THE EMIGRATION FROM THE WAASLAND TO THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 1830 - 1950

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur. Hi omnes lingua, institutis, legibus inter se differunt. Gallos ab Aquitanis Garunna flumen, a Belgis Matrona et Sequana dividit. Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, ...

GAIUS JULIUS CAESAR (Rome 12 Jul 100 b.c. - Rome 15 Mar 44 b.c.):
"Commentarii de bello gallico." (The strongest of all the Gauls are the Belgians)

Project description

I am trying to find ALL emigrants from the Waasland, a region in Flanders, Belgium, to the United States in the 1830-1950 time bracket. There probably are thousands of them -- of which I only have on file some 1,500 so far.

Most of them chose specific states: Massachusetts, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, Texas, but some settled in New York, Pennsylvania, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and possibly other states I am not yet aware of.

The entire project is conceived, staffed and financed by just one person, but he heavily relies on the help of quite a few people doing research on their family or on their community. Indeed, the magnitude of the project I started working on in 1994 requires an enormous amount of goodwill, input and help from people who -- for whatever reason -- are interested in this type of research.

I have scheduled five years to do basic research and another one or two years to prepare the publication. The enormous mass of data will cover several volumes.

The Waasland

The Waasland is a socio-economic-historical region lying in the north-east quarter of the Province of East Flanders and west of Antwerp. The region is composed of following villages:

                       Hectare   Population
         Bazel          1,694       4,265
         Belsele        2,026       5,704
         Beveren        1,903      15,272
         Burcht           435       6,774
         Daknam           399         745
         De Klinge        272       2,712
         Doel           2,570       1,395
         Eksaarde       2,100       4,594
         Elversele        499       1,442
         Haasdonk       1,177       3,775
         Kallo          2,772       2,347
         Kemzeke        1,167       2,782
         Kieldrecht     1,949       4,109
         Kruibeke       1,454       6,696
         Lokeren        4,351      26,651
         Meerdonk       1,146       1,821
         Melsele        1,846       6,916
         Moerbeke       3,782       5,013
         Nieuwkerken      986       5,170
         Rupelmonde       188       3,285
         Sinaai         2,651       5,220
         Sint-Gillis    2,240       5,923
         Sint-Niklaas   2,755      49,320
         Sint-Pauwels   1,187       3,257
         Steendorp        506       2,857
         Stekene        3,133       8,960
         Temse          2,340      15,117
         Tielrode         792       2,706
         Verrebroek     1,581       1,244
         Vrasene        1,889       3,596
         Waasmunster    3,202       7,521
         Zwijndrecht    1,350      10,123

List of family names of emigrants from the Waasland

(updated August 1996)

* A * Adriaenssens, Andries, Annaert, Apers, Arens, Audenaerde, Audenaert
* B * Backeljauw, Baert, Baetens, Barbieur, Batens, Batte, Baus, Bauwens, Bayens, Beck, Beeldens, Beirnaert, Biestman, Bildings*, Bildus*, Bleyenberg, Blommaert, Blommen, Boel, Boenne, Boeykens, Bogaert, Bollaert, Bollens, Bolsens, Bolsius, Bolssens, Boodts, Boon, Boone, Bordui, Boryn, Bosman, Boykens*, Braem, Brees, Broeckaert, Bruylant, Brys, Buelens, Burghgraeve, Burin, Burm, Buys, Buytaert
* C * Callaert, Camerier, Cant, Cap, Cappaert, Cappeart, Castille, Cathoir, Claes, Claeys, Clash*, Claus, Clessens, Cleyman, Cleys, Cockelenberg, Colpaert, Cools, Coolssens, Coppenol, Coppens, Coppieters, Cordemans, Cornet
* D * Daelman, Daenis, Danssaert, Deckers, Dens, Deyaert, Didden, Dielens, Dierickx, Dobbelaer, Donckers, Duerinckx, Dupon, Durinck, Durmick*
* D' * D'Haenens, D'Hondt, D'Hooghe, D'Olieslager
* DE * De Backer, De Baere, De Bakker, De Bergé, De Beukelaer, De Beule, De Bisschop, De Blieck, De Block, De Bock, De Boey, De Bot, De Briyn*, De Bruin*, De Bruyn, De Caluwaert, De Caluwe, De Cauwer, De Clark, De Cleene, De Clerck, De Clercq, De Cock, De Coninck, De Conserere, De Cook, De Craen, De Dauw, De Decker, De Dobbelaer, De Dycker, De Geest, De Gols, De Hert, De Hooge, De Jaeck, De Jonghe, De Kerf, De Kever, De Laet, De Lannoy, De Lee, De Maere, De Maesschalck, De Maeyer, De Man, De Martelaere, De Meulenaer, De Meuleneire, De Meurichy, De Meyer, De Mol, De Monk*, De Munck, De Munk*, De Nul, De Paepe, De Poorter, De Praeter, De Puysselaer, De Puysseleyr, De Ridder, De Rock, De Roeck, De Roover, De Rop, De Schaepmeester, De Schepper, De Smet, De Sutter, De Tonnelaere, De Vael, De Verman, De Vleeschouwer, De Vogel, De Vos, De Vriendt, De Waele, De Walsch, De Weert, De Wilde, De Wispelaere, De Wit, De Witte, De Wreede, De Wulf, De Yonke*, De Young*, Deluguerre
* E * Eeckelaert, Engels, Erregeers
* F * Felix, Fermurthel*, Fierens, Fiers, Fleming*, Franck, Franssens, Frissyn, Fruytier
* G * Geldmeyer, Gielen, Gillis, Goddaert, Goeman, Goethals, Goossens, Gossen*, Grandsaerd, Group, Gyselinck
* H * Hanssens, Heirbaut, Heirman, Heirwegh, Hembrecht, Hendricks*, Hermans, Herreman, Heyman, Heyndrickx, Hillegeer, Himbrecht, Hoekens*, Hoekins*, Hoelebrand, Hoenaert, Hoeykens, Hoskens, Houziaux, Huygens
* I * Ingels
* J * Jacobs, Janssens, Jaspers, Joos, Joossens, Jossens*, Jungbloet
* K * Kaessens, Keersmaekers, Kegels, Klaus*, Kluskens
* L * Lafree$, Lambrechts, Lampers, Lapierre, Lardenoit, Laureys, Lauwens, Lemmens, Lerminie, Leyn, Leys, Lockefeer, Loef, Loens, Lokermans, Lorie, Lossie, Lowreys*, Lütz
* M * Madereel, Madriel*, Maes, Malschaert, Marckx*, Maris, Martens, Mattens, Matthyssens, Meersman, Mees, Meessens, Megroedt, Meirte, Melis, Merckx, Mets, Meul, Meuleman, Meys, Meyskens, Michielssens, Middag, Midday*, Middelkamp, Mingeroedt, Moens, Moenssens, Mortier, Muel, Mul
* N * Naudts, Neirinck, Nelis, Nielandt, Nimmegeer, Nonneman, Nys
* O * Ongenae, Onghena, Oosterling, Opsomer
* P * Palet, Paling, Palmkoek, Panis, Passemier, Pauwels, Peesmeesters, Peeters, Peirsman, Pembroke*, Penne, Penneman, Persyn, Peters, Picavet, Piersens, Piessens, Pieters, Pilaet, Piumbroeck*, Poppe, Pouwels*, Praet, Prevoost, Provost, Puimbroeck*, Puylaert, Puyleart*, Puymbroek*
* R * Raes, Reiss, Reyns, Roeges, Roegiers, Roels, Rogiers, Rombaut, Rooman, Rooms, Rotthier, Rottier, Rouwens, Rutgeerts, Ruthgeerts, Ryckaert
* S * Sack, Santon, Schaekers, Schaelles, Schaillee, Schaut, Scheerders, Scheers, Schelfaut, Schelfhout, Schoonvliet, Schuerman, Segers, Seghers, Shakers*, Shears*, Siebos, Sleeuwaert, Smekens, Smet, Snel, Snoeck, Speckstadt, Speeck, Speek, Staes, Staessens, Steibs, Stevens, Strobbens, Strylemans, Stuer, Suy, Syx
* T * Thielens, Thielman, Thiesens*, Thoen, Thomas, Tilleman, Tillens, Tillis, Tillman*, Timmermans, Triest, Truyens
* V *Vael, Vaerewyck, Veesaert, Venne, Vincke, Vischspoel, Vlaeminck, Vlyminck, Voet, Vonck
* VAN * Van Achte, Van Acker, Van Aelst, Van Aken, Van Belleghem, Van Berlo, Van Bocxlaer, Van Bogaert, Van Bogget, Van Boxlaer*, Van Brandt, Van Britsom, Van Broeck, Van Brussel, Van Buel, Van Butsel, Van Campenhout, Van Cansinck, Van Carpels, Van Cauteren, Van Craenenbroeck, Van Dam, Van Damme, Van de Perre, Van de Velde, Van de Ven, Van de Vloet, Van de Voorde, Van den Abeele, Van den Berghe, Van den Bosch, Van den Branden, Van den Broeck, Van den Eeden, Van den Eynde, Van den Nieuwenhuyzen, Van den Wyngaert, Van der Aa, Van der Graf, Van der Heyden, Van der Kelen, Van der Linden, Van der Poorten, Van der Straeten, Van der Weken, Van Dongen, Van Driessche, Van Duyse, Van Eetvelt, Van Etvelt*, Van Eyck, Van Eynde, Van Gaver, Van Gaveren, Van Geem, Van Geertsom, Van Geetsom, Van Geffen, Van Gerrewey, Van Gheem, Van Goethem, Van Goey, Van Guyse, Van Gysel, Van Haelst, Van Halst*, Van Haute, Van Haver, Van Havermaat, Van Herrewegen, Van Hese, Van Hoey, Van Hoeywegen, Van Holst, Van Hoost, Van Hoylandt, Van Hoyweghen, Van Immerseel, Van Itvelt*, Van Kerckhove, Van Laecken, Van Laere, Van Lancker, Van Landeghem, Van Langenhove, Van Lierop, Van Linden, Van Marcke, Van Mele, Van Meygroot, Van Mieghem, Van Moer, Van Mullem, Van Noei*, Van Noie*, Van Noppen, Van Oppens, Van Overloop, Van Overmeire, Van Pembrook*, Van Peteghem, Van Peymbroeck*, Van Poucke, Van Puymbroeck, Van Puymbrouck, Van Queckelberghe, Van Raemdonck, Van Ranst, Van Reeth, Van Remoortel, Van Remoortere, Van Remortel*, Van Riet, Van Rompu, Van Rossem, Van Rossen*, Van Roy, Van Royen, Van Snick, Van Stappen, Van Steenbergen, Van Steendam, Van Strydonck, Van Vlem, Van Vlierberghe, Van Vosselen, Van Wesemael, Van Wiele, Van Wolvelaer
* VER * Verbeeck, Verbeke, Verberckmoes, Verbraeken, Verburst*, Verbust*, Verbuyst, Vercammen, Vercauteren, Vercruysse, Vereecke*, Vereecken, Verellen, Verflieren, Vergauwen, Vergets*, Verguts, Verhaegen, Verhavert, Verheyen?, Verhille, Verley, Vermeiren, Vermeirsch, Vermeulen, Vermullen*, Vernimmen, Verplancke, Versmissen, Verstraeten, Verstuyft, Vertenten
* W * Waem, Wagemans, Wagenaer, Want, Wauman, Wauters, Wayne*, Wettach*, Weydeman, Weyenberg, Weyn, Weynacker, Windey, Wuytack, Wynen
* Z * Zaman, Zegers, Ziebosch*

Help

I will help you with general information regarding Belgium (any time, any place), and will do specific research regarding emigrants from the Waasland, including their ancestors to the fourth or fifth generation.

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