This was my great great grandfather, he was also a tailer at Delfstrahuizen (Friesland), his son Kleis Philippus Helfferich born 1828 at Echten (Friesland) married to Margje Andries Buis in the year 1850. He died 01-07-1904 at Hoornsterzwaag (Friesland) was my great grandfather. His son Marten Helfferich born 13-10-1873 te Hoornsterzwaag married to Bontje Rinkes de Jong at 1896 was my grandfather. His son Kleis Helfferich born 1906 was my father.
Regards, Gita
Death Janke
Overlijdens regio 13: zuid en zuidwest Friesland
Overlijdensakte Workum, 1890
Aangiftedatum 10 februari 1890, akte nr. 7
Janke Helfrich, overleden 9 februari 1890, oud 84 jaar,
Cornelis Fredrik Helfrig was a son Dirk Philippus Helfrig & Antje Cornelis Feenstra. He was born on
9 april 1820 in Harlingen, Friesland prov. Netherlands. The date of his death is unknown, but he is still mentioned as father on the birth record of his youngest son in 1854.The call name of Cornelis Fredrik was ‘Fredrik’. The call name of his father was ‘Dirk’ or ‘Durk’. In Friesland province using ‘patronyms’, Cornelis Fredrik was listed as ‘Fredrik Durks’.
On his birth record his name is written as Cornelis Fredrik Helfrig, also on the record of marriage however the signature shows ‘Helvrich’.
As father he is consequently mentioned as Fredrik Durks Helfrich.1820 Cornelis Fredrik Helfrig after 1878/ after 1903
(ancestors: Dirk Philippus Helfrig 1789-18??, Görg Philipp Helffrich 1747-1827, Johann Georg Helffrich 1718-1786, Johannes Fritz Helfrig 1678-1736, Henner Helffrich 1645-1701)
Cornelis Fredrik Helfrig was a son Dirk Philippus Helfrig & Antje Cornelis Feenstra. He was born on 9 april 1820 in Harlingen, Friesland prov. Netherlands. The date of his death is unknown, but he is still listed in a notorial act dated Wartena, Friesland prov. 12 Dec 1878. Another source lists he died after 1903 in the USA.
The nickname of Fredrik was “the Devil of Eernewoude (De Duvel fan Earnewâld).Fredrik was winkelier =shopkeeper, venter =street-trader, kruidenzoeker =herbalist
On 5 juni 1845 he married in Idaarderadeel the 29 years old Jacobje Pieters Hamstra (Japikje),
She was born 1 june 1816 in Wartena as the daughter of Pieter Jacobs Hamstra en Fokje
Hinnes Hoekstra. She died 86 years old in Wartena on 7 Okt 1902.The name "The divil of Earnewâld" It was given to him by a woman who's child he shouted out of his sleep. This is what he writes about it himself. Those who are living near Grouw, Earnewâld, Wartena and Leeuwarden, do not know old Freark? They also name me Freark Prûk and as I with my loud noise shout the the little boy out of his sleep, the woman call me The Devil of Earnewâld. But as Freark on other days with a nice talk speaks with her to sell her beautifull things from his shop, than they smile to the old boss and they think by themselfs, that this old devil is having wonderfull things to sell. Freark navigates allready for many years with his boat at the waterland. He has the seven crosses on his back, but he still jumps , as it must, the young ladies over there heads.
Here the story of the "Duvel of Earnewâld".
It still is in Friesland "the duvel of earnewâld" it is as name or epression known. When we hold a lecture about Earnewâld and the Princessehof and we askt of someone heard about "our devil"
and the "smith of Earnewâld" they always got these two mixt up. We tried to find out who he was and how he did get this name. His official name was Cornelis Frederik Dirks Helfrich (also written as Helffrich) and born at Harlingen on 11th of April 1820 as son of Dirk Philippus Helfrich and Antje Cornelis Feenstra. Dad was a bargeman at sea and lived at Harlingen at that time. Grandfather of dads site was Georg Philip Helfrich, born 16-06-1747 at Mensfelden in Nassau Dietz (Germany) and grandmothers name was Anna Catharina Wairing. She died at Leeuwarden on 17th of March 1795. Grandfather remarried on 11th of October with Johanna Cristoffels Ramkema. He came from Germany and was on 22th of July 1783 citizen of Leeuwarden. His profension was tailer and later he moved to Makkum, where he died on 26th of March 1827. He had 5 children with his first wife.
Cornelis Frederik was named Freark. He married on the 5th of june 1845 with Jacobje Pieters Hamstra. She was named Japke and was born on the 1th of june 1816 at Wartena. At his wedding the father of Freark was not there; he was as boatsman on sea to the west. In the mariage certificate is named that Freark was a shipsboy. They had 6 children: Anna, Pieter, Durk, Kornelis and Jan. Anna was only 11 years when she died. Freark and Japke lived at first at Wartena, but they moved on 6th of june 1882 to Earnewâld. He was than a boatsman. They lived at a houseboat and that was new for Earnewâld. On sunday people went walking intentional along to see this miracle. He was lookt at by everyone with his boat and came to the Veenhoop and to the Wartenaster and Grouwster lowlands. And sometimes he came also to Akrum, he was ued to say, that he wanted to be burried at Nes by Akrum, that was high ground and he could look a litlle bit arount him. But than he had to have a glazed coffin. When they left the ark is not known, but they moved to shore at a small house next to it Kokelhûs, at the Flietsteeg.
Japke who was very happy, had a litlle shop and she could find the stoppered botlles on her senses. They also traded in old iron and bones, and there is a saying that naughty boys brought her bones to make her heavyer.
Except to be salesman in household stuff, old iron and bones, he was also a herbseeker. He brougt the herbs to Leeuwarden to the chemist. He must have known a lot about herbs. He was very intelligent and could read and write very well. He had a lot of interest for politics and social problems. He did write to the newspaper "Fries Volsblad" about reclaim land, and vaccination against illness, extermination of the hawk and heighten land with moundmud.
When he was at Leeuwarden he went a lot of times to Pieter Jelles Troelstra. (Note; This was a very democratic political person and a writer.)
He was telling him goststories and took sometimes wurms with him for the children, for there collection. And he wrote the stories in his magazine "Foar Hûs en Hiem" under the chapter "grounwoartels". In 1903 was a book publisht of Pieter Jelles Troelstra and his wife Nienke van Hichtem "Friesche schetsen" with a story of the French time at Holland what the father of Freark (Dirk) experienced during the time of Napoleon. He also made a profit of Frearks stories. We did ask Troelstra one time, but he didnt know enything of the contacts with Freark. Still he was there and Freark got a pressent from him a crystal vase and roemer.
When Pieter Jelles at 1897 at Tytsjerksteradiel the election won, he was homaged on a sunday morning at the "De Drie Gekroonde Baarzen" (This is a Cafe) at Bergum. And our Freark was there to and had a drink on his health. Pieter Jelles wrote about this in his memorials part 2 on page 154 and 155. He writes there "And at the same time there was a inhabitant of earnewâld, a knotty folkfigure, who did visit me, when I was living at Leeuwarden, and brought for my children eggs and waterbirds, and wrote for my Friesian magazine old stories and knowhows. As a thank you I gave him a crystal vase. With this vase and roemer he came to Bergum to drink on my health. And than he said to me that he bought also a roemer for his wife and drunk on her behalve again on my health."
When they where older they where very poor and that was at that time nothing new. Sometimes they got somethings from the poorhouse, but it seemt that Freark didnt want that. He wrote at 1897 to the Queen for help. He wrote that he saved the lives of eight people. His request came via the burgomaster by the poor committee for advice. They wrote that the income of Freark is not large and that because of the foot and mouth disease the farmers not spending there money.
His wife 84 years old is blind. That wy he has to do the household and he can not go in the evening to one or the other farmer to sleep.
They are also writing about his unselfishness when it comes to saving peoples lives. The early burgomaster, Mr. Bergsma, wanted to give Freark a medal for saving drowning persons, but he refused to accept because he didnt want to show off with his deeds. When he saved a men,s live over ice from a hole where he was fallen in to, his companion was nam of the shock, could,t or dare to help, askt the saved what he should give him. Nothing sad Freark, if I am in the water I exspect you to save me to, and you should push your mate in to the hole because he should have let you drowned like a dog.
Freark sad that the advice of the poor committy was favourable, but of he did get some money is not known by us.
He also build a small house at the âlde feanen, that after his dead was sold and was tranferd to Oudega. We dont know the place where it was standing at the âlde feanen, we coudn't find the place.
He had tree nicknames. Freark Prûk was the first and is a name that more people had. On the pictures we have you can see that he had a lot of hair. We think that he got these two other names when he was older. And some wicked facts committed. Except the duvel of earnewâld he was also named the satan of Wartena. He also lived there to.
About the stories who are told about him, also by his family, he is known as a person on his own. Not only rough on the outside but also on the inside, this is what you can say. But mostley it was appearances. Nienke van Hichtum wrote about his small hart and could find it very well with her blind daughter Japke. But in his expressions rough, raw and not to be trifled with. He could very good shout and swear. He didn't believe in gost but if he could scare people with that he had a lot of fun. There is told that once he took someone on his boat from Wartena to earnewâld. And it was someone who was a litlle superstitiosness and when they where navigating the long ditches Freark said; Yes, Yes, There he is behind the reed. The person was very scared and Freark had a good laugh. He had fun when people didn't. When others had disagreement he made a joke out of it. It was someone apart, also from the fact that he didnt want his grandchildren to have the name Freark of Frederik. Most grandfathers should be proud of that but not Freark. When his son Durk his first son wanted to register as Frederik, they had to change that into Bonne because Freark didn't want that. The change you still can see at the bithcertificate.
Freark was a very good swimmer and learnd his children to swim as well, according to his children in the direct method. He puts them overboard and said swim. The results we dont know but none of them is drownd. Freark himself saved a lot of lives because he was a goor swimmer and he even got a medal for it. When during the summer days the farm girls and woman busy saw with the washing and milkcans he wanted to make a joke, he moved his boat in to reed, he couldn't help himself, he took of his clodes, kept only his underware on and jumpt in to the water than he was swimming under water to the women and they where very shocked when they saw him comming above the water.
One time when he was by woman Jaarsma at Wartena and insite the house was, the girls took revance his woden shoes where outsite the door and the girls pour syrop in his wooden shoes. When he took them on he new what had happend and run after the girls true the hole house. It is no wonder that poeple find him odd.
When Japke died in 1902, he himself did let him write out of the goverment books and on the funeral where no people and not even a minister. That was something at that time. Freark went to America to his son Pieter, who was emigrated at 1898, there is a saying that nobody nows that he has left for america. He didn't come back and nobody heard from him. some said that he didnt get there alive but that wasn't true.
There are a lot of desendents of Freark and Japke. At the schoolhouse at Earnewâld where in years 1960-1970 two schoolteachers who where from the direct line of Freark. They where Jantsje van der Mark and Corry van Zinderen. And a other desendent made a very beautifull book, where you can find a lot about the Helfrichs and other found herbs and used them for making there own branche of Bearenburg. (this is a stong alcohollic drink).
Hope you liked the story, it comes from the book history of Earnewâld written by Toering and Franke.
Gita Helfferich
52. Jetske Helfrich
Geboorten regio 10: noordwest Friesland
Geboorteakte Harlingen
Aangiftedatum 28 september 1821, blad nr. 110
Jetske Helfrich, geboren 27 september 1821
dochter van Dirk Philip Helfrich en Antje Cornelis Veenstra
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Overlijdens regio 8: midden Friesland
Overlijdensakte Idaarderadeel, 1852
Aangiftedatum 22 april 1852, blad nr. 7
Jetske Durks Helfrich, overleden 20 april 1852, oud 30 jaar, gehuwd
143. Geert Stenekus
Geboorten regio 8: midden Friesland
Geboorteakte Idaarderadeel
Aangiftedatum 2 december 1847, nr. 67
Geert Stenekus, geboren 30 november 1847
zoon van Johannes Bernardus Stenekus en Jetske Durks Helfrich
144. Anne Stenekus
Geboorten regio 8: midden Friesland
Geboorteakte Idaarderadeel
Aangiftedatum 6 mei 1850, nr. 32
Anne Stenekes, geboren 4 mei 1850
zoon van Johannes Bernardus Stenekes en Jetske Durks Helfrich
145. Antje Stenekus
Geboorten regio 8: midden Friesland
Geboorteakte Idaarderadeel
Aangiftedatum 16 maart 1852, nr. 18
Antje Steenekes, geboren 13 maart 1852
dochter van Johannes Bernardus Steenekes en Jetske Durks Helfrich
148. Helfrich
Child was probably stillborn