In his twenties and early thirties, Adriaen spent much energy in consolidating his father's lifework : the brewery and farm. In 1677, two years before his death, Philips De Ruyver handed over the legacy of his first wife Janneken Schiettecatte to his 3 oldest sons, Frans, Adriaen, and Jan. This probably happened because of his eldest son, Frans, leaving for Overmere, where he married around 1677.

At that time, from the three sons of Philips and Janneken, only Adriaen remained at his father's house. The youngest son, Jan, had already joined the Spanish army by then. Philips' legacy of February 1680 recalls : "�E hebbende den zelve Jan heden omtrent de seven jaeren hem beghinnen inden dienst van sijne Conelijcke Maiesteyt van hispangne sonder dat nu was gheweten of den zelven noch is in leven ofte niet�E (the same Jan, now about seven years ago, started at the service of his Royal Majesty of Spain, and it is now not known whether the same is still alive or not).

According to the estate description of Adriaen De Ruyver (dating back from November 9, 1709), Adriaen bought his brother Frans' part of their mother's legacy, and the deal was finalized in a signed contract on March 27, 1679. As Jan De Ruyver was serving in the Spanish army, his part was left untouched. It can be presumed that Adriaen administered Jan's property, as he was the only one of the three brothers left in Sint-Blasius-Boekel. In this way, the 90 roeden that Janneken Schiettecatte inherited from her parents in 1647, and on which the family house was built, came into the hands of Adriaen De Ruyver. In 1709, this piece of land was measured 80 instead of 90 roeden. Although not mentioned, half of the buildings (family house, farming and brewery buildings) should also have become the property of Adriaen. After Philips De Ruyver died in 1679, Adriaen continued buying whatever he could from his father's estate.

Probably to everybody's surprise, Jan De Ruyver turned up around 1685, having apparently survived his service to the Spanish king. On August 8, 1685, he married Catherina Vernimmen in Bottelare. On June 6, 1688, he concluded a contract with his brother Adriaen, selling his part of his parents' inheritance to the latter. For Adriaen, this was the final step in securing the core of his father's estate : the family house, the farming and brewery buildings, and an enclosed field of 115 roeden in front of the family house, which his father Philips had acquired during his marriage with his second wife, Lucia Vande Vijvere.

During the transition of the family belongings from Philips to Adriaen De Ruyver, one crucial piece of land went missing : the 90 roeden which Philips De Ruyver bought from Frans Schiettecatte, his first wife's brother (Adriaen's uncle). According to Janneken Schiettecatte's legacy, it was on this piece of land that the brewery had been built. The legacy of Philips' second wife, Lucia Vande Vijvere, still mentions the 90 roeden in 1672 however, the legacy of Philips De Ruyver (1680) doesn't mention it at all. This leads us to believe that he sold the land to his son Adriaen around 1677. However, the legacy of Adriaen in 1709 situates the family house, farming and brewery buildings on the 90 (by 1709, 80) roeden which his mother, Janneken Schiettecatte, inherited from her parents. Thus, it is unclear what happened to the other 90 roeden. Was it sold by Philips or Adriaen, and the brewery rebuilt on the land of the 80 or 90 roeden on which the family house was standing?

Marriage to Judoca (Joosijne) Moreels

Probably in the beginning of 1682, Adriaen De Ruyver married with Judoca Moreels, commonly known as Joosijne Moreels. She was the daughter of Pieter Moreels (son of Jan Moreels) and Pierijne Blommaert (daughter of Pieter Blommaert) and originated from the town of Mater (now part of the city of Oudenaarde). Her date of birth was most likely in the first half of 1660, and she was the elder sister of (Anne) Marie (born in 1662) and Francois Moreels (born in 1664).

At the age of five, Joosijne Moreels lost her mother, Pierijne Blommaert, who died in Mater on September 7, 1665. The legacy of Pierijne Blommaert comprised 2,420 pounds parisis of assets and 1,027 pounds parisis of liabilities, leaving a 1,393 pounds parisis to be distributed among her husband and her three children. The estate description shows a young farming family, owing a house, two barns, stables, a dovecot, an oven, a carriage, two horses, three cows and a calf, and all kind of farming tools. Apart from farming, the family was also engaged in spinning as two spinning-wheels and a flax-stock were found in their premises. The family owed some money to a farm-hand, a servant and a maid.

Joosijne's father, Pieter Moreels, remarried with Pierijne de Pessemier. No children were born during this second marriage. Pieter Moreels died in November 1677, leaving three minor children to the guardianship of Gillis Blommaert, his first wife's brother. On March 22, 1678, it became clear that the legacy of Pieter Moreels had more liabilities than assets which resulted in the appointment of a curator to solve the financial crisis. A document of February 23, 1682, states that Adriaen De Ruyver took over the guardianship of the minors (Anne) Marie and Francois Moreels, as he was recently married to their elder sister Joosijne.

Though Adriaen De Ruyver was about 10 years older than Joosijne Moreels, their backgrounds were quite similar : both were born in financially healthy farming families; both lost their mothers at a fairly young age; both their fathers remarried; both witnessed their families' finances turn for the worse in the 1670's; and, both lost their fathers at the end of the 1670's.

Adriaen and Joosijne Expand Their Estate

Adriaen De Ruyver and his wife Joosijne Moreels expanded the land they worked in Sint-Blasius-Boekel from 2 bunders, 3 dagwand and 41 roeden in 1683 to 13 bunders, 3 dagwand and 25 roeden in 1709. Adriaen De Ruyver's legacy of November 9, 1709 (he died on September 22, 1708), gives a good description of the land owned by Adriaen and his wife. Apart from the family premises, they held land in places like Heuverhoeve, Maesegem, Nederkouter, Franskouter in Sint-Blasius-Boekel and Weilegem, and a piece of meadow in the Kerkmeersch in Sint-Maria-Horebeke (now part of the town of Horebeke).

According to fiscal documents of 1691 and 1704, Adriaen also worked 2 dagwand and 33 roeden in the neighboring town of Rozebeke (now part of the community of Zwalm).The land which his wife Joosijne Moreels inherited in Mater was all sold, according to Adriaen's legacy of 1709. Clearly, Adriaen and Joosijne had their basis in Sint-Blasius-Boekel, operating from the house built by Philips De Ruyver, Adriaen's father. In 1691, Adriaen De Ruyver rented the windmill of Sint-Blasius-Boekel for two years.

The lengthy description of Adriaen's legacy of 1709 does not contain only the brewery and farming tools, but also 4 spinning wheels, 3 looms, 3 cows, 2 horses, and a carriage, indicating that brewing, farming, spinning and weaving went hand in hand in this family. Lastly, Adriaen's legacy description counted 4,621 pounds parisis of assets and 624 pounds parisis of liabilities, leaving 3,497 pounds parisis for his heirs.

After the death of Adriaen De Ruyver, his widow Joosijne Moreels continued the farming and brewery activities. She is mentioned as paying the taxes in Sint-Blasius-Boekel, Sint-Maria-Horebeke and Rozebeke. In 1727, she is still working more than 13 bunders of land in Sint-Blasius-Boekel, and in 1730 more than 10 bunders and 2 dagwand. In 1731 , Joosijne Moreels decided to divide her and her late husband's belongings amongst her children. Apart from the family premises in Sint-Blasius-Boekel, the heirs received land at following places : Franskouter, Wijveld, Nederhoeve, Heuverhoeve, Maesegem, Aertdal, and Pierijne Lochtinck in Sint-Blasius-Boekel and Weilegem, and Kerkmeersch in Sint-Maria-Horebeke. After reduction of the liabilities, the legacy of Adriaen De Ruyver and Joosijne Moreels was worth 14,745 pounds parisis in 1731.

Adriaen's Civic Life

The financially comfortable position of Adriaen De Ruyver and his spouse did not translate into official positions of the caliber of those positions held by Adriaen's father (Mayor), grandfather (Alderman), and great-grandfather (Lieutenant-Bailiff). Adriaen, himself, has been traced back as being "pointer ende setter" (tax official) in the period 1690-1709, proving that he could at least write and read.

Being a brewer and relatively wealthy farmer, Adriaen De Ruyver regularly had to deliver services to passing armies. In July 1683, a Spanish army passed Sint-Blasius-Boekel, resulting in a colonel and three of his soldiers with their horses staying at Adriaen's place. During 1707-1709 several military troops came looking for free provisions in Sint-Blasius-Boekel. The town documents carefully noted the costs of these obligatory treats, mentioning several times Adriaen De Ruyver or his widow as the cost-bearers. Even in the documents describing the legacy of Adriaen De Ruyver in 1709, the military left its footprints : "De cleederen ende lijnwaeten van den overledenen, den meerderen deel ghenomen van de soldaeten,�E (The cloths and garments of the deceased, of which most was taken by the soldiers).

In order to make daily life somewhat more secure, the villagers organized a vigilante patrol. In 1704, Adriaen De Ruyver served as corporal, together with one of his servants and one of his sons.

Adriaen and Joosijne's Children

Nine children were born from the marriage of Adriaen De Ruyver and Joosijne Moreels, of which eight survived their parents. All were baptized according to the Roman Catholic rites in Sint-Blasius-Boekel :

The eldest son, Philips De Ruyver (baptized October 29, 1682), became his fathers' successor. He inherited the family premises (containing the brewery, family house, barns and stables) and became tax official in Sint-Blasius-Boekel.

Constantinus De Ruyver was baptized on January 25, 1685.

Petronilla (also Petronelle) De Ruyver was baptized on January 14, 1687, and married Arno Cans (son of Arent).

Franciscus (also Frans) De Ruyver was baptized on August 22, 1688. In November 1712, he married Adriana De Temmerman in Sint-Blasius-Boekel, and died in the same town on February 2, 1758.

Joannes Baptiste (also Joannes) De Ruyver was baptized on December 23, 1690.

Maria Anna (also Marianne) was baptized June 13, 1693. She married Pieter Verbrugghen and lived in the town of Etikhove.

Petrus (also Pieter) De Ruyver was baptized on October 22, 1697. He married Angelina Caroubel in Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke on February 2, 1722, and moved to the "Brouckestraete" in Sint-Maria-Horebeke (both Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke and Sint-Maria-Horebeke are now part of the town of Horebeke). In 1738, an official document describes him as a weaver and fiscal documents show that he worked up to 3 bunder 1 dagwand and 89 roeden of land in Sint-Maria-Horebeke. Pieter De Ruyver had at least two children (Philippus and Francisca) and died on September 1, 1754, in Sint-Maria-Horebeke.

Josephus (also Joseph) De Ruyver was baptized on October 10, 1700. In 1723, he married Adriana Taelman (born in 1704 in Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke as daughter of Steven and Catherina or Cathelijne Verstraeten or Van Der Straeten) in Sint-Maria-Horebeke. At least ten children were born from this marriage, all baptized in Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke. Joseph De Ruyver died in Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke on July 25, 1778.

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