Research
De Start of the Research.
By Andries de Leeuw
Since many ancestors of my wife and nephew have lived in and around Opende, it was logical to start there, and we soon arrived at Wobbe Popkes, born around 1700, and one Aaltje Cornelis.
From this marriage, initially only one child was found: Popke Wobbes, born around 1730. However, the baptism of Wobbe Popkes was not found in the baptismal records of Tolbert, nor was that of this discovered son.
This Popke Wobbes, born around 1730, was found to have married Grietje Jans from Kornhorn on 27-01-1754 in Grootegast. In Tolbert, two sons were baptized: Wobbe, baptized on 13-10-1754, and Cornelis, baptized on 22-05-1757. (At the baptism of Cornelis, it is noted: Father: Popke Wobbes residing in or near Niebert.) The suspicion existed that the birthplace of the Snippen family was Tolbert/Niebert. However, it was later established, on April 8, 2006, that this conclusion turned out to be incorrect. I will come back to this later.
In the church book of Doesum in the year 1756, the following was found: Arrived from Tolbert to Doesum: Wobbe Popkes and Aaltje Cornelis. They thus settled as the first in Doezum, and some time later, between 1757 and 1766, his son Popke Wobbes followed with his wife Grietje Jans, where their son Wijcher Popkes, baptized on 04-05-1766, is found in the baptismal records. He became a farmer.
Another name found was: Jan Popkes, born around 1760, also carrying the surname Snip, died on 19-02-1813 in the municipality of Grootegast, also a farmer by profession.
The names of the parents in the death certificate are unfortunately unknown, yet I see him as the certain son of Popke Wobbes and Grietje Jans. This Jan Popkes must have been born as the 3rd son within the family and was named after Grietje’s father Jan. His birth/baptism was in all likelihood in Doezum.
The aforementioned Jan Popkes, born 1760, fits perfectly into the timeline, the corresponding profession with the aforementioned Wijcher Popkes, the naming after Grietje’s father Jan, the area where they lived and worked, and additionally the impossibility of attaching this Jan Popkes to any other set of parents, makes me 100% certain, without having further evidence, that he is a son of Popke Wobbes and Grietje Jans.
Continuing the Research January 2006
In Opende, 3 Snip families reside, whom it was always believed were not related. By now, 08-04-2006, there are sufficient points of reference to assert that this indeed constitutes one family, originating from Grootegast, which takes us back to around the year 1620-1625, when a certain Popke Outses was born. The oldest ancestor from which the Snips have descended is therefore one OUTSE, born around 1600, wife’s name unknown.
Further research has revealed that, upon studying the civil registry of the entire Province of Groningen from the years 1811 to 1902, nearly all encountered Snips, married and deceased, can be traced back to one family.
Problems in the follow-up research from January 2006 to April 8, 2006, and the path to OUTSE around 1600
The Journey of Wobbe Popkes * ca. 1700 and his wife Aaltje Cornelis to OUTSE around 1600 was a road full of questions.
The only given was that Wobbe, not knowing where or exactly when he was born, must have had a father named Popke, that the name of his mother was unknown, and that he had come from Tolbert to Doezum in 1756.
The second puzzle was the extent to which the three Snip families in Opende were or were not related to each other, and what exactly was the deal with a found Snip-Snip marriage in the year 1825, where from the known Snip branch, Willemke Wygers Snip marries the unknown Jan Pieters Snip.
The third puzzle was how to place the third Snip family within the whole picture.
Starting with the last question, it turned out to be quickly solvable, as from the known Snip branch, a certain Grietje Wygers born on 27-12-1806 in Doezum as an unmarried mother, gave birth to a son Jelle on 01-01-1830.
Now there remain 2 Snip families, and the question arises about the found Snip-Snip marriage.
The investigation focuses on the origin of Jan Popkes Snip, the unknown factor, and how it leads back to an ancestor Jan ……….1708, whose wife’s name is also unknown.
It is discovered that within the census of 1830, in 6 consecutive houses in the area called “Snipperij” under Doezum, both families lived side by side, suggesting the possibility of an earlier familial connection.
Refer to the following link Gezinnen 1830, where at the time of writing, the truth had not yet been fully uncovered. Interesting information is included in it.
All the data is thin, and there remain only 2 main characters who until now have no known family connection. These are:
| Unknown Snip family | Known Snip family |
| Jan………….. * ca. 1708 and wife NN | Wobbe Popkes * ca. 1700 en Aaltje Cornelis |
The question arises here: could Jan …………….. and Wobbe Popkes have been brothers, with a certain Popke as their common father? Indeed, that could be the case, with Wobbe likely the older son and Jan the younger. But how do you prove it? The fact that their descendants were neighbors in 1830 in “Snipperij” under Doezum is not enough.
From the baptismal records of Tolbert, it appears that the name Popke Wobbes, as the son of Wobbe Popkes, is a unique name, and conversely, that Wobbe Popkes is also a unique name within the membership registers of Doezum. This provides some clues. Furthermore, every trace in the vicinity of Tolbert seems to lead to a dead end.
The affinity with the village of Kornhorn (Doezum) is evidenced by the fact that Popke Wobbes, the son of our Wobbe Popkes, married Grietje Jans from Kornhorn on 27-01-1754. Kornhorn can be understood as Doezum, as Kornhorn was designated as the place of residence around 1830 on the map. So far, there has been little to no research within the baptismal records of Doezum, and it is high time to focus on that.
Then, by chance, on April 8th, everything came together with the discovery of a website belonging to someone named Johan Wobbes. Apart from many other findings on this site, I will first limit myself to providing the key.
Once again, our main characters are:
| Unknown Snip family | Known Snip family |
| Jan………….. * ca. 1708 and wife NN | Wobbe Popkes * ca. 1700 and Aaltje Cornelis |
On Johan Wobbes’ site, the following is found:
Popke Popkes, baptized in Grootegast, January 10, 1654, died before April 3, 1712. Married 1) on May 20, 1694, in Doezum to Teube Reintjes, baptized in Doezum, August 25, 1667. Daughter of Ryntien Remts and Teelsck Adam. Married 2) on March 14, 1697, in Grootegast to Wijtske Wobbes, originally from Doezum. Married 2) on March 14, 1697, in Grootegast to Wijtske Wobbes, originally from Doezum. Wijtske married 2) on April 3, 1712, in Grootegast to Berent Harms. Children: Marjen, Antje. Wijtske married 3) on May 10, 1722, in Grootegast to Berent Berents, originally from Reene.
From the marriage of Popke Popkes and Wijtske Wobbes:
- Popko Popkes, baptized in Doezum, September 8, 1700.
- Wobbe Popkes, baptized in Doezum, February 18, 1703.
- Jan Popkes, baptized in Doezum, May 9, 1706.
- Jan Popkes, baptized in Doezum, July 22, 1708.
From this, everything becomes clear to me. The mentioned Jan Popkes, baptized in 1706, must have died before the birth of Jan Popkes, baptized in 1708.
The mentioned Wobbe Popkes, baptized in 1703, is the one who appeared in my research as Wobbe Popkes ca. 1700, who married Aaltje Cornelis.
Therefore, Wobbe Popkes must have temporarily lived in the Tolbert area during his lifetime, before returning to his birthplace in 1756.
The found Jan Popkes, baptized in 1708, is the Jan ……………… ca. 1708 from the unknown Snip family.
Jan Popkes and Wobbe Popkes turn out, as expected, to be brothers, thus merging the two Snip families into one.
Everything aligns with dates and names as expected. Additionally, the unique name of Wobbe Popkes and the fact that they still lived together in the area “Snipperij” in 1830, make this the key to the solution.
I would like to emphasize that there is still much work to be done here, and much more information will likely be found in the baptismal records of Doezum, and possibly also of Grootegast.
The overview now also shows that the brothers Wobbe Popkes and Jan Popkes, from whom the surname Snip originated, had an older brother named Popko Popkes.
What’s remarkable is that the descendants of this Popko Popkes, baptized in 1700, in 1811, at least partly adopted the surname Wobbes, and a part took on the surnames of Dijk and van de Veen.
Popke Popkes
Popke Popkes ~ 10-01-1654 in Grootegast, married 2 op 14-03-1697 in Grootegast, with Wietske Wobbes van Doezum
Popke Popkes parents are:
POPKE OUTSES, originally from Grootegast, deceased before January 10, 1654. Married on April 14, 1647, in Grootegast to AVE GERBENS (or Afke Gerberts), born in Lucaswolde, baptized in Grootegast on December 26, 1628, Saint Stephen’s Day, deceased after June 3, 1666.
Daughter of Gerben Uulckes and Marretien Pieters. Ave married 2) on July 16, 1654, in Grootegast to Popke Rozema (widower of Fossa NN). Children: Fosse, Popke. Ave married 3) on October 7, 1660, in Grootegast to Peter Harmens, originally from Doezum. Children: Jan, Johannes, Marta. From this marriage:
Outse Popkes, baptized in Grootegast on January 30, 1648. Married on November 20, 1670, in Aduard to Jantien Benes (widow of Zitse Cornelis), from Aduard. Children: Popke, Popke, Gretie. According to a charter drawn up by Hindrik Ferdinand, baron of In- and Kniphuisen on Lutsborgh Asinga Sassema, lord of Ulrum, etc. with appended seal dated April 4, 1704, Oetse (Oustse) sells his house in Aduard to the well-born Mr. Lewe van Aduard. The price amounts to 425 Carr. Guilders. The transfer will take place on May 1, 1705, until then it is entirely pledged.
Deuwar Popkes, baptized in Grootegast on October 12, 1651.
Popke Popkes, baptized in Grootegast on January 10, 1654.
*** Popke Outses, married in 1647, which means he was born somewhere between 1617 and 1627. His father Outse was born around 1600.
Dear Snippen family, it was this Outse, with three cheers, for whom you can read this family history, and it was he who made your existence possible.
By Andries de Leeuw
April 10, 2006. Andries de Leeuw, with thanks to my uncle Jan Snip and his son Wieger Snip, who have greatly assisted me in this research.
