THE ALOFS FAMILY HISTORY

Origin of the family Alofs from Beveren, Belgium


INTRODUCTION
 
In the winter of 1998-1999 J.F. Allefs (born 1932) did a study into the origin of the family Allefs.
Important sources of information were the state archive located at the Kruibekesteenweg 39 in Beveren (Belgium), the gemeente-archief in Axel, and the books "Immigration of sheep shepherds Nederlands-Limburg and Noord-Brabant in the Waasland", and "The country of Beveren".
The generation of the webpage however was triggered by additional information from Lori Jo Alofs and Mark Christopher Parent from Canada, who delivered information about Henricus Alofs (born 1873) and his children.

Spelling variations: Allefs, Alefs, Alofs, Aloefs, Allofs, Alop, Alolfs

You can mail the page owner in English, Dutch or German language

  
PROGENITORS OF THE FAMILY ALOFS:

Note that the numbers between ( ) in the text below indicate the generation numbers for the Alofs-branch of this family.
 
The tribe father of the family "Allefs/Alofs" is Petrus Jan Alefs (1). He had married Maria Huiben or Houben (1). The only information we know about her is that Maria Huiben/Houben1 died on 5 aug 1794, in Nederweert. Therefore it is possible that Petrus Jan Alefs also came from (the surroundings of) Nederweert.

The date and place of marriage for Petrus Jan Alefs(1) and Maria Huiben/Houben (1) (Progenitors of the family) has not been determined yet.
From their marriage several childenw ere born. You see their data by clicking this link: additional data Allefs family.
This page continues with two of their sons:
 
Petrus (Pieter) Alefs (born 23 June 1765 at Nederweert) and Joannes (Jean Baptist) Alofs (2) (born 27 dec 1778 at Nederweert) are the two sons of Petrus Jan Alefs and Maria Huiben/Houben which are subject of this page. Both were shepherds.
 
The older brother Petrus (Pieter) Jan (Joannes) Alefs (born 1765) married Catharina Jacoba Ruythooren on January 8, 1793. As far as we know from this marriage there were no children born. He married again for a second time to Maria Catharina Roels on 24 April 1802 in Kemzeke, Belgium.
Maria Catharina Roels was born in Kemzeke on December 14, 1764, and she died there on April 10, 1833. Petrus and Maria had a son.
Petrus (Pieter) Alefs died on 1 April 1808 in Kemzeke (Belgium).
Petrus Joannes Allefs is considered the "FATHER" of the "Dutch family Allefs", who became wooden shoemakers at some stage in history. This was the occupation in this family for many generations. For further data of the Dutch Allefs family follow this link: origin of Dutch family name Allefs.

The younger brother Jean Baptist Alofs (2)  is the "FATHER" of what became the "Belgian Alofs branch". They were also called the shepherds as this was their occupation for many generations. For further data about the Belgian Alofs branch please read below, at this page.

Both brothers went as shepherd from Nederweert area in Noord-Limburg (Netherlands) to the Waasland in the present Belgium (the area Lokeren, St Niklaas and Beveren). In those days may people made the same move, described in the book of Piet Verheyen, "Immigration of sheep shepherds from Nederlands-Limburg and Noord-Brabant in the Waasland". Both brothers are also mentioned (both with the surname Alofs) in this book.

Nederweert is in Limburg, south of the Netherlands and between 100 - 150 kilometers away from the Sint Jansteen, Kenzeke, Beveren, Lokeren area.  The Belgian part of this area is called the Waesland. For some unknown reason several families (most of them shepherds) left Limburg around 1800 and moved to the Waesland. The Belgian family branch remained shepherds after the move to the Waesland for several generations, while the Dutch family branch switched to wooden shoe making at some stage.

It is also interesting to note that the father of the Belgian family branch (Alofs) died in the village Sint Jansteen (Sint Jansteen was a municipality with 4.000 inhabitants in Eastern Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, south of Hulst), now in the Netherlands while the father of the Dutch family branch (Allefs) died in Kemzeke, now in Belgium. However, it is important to note that the state of Belgium has existed only since 1830. Prior to this time the entire region was one country where people lived in, which is now divided into two countries.  Therefore the data gathered for this page (Alofs) came from Belgium (the archive in Beveren).

Jean Baptist Alofs (2) (1778 - 1832) married Petronella Paelink-Aertssen (2) on April 17, 1806. She had been married previously but was widowed. She was born in Lokeren on September 1, 1774 and died in Lokeren on January 4, 1818. They had three children together:

 
1)        Unknown (daughter) born May 22, 1806 (Stillbirth)

2)        Bernardine (duaghter) born April 24, 1809.

3)        Joannes Franciscus (3) (son) born July 15, 1811, which is our progenitor.

 
Joannes Franciscus (3) (born 1811) married (Maria) Bertina de Ridder (3) on October 11, 1837. She was born in St. Niklaas on March 10, 1814 and later died at the young age of 36 in St. Niklaas on May 15, 1850.  Joannes (3) and Bertina (3) had four children:

 
1)        Maria Coleta (daughter) born January 19, 1837 in St. Niklaas. Died June 1, 1848.

2)        Joseph Ferdinandus (4) (son) born September 4, 1838.  (OUR PROGENITOR)

3)        Frans Josef (son) born January 8, 1845 and died four days later on January 12, 1845.

4)        Joannes Franciscus (son) born August 19, 1847. He married Joanna Coleta van Durm July 29, 1868.

 
The second marriage of Joannes Franciscus (born 1811) was with Sophia Bosman in St. Niklaas on October 22, 1852. Joannes was 41 years old at the time he remarried and his new bride was only 25.

 His second wife Sophia Bosman was born in Melsele on January 27, 1827. She lived in St. Niklaas. After their marriage they lived in Beveren. They had 10 children together:

 
1)        Virgine Alofs (daughter) born August 29, 1853.

2)        Elisabeth Alofs (daughter) born born 1854, died 1871

3)        Maria Alofs (daughter) born and died in 1855 (4 months old)

4)        Stefanie Alofs (daughter) born 1856

5)        Maria Barbara Alofs (daughter) born 1859

6)        Paulina Alops (daughter) born 20 July 1862 (note that name was misspelled)

7)        Leonie Alop (son) born 21 dec 1865 (note that name was misspelled)

8)        Joseph Ferdinandus Alofs (son) born 23-12-1868 (He has same name as his half-brother from the first marriage of his father)

9)        Elise Alolfs (daughter) born 16 feb 1871 and she also died in 1871 (note that name was misspelled)

10)    Eduardus Alofs (son) born 24 sept 1872 and died in 1873. Note that at this moment his father was 61 years old and his mother was 45.

 
Joseph Ferdinandus Alofs (4) born 4 Sept 1838 married at 4 May 1864 with Paula Rosalia de Wispelaere (4), she was born in Beveren 25 March 1842. After the marriage they live in Beveren in the city area called Ijzerhand.
 
Another source copy mentioned Paula's name as Paula Catharina de Wispelaere (4) with birth date March 2, 1842 in Beveren. So the exact name and birth date are not known but that it is Paula de Wispelaere (4) born March 1842 seems to be certain. Paula's father was Joseph de Wispelaere (died in Beveren) and her mother was Eugenie de Buck (died in Beveren)

 
Joseph Ferdinandus (4) and Paula de Wispelaere( 4) had seven children, all born in Beveren:


1)        Marie Louise Alofs (daughter) born November 18, 1864, died 1871.

2)        Leonie Alop (daughter) born December 22, 1866 (note that name was misspelled)

3)        Aloise Joseph (son) born April 1, 1870, died in 1870 also

4)        Petrus Franciscus Alolfs (son) born June  17, 1871 (note that name was misspelled)

5)        Henricus Alofs (5) (son) born October 26, 1873 (OUR PROGENITOR))

6)        Virgini Alofs (daughter) born November 11, 1876

7)        Eduardus Alofs (son) born February 3, 1880.

 

Henricus Alofs (5) married Maria Sylvie Dockx (5) on November 9, 1896 in Beveren, Waas. Henri (5) was a dock worker and Maria Sylvie Dockx (5) known as “Fay” 5, was a lace worker. Together they had three children:



1)        Theophiel Cesar Alofs (6) (son) born January  21, 1905 in Beveren-Waes, Belgium. He died August 21, 1976 in Windsor, Ontario Canada.

2)        Unknown son

3)        Unknown daughter

 

Theophiel Cesar Alofs(6) married Blondina Van Sompel(6). Together they had two children:

 
1)        Omer Alofs (son) born in Belgium.

2)        Albert Henry Alofs (7) (son) born October 18, 1935 in Windsor, Ontario Canada.

 
I have some more data (2 next generations, the children of Albert Henry Alofs (7)  but this data is not published here for privacy reasons.


SUMMARY: THE 7 GENERATIONS OF ALOFS

 
1)           Petrus Jan Alefs (1) married Maria Huiben/Houben (1)

2)           Jean Baptist Alofs (2) married Petronella Paelink-Aertssen (2)

3)           Joannes Franciscus (3) married (Maria) Bertina de Ridder (3)

4)           Joseph Ferdinandus (4) married Paula de Wispelaere (4)

5)           Henricus Alofs (5) married Maria Sylvie (Fay) Dockx (5)

6)           Theophiel Cesar Alofs (6) married Blondina Van Sompel (6)

7)           Albert Alofs (7)

8)           known at  page owner

9)           known at page owner
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page owner: Eddy Allefs
Last updated: August 13, 2005