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Marriage settlement & Letters from

(lived from 1754 - 1826)

Marriage settlement
between Alexander Falconer & Margareta Clementia Keiser, dated the 29th of July 1784

Marriage settlement

Printable version of this marriage settlement in PDF format:
 klik op het linker icon voor de oud Nederlandse versie van deze huwelijkse voorwaarden
 click on the left icon for the English translation of this marriage settlement

 

Family relations of the persons mentioned in this marriage settlement:

family arms

Family arms
Source:
windows
Martini-church
Groningen
click pedigree above for more detailed information about these persons and their relations
Legend green  the bridal couple
blue  the mentioned living persons at the moment of this marriage settlement
orange  the mentioned died persons at the moment of this marriage settlement

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Brief Dutch historical background

A brief historical Dutch background is given below, to help you placing the letters of Alexander Falconer (1754-1826) in the perspective of the timeframe he lived in. Alexander was eye witness of this time period of our history.

In 1751 the 3-year-old Willem V became Viceroy of Holland. The young Willem was placed under regency of his mother, princes Anna.
In 1756 the long expected European war broke out, where England and Prussian opposite Austria, France and Russia. In this 7 years war, the Republic Holland remained neutral.
In 1766 Willem V, at his 18th year, took over the Viceroy positions by himself.
After 1770 dark clouds came over the Republic Holland and the House of Orange.
From 1780 till 1783 there was the 4th English war, a war against the Dutch regents. In the 4th English war the Republic suffered so much, that the Patriots took their chance to attack the Viceroy and his friends.

Willem V and his familyWillem V left:
Family portrait of
Willem V, his spouse Frederica Sophia Wilhelmina
 of Prussia and their children:
Frederica Louisa Wilhelmina, Willem Frederik
(the later king Willem I), and Willem George Frederik

 

right:
Willem V

In 1785 prince Willem V, his spouse Wilhelmina and children flee to “Het Loo” in Gelderland. Ironically, just there in Gelderland, the long expected civil war broke out, a civil war that has threatened the Republic for so long.
In September 1787 a Prussian army of 20.000 men marched into the Republic, to restore the authority of the House of Orange.
After the Prussian left Holland in November 1787, Holland had to pay a war fee of half a million.
Numerous Patriots were abused and persecuted; many of them left the country.

In 1789 the great French revolution burst out, which touched the whole of Europe.
Early 1792 France was involved in a war with Prussia and Austria, and became a republic in that same year.
The French attacked the Austrian Netherlands and destroyed it in short time.
Then, in early 1793, Emperor Louis XVI was executed, and on the 10th of February 1793, the French declared war to George III (of the United Kingdom) and to Viceroy Willem V (of Holland).
The revolutionary government in Paris sets themselves up as liberators of the English nation, and the inhabitants of Republic Holland.
The English people didn’t welcome this, but that was quite different in the Republic Holland. There the Patriots lived, and in their oppression they expected miracles from their French friends. Since 1787 there also lived thousands of emigrated Patriots in France, who saw their chance now, to bring freedom to their native country.
Charles François Dumouriez General Charles François Dumouriez

After the war declaration of February 1793, general Dumouriez marched (together with Patriots) into the southern state of Brabant, and occupied the city of Breda.
On the head of an army, founded by the Republic Holland, the young princes Willem (the later king Willem I) and Frederik marched into the southern Netherlands, for a battle, together with the allied powers. They resisted bravely, and in one of those fights even prince Frederik was heavily wounded. When, in March 1793 the Austrians defeated the French army, the French had to withdraw themselves.

When Alexander wrote his letter in April 1793, he had no idea what the future would bring to him, but history continued, as we know by now, in the following way:

In the summer of 1794 the French reconquered the Southern Netherlands, and general Pickegru marched with his army into the State-Flanders and State-Brabant. And just as in the previous year, many emigrated Patriots participated in that army. Those Patriots called themselves Batavians now.
Over the frozen rivers general Pickegru marched deep into the Republic Holland, in early January 1795.
The Republic Holland was lost by now, and on Sunday the 18th of January 1795 the Dutch princely family left Holland on the road to Yarmouth in England. The Batavian Republic became a fact (1795-1806).
After that Holland became part of the France realm, until Napoleon was defeated at Leipzig in October 1813. Then, on the 30th of November 1813, the English warship “The Warrior” brought William, Prince of Orange, to land in Scheveningen, with, and on the 16th of March 1815 he became – as Willem I – King of the united Netherlands.
King Willem I King Willem I

Groningen during Alexander's life

Click on the image for maps and images of Groningen at the time Alexander lived there.

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Family relation overview

Showing the applicable family members and their family interrelations; in blue the family members Alexander Falconer mentioned in his letters.


Notice: The spouse of Antony Adiaan Falconer, Christina Elisabeth Sichterman, is the sister of Sybilla Volkera Sichterman, who married Rembt Thobias van Iddekinge, the brother of Antony Adriaan's mother, Rembertina Maria van Iddekinge.
So, Sybilla Volkera van Iddekinge became Antony Adriaan's aunt and also his sister-in-law, and his uncle Rembt Thobias became also his brother-in-law.

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1789: letter from Alexander Falconer to his brother Antony Adriaan Falconer
 dated the 20th of January 1789


SOURCE: Kintore Papers, Bundle 198, Aberdeen University Library
page 1
(click picture to enlage)		 page 2
(click picture to enlage)		 page 3
(click picture to enlage)		 page 4
(click picture to enlage)

Printable version of this letter in PDF format:
 klik op het linker icoon voor de oud Nederlandse versie van deze brief
 click on the left icon for the English translation of this letter

Zuiderzee - winter 1740
as Alexander mentions in this letter

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1793: letter from Alexander Falconer to his brother Antony Adriaan Falconer
 dated the 17th of April 1793


SOURCE: Kintore Papers, Bundle 198, Aberdeen University Library
letter envelope
(click picture to enlage)		 page 1
(click picture to enlage)		 page 2
(click picture to enlage)

Printable version of this letter in PDF format:
 klik op het linker icoon voor de oud Nederlandse versie van deze brief
 click on the left icon for the English translation of this letter

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