Jelke van der Pal - skipper, farmer
* 11 mei 1856, Drachten + 23 november (?) 1918, Echtenerpolder Married 24 december 1879 with:
Jantje van Zwol * 27 augustus 1859, Terwispel + 5 februari (?) 1933, Echtenerpolder De Goede Verwachting (Great Expectations)Jelke van der Pal was born 6am on the 11 May 1856 in Drachten. He married Jantje van Zwol in Beetsterzwaag on the 24 December 1879. Jantje was born on the 27 February 1859 in Terwispel. At the time of marriage Jelke was the skipper of a ship and resided in Terwispel.
Kerst Huisman writes that since 1866 attempts were made to drain the exhausted peat fields between Luxwoude, Tijne and Gersloot. This was such a massive undertaking that it still was not completed in 1876. During that year the channelling of The Wispel and The Moediep was commenced. It still took many years until the 1000 hectare of The Lytse Sé (Little Sea) was reclaimed “although gradually a few farmers settled in that area such as Jacob Velde, Jelke van der Pal, Evert van der Vliet, Auke F van der Vliet and Anne Bouma.” Although he never lived there himself, Jelke purchases a house for 3100 guilders, in Gorredijk in 1881. Childeren of Jelke and Jante are Wiebe (1880), Sytske (1882), Bauke (1884), Jogchum (1890), Oene (1892), Grietje (1894). All of the children were born in Terwispel with the exception of Grietje who was born in Tjalleberd. A noteable fact is that towards the later part of the 19th century Jelke and Jantje lived in Haarlem (Province of North Holland). Notary records from 1890 and 1900 confirm this and also the death certificate of their 17-year-old daughter Sietske. Research by my uncle Jelke van der Pal shows that Jelke Wiebes lived at the Tulpenstraat 4 in Haarlem from October 1890. It is probable that this was used as the official residence for a fuel (peat) trading business. It appears that Jelke and his family continue to sail and live on board the ship as in in 1892 their son Oene was born in Terwispel. In 1894 Jelke sold the building and the family was registered again in Opsterland. Apart from being a farmer Jelke is also a ship and real-estate trader and rents out parcels of land and residences. On a regular basis records show that he was a claimant for unpaid rent. Even for Jelke business take an unexpected turn. for the massive sum of 5000 guilders! In reverse the sums of money he demands from others are also significant: 3.000 guilders from skipper Van der Werk from Wanswerd.
The Notary Archives of Tresoar show that Jelke van der Pal was Skipper at Terwispel in 1904. It appears that three years later he owned and leased pasture at Terwispel, but resides at Idskenhuizen himself. In 1907 he lives in Luxwoude. He leases pasture near Lippenhuizen which he owns together with Jan Jans Harkes from Gorredijk. According to the same archives he is still skipper at Terwispel on 11 June 1907 and farmer at Oosterzee on 27 June. Jelke was both farmer and Skipper concurrently. Perhaps this combination assured him off a more stable income. In October 1907 he sells his steel sailing barge. R. van der Meer-Snijder writes that Jelke and Jantje moved to Ecthenerpolder at the start of the 20th century were they had bought a farm on the Otterweg. During the following years Jelke is very active as a trader. He takes out mortgages, buys and sells parcels of land predominately around Oosterzee. He also buys houses in Lemmer and Langweer. In January 1909 he sells grass and reed fields to Auke Jans de Vries, who six years later would become the father-in-law of his son Jochum. In the year 1912 it appears things are in decline as he sells more than he purchases. Interestingly in August of that year Jelke again sells a steel barge called The Goode Verwachting (Great Expectations). The ship is purchased by skipper Louis de Haan from Medemblik for 4175 guilders. Jelke sold the farm on the 30th December 1912 to Harm Willems Akkerman as the farmers were going through tough times. According to the notary archives of Tresoar the purchase sum of the farmhouse and land was the significant amount of 12000 guilders. But again Jelke built a new farm on the Otterweg. In May 1913 he took out a - mortgage of 11000 guilders from Ale Gerben from Den Haag. On the same day he buys – with a second mortgage? – property in Oosterzee for 4000 guilders. Apparently he was not easily discouraged. In 1918 Jelke died aged 62 from the Spanish Flu. On 27 February 1919 his sons Jochum and Oene visited the Notary in Langweer, probably to register the sale of Jelke’s farm. After the sale of the farm by his son Jochum, Jantje built a new little house next to the farm where she lived with her son Oene. In 1925 Jantje takes out a mortgage from Gosse Hoekstra from Joure. Jantje died in Oosterzee on 5 February 1933. Translation: Mieke and Bill van der Pal
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Terwispel
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Places of residence |
LiteratureOpstand in de turf - Kerst Huisman, Uitgeverij Bornmeer (2011)
Leven en werken in het Bantega van vroeger - T. van der Meer (onbekend) Jelke Wiebes van der Pal in Haarlem - Jelke van der pal (2024) ![]()
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