July 23 1728

On July 23 1728 Laurentius De Leeuw died at Impegem, where he had been born around 1644.
Apparently, Laurentius did not do too well although he had been an administrator of the "armentafel" in 1672. In 1683 he had a spot of trouble with the lady of Okegem who had a piece of land and meadow sold because he did not pay his rent. Between 1695 and 1722 he lost most of the land he worked on : the surface he tended fell from 172 roeden to 72.

Laurentius married twice and had three children with his first and seven with his second wife ; several of his children had to be assisted with parish funds. He also had a natural son.

His daughter Catharina, born from his second marriage with Catharina Reybosch (+ 1700) passed away at Okegem in 1757. She had married Egidius Vernaillen (Denderleeuw 1691 - Okegem 1759), and their daughter Joanna Vernaillen (Okegem 1725 - Pamel 1791) married Ferdinandus Van der Sleyen (Pamel 1724 - 1810). It is from this Ferdinand that our branch of the De Vidts family took the name "van Fernantes".

Joanna's son Michael Van der Sleyen (Pamel 1758 - 1827) married Petronella Van Eeckhoudt (Pamel 1771 - 1828). They were the parents of Maria Elisabeth Van der Sleyen (see my blog for July 22 1860), the mother my great-grandfather Felix De Vidts.