July 3 1737

On July 3d 1737, Joannes Baveghems died in Pamel, almost 46 years old. He was a blacksmith. He had been born in Meerbeke on August 7 1681 and was married to Joanna Maria De Vidts, born in Pamel on January 3 1683. She preceeded him in death at Pamel on April 13 1726 at the age of 43. The marriage took place at Pamel on Februari 10 1711.
Joanna Maria was a descendant from the second De Vidts line in Pamel (not the one my great-grandfather Felix descended from in a direct line : she descended from Guillelmus, born around 1530 ; Felix descended from Gheeraert, possibly a brother of Guillelmus). She became a "meisenier" in Grimbergen on December 11 1715. By that time, meisenier was an honorary title without much real contents, but still much sought after by the families that could apply for it. The couple first lived in Meerbeke but returned to the Dries in Pamel when Joanna's parents had passed away. Joannes and Joanna Maria had 5 children at least, of which Elisabeth was the youngest.

Elisabeth Baveghems was born at Pamel on September 7 1723 and died at Pamel age 83 on June 29 1807 . Like her mother she became a meisenier on June 9 1751. She must have been relatively well to do as she was listed as a "rentenier". She married twice. Her first husband was Martinus Gerardus Van Lierde, a miller from a well known miller family. They married at Pamel on September 3 1743 and had 7 children. Martinus was born in Idegem or Appelterre before 1723 and died at Pamel on April 6 1754. Elisabeth was his second wife - his first marriage lasted about a year and his first wife was a widow herself of one of Martinus's relatives ... Family relationship sometimes got quite complicated at that time - widows with children stood almost no chance when they stayed single.

Their third child, Joannes Josephus Van Lierde (Pamel, June 19 1746 - Pamel April 1 1811) was a miller too and became a meisenier on March 22 1784. He married Maria Josina Covens (Pamel October 8 1759 - Pamel April 12 1827) at Pamel on January 26 1782 and they bred 11 or 12 children.

Their second daughter Maria Elisabeth Van Lierde (Pamel February 28 1790 - Pamel April 27 1838) married Joannes Franciscus De Vidts (Pamel June 21 1784 - Pamel January 24 1839) at Pamel in September 1809. Around 1808 - 1809, they built one of the first houses on the Varing , which, one hundred years later became the new center of Pamel. Their house was known as 'te Koddekes" until very recently. It still stands and is among the eldest on the Varing. Joannes was known as an inn keeper, a cabaretier, and, occasionally, as a "rentenier". In this marriage, the two De Vidts lines in Pamel came together, not for the first, and probably not for the last time. They had eight children, two of which went to live in Ninove.

Their eldest son Joannes De Vidts (Pamel January 25 1811 - Pamel August 27 1881) married Maria Elisabeth Van der Sleyen (Pamel May 9 1811 - Pamel July 22 1860) at Pamel in May 1834. Joannes probably followed his wife to the Koe(i)straat. Their youngest son Felix was my great-grandfather. As he was born op April 12 1853 he was seven years old when his mother died. I already wrote about him elsewhere in this blog and will do so again. He passed away op June 8 1940.