1729 A. de Haen Dutch Kasteel WESTERVELT

1729 Abraham de Haen Dutch Kasteel WESTERVELT ... Colourized by Mark Edward Westerfield in 2020 ... Our family surname name Westerfield in America originated from the Dutch van Westervelt / van Westerveld / van Westerveldt / van Westervelde name (any of these spellings could be found on old maps or old Dutch government archives) of a particular 'Havezathe' or 'Manor House' (Huis) turned into the 'Kasteel' Westervelt / Westerveld circa 1603 - 1606. After 1606 this structure was one of the largest Dutch castles in the Region of Salland (Salaland / Zallandt, etc) in Overijssel Province, Netherlands ... just N of Zwolle ... SW and W of River Overijsselse Vecht ... SE and E of River Zwarte Water ... E of River Ijssel. It was described in Zwolle Archives during the time of Johan Reynolts ten Bussche as being where the water stream called Westerveldse Aa empties into the River Zwarte Water. This is where Westerveldse Bos Park is today. What remained of the ruin was demolished in 1816. The earliest Manor House was there circa 1500 and was then owned by Johan Reynolts ten Bussche and his wife Berte Bloemendael who gave it as a wedding gift when their daughter (name unknown) married Jan (Johan) van Warmelo. The year is forgotten, but we know it was when Johan ten Bussche was living and we know he died before May 15, 1509. The couple's son also named Jan van Warmelo called himself van Westerveld by 1530. His son was Joachim who married Anna Rengers. In 1584, their son Gerard (Geert) van Warmelo (husband of related Judith Rengers), Lord of Westervelt was appointed Drost (military leader) of Salland by the Prince of Orange William the Silent and was sworn in July 27 ... 17 days after Prince of Orange William the Silent was shot. Gerard and a military buddy Lubbert Ulger (or Lubert Ulgher ... whose own mother was Amelia Rengers) fought several battles together against the Spanish troops of Ambrogio Spinola and after the Prince's death they fought under the Prince's young surviving son Dutch States Prince Maurits. Gerard had the manor house enlarged into a defensive Dutch Kasteel in 1603 - 1606. And on August 2, 1606 they defeated the Spanish soldiers of Ambrogio Spinola at the Battle of Berkumerbridge near Kasteel Westervelt, which saved Zwolle and eventually led to the end of the Dutch Eighty Years War! Let me backup a bit. I mentioned the manor house existing circa 1500 when Johan Reynolts ten Bussche owned it and the ruin of the Kasteel was demolished in 1816. So, we believe a structure stood there about or over 316 years. There may be an earlier history yet to discover. Old Zwolle Archives show that Johan Reynolts ten Busshe's father Reynolt Hermans ten Bussche by October 14, 1467 owned property right there "at Zwollerkerspel" ... next to the Prior and Monastery of Mount Saint Agnes ... "regulierenklooster van Sante Agnetenberge te Nemel" ... also called Agnietenberg. This was where Thomas of Kempis lived 70 years and wrote The Imitation of Christ. Thomas of Kempis lived c. 1380 – 25 July 1471. Reynolts Hermans ten Bussche died before May 15, 1478 and by October 14, 1467 owned property next door ... 4 years before Thomas of Kempis died. Reynolts Hermans ten Bussche was in the Zwolle government and an important man in his time. It is very possible the two men knew one another or at least knew of one another and at times may have been near one another. They were definitely contemporaries. "The land of Reynelt ten Bossche in the neighbourhood of Bircmede (Berkum) in the district of Zwolle" ... it says in the Zwolle archives. This was right next door to Thomas of Kempis. October 14, 1467 ... was 556 years ago! Leonardo da Vinci was living at that time! (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519). Leonardo da Vinci was age 15 in 1467. Now we can jump back to the death of Gerard van Warmelo December 31, 1610. His widow died in 1618. I just found out that before Salland Drost Lord of Westervelt (Westerveld) Rutger van Haersolte (1600 - 1666) acquired the Kasteel Westervelt, that at some point the property was in the hands of the Lubbert Ulger family or his heirs. Remember, Rutger's mother Fenna (different various spellings) was Lubbert Ulger's daughter. She had a brother Lubbert Lubbertsen Ulger (Rutger's uncle). And a brother Werner ... but for a while I was mixed up with her uncle (Lubbert Ulger's brother) Warner. It was this Warner (Lubbert's brother) who had a son Lubbert who was Fenna's younger 1st cousin. Then, I discovered that some in the Ulger family used the name extension 'op Westerveld' or 'op Westervelt' and wondered what that meant before I found a note in Dutch that translated said that apparently the Kasteel Westervelt (Westerveld) had been inherited by the Ulger family. So, that would mean that they had the right to use 'van Westervelt. Our immigrant ancestor Lubbert Lubbertsen 'van Westervelt' whether he was a biological son of one of the Lubbert Ulgers or if he was adopted and raised by a Lubbert Ulger (hence patronymic Lubbertsen) but fathered by Rutger van Haersolte (who did not marry until he was 27) we may never know, but in either case Lubbert Lubbertsen van Westervelt had a right to the name. He was born about 1620 ... after the death of Gerard van Warmelo's wife (1618) and before Rutger van Haersolte bought Kasteel Westervelt (1631 or 1633?). Though, Rutger had lived in Kasteel Westervelt since 1621! But, when immigrant (1662) Lubbert Lubbertsen was born, in 1620, it was before Rutger van Haersolte took over the Kasteel legally. Remember Rutger's mother was Lubbert Ulger's daughter. Lubbert Ulger's mother was Amelia Rengers. Gerard van Warmelo's wife was Judith Rengers and his mother was Anna Rengers. They were all inter-related. They were all family. We just still cannot be certain who Lubbert Lubbertsen van Westervelt's biological father was. Mark Edward Westerfield 9-29-2023