Janus Korstanje

After blogging about Jan Korstanje, I decided that I should blog about his father since I have a photo of him.

This photo came from my grandpa's half-sister.  The back is mislabeled as Nicholas Korstange's dad but was clearly not Jan.  I found someone in the Netherlands that also had the photo and it was identified as Janus.  This is the only photograph of an ancestor that I have that was taken at a studio overseas.  It's also the only photograph of an ancestor that didn't come to America.  Janus' parents and several siblings lived long enough for photos to exist so I still hold out hope that perhaps there are more photos somewhere in the Netherlands that I'll be able to track down someday.  If you're a Korstanje cousin visiting this please let me know if you have any photos!

Janus Korstanje was born 14 Aug 1841 at Wolphaartsdijk, Zeeland Netherlands, 5th out of 12 children of Nicolaas Korstanje (1814-1880) and Jannetje de Groot (1811-1894).  I see that Nicolaas signed the birth record but it apparently wasn't thought to be important that Jannetje sign, as I have seen her signature on other documents, so I know she could sign her name.

The siblings of Janus:
Jacobus (1835-1889)
Leendert (1837-1898)
Durftje (1838-1906)
Jan (1840-1906)
Jannetje (1842-1844)
Jannetje (1844-1846)
Marinus (1845-1846)
Pieter (1847-1930)
Marinus (1848-1850)
Marinus (1851-1852)
Jannetje (1853-1854) - It appears that being named Marinus or Jannetje was fatal to these children.

Goessche Courant 8 May 1894

Goessche Courant 10 Jul 1880

Goessche Courant 21 Sep 1880

When Janus' father passed away his brother Jan took over his business.  There were 2 older sons that didn't, which strikes me as odd.  Translation done by my stepmother, who has been helping me with many Dutch translations.

Attention!

Due to the death of my father Nicolaas Korstanje, I became the new owner of the inn "Het Zwaantje" in Wolphaartsdijk, in which my father lived before his death. I take the liberty of recommending myself to the residents of South- and North Beveland, promising a reliable and friendly service.

Jan Korstange

Goessche Courant  04 Sep 1883

Jan didn't hold on to the property long:

Public Auction due to change of location: 

On Saturday, September 8, 1883 at 2 o'clock in the afternoon  at Wolphaartsdijk, Notary  J.M. Pilaar will sell, in the property to be auctioned,  for Jan Korstange,  an inn and lodging house, called "Het Zwaantje " in the village of Wolphaartsdijk.

Now available for sale: more information at the owner or at the office of the aforementioned notary Pilaar.

I posted the above about Janus' parents because I find the articles interesting.....but back to Janus.  He married Jozina Westerweele, daughter of Jan Westerweele and Eva de Jonge 18 Dec 1862 at Wolphaartsdijk.

Janus and Jozina had the following children:

Nicolaas (1863-1870)

Jan (my 2nd great-grandfather from last blog)

Jannetje (1865-1899)

Cornelis (1866-1867)

Jacobus (28 Apr-1 Aug 1868)

Jacobus (11 Jun-13 Jun 1869)

Elizabeth (11 Jun-5 Aug 1869)

Jannetje married Jacob Meeuwse and from 1892-1899 had (7) stillborn children.  She also had a son Jacob (1890-1895) and daughter Jozina (25 Nov-1 Dec 1891).  Her life sounds miserable.

Janus married his 2nd wife Neeltje de Jonge 2 Feb 1871 at Wolphaartsdijk.  She was the widow of Adriaan de Jonge, who she married in 1861 and passed in 1870.  She was also born a de Jonge, to Pieter de Jonge and Pieternella van de Kreeke.  

Janus and Neeltje had 7 children: Pieternella (1871-1872) Klazina (20 Aug-20 Sep 1872) Nicolaas (1873-1946) Pieternella (1874-1880) Leendert (1876-1938) Cornelis (1877-1966) Neeltje (1880-1966)

Janus lost Neeltje 25 Apr 1880 at Wolphaartsdijk and waited until 6 May 1897 to marry Dina Elizabeth Caan but she passed away 13 Jan 1899, leaving Janus a widower for the remainder of his life.  In his life he buried 3 wives and 9 children, leaving only 5 living children, 1 who was in America.  I imagine that letters must have gone back and forth but nothing survived that I'm aware of.  My grandpa's uncle Jim appears to have been a pack rat so if there were surviving letters, he'd have had them.

Janus passed away at Wolphaartsdijk 5 Feb 1922.  He's laid to rest at Wolphaartsdijk Algemene Begraafplaats.  I asked someone to find his headstone but someone else is buried in the plot now.  In the Netherlands graves are reused due to space constrictions.  It's assumed that all of his children that died young and 3 wives are also buried there but all I have confirmed is that he was indeed buried there.

I didn't find an obituary but a listing of his death did run in the "De Zeeuw" 06 Mar 1922.

The 2nd article is from Goessche Courant (various dates) regarding an auction of Janus' property.

Public Auction on Thursday, March 23, 1922 in Oud-Sabbinge, for the heirs of Janus Korstanje and Neeltje de Jonge , led by  Notaris Pilaar from Goes.

a) 10 o' clock in the morning in the Inn of J. Rooze,

auctioning off:  House, Barn, Shed and a chicken coop

with the never-ending lease of the land in the village of Oud-Sabbinge, large 4 ares and 10 centiares. Becoming owner , after payment.

b)  12 noon  in before mentioned house, cash payments only: 

cabinet, linen closet, tables, chairs, bedstee  (bedstee is a box bed is a sleeping place  in the wall/closet, closed with doors or a curtain.) , 3 feather bed mattresses with accessories (sheets-blankets-pillows) , stair sewing machine, wood stoves, including nickel tube stove, clocks, alarm clock, barometer, mirrors, lamps, rugs, tablecloths, doormats, linoleum, State bible, pewter cups- glasses and plates, glass cups- mugs and plates and pottery, (including genuine Chinese tea set), wheelbarrow,cooking stove, bacon grill , sharpening stone, pitch forks, rakes,  small tools, hand weeding machine, balance with weights, burlap bags, coal, firewood, etc.