent warships to Friesland.

Gerrit married Baafje 8 Mar 1803, without divorcing Gesina, so that legally he was a bigamist. There is an unusual report in the records at Harns (Harlingen), which may be related to their marriage. There is a web site with important historical information about residents of Harns. And Baafje shows up in at least two places. The first is the page of B names, where there is a great deal of information about her family and about her and her prior husband (which I have not yet incorporated into the timeline below) and her marriage to Gerrit, who is also on the W names page with a minimal entry about their marriage. The unusual report is on the D page, under Gerrit van Dijk, which is almost certainly a mis-reading of van Wijk. The entry reads: "Christiaan Bruning, accused of beating and molesting [mishandeld] his sister Baafje Bruning; Baafje Bruning accused of first having attacked her brother Christiaan Bruning; Gerrit van Dijk accused of having interfered with the argument and having beaten Christiaan Bruning. After questioning he [Gerrit] has to pay no fine, just the costs and he gets severely reprimanded. February 14, 1803 (B49 = Resolutieboeken, 1802-1803 = daily minutes of the city council)". So it may be that the couple moved to Amsterdam so as not to be near her brother.

And with his second marriage, Gerrit finally seems, at age 40, to have settled down and become responsible. He moved his second family to Amsterdam, where his next child was baptized 1804 at the Noorder Kerk (half a mile down and across the canal from the Anne Frank House). His last-known child was baptized at the Zuider Kerk in 1806. They then moved to Hoogte Kadijk 99, where he worked in the nearby shipyards as a sawyer. The Ooster Kerk was just across the inlet from their home, so that they probably went there, which meant that Gerrit had connections to every one of the main churches of Amsterdam except the Wester Kerk (the one just a few doors down from the Anne Frank House, whose bells she could hear until they were melted down for resuse of the metal).

When Jannes first married in 1817, he did not know whether his father was alive or dead. But sometime before Jannes remarried in 1825, he found out not only that his father was alive but also made contact with him. His mother Gesina meanwhile had died in poverty at Zwolle in 1820. In 1825, Gerrit formally gave his permission in writing for Jannes' remarriage.

By that time, Gerrit was a retired pensioner, after having become sick in 1821. Gerrit and Baafje lived on at Hoogte Kadijk 99, where he died in 1828 and she in 1832. I do not know what became of their three children. However, I found one possible indication that his daughter Anthonette (who may have been the godmother of Jannes' 1824 daughter Tjaltje Anthonetta van Wijk) may have married a Nicolaas Dekker and had a son Karel Cornelis Dekker 1826 in Amsterdam, who married Trijntje Kuiper 20 May 1864 at Den Helder.