Constantia
Petrus  
Sophia

According to a parish register of Sint-Blasius-Boekel (now part of the municipality of Zwalm), Pieter Joseph De Ruyver was baptised in this parish on August 8, 1787, as son of Petrus Franciscus and Maria Theresia De Ridder. He was the godchild of Livinus Gezels (his uncle) and Joanna Catherina De Ruyver (his aunt) (1). As first name both Pieter Joseph and Joseph are mentioned in civil documents (2).

Pieter Joseph must have moved with his parents to Zegelsem, where the family had a house in the hamlet Ledeberg. His mother, Maria Theresia De Ridder died here on February 9, 1822, and his father, Petrus Franciscus De Ruyver, on December 30, 1829 (3). On May 14, 1831, Joseph De Ruyver appears in a notarial act, buying a piece of sowing-land in Zegelsem for 350 Dutch guilder from Francus Biebuyck and his wife Sophie vandermeulen, also inhabitants of Zegelsem (4).

On October 8, 1836, at 3 p.m., Pieter Joseph De Ruyver married Natalie Troncquo in Zegelsem (now part of the municipality of Brakel). Pieter Joseph was then 49 years old. Best man was Joseph Teirlinck, a 39 years old blacksmith, and cooper Jan Baptiste De Ridder, the 29 years old brother-in-law of Pieter Joseph De Ruyver. Both witnesses lived in Zegelsem. As profession of Pieter Joseph houtzaeger (sawyer) is mentioned (5).

According to the marriage registration, Natalie Troncquo was the daughter of Josephus Troncquo (deceased in Zegelsem on September 19, 1827) and Marie Claire Trifijn (also Triffin, Trifin, deceased in Zegelsem on September 9, 1825) (6). Natalie was baptised on December 17, 1806, in Zegelsem, and married Charles Bacon in the same village on August 29, 1828 (7). Charles Bacon died on March 30, 1835. At the time of her wedding with Pieter Joseph De Ruyver, Natalie Troncquo was a farmer and she was still living in Zegelsem (8).

Pieter Joseph De Ruyver and Natalie Troncquo continued to live in Zegelsem, where 5 children were born:

Constantia was born on August 27, 1837 at midnight. When her father went to the town hall of Zegelsem the next day, he was recorded as being a farmer, who declared not being able to write (9). Constantia married Franciscus De Backer on January 7, 1869 in Zegelsem (10).

Sophia was born on October 18,1838 around 4 a.m. When Pieter Joseph De Ruyver went announcing the birth in the town hall, he declared to be farmer and he signed the birth act (11). Sophia died as child on February 23, 1841 in Zegelsem (12). Once again her father was mentioned as farmer, and once again he signed the act. Also, it was stated that Sophia died at her home in the hamlet of Kanakendries in Zegelsem.

Petrus was born on March 10, 1842 around 4 p.m. When his father declared his birth the next morning, the civil servant in the town hall mentioned the profession of Pieter Joseph De Ruyver in the birth act: farmer. Again, Pieter Joseph signed the act (13). Petrus De Ruyver married Virginie Lison (14).

Jan Baptiste was born on October 11, 1844 around 1 a.m. Once again his father Pieter Joseph De Ruyver signed the birth act and was mentioned as farmer (15). Jan Baptiste De Ruyver married Maria Theresia Spitaels on February 15, 1873, in Nederbrakel (now part of Brakel) (16).

Sophia (named after her deceased sister) was born on October 31, 1849, around 11 a.m. Her father, named Josephus De Ruyver, was mentioned as a 63 years old weaver living in the hamlet Kanakendries in Zegelsem. He declared to be unable to write. The mother, Natalia Troncquo, was noted as a 42 years old spinner (17). Sophia De Ruyver married Louis Assez (18).

Though several above mentioned acts declare that Pieter Joseph De Ruyver could sign, no signature was registered. The civil servant himself wrote down the names of the witnesses under the document (19). Therefor, the acts describing Pieter Joseph De Ruyver as unable to write might be more trustworthy.

Pieter Joseph De Ruyver died on May 6, 1853 around 6 a.m., in his house on the "Kanakendrisstraet" in Zegelsem at the age of 65. His decease registration mentions weaver as profession (20). His widow remained with four minor children: Constantia (15 years old), Petrus (11 years), Jan Baptiste (8 years), and Sophia (3 years). Natalie Troncquo died on November 7, 1885, in Zegelsem (21).

During the life of Pieter Joseph De Ruyver, the house weaving sector of Flanders, which provided the means of life for centuries, came into a structural crisis, due to the competition of the mechanical weaving industry born in England. This crisis became a real social crisis during the 1840's because of several years of poor harvest. Reports of that time speak of an excessive impoverishment in the district of Oudenaarde (to which Zegelsem belonged), resulting in malnutrition and starvation. Though the situation bettered in the 1850's, the collapse of the house weaving sector meant that the backbone of the economy in South-East-Flanders was broken. Therefor, the rate of impoverishment remained high, resulting in a growing emigration flow in the second half of the 19th century (22).

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Sources :

R.A.R. : Rijksarchief Ronse (State's Archives in the city of Ronse, Belgium), address : Alexandre-Louis Vanhovestraat 45, 9600 Ronse, Belgium, tel: +32.55.211.983.

O.G.A. : Oud Gemeente Archief (Old Municipal Archives)

D.H.O. : Doop, Huwelijken, Overlijdens (Church Archives about Baptisms, Weddings and Decease).

B.S.: Burgerlijke Stand (Civil Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages).

(1) D.H.O. Sint-Blasius-Boekel, klapper 83 D.H.O. and register p. 578, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(2) in the certificates of birth of his children both names appear (see later).      [return]

(3) BS Zegelsem, register no. 4, death registration of Petrus Franciscus De Ruyver, dated December 31, 1829, and death registration of Maria Theresia De Ridder, dated February 9, 1822, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(4) Notariaat Nederbrakel, fonds Notaris W. Vanderlinden, repertoria van Notaris Vidts, no. 4, repertorium 776.      [return]

(5) BS Zegelsem, register no. 6, marriage registration of Pieter Joseph De Ruyver and Natalie Troncquo, dated October 8, 1836, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(6) BS Zegelsem, register no. 6, marriage registration of Pieter Joseph De Ruyver and Natalie Troncquo, dated October 8, 1836, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(7) BS Zegelsem, klapper, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(8) BS Zegelsem, register no. 6, marriage registration of Pieter Joseph De Ruyver and Natalie Troncquo, dated October 8, 1836, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(9) BS Zegelsem, register no. 5, birth act no. 39, dated August 28, 1837, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(10) BS Zegelsem, register no. 9, marriage act no. 2, dated January 7, 1869, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(11) BS Zegelsem, register no. 5, birth act dated October 18, 1838, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(12) BS Zegelsem, register no. 7, decease act dated February 23, 1841, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(13) BS Zegelsem, register no. 7, birth act dated March 11, 1842, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(14) Marriage certificate (trouwboek) of Omer De Ruyver, son of Petrus. Owner of this certificate is Ms. Maria De Backer, Donkweg 21, Brakel.      [return]

(15) BS Zegelsem, register no. 7, birth act dated October 11, 1844, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(16) BS Nederbrakel, marriage act of February 15, 1873, consulted in the town hall of Brakel.      [return]

(17) BS Zegelsem, register no. 7, birth act dated October 31, 1849, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(18) DE RUYVER, Dirk, Van de Ruvere tot De Ruyver, Zottegem, 1985, publication in own production, pp. 103-104.      [return]

(19) DE RUYVER, Dirk, Van de Ruvere tot De Ruyver, Zottegem, 1985, publication in own production, p. 98.      [return]

(20) BS Zegelsem, register no. 8, decease act dated May 6, 1853, consulted in R.A.R.      [return]

(21) BS Zegelsem.     [return]

(22) DE RUYVER, Dirk, Van de Ruvere tot De Ruyver, Zottegem, 1985, publication in own production, p. 98-99.      [return]

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