We also have some "extra
material" which have not found its proper place in the above mentioned
articles. These comments are collected on a page of their own, and include
the following (mostly in English):
Chapter 1 - A definition of the areas in
question
This article deals with the French noble family
de Créqui of Pas-de-Calais, the Dutch officers Jean (d. ca
1647) and Ahasverus de Créqui dit la Roche (1617-1678) and
Ahasverus de Créqui dit la Roche's descendants until approx.
1850. Genealogical problems investigated by SIEC include the link
between the French main house of de Créqui and the Dutch-Norwegian
branch, the other ancestoral lines of Jean and Ahasverus de Créqui
dit la Roche, and the biographies of the two officers Jean and Ahasverus
de Créqui dit la Roche.
Chapter
2, part 1 - The noble family de Crequy of Pas-de-Calais, France
The
Norwegian main
version presents each generation of the main house
until approx 1580.
The de Créqui
family coat of arms: On a Gold Field, a Red Plum tree with 7 Branches.
Illustration by Carsten A. Berg, based upon the Jæger-shield
from approx. 1703 and J.
Siebmacher's grosses und allgemeines Wappenbuch
The
origins of the family de Créqui
found in Nouvelle Biographie
Generale, Vol 11/12, page 422, Copenhagen, Denmark 1965.
Créqui, House of.
One of the oldest families in France, had it's origins in the area
of ARTOIS, from where it expanded into PICARDY and many other provinces.
The manor house, from which it took it's name, was in a small village
near Fruges, in today's county of Pas-de-Calais. This family, extinct
a few years before the Revolution in 1789, could be traced back, according
to some genealogists, to the year 857 where the existence was found
of a lord Arnould de Créqui, called the "Old" or
the "Bearded", who was one of the most ardent supporters
of King Charles the Simple [Charles III]. But, it is only
in 986 that it is certain that a Ramelin, Lord of Créqui, existed
and who founded the Abbey of Ruisseauville, near Boulogne-sur-Mer,
and who had probably as a son, Baudouin, the Great Baron, who's motto
was "Don't Get Too Close." The various branches of this
family furnished the Lords of Bernieulles, de Fressin, de Flechin,
de Blicourt, de Canaples, de Blequin, de Hemont, de Clery, d'Aufeer,
de Ricey, de Heilly, de Bierbach, de Raimboval, de Torchy, de Rayon
etc. and produced a Cardinal, two Marshalls of France, a General of
Galleys and several bishops. The elder branch, called Sires of Créqui,
merged in 1543 with the House of Blanchefort, out of which came the
Dukes of Créqui and the Princes of Poix, who's principal members
were eventually merged into the House of Noailles.
About
the village Créquy in Pas-de-Calais, France
Créquy, a sleepy,
little village in Pas de Calais, is situated along road D 130, not
far from the English channel and just south of Calais
In Créquy, the Créqui
family built its first manor in the 10th century, and later the family
obtained land, among other places, around the village of Fressin not
far from Créquy. The family can probably follow its roots back
to a sire Arnould, mentioned in 857 as one of king Charles the Simple's
men. In Fressin, there is a Créqui festival each year, in remembrance
of a Raoul de Créqui.
The coat of arms used by
the village Créquy today is similar to the ancient coat of
arms used by the Créquy family: the seven branched plum tree.
Chapter 2, part 2
- The later generations of the noble family de Crequy of Pas-de-Calais,
France
The Norwegian
main version presents some generation of the main
house from ca 1530 until the family dies out in 1702 .
None of the generations presented here may have
ancestored our family, as they lived at the same time or later than
our members of the Créqui family. Thois chaper is included
here because it gives an nsight into some interesting personalities,
among them the marchal de France, François de Créqui
who played an important role during the reign of Louis XIV.
Chapter 3 and
4 - the de Créqui Coat of Arms and the shields
Click
on the thumb image to the right for a larger version of the Jæger
shield. To the right, Ahasverus de Créqui dit la Roche's seal
(1660) and bottom left, his signature (1659).
These two chapters include some of the most central
material in our genealogical research. The Norwegian
main version include a presentation of the so-called Jæger-shield
(Jeager), a drawing made some time after 1703 with a presentation
of the de Créqui Coat of Arms and seven others: Delordelie.,
la Roche, de Lys
(or de Leis), Rengers, Voorthuysen,
Hangereuen (or Hanegreve), and
Olderingk.
Some
copies of the Jæger shield are also presented; the Carl
Schelven Lous version (approx 1865), and
the Delgobes version drawn by lieutenant Christopher Morgenstierne
Munthe (approx 1875). You also find Ahasverus de Créqui dit
la Roches signature and seal, as well as an altar candle light stake
from the Helleland Church with the de Créquy Coat of Arms engraved
in the silver.
Chapter
4 presents the other seven Coats
of Arms on the Jæger shield. Of particular interest to our genealogical
research, it should be mentioned that some new findings indicate possible
tracks which may investigated more closely:
The
Rengers Coat of Arms (Gertrude Rengers was Jean de Créqui
dit la Roche's wife, and Ahasverus' mother) has long been a puzzle,
as the Coat of Arms used by the noble family Rengers is not simular
to the one presentes on the Jæger shield. Thus, Mr Sigurd Lambek's
discovery of a German family Rengers with the same Coat of Arms as
presented on the Jæger shield is of the greatest interst to
us. Read more about this in the SIEC
Newsletter No 3, 2001.
The Hangereuen Coat of Arms
as it is presented (and spelled) on the Jæger shield is simular
with the Hanegreve Coat of Arms of Northern Barbant (which
include the southern part of The Netherlands and some areas in the
northern part of Belgium). One particular finding of some interest
is an entry in the Repertorium
op de Overstichtse en Overijsselse leenprotocollen, on a web
site at the Overijssel State Archives. It gives a presentation
of some individuals which may be of interest:
- 1541 nov 6 (OB1
fol 13)
- Jacob Reyners na
de dood van zijn moeder Margriete Goossens, vrouw van Geert
Reyners.
- 1554 dec 4 (OB3
fol 9v)
- Elske, weduwe van
Johan Elderinck, na opdracht door Jacob Reyners. Hulder haar
zwager Goedert Hanegreve.
- 1557 mei 24 (OC1
fol 37)
- 1557 jun 16 (OC1
fol 53)
- Elske, weduwe van
Johan Elderinck. Hulder haar zwager Godert Hanegreve.
- 1571 sep 13 (OC2 fol
14) Henrick ten Hoeve na opdracht door Elske, weduwe van Johan Elderinck.
Now, why is this interesting? For one reason mainly:
It combines the two names of Hanegreve and Elderinck.
Chapter 5 - Ancestors
This chapter is closely related with chapters
2, 3 and 4, but it deals more closely with what little is known for
sure about Ahasverus and Jean de Créqui dit la Roche's ancestors.
In this chapter, we also discuss some potential theories about possible
ways to go tom find the unknown ancestors and the link between the
French main house and the Dutch branch of the de Créqui family.
Some main parts are presented in the following:
Please note that much
uncertainty is connected with the earlier generations of the Dutch
branch of the de Créqui family as presented below!
We have found two generations
preceeding Jean de Créqui dit la Roche and his wife Gertrude
rengers presented with clear family lines in two separate sources:
First, in the book "Familien Kielland med dens kognatiske ascendents"
by Axel Kielland, published in Oslo (Christiania) 1897 (p 230). Then,
we have the renowned genealogist, Mr. Charles Antoine Delgobes' (born
1844) work at the Riksarkivet (the State Archives) in Oslo. A hand
written note on film No. 863 («de Créqui») presents
the same family line that Axel Kielland did. See illustration below!
Bear in mind, though, that
Mr. Delgobes called it a «formentlig anetavle», or a «possible
lineage». I do not know if these two genealogists knew each other,
and if so, who is whose source. We can, however, suspect that the
line is based upon an interpretation of the shield of coat of arms
which has been handed down from generation to generation both in the
Jæger and the Berner families (see
illustration).
Olaf Jæger used the
same family names and coats of arms in his article from 1934, but
without organizing them as Kielland and Delgobes did.
It is only from the third
generation, Jean de Créqui, dit la Roche and his wife Gjertrud
Rengers, we may begin to feel confident that the sources are indeed
correct.
-
1st Generation (?)
NN de Créqui
According to Axel Kielland
married to NN la Roche, who carried a coat of arms with a "Mountain
in a Red Field".
2nd Generation (?) NN
de Créqui
According to Axel Kielland
married to NN Delordeli, who carried a coat of arms with a "braided
black Ribbon in a Gold Field". She was the daughter of NN
Delordeli and NN de Leis (or de Leys), who carried a coat of arms
with a "golden Lilly in a Silver Field".
Other possibilities - the Sedan path
After the 2nd generation as presented by Kielland and Delgobe above,
follow Jean de Créqui dit la Roche married to Gjertrud Rengers
and his son Ahasverus who emigrated to Norway in 1657. Before we go
forward with them - and thus with well documented information - let
us present another possible ancestral path which has revealed itself
recently (the winter of 2001). The foundations behind these theories
are presented in the SIEC
Newsletter No 3, 2001 by Sigurd Lambek, Oregon, USA
-
1st Generation
(?) Jean de Créqui of the Eglise Wallone in
Sedan, France - or possibly Daniel de Créqui of the Eglise
Wallone in Amsterdam, Holland?
Jean de Créqui, quincailler (1581),
later fondeur (1585), married with Jeanne Femmelart, Sedan, France.
In 1885 the wife is called Jeanne Fomelan. An Esther de Crequi,
married with Gerard de Blene 19 februar 1589, may possibly be
a sister of Jean. These all belong to the Eglise Wallone parish
in Sedan, a Protestant, French church.
This Jean was a quincailler which is an iron/hardware
dealer, who could also deal in weapons/arms and in 1585 is shown
as a fondeur which is a caster of cannons, bells, statues etc
which would be a logical progression from a quincailler. The other
Créquis later on were mostly in the Artillery and as Petardiers
(explosives) which are all closely related..
- Doughter: Jeanne, baptized 25 May 1581
at Eglise Wallone (EW), Sedan, France
- Son: Bartolomy de Créqui baptized
21 Mar 1585 EW.
- Teoretically (!) this Jean de Créqui
also has the son Jean,
married to Gertrude Rengers. We have not seen this
in any records, though; only Jeanne and Bartolomy are mentioned.
Be aware: We do not know if the de Créqui's
of Sedan had anything to do with Amsterdam and The Netherlands
at all. What we do know, is that they were members of Eglise Wallone
- and we know this: On 29th November 1594 a Daniel de Crequi
is received as a member of the Eglise Wallone in Amsterdam. Where
he fits in the picture is unclear, but he is indeed the first
known de Créqui to be seen in Amsterdam (But, indeed. not
the first de Créquy in The Netherlands; see The Gouda Church
window below). This Daniel who arrived in 1594 may also be worth
an investigation, but its seems likely that he would be too young
to be the father of Jean de Créqui married to Gertrude
Rengers. If he were older and thus Jean's father, his family should
have been mentioned together with him in the church records. Or
maybe not?
There are two indications which may tie the Créquy's
mentioned in Sedan theoretically with Jean and Ahasverus mentionend
below. Profession and religion.
Yet: Measured against the Delgobes and Kiellands
theories, the Sedan path is not by any means stronger or more plausible,
- and perhaps even a bit weaker? Delgobes and Kielland's theories
are based upon an analysis of the Jæger shield, which is indeed
a belieavable documentation in its own right. Yet, one has to keep
an open mind in these matters; nothing is certified.
Then
we reach known material:
2nd Generation -
or 3rd generation according to Kielland/Delgobe:
Jonkheer Jean de Créqui, gesigt Larosge
Captain in the King of Portugal's
service. Married to Gjertrud Rengers. Gjertrud Rengers' family line
can also be found in Delgobes and Kielland's work (see
illustration above).
Illustration to the right, from the top, the
signatures of Ahasverus de Crequy dit la Roche, hsi mother Gertrud
Rengers, Ahasverus' brother Jean de Crequi de larochie and his sister
Judiet De Créquy. From Dutch archives 1647-55 (from Sigurd
Lambek).
Olaf
Jæger writes in his 1934 article
in NST: "In a notary protocol for The Hague,1647, we find a contract
of 13th August 1641, where it is stated that the captain in the King
of Portugal's service*, Mr. Jean de Créqui dit la Roche, dead
before 1647, left the widow Gjertrud Rengers and had the son Ahasverus.
The couple were wed on July 3rd 1612 in the Dutch church in The Hague,
but one cannot find evidence that the son Ahasverus was born there".
* It has later been discovered that Jæger
was wrong at this point. The Jean de Créqui dit la Roche who
was in the service of the King of Portugal was his son Jean.
The Military collection "Wakker" at
the Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie in Den Haag has fragmented bits
of information, among one is a 1632 notation that Jean de Crequy said
La Roche was in the Regiment Brederode. It is believed that he was
the father of at least 3 children, as follows:
No baptism records have been found for any of
these 3 children, so birth dates and places are still unknown. The
records, both Military and Civilian, are confusing as father and son
have the same names and were both in the Military. The names are also
spelled differently as de Créqui, de Crequy, de Creki, de Cressie,
de la Roche, de la Rosche, de la Rossie, said La Rosge, dit la Roche
etc. especially in the late 1500's and early 1600's.
On Sunday 4 May 1636 the banns were posted,
"Promesse de Marriage", between Cyrus de Perceval, Quartermaster
of the Regiment of Monsignor Wimberge and Damoiselle Judith de Crequy,
domiciled at Crevecoeur. There were no objection to the marriage.
EW.
In the Gemeentearchiv den Haag, Notary Indexes
there is a document dated 13 Aug 1641 which states that Johan Cressie
de la Roche, Capt. in the Services of the King of Portugal should
pay a sum of money...etc.
Notary Index dated 27 Mar 1647 shows Geertruijt
Rengers, as widow of Capt. de Créqui dict La Rosge, appearing
with her son, Ahasverus, who was to receive a sum of money from the
Seigneur of Venice for services as a petardier. If he dies, his mother
gets the money. On 28 Mar 1647 they appear again in Notary Court and
Ahasverus declares that he has received all his inheritance from his
late father, in his life a Captain in the Services of the Country
Netherlands.
The same day Gertrude makes a statement to the
Court that Ahasverus has given her a receipt for full payment of his
inheritance from his father, Capt. Johan de Créqui dit La Roche.
- Comments: The following excerpt
from the Notary Records dated 6 Sept 1655 shows that it was not
Johan de Créqui (the father) but the son, also named Johan
de Créqui who was a captain in the services of the King of
Portugal. The document shows that Jonkheer Johan Cricqui de la Roche,
formerly Captain in the service of his Majesty of Portugal, presently
living in Monster (Zuid Holland) authorizes this date, 6 Sept 1655,
that the noble Gerard de Roodere be appointed to defend him in his
business that he has before the court.
Since his father was dead before 1647 and
this took place in 1655, it would indicate that it was the son
who had served the King of Portugal, not the father. A later court
document also states that is was the younger Johan who served
the King of Portugal.
Another interesting part is that the title of
"Jonkheer" is shown on all the official documents. The title
of Jonkheer is according to the French dictionary LaRousse: Noble
Hollander whose rank is that of a Squire. Also, can be called an "Ecuyer"
which can be translated as a title carried by a young noble nobleman
not yet knighted. The rank may be fairly low, but at least it shows
noble descent , which would indicate a connection to the great french
family from Artois in France.
On 2 Jan 1651 a document in Notary Index shows
that Jonkheer Cyrus de Perceval and the Lady Judith de Créqui,
his wife, living in Monster, have received from his brother, Pieterde
Perceval, Capt. and Quatermaster the sum of 900 Pounds as maternal
inheritance.
On 21 Mar 1655 Judith de Crequy de La Roche, late
wife of Jonkheer de Perceval makes list of all her possessions and
debts, a document 20 pages long. With her son Jan.
The widow took her son Joan
de Créqui, seigneur de la Rosse and her son-in-law, Syrus de
Parceval, as her guardians on June 27th, 1648, when she was in the
small town of Monster near The Hague. Thus, Jean and Gjertrud must
have had more children than Ahasverus and Jean, at least one daughter.
Not unlikely, Jean de Créqui
was the first of the family who came to Holland. We can see that he
was granted the right to live in a house in The Hague in 1622. As
an officer, he is mentioned already in 1607 and later in 1621 and
1632 in Dutch service.
Chapter
6 to 10 - 4th Generation Jonkheer Ahasverus
de Créqui dit la Roche
My father's impression
of Ahasverus de Créqui, ca 1660. Tempera 1999 by Einar H. Berg
(right)
Ahasverus de Créqui
dit la Roche is, in many ways, the main character on these pages.
In the Norwegian version, he is presented in alltogether five chapters,
of which some are short and others are quite large. In this English
version, we deal only with matters related to the genealogical research
connected to him. Thus, relatively large parts of the Norwegian edition
which deals with general war history of the period, other persons
in his surroundings, etc. are left out here.
The main source for our
initial knowledge about Ahasverus de Créqui dit la Roche is
an article by the genealogist Mr. Olaf Jæger in Norsk Slektshistorisk
Tidsskrift, volume IV, Oslo 1934, but he is described also earlier.
The list below presents known litterature about him published until
1950:
- Kielland, Axel - "Familien
Kielland med dens kognatiske ascendents", Christiania 1897.
- Nielsen, Yngvar, Dr.
- "Kampen om Trondhjem 1657-1660", særtrykk i "Festskrift
i anledning Trondhjems 900 aars jubilæum", Det Kgl. norske
Videnskabers Selskab i Trondhjem, 1897
- Norges Historie (History
of Norway), by Dr. Yngvar Nielsen
- Olaf Jæger: "Stamtavle
over familierne Jæger i Norge" (Ancestors of the Jæger
families of Norway, Bergen 1917
- Jæger, Olaf - Norsk
Slektshistorisk Tidsskrift, bind IV, Oslo 1934.
- Hirsch: Danske og Norske
Officerer 1648-1814, pages 135-136, Forsvarets Arkiver, Rigsarkivet,
København. The book is a none-published, hand written mauniuscript
36 cm x 25 cm.
- Ovenstad, Olai - Militær-biografier
- den norske hærs officerer fra 18. jan. 1628-17. mai 1814
(the officers of the Norwegian army from 18th January 1628 to 17th
May 1814), bind II, Oslo 1949.
- «Gyldenløvefeiden»
(The Gyldenløve War) by I. Gulowsen, «Hærens fotfolksregimenter
indtil 1662» (The army's infantry regiments until 1662) by
C.O. Munthe
According to Olaf Jæger,
Ahasverus de Créqui wrote in Dutch. We will never know how
well he spoke Norwegian, or perhaps Danish, but the military command
language at that time was German.
Ahasverus de Créqui
dit la Roche's life in The Netherlands
An episode from Ahasverus
de Créqui dit la Roche's life in the Hague
He is mentioned in the official Notary Archives in Den Haag, dated
30 Nov 1647 - and found again the autumn 2000 by Sigurd
Lambek:
On this day Ahasverus was
out walking in Den Haag with a friend, Nicholas Ravensberg, when they
came across a glassmaker by the name of Martin Bemmewits. This man
shouted at Ahasverus: "Why don't you pay your debt?" and
Ahasverus answered him "I owe you nought, and if my brother owes
you it shall be paid". The glassmaker Bemmewits answered "I
need not speak to your brother and if he does not do me right I shall
search my rights myself". To that Ahasverus answered "Do
that" . Ahasverus then wanted to continue his walk, but Bemmewits
called after him "You are nothing but despicable cads" and
upon hearing these words Ahasverus turned around and pulled his sword
and hit Bemmewits with the flat side of his sword on the man's body
without wanting to seriously wound him. Hereupon, Bemmewits father
came running, sword in hand...
Unfortunately, the report
stops here, as the second page is missing, so we shall never know
how it ended up, but surely nobody got hurt or taken to jail, let's
hope...
Other mentionings og Ahasverus de Créqui
dit la Roche in Dutch arcives
On 26 July 1648 the posting of the banns between
Jonkheer Assuerus de Créqui dict la Roche, young man living
in Den Haag and Judith Sweers, young daughter from Amsterdam took
place in the Wallone Church in Den Haag as well as in the church in
Amsterdam. The Church records in Amsterdam shows that the marriage
took place on 1 Aug 1648.
Why did Ahasverus
de Créqui emigrate to Norway?
By the middle of the 17th
century, Denmark-Norway was in desperate need of trained officers.
Sweden had taken part in many wars where both officers and soldiers
had achieved much war experience, while more peaceful times in Denmark
and Norway had left the countries with weaker armies. In this weak
condition, the Danish-Norwegian king, Frederik III, still prepared
an attack on Sweden. The ancient Norwegian landscapes of Jämtland
and Herjedalen and the Danish landscape of Halland were lost to Sweden
already in 1645, and the war in 1657-58 was an attempt to regain the
lost territories.
The outcome was disastrous,
as Denmark lost the county of Skåne, and Norway lost the counties
of Bohuslen and Trøndelag in 1658. By 1660, Norway had regained
Trøndelag, but the rest remains Swedish even today. Ahasverus
de Créqui's first assignment in Norway was in the 1657-58 Krabbe
War.
He
was among the men who took the opportunity for a military career abroad
when Jørgen Bjelke went to Holland in search of suitable men
as a preparation for the coming war against Sweden. Ahasverus de Créqui
is mentioned in «Norges Historie» (History of Norway) (1911)
among other Dutch officers who should eventually form the basis for
the Norwegian Army's corpse of officers.
Ahasverus de Créqui's
military career in Norway
Ahasverus de Créqui dit la Roche, født
i Nederland ca 1617, var blant de nederlendere som ble hentet til
Norge som en forberedelse til 1. Carl Gustav-krig, i en tid da Norge
hadde behov for offiserer (*).
Den som plukket ut de hollandske offiserene i 1657 var i hovedsak
Frederik IIIs Resident i Haag, Peter Charisius.
Ahasverus de Créqui
dit la Roche was a soldier, a «sprengbuchsenmacher», a High
Explosives, Artillery Shell Maker, and was married on 1st October
1648 in Amsterdam with the not yet 15 years old Judith Sweers, baptized
on 17th April 1633 in Neue Kirche in Amsterdam.
- Ahasverus de Créqui
dit la Roche was a captain in Trondhjems infantry regiment, and
he took part in the military actions against Sweden in Jämtland
1657-58 (the Krabbe War). In June 1657, just after arriving
in Norway the first time, Ahasverus de Créqui returned to
The Netherlands in order to obtain war material. At this occasion,
he brought what is believed to be Norway's first mortar to the country.
Captain at the New Trondhjemske national inf.
regt. and in command of Frostenske comp. 15th June 1657 to 1st May
1658. The New Trondhjemske regiment was formed in 1657 when Trondhjemske
regiment was divided in a New and an Old regiment. Captain de Créqui
served under colonel Jørgen Bjelke, and Ahasverus de Créqui's
company consisted of 124 men from Leksvik, Frosta, Åsen, Skogn
and Levanger north of Trondheim. At the same time, he was an artillery
captain in Trondheim from 1st December 1657 to 10th May 1658, when
he was granted leave at the end of the Krabbe War.
- Ahasverus de Créqui utmerket seg
ved beleiringen av Frøsø Skanse i Jemtland. Ved ankomsten
foran skansen ble det satt opp en særkilt avdeling for artilleriet.
Soldatene ble antakelig tatt fra infanteriet, og kaptein Ahasverus
de Créqui fikk med særskilt bestalling overbefalingen
over denne avdelingen.
- Jørgen Bjelke beholdt store deler
av de norske styrkene for senere krigsinnsats, og til tross for
at den norske lensherren Peder Wibe på kongelig befaling av
11. april 1658 hadde avtakket de utenlandske offiserene den 10.
mai 1658, ble det i juni samme år satt istand skjærbåter
for å bringe offiserer og noe mannskaper ved Trondhjemske
Infanteriregiment sammen med de Bergenhusiske soldater. Ahasverus
de Créqui dit la Roche er spesifikt nevnt idet han den 12.
juli 1658 er å finne i Bergen. (Dr.
Yngvar Nielsen)
- After the Krabbe War,
he was again employed by the Army, this time as a Major at Vesterlenske
national infantry regiment and in command of Stavangerske comp.
from 24th November 1658. The company is called Ryfylkeske from 1660.
- In
1659, he participated in the defence of Fredrikshald (Halden), and
on February 4 1659 he took part in war actions agains Swedish attackers
together with captain Johan Nilsen's company - while de Créqui's
own company did not participate. On 6 February 1660, he is reported
to have been in Fredrikstad with 250 men while the fighting with
the Swedes took place at Borge church close to the city (C. O. Munthe:
Fredrikhald's history until 1720). (C.O.
Munthe: Fredrikhald's history until 1720).
- In Stavanger, he is mentioned
in some sources: Major de la Roche moved to the farm Hapnes appoximately
1665. This farm was in Leranger at Vikedal parish in the northern
part of Rogaland (source: Ætt
og heim, p. 98), and it is mentioned that he sold a boat, the
"Fortuna" (source: En
by i kamp). Both these events are reported to me by Erik
Tøndevold by e-mail in July 1999.
- Ahasverus de Crequi was commandeered to the
navy in 1666, but asks himself excused as he easily gets sea sick.
He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in Ryfylkeske
regiment on 12th September 1675, at a time when his regiment had
already left the Stavanger area in preparation for the Gyldenløve
War in Bohuslen. In 1676 he was appointed to be General Adjutant
at horse, but Bernhard Christoffer Koss is on 26 Feb 1676 promoted
in his place.
- He took part in the Gyldenløve
War, where his last major achievement was his command during the
occupation of Marstrand in July 1677. It also seems that
he took part in the Battle of Uddevalla in August 1677, a battle
which is considered among the most successful any Norwegian army
has ever fought. Ahasverus de Crequi was in Colonel Wyllem Coucherons
staff at the Carlsten Fort, where he is mentioned on 4th October
1677. On
15th Januar 1678 Ahasverus de Crequi died here in his
61st year of living.
The war actions on the Norwegian
side were successful in the Krabbe War. As in the Gyldenløve
War some 25 years later, the negative result was due to actions elsewhere.
This does not mean that the Norwegian army was unbeatable. The fact
that Sweden focused its forces on the more important Copenhagen and
on Denmark may explain most of it. Denmark was the real goal, Norway
was not that important. Yet, history shows that the Norwegian army
did well in those days, even if Sweden achieved most of its goals
against Denmark-Norway. This goes both for the 1657-58 and the 1675-79
wars, in both of which Ahasverus de Créqui had the honour to
serve as an officer.
A closer presentation
of The Gyldenløve War 1675-79
Carlsten
Fortress as it looked during the military operations in 1677 (Ill.:
From Carlsten Fortress, reprinted from Danish original)
This war between the Danish-Norwegian
king Christian V and the Swedish king Charles XI was, from the Norwegian
side, lead by the king's half brother Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve.
Thus the name: the Gyldenløve War. One should not forget, though,
that this (part of the) war was merely a maneuver in the Skåne
War. As mentioned earlier, the Swedes used their strength elsewhere,
in Skåne and by putting Denmark in dire straits, a strategy
that indeed brought Sweden the victory. Had Sweden used its real force
in Bohuslen, the Norwegian army may indeed not have won many battles.
But history shows otherwise,
and Gyldenløve himself was the commanding officer for the Norwegian
forces at Marstrand when Carlsten Fortress was conquered.
During the battle at Marstrand,
Ahasverus de Créqui was in command of one of the four companies
from Vesterlendske regiment, the other three were commanded by colonel
Vind, captain Hübert and captain Ripstorf.
On
5th July, two Battalions and some cannons were brought ashore at Koö
(the Ko Island) inside Marstrand, a small, summerly town in the skerries
just north of the Gothenburg archipelago. From 6th July the attack
on Hedvigsholm and Malepert started. The fortress at Malepert was
conquered on 12th July, and Hedvigsholm fell two or three days later.
The town itself and the fortress (skanse) at Gustavsberg fell on 18th
July, and on the 23rd, the main Fortress, Carlsten, was taken. The
Norwegian forces bombarded the Carlsten fortress from batteries in
the hills north of the town for several days before the Swedes gave
up.
Carlsten
Fortress as it may have been on 23rd July 1677 after heavy artillery
had been used on its north side for several days. At three o'clock
in the afternoon, the Swedish commander, Colonel Sinclair, capitulated
with honour. The gray area close to the entrance (I) stipulates the
position of the square tower, which was later surrounded by the much
taller and larger round tower that gives Carlsten its particular skyline
today. P: Wooden fence outside the stone walls. I: Main entrance where
Sinclair surrendered to Gyldenløve. K: The commanding officer's
office. B: The Courtyard. Today, the fortress is much larger. The
fortress of 1677 consisted of what is now called the "Övre
Borggården", or the Upper Courtyard. (Ill. by Carsten A
Berg, based upon the brochure "Carlsten Fästning" by
Eiwe Svanberg and Per Zetterström, Marstrand 1998. Some details
may differ from the 1667 appearance, like the three small prison cells
in the upper room, second from the right. They were constructed around
1840 as part of the so-called Philadelphia system, where prisoners
were left alone for five years with a visit from the priest once a
year only). To see a large image of Marstrand
on 23rd July 1998, click here! (Photo: Copyright Carsten A Berg)
This was a great victory,
as Carlsten was considered impregnable. In connection with this battle,
a medallion was made, with the portrait of Gyldenløve on one
side and the Town of Marstrand and the Carlsten Fortress on the reverse
side. The text says, in German: "Eroberung von Marstrand 1677"
(The conquest of Marstrand, 1677).
The Norwegian losses totaled
some 300 dead and wounded. A great majority of these, 208 men, were
wounded or killed during the ill-fortuned attack on Hedvigsholm on
13th July. A large number of men fell when a barrel of gun powder
exploded amongst the Norwegian soldiers and officers who were hiding
from Swedish grenades and bullets behind a building.
The Swedes defended themselves
bravely, and the Swedish colonel, Sinclair, was allowed to march from
the Fortress under full military honour.
Colonel Willem Coucheron
was named commandant of the newly conquered fortress, with the now
60 years old Ahasverus de Créqui as a member of his staff.
In a list from 4th October 1677, Coucheron describes Ahasverus de
Créqui as «Lieutenant Colonel de la Ross»
This is the last time we
see him described in the military papers. On 15th
January 1678, he died at Marstrand.
Ahasverus de Créqui's
wives and children
His wife Judith Sweers (Sveris)
was the daughter of Jean Sweers* and Aleda de Vinck, married on 14th
July 1632. At their wedding, it is written that Jean Sweers was 23
years old, and he came from Nijmegen in the province of Gelderland,
he lived by the Rauanche Kade and was the son of Arnt Sweers, who
was present at the wedding. Aleda de Vinck was 20 years old, from
Amsterdam, living at Köningsgracht, and she had her mother Maria
Ophoven present at the wedding. Judith Sweers seems to have died in
Stacanger, Norway no later than 1669.
* Comments to the paragraph
above: According to a letter from Annette
Sweerts in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (e-mail to Carsten Berg on 14
Feb 2001), Judith Sweers' father Jean Sweers was married on 17 June
1632 (not 14 June) with Aleda de Vinck, and later again on 14 Feb
1636 with Maria van de Voorde, Guiliam de Vick's widow. In this secong
mariage Jean Sweers had the son Johannis Sweers, baptized on 23 Oct
1636 in Amsterdam Oude Kerk. Furthermore, Annette Sweerts say that
Judith Sweers was baptized on 17 April 1633, and that she was married
on 1 Aug 1648 (not 1 Oct with Asuerus de Crequidiet la Roye.
Ahasverus de Créqui
had five children with his 1st wife, Judith Sweers (according
to Olaf Jæger, 1917 and 1934):
- Johanna - or Jeanne
de Créqui. The church records for Monster or Den
Haag do not show her baptism any place. Married
1682 to the vicar to Helleland (Norway) 1655 to 1691 Mr. Christian
Clausen Jæger, student 1643. he was the son of vicar to Taarneby
at Amager (Denmark) Mr. Claus Hansen Jæger and his wife Maria
Jensdatter.
- Alida, baptized on 22nd
October 1651 in n the church records of 's-Gravensande, The
Hague, Holland, married with Herman Garman, Notary at Mjelde.
- Catharina, baptized 1st
February 1654 in n the church records of 's-Gravensande,
The Hague, Holland, married ca 1683 to Peder
Pedersen Lem, owner of a manor and merchant, dead 1703 in Bergen,
Norway
- Frederik Henrik, born
17th June 1661 in Stavanger, Norway. Cadet at Indre Sogn, Norway
- Salomon, mentioned in
the East Indies in 1701, supposedly named after his uncle Salomon
Sweers
A mystery has been solved
There were considerable discussions within SIEC
regarding four more children attributed to Ahasverus and Judith in
Olaf Jæger's 1934 article in NST, as follows:
- Johannes, baptized on 23rd May 1655
- Aradina, baptized on 21st Jan 1657
- Aradine, baptized on 30th June 1658
- Johannes, baptized on 5th Nov 1659
Sigurd Lambek's resarch in Durtch archives the
auntumn of 2000 makes it clear that these four children were NOT
Ahasverus children, but children of his brother Johan (Jean) de
Créqui per the church records of 's-Gravensande.
Johan's wife's name was not indicated but Gertrude
de Créqui, Jean's mother, was a witness in these church records.
The SIEC group has always wondered how Ahasverus could have fathered
these many children as he went to Norway in 1657, ans since they were
never mentioned among his offspring in any sources later. Now we know
that Olaf Jæger was wrong on this particular point...
Ahasverus de Créqui
also had five children with his 2nd
wife, Mette Riisbrich:
Ahasverus de Créqui
was married again, before 1670, with Mette Riisbrich, born approximately
1645. She was the daughter of Sheriff of Hordaland County Volquard
Riisbrich and his wife Karen Lem.
- Ahasverus, born 1671,
Cadet, married 19th May 1695 at Kvitsøy, Norway to Anne Knutsdatter
Urne. Ahasverus (the Younger) has many descendants both in Norway
and abroad. Another article by Olaf Jæger (1933-34, Norsk
Personalhistorisk Tidsskrift) hints that Ahasverus had an illegitimate
son with Haldi Bjørnsdatter, Friedrich Ahasverussen, born
at Klingsheim., Håland at Jæren.
- Judith, born ca 1673,
married 1st to Pastor Peder Arctander and 2nd to pastor Peter Scavenius.
- Karen, born, married
to Capt. Christian von Alst
- Antonette Augusta, married
the Commandant of Tranquebar, India, Claus Voigt.
- Gertrude, born ca. 1676,
married Baron, Capt. Wentzel Rothkirch Kaas, in March 1693 in Stavanger
Cathedral. Baron Kaas was a Danish officer stationed in Stavanger.
He came from a very old, noble family in Denmark. They returned
to Denmark, where the line continues to this day. Their second son,
Johan Kaas, remained in Norway and eventually became a Colonel of
the Bergenhus Regiment, and became the owner of a large estate in
Sogndal. All his descendants remained in Norway and this noble family
eventually became known as the Munthe-Kaas, still prominent in Norway
in the 20th Century.
The Kaas family has furnished many important members of the Government
of Denmark over the centuries. One of the most famous was Niels
Kaas, Chancellor of the Kingdom (Rigskansler) and Guardian for the
minor King Christian IV. Others were members of the King's Council
(Rigsraad) Prime Minister (Statsminister) High Court Judges, 6 Admirals
and other high Naval Officers, several Generals, Chief of Police,
Minister of War etc. 6 were Knights of the Elephant, Denmark's highest
Order, and many were awarded the Grand Cross of Dannebrog, Denmark's
next highest order. They were also large landowners in many parts
of Denmark, mainly in North Jutland and on the island of Langeland.
The Silk Cloth (re)discovered
1998:
Ahasverus de Créqui dit la Roche was born approx 1617, and died
on January 15th 1678 in Marstand, Sweden
Like his father, Ahaverus de Créqui dit la Roche was a Jonkheer
- a low, noble title. He is mentioned with this title in Dutch archives
rediscovered in the year 2000, while we never see that any such noble
title is used in Norwegian or Danish military files. Only after he dies
in 1678 does any hint of a noble title appear again, on a silk cloth
which still exists today, and which was probably draped upon his sarcophagus
inside the Stavanger Cathedral, Norway.
It
was "rediscovered" in 1998 and is owned by Mrs. Britt Jæger
Lindhjem of Oslo, Norway, and this cloth states that he died on 15th
January 1678, in his 61st year of living, in the town of Marstrand.
Thus, he must have been born in 1617, or perhaps in 1618. Britt
Jæger Lindhjem got the silk cloth from her uncle, Cornelius
Jæger, who was born in Bergen and died in Oslo around 1970.
The silk cloth, photograped
here by Carsten Berg, says:
"Here rests his
Royal Highness to Denmark and Norway's (Velbestalter) Colonel Lieutenant
of the Vesterlendske regiment, the highly noble and well born Assuerus
de Créqui dit la Rochie, now in peace with God, who in (udi)
Masstrand died and in the Lord slept in on the XVth January, Year
MDCLXXVIII, in his age's LXIth year. God (...)".
The silk cloth refers to
the "highly noble" Ahasverus de Crequi dit la Roche, a reference
which hardly can be said to go well with his known title: Jonkheer.
Most probably, the silk cloth must thus refer to his de Créqui
ancestors. We may feel confident that Ahasverus himself has been highly
aware of his noble descendance, a matter "proven" both by
the fact that he used the de Créqui coat of arms in his seal,
and that he brought with him the source for what is today known as
the Jæger shield (see Chapter 3 above).
According to nearly all
written sources, Ahasverus de Créqui dit la Roche died on 25th
February 1678 in Stavanger, and he was supposedly born approximately
1620. The silk cloth tells us otherwise. Why other sources say that
he died on 25th February in Stavanger is unknown to me, but perhaps
he was buried this day? One source (Olai Ovenstad) says that he was
buried in the Choir in Stavanger Domkirke, but investigations made
in 1998 does not show this. This does not necessarily mean that he
was not buried there, but his name does not appear on a list of names
based upon old tombstones which were removed from inside the church
in 1969. Neither is he listed in additional lists published in Norsk
Personalhistorisk Tidsskrift in 1881, 1882 and 1884 (published in
Copenhagen). Of course, the silk cloth may itself have been this proof,
as it was perhaps placed upon a tomb in the church until the Jæger
family took possession of it.
Another possibility is that
Ahasverus de Créqui was buried at Marstrand, Sweden, and that
the silk cloth was brought to his family and eldest daughter Jeanne
in Norway when the troops returned to Norway in 1679, thus placing
it in the Jæger family's hands. The probability that they brought
his dead corpse from Marstrand to Stavanger between 15th January and
25th February 1678 may seem small, but it cannot be ruled out. Also
note that the cloth clearly states that he died "udi Masstrand",
i.e. "over there in Marstrand" or "away in Marstrand",
a statement which strongly indicates that he was indeed not buried
there.
About the name "dit
la Roche"
- In Norges Historie (1911,
see above), it is stated that Ahasverus
de Créqui's nickname, «la Roche» or «the Rock»,
might have been given him for his bravery. This does not seem to
be true: Even though he was probably brave enough, and even though
one certainly needed a strong heart and a steady hand to succeed
as a professional Artillery Shell Maker in those days, we have seen
that also his father Jean had the same name - «de Créqui,
dit la Roche», or the Dutch version of the same: «de Créqui,
gezegd la Roche». Other members of the family in Holland are
called «de Créqui de la Roche», in accordance with
the probability that the la Roche name origins from the said family
mentioned on the Coat of Arms.
Thus, we must probably forget
the idea that the romantic nickname was something which Ahasverus
de Créqui acquired in his own right. As of today, we may not
feel certain whether it is the "de" or the "dit"
that should proceed the la Roche name, though.
Chapter 11 - Descendants of Ahasverus de
Créqui dit la Roche
In particular, we call your attention to Chapter
9 in the Norwegian text, with a listing of several of Ahasverus
de Créqui dit la Roche´s descendants within a large number
of families. This list may also be read and understood by non-Scandinavians
- just note that "født" means born, "døpt"
means baptized and "død" means dead. Dates are given
DD-MM-YY in numbers or in writing.
Our aim is to follow each family line until approx.
1850. Several of these lines have branches in the United States and
elsewhere, and chances are that you may find "your connection"
through one of these lines. If you do, we would be very happy to hear
from you. Please contact Mr Carsten A. Berg in Oslo, Norway on citadel@os.telia.no
or Mr Sigurd Lambek in Oregon, USA on
English version. Translated and adapted from Norwegian by Carsten A Berg and Sigurd Lambek. The research presented on these pages is performed by the international genealogy group Societé Internationale des Études de Créqui - SIEC.
