FIRST GENERATION

1. # 1 Pieter LANGEDIJK ⁽¹⁾ was born about 1690 in oude Niedorp The Netherlands. He died after 1744 in de Weel The Netherlands. He was endowed. A group of Roman Catholic Langedijks lived around VENHUIZEN in the province of Noord Holland in what is know as "Westfriesland" in The Netherlands at the end of the 17th. century. One of them was "PIETER LANGEDIJK" from whom all the Langedijks mentioned in this book are descendants. It is known that Pieter was , besides being a farmer , also a bit of a poet. It is being said , but not proven , that he was the originator of the dutch proverb;

"In het heden licht het verleden
In het nu wat worden zal"

Which freely translates to;

In today, lies the past
in the present,, what shall be.

We can be proud of PIETER , our ancestor - a farmer poet.
I am , I am one of his descendants
As you will notice from the following family tree , the Langedijks are well represented in the Netherlands and far beyond its borders as well .The Langedijk family in Canada is well established by now, but mainly in the province of Ontario. The spelling of the name begins to change , Anglicized as it were . Now many spell Langedijk (LANGEDYK) dropping the Dutch ( IJ ) for the English ( Y ). Mostly to avoid confusion in the pronunciation. May they fare well into the next century, and beyond

The following is a brief history of " Westfriesland" were the early LANGEDIJKS hail from.
We can start this history and go back as far as 1800 years before the birth of Christ.
Through excavations in the area known as Zandwerven ( a little east of " Heerhugowaard" that during that time period, human beings were living and working in the eastern parts of that area known now as "Westfriesland"
Those people lived mostly on high ground between small area's of bogs and lakes.
They build dikes to protect them from floods and sudden storms on the lakes. Some of those dikes remain in place even today.
On very old maps ( before the year 1000) you can not find city of Amsterdam or Haarlem but names like Nieu Niedorp ( or Niedorp) are there. On the attached topographies map you will see many names of towns and cities so well known today.( See: pictures under PIETER LANGEDIJK).
There were, 1000 years ago already centers were nomads ( farmers , who moved from place to place to exploit the land ) decided to settle.
They learned the trade mostly from friars who lived in the cloisters.

Were ever they settled churches were build and around the church the town grew. The people living there called themselves "buren" which later became "boeren" the Dutch word for Farmer.
The people were forced to live in centers together so they could better protect themselves against the so called "Barons" who in turn made war against other so called " counts" to protect the property given to them by the "king" often a self robber baron.

When you look back in the history of the "Westfriesland" it seemed to be a continuous battle against oppression. " Together" on the warpath to protect their freedom.

Such a group of "Westfriesland" in the year 993 killed Count Arnhoud ( or Arnulf)

Its the 28 of January 1256. We introduce Count Willem de 2nd. , Count of Holland, Roman Catholic King from the German Kingdom, 28 years old. De winter has a icy breath blowing over the low lands and frozen lakes. With his army Willem is traveling through the difficult areas with the many lakes and bogs, going North via the " De Groote Zuyderwart" ( the Zuiderzee)
Willem did not watch very carefully were he was going and lost contact with his main force.. The Westfriesen , always ready were hidden behind bush and waterways
Willem, near " Hoogwout" in full battle gear on his heavily armour protected horse fell through the ice.
The Westfriesen , without knowing who they slew killed him.
They stripped him of all his belongings, and earthly possessions.
When they discovered who they had killed they swore under oath , never to reveal who they had killed and were he was buried.

We now go to June 1282. Close to the castle "Torenburch" to Oudorp its a busy market day.
Via the " Zuiderzee" the Holland(Dutch) Army close to Wijdenes and Hoorn arrive under the leadership of Count Floris the 5th ,and landed on the shore, to seek revenge for the death of his father, Willem the 2nd
The Westfriesen lose the battle at Hoogwout. The last; person still alive , who had sworn never to reveal the death of Count Willem the 2nd,is captured. Under great duress, torturing and the promise of a terrible death, he breaks the oath and reveals were the body is buried..
At the " Konigspade" in Hoogwout the skeleton of the Count is found under the fireplace to a depth of a mans height. ( 6 feet).
His bones were re buried with his ancestors in the church of the Abdij at Middelburg.
" Ende Floris dancte Gode en de onser Vrouwe" writes Melis Stoke
In the year 1285 terrible floods caused the death of thousands of Westfriesen. Many lost their homes and furniture and roamed the country side . 80000 people died during the floods.
Through this the Westfriesen could not organize themselves against Floris the 5th.
He proclaimed that from now on the farmers must contribute
1. 1/10 of their farm crop.
2. 1/10 of their earnings in the form of money ( this continued until 1907)
3. The people were obligated to serve in the army.
4. Each inhabitant was obligated to work on the maintenance of the dikes without compensation

It did mean of course ( through the establishment of dikes ) that the population felt safer, so fortunately for the Westfriesen peace existed for many years..

To dispose of the extra water, which accumulated through the building of the dikes around the small lakes, in 1386 Count Aelbrect van Beieren got a permit to dig a canal from the Langereis to the Zuidersee to expulse the excess water into the Zuiderzee..
It did not materialize however, therefore Philips van Bourgondia on the 4th of September 1458 again got a permit

He was married to Maryckje before 1714 in oude Niedorp The Netherlands. Maryckje died after 1740 in oude Niedorp The Netherlands. She was born around 1690 in oude Niedorp The Netherlands. # 1 Pieter LANGEDIJK and Maryckje had the following children:

+2 i. # 2 b. Jacob Pieterse LANGEDIJK.
+3 ii. # 2 a. Sijvert LANGEDIJK.