Chapter 6: The Francina Varlet Family


 

The family of Francina Varlet and Pieter Heijblom

 

by Cor Snabel and Elizabeth A. Johnson

 

 

 

Francina Varlet was born about 1618 in Utrecht, daughter of Caspar Varlet and Judith Tentenier. On the 2nd of August 1642 she and her future husband posted their marriage intentions in Amsterdam: [1]

 

Pieter Heijbloem of Acken, shopkeeper, accompanied by Francois Heijbloem his father, residing in the Warmoesstraat, & Francina Verlet of Uytregt, residing in the Breestraat [in Amsterdam], accompanied by Casper Verlet her father.

 

Pieter Heijblom was born before 1623 as one of the sons of Francois Willems Heijblom and his [unknown] wife.

 

A child from the marriage of Pieter Heijblom and Francina Varlet was:

 

i. Francois Heijblom, baptized on the 24th of September 1643 in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. [2] Sponsor was his grandfather Frans Willems Heijblom. In 1669 he married Clara du Pont, daughter of Steven du Pont and Anna Duijnen. [3] He was buried on the 11th of February 1681 in the Oude Zijds Kapel in Amsterdam. [4]

 

In 1639 Francois Willems Heijblom sets up a business for his two sons, Pieter and Francois, in the Warmoesstraat in Amsterdam. An extract from the notarial archives in Amsterdam, dated the 19th of February 1639: [5]

 

Appeared Catharina Willekens, widow and executrix of the late Davidt Staffmaeckers, assisted by Daniel and Pieter Varlet her guardians on the one side, [6] and Francois Willemsz. Heijblom, living at Dordrecht, but lately in this city, on the other side.

1. The widow Staffmaeckers sells to Francois Willemsz. Heijblom all the mirrors, cabinets, glass, alabaster etc. in the store as well as in the Beurse and in her house and workshop.

2. The value of the inventory above amounts to 23,628 guilders and 6 stuivers to be paid by Francois Heijblom to the widow Staffmaeckers or her heirs on the following terms:

immediately 7,000 guilders; 5,000 guilders in the coming month of June; and the remaining 11,628 guilders and 6 stuivers in February 1640.

3. The shop shall be run by the sons of Francois Willemsz. Heijblom, to wit: Pieter and Francois Heijblom. The two young men shall live with the widow in the house "Het Schaepshooft" and she shall provide them food, drink, housekeeping, laundry, heat and light. Pieter and Francois promise to treat the widow with respect and to behave as honest young men should. Francois Willemsz. Heijblom pays the widow 1,800 guilders expenses per year commencing 15 February 1639.

4. Also is stipulated that neither the widow nor her daughter Barbara Staffmaeckers will interfere in the mirror business. Only the pincushions and cups which she always used in the shop remain at her disposal.

5. It is also noted that Francois Willemsz. Heijblom and his sons retain the right to rent "Het Schaepshooft" in the future.

6. Finally the widow Staffmaeckers promises to assist in the business and to recommend customers to them and to help as much as possible. And in appreciation for the expedited closing of this deal, Francois Willemsz. Heijblom makes a private gift to the widow and her daughter.

 

Then follows a very detailed inventory; first of the mirrors, the glass work (polished and unpolished), empty ebony chests etc. in the large room. After that the inventory of the tin room and then the gilt room and after that the attic and the items on the mantelpiece. Also the inventory of the shop, of the alabaster (for example many mantelpieces), and what was found in the Beurse.

 

Business must have prospered for the two brothers, because two years later, on the 5th of June 1641, Catharina Willekens sold the house "Het Schaepshooft" in the Warmoesstraat to Pieter and Francois Heijblom. [7] She was assisted by her son-in-law Daniel Varlet, whose two brothers, Caspar and Pieter Varlet, were mentioned as her guarantors. Only 14 months after this transaction Pieter Heijblom married Francina Varlet, the oldest daughter of Caspar Varlet.

 

Pieter Heijblom sponsored the baptisms in Amsterdam of the children of his brother-in-law Nicholas Varlet and Susanna Jans; of their son Johannes on 11 August 1648 in the Oude Kerk, [8] and of their daughter Susanna on 22 August 1649 in the Zuider Kerk. [9] But Heijblom's sponsorship in New Amsterdam of Nicholas and Susanna's son Abraham, [10] born in December 1650 aboard the ship "Fortuyn," was almost certainly by proxy, since no other evidence exists in North America of Heijblom's actual presence there.

 

Francina must have died after 1658, because on 11 April 1658 she was sponsor at the baptism of her niece Anna Jacoba, the daughter of Francoys de Bruijn and her sister Catrijna Varlet. [11] Her husband Pieter Heijblom was buried on the 30th of September 1670 in the Oude Zijds Kapel in Amsterdam. [12]

 

Their son Francois Heijblom (1642-1681) must have inherited the house, because in several burial records of his children up to 1680, the house "Het Schaepshooft" is mentioned. [13]

 

 

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NOTES AND SOURCES

 

1. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: ondertrouwregister, akte 458p128. Marriage intentions, Amsterdam, 2 Aug. 1642: "Pieter Heijbloem van Acken, winckelier, geasst. met Francois Heijbloem sijn vader, wonende in de Warmoesstraat, & Francina Verlet van Uytregt, wonend op de Breestraat, geasst. met Casper Verlet haer vader." (transcription from digital image and translation by Cor Snabel and Elizabeth A. Johnson)

2. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: doopregister, akte 7p374.

3. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: ondertrouwregister, akte 493p414. Marriage intentions, Amsterdam, 25 June 1669: "Francoijs Heijblom Pietersz. van A(msterdam), winckelier, oud 25 jare, geasst. met sijn vader Pieter Heijblom, woont inde Warmoesstraat. & Clara du Pont van A(msterdam), oud 27 jare, geasst. met haer moeder Anna Duijn, woont in de Nieuwe Doelestraat." (transcription from digital image and translation by Cor Snabel and Elizabeth A. Johnson)

4. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: begraafregister, akte 1064p16.

5. Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van het bedrijfsleven en het gildewezen van Amsterdam, by J.G. van Dillen, publ. Nijhoff 's-Gravenhage 1929. Part 3, pages 221, 222, 223, not. acte 419f217 dated 19 February1639, notary Jacob Jacobs.

6. Catharina Willekens was the mother-in-law of Daniel Varlet.

7. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: kwijtscheldingen, akte 38p128v. (transcription from digital image and translation by Cor Snabel and Elizabeth A. Johnson)

8. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: doopregister, akte 8 p.171.

9. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: doopregister, akte 93 p.294.

10. Purple, NADRC Bapts.

11. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: doopregister, akte 9p203.

12. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: begraafregister, akte 1063p124.

13. Stadsarchief Amsterdam: doopregister, akte 1063p126, akte 1063p160 and 1064p10.

 

 

Next: The Hack and Varlet Families

 

Or, read about the Staffmaecker Family

 

 

 

 

© 2008, Cor Snabel and Elizabeth A. Johnson