The name Besemer / Bezemer



From other genealogical sources we know that the name Besemer was used already very early, not only in Holland, but also in the german anguage area. In 1323 there is in Esslingen living a Joh der Besemer and in 1387 in Frankfürt a Wiczel Besemer.

I both languages the name is explained as coming from old occupations as "bezemmaker"="broommaker" and "bezembinder"="brushtie".

First in the thirt generation the name Besemer appears.

Jan Besemer Pietersz is using his mothers familyname.

The edcutcheon is from about 1550 as Mathijs Jansz Besemer is policemaster in Ouderkerk a/d IJssel.

In 1650 we find a other version as Cornelis Besemer is member of the village board in Schiedam. 3 black chimneyhooks hanging from a veertical treebranchand on both outside hooks there is a mess tin.

The same edcutcheon is on one of the silver Communion cups of the Grote Kerk in Schiedam. The cups were given in 1648 of the St. Nicolaas-party as Cornelis Besemer at that time was the leader.

The Bezemer family has many ramifications in Holland. Pieter F(V)oppensz married Ave Besemer. Ave had a brother Jan, from whom the ramifications in HI-Ambacht, Delft, Oud-Alblas, IJsselmonde, Zwijndrecht, Vught en Papendrecht came.
Ave is the ancestress of the Ouderkerk a/d IJssel ramification. This was in 1620 split up in the ramifications in Bergambacht and Rijnland. The people from Ouderkerk living in Capelle a/d IJssel, split up again about 1640 in our Schiedam ramification and an othere one in Gooi (Ankeveen).

The Schiedam ramification came from Claesge (m. Pleun Cornelisz), daughter of Arien Leendertsz Besemer and his 2.wife Ariaentge Dircksdr.

The Gooi ramification came from Adriaen Ariensz (m. Margitge Adriaensdr), son of the same Arien Leendertsz Besemer and his 1. wife Margitge Jansdr. Adriaen died young (30y).

Family Name History




It was not until the early Middle Ages that surnames were first used in order to distingush between numbers of people bearing the same personal, or Christian, name. With the growth of documentation in the later Middle Ages such names became essential, and a person whose distinguishing name described his trade, his place of residence, his father's name, or some personal or physical characteristic, passed that name on to his children, and the surname became hereditary.

The Dutch surname Bezemer or the variant of the name, Besemer, can derive from two distint sources. Firstly, the name can derive from an occupational source, being traced to the type of work a man once did or the profession he pursued.
In this instance, the name is traceabl to the Old Germanic term "Bessemer" wich was translated literally as a broom. By extension therefore, the name came to denote one who made and sold brooms.

Secondly, the name can be of patronumic origin, deriving from the first name of a father. In this case, the name is derived from the popular medieval pet-name Beze which was a common abbreviation of the personal name Peter. Pet-names were very common in medieval Holland, they were terms of endearment and affection and they were also functional so that bearers of the same personal name could be easily distinguished.

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Blazon Of Arms  : Azure, three lozenges or.
Translation          : Azure (blue) denotes Truth and Loyalty.
                              The lozenge represents Honesty and Constancy
                              and was also held to be a token of Noble Birth.
                              Or (gold) signifies Generosity and Elevation
                              of Mind.
Crest                    : A bear issuing proper.
Translation           : The bear is representative of Ferocity and
                               Defence.
Origin                   : Holland


The above quoted text is from a document issued by THE LAWS OF ARMS, from The Historical Research Center Inc. It was issued on behalf of my daugther, visiting the Center on 23 August 1992.

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