Explore some of the documents, like the image of Frans' above signature, upon which this history is based.  

Until now, no historical document has revealed the date of birth of Frans (also mentioned as Francis, Francois or Franciscus). Therefore, the above year of 1590 is speculative. Frans De Ruyver appeared for the first time in a tax document of Sint-Blasius-Boekel (called ommestelling) in 1614 (1). It proves that Frans owned or hired land there and that he -as tax payer- was solvent in 1614. He continued to pay taxes in Sint-Blasius-Boekel until at least 1670 (2). The relatively high tax amounts, the large quantity of land taxed and the continuous appearance of Frans in the official documents of Sint-Blasius-Boekel permits the conclusion that he spent his life-time in this town, as did his father Adriaen. A document of 1617 (3) mentions explicitly Adriaen as father of Frans (Francois) and Frans' will of 1671 sites his homestead in Sint-Blasius-Boekel (4). Apart from Sint-Blasius-Boekel, Frans De Ruyver owned also land in Rozebeke, Elst en Michelbeke. The places where some of these lots were sited show a striking similarity with the properties of his father in the 1570's : Borrestede (mentioned in 1617 and 1671) and Maesdriesch (1671) in Sint-Blasius-Boekel, Cauter ten Eede, Lange Cauter en Asschenbrouck in Elst (1671), Visseghem Cauter in Michelbeke and Rozebeke (1671) (5). The lands that Frans economically exploited were relatively huge and amounted to 17 bunder (or about 20.9 hectares or 209,400m2 nowadays) (6) in Sint-Blasius-Boekel alone in the 1650's (7). Apart from the above estates, he and his wife also had properties in the following places in 1671 : Bouckelmeersch, De Recht, Arentsdal, Den Dal, de Cley and Helekens Lochtink in Sint-Blasius-Boekel, Wymeersch, Schooneweede, Broekveld, Poorterije, Cammelant and Carels Lochtinck in Michelbeke, Kouterken and Veld ten Eede in Elst. Frans transferred all his land to his children in 1671, except for the fief that he had held from the Land of Schorisse (3 dagwand or 9,220m2 in Den Cleij in Sint-Blasius-Boekel) since 1640 (8). This would remain his property till his death.

Frans De Ruyver married with Elisabeth Ceuterick, daughter of Hieron (also Jeroen), of whom no more information has been found yet. Elisabeth died probably in 1671 in Sint-Blasius-Boekel, as her legacy and Frans' will are described in an official document dated August 14, 1671 (9). According to this document, Frans and Elisabeth had eight adult children still alive then : Adriaen (lived in Sint-Blasius-Boekel ; married Pierijntken de ruyvere), Philips (ancestor of the writer, Dirk De Ruyver), Joos (married Joosijne Waelraet ; lived in Sint-Blasius-Boekel and Elst, where he died on September 26, 1677), Jan (lived in Elst), Gillijne (married Louis Pede, probably lived in Mater), Tanneken (married Pieter Van Der Haeghen ; lived in Elst and/or Sint-Blasius-Boekel), Jeroen (married Elisabeth Hanssens or Ansens ; lived in Michelbeke till his death in April 1663), Cathelijne (married Pieter Gossije ; lived probably in Rozebeke) (10).

Frans De Ruyver was an alderman (schepen) in several towns of the Land of Schorisse. Official documents mention him as alderman in Sint-Blasius-Boekel from 1626 till 1668 (11), in Elst from 1655 till 1667 (12), in Rozebeke (1631, 1638) (13), and in Mater (1648) (14). He was also appointed as setter (tax official) in Sint-Blasius-Boekel (in 1623, 1656, 1660, 1662) (15) and as griffier (official town registrar) in Elst (in 1645, 1647, 1659, 1667, 1670, 1671) (16). These functions required reading, writing and mathematical skills. Two fine examples of Frans' writing skills are the estate description of his brother-in-law Joos Compeyn in Sint-Denijs-Boekel (1651) (17) and a small booklet containing the wedding gifts he and his wife endowed on their children (18). The estate description of Frans De Ruyver and his wife Elisabeth Ceuterick of 1671 (19) depicts Frans as a kind of relatively wealthy farmer who employed several maids and laborers at his homestead. In 1671, he cultivated corn, rye, oat, wheat, barley and flax. This flax was probably spun into yarn by the two spinning-wheels at his farm, and a loom transformed the yarn into cloth. Frans and Elisabeth left a considerable heritage to their eight children. In view of this and of the official positions held by Frans and his sons(-in-law), Frans De Ruyver can be considered as belonging to the local dignitaries of the Land of Schorisse. He must have died in his homestead at Sint-Blasius-Boekel, probably in 1674, at an advanced age (20).

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