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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: lininberks on Sunday 14 October 18 16:34 BST (UK)
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My 3x Great Grandfather was awarded the Military order of William, 4th class in 1828. I am trying to find out some more information on him, and wondered if anyone knew if any records were kept, or if there is an archive for this order. I haven't been able to find out much by Googling, he is not listed on the Wikipedia page.
Thanks
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Can you share his name with us?
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He was Willem (or Wilhelmus) Meulenhoff, born in Borgerhout, Antwerp in 1798. I have just found a snippet with all his military details - he was in the Java War, and it was for this he was awarded the Order. Ideally I would like to find out more of his personal life - parents, wife etc.
Many thanks.
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See this:-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_War.
Look at the losses. Presumably this is the King William of the Netherlands who was at Waterloo (then Prince of Orange). Responsible for heavy losses and loss of the Colours to French cavalry of the 69th Regiment. May have been Quatre Bras rather than Waterloo itself.
If you watched 'Sharpe's Waterloo', you would have seen Sharpe standing with legs wide open, as cover, and his friend from Ireland, can't remember his name (Sergeant, 95th Rifles) prone, trying to kill Prince Billy, but only wounding him.
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I can't find him in the list voor living people who are "Ridders van de vierde klasse" in 1830. Did Wilhelmus die in 1828 or 1829?
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To start with, here is his 1822 military record: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9Y1F-H47?i=74&cc=1498335
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This is the snippet I found regarding his military career.
I think he married (or possibly not) in the 1820's as his son was born in 1827. He died in 1852 in Samarang.
Thanks for your help
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Interesting. Evidently, he wasn't in the Dutch-Belgian Army at Waterloo, Sunday, 18th June, 1815, but under training perhaps.
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If you watched 'Sharpe's Waterloo', you would have seen Sharpe standing with legs wide open, as cover, and his friend from Ireland, can't remember his name (Sergeant, 95th Rifles) prone, trying to kill Prince Billy, but only wounding him.
Sergeant Patrick Harper. The rest of the (fictional) company perished.
Prince William of Orange was at Quatre Bas.
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Thank you, that's right.
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No new info, but this is a mention in the “Rotterdamsche courant” 13-12-1828:
“Tevens heeft Zijne Majesteit, een openlijk blijk van goedkeuring willende geven aan de officieren en militairen van minderen rang, die zoo wel gedurende de celebesche expeditie in 1825, als sedert het tijdvak dat de vijandelijkheden op Java gestadig voortduren, bijzonder hebben uitgemunt, tot ridders van de 4de klasse der militaire Willems-orde benoemd.
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Voor den oorlog op Java … Meulenhoff … allen van de infanterie”
https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?coll=ddd&identifier=ddd%3A010977480%3Ampeg21%3Aa0022&objectsearch=meulenhoff
He is listed in the “Oost-Indië: Stamboeken Officieren KNIL” located in the Dutch National Archives (http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/index/nt00299/e5d3a202-3ad5-102d-ab92-005056a23d00/view/NT00299_personen/sort_column/prs_achternaam/sort_type/asc/q/zoekterm/meulenhoff/q/comments/1 )
Unfortunately these books are not online. See here for other options: http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/archief/inventaris/index/eadid/2.13.04/inventarisnr/386
(Note: There is an English option, but it seems a bit “iffy”. Google Translate might be a better option)
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You were also looking for his parents and this is where some issues start popping up.
I’d already mentioned the 1822 military file for Wilhelmus Meulenhoff: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9Y1F-H47?i=74&cc=1498335 . However there is also a 1816 file for a Willem Meulenhoff: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9Y1F-S9DZ?i=104&cc=1498335
There are enough reasons to conclude they are different persons, but also enough reasons to conclude that they are one and the same person! I’ll let you make up your own mind, but my gut feeling leans towards them being the same person.
I’m not great at old handwriting but here’s a stab at it:
1816 file:
Vader: Hendrikus
Moeder: Johanna /?/ Maanen (Note: I can’t determine what’s between those slashes
Geboren te: Burgerhoud bij Antwerpen
Den: 12 Maart 1796
Laatst gewoond te: Beúl
1822 file:
Vader: Hendrikus
Moeder Johannes Stoffers (Note: Johannes is normally a boys name)
Geboren te: Burgerhout
Den: 2 february 1798
Laatst gewoond te: Beuder
Burgerhout seems to be an old version of Borgerhout (https://www.atlasandmap.com/showmap.php?map=7344 ). Of course Wilhelmus could have been born there, but baptised some where else. However, if we assume that he was baptised in Borgerhout, there seems to be only one possibility :
There is a 27-1-1797 Catholic baptism for a Guilielmus Meulenhof son of “Henrici” from Beúl and Joanne Boen from Antwerp (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1Y-P3Y4-P?i=533&cat=61765 )
Henricus Meulenhof and Joanna Boon were married in 1794: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1Y-P3Y2-N?i=12&cat=61765 . This couple had (at least) another son Walterus Guilielmus (1794) and a daughter Aldegondis (1799).
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Many thanks for this info, especially the link to the record set for Borgerhout/Deurne. I have spent far too much of my time (!) going through the whole file and have found out quite a bit more info on this family.
Apologies for not saying thank you sooner, I was completely distracted. :D
Linda