JONGKIND ARRIVAL AT Vlaardingen
WESTHAVENKADE 54
When father Gerrit Adrianus Jongkind and his family moved to Vlaardingen in 1920, they came to live in the house of shipowner/salt merchant, merchant, and town councillor Willem van Warmelo on the Westhavenkade. He worked for the tax authorities, or rather, had a customs function.
But how did this move from the east of Holland to Vlaardingen come about?
Loan
As tax collector, father Gerrit Adrianus Jongkind had to personally stand for any cash deficits. As a guarantee he had to pay a deposit before entering 'in service'. In return the government paid him interest on this deposit. However, the required deposit was to such a high amount that, on 30 July 1821, father Gerrit Adrianus had to take two loans of 4000 florins with two widows in Vlaardingen to pay be able to pay the deposit.
After two year, when this financial guarantee was settled for, father Jongkind was finally, officially appointed as 'Deputy of taxes and excise duties' on 16 December 1822.
At the same time, father Gerrit has a second job. He is also 'Guarder and manager of a Vlaardinger 3th class warehouse'. It is not uncommon father Jongkind holds a second funtion because the wages of a collector of excise taxes of 700 florins a year is relatively low.
Warehouse manager
For the shipping industry, and fishery in particular, various goods are exempted from taxes or excise at that time. Salt was such a natural product being partly exempted from taxes and important for the Vlaardingen fishery sector.
It is likely that Gerrit Jongkind became Warehouse deputy in Vlaardingen of 'van Warmelo en van der Drift', who traded in salt from 1820 onwards and who happened to be the owners of the house above which father Jongkind rented..
WESTHAVENKADE 59
Family life
During the 1830 population count (census), the Jongkinds lived in this building.
At that time, this street was called Nieuwe Hoofdkade 18, but today it is Westhavenkade 59.
The building is still recognisable today.
Johan Barthold Jongkind is 10 years old at that time.
What we can read from the census is that they live here with an extended family consisting of:
father and mother, brother Johannes (Jan),
sister Magdalena (Leentje),
brother Jacobus (Koos, Koo),
brother Louwerens (Laurens) Cristiaan,
Johan Barthold Jongkind himself
his younger brother Willem and sister Johanna Elizabeth,
niece Maria,
A servant from Maassluis and the future son-in-law Reverend J. Smeltzer, a good friend of brother Laurens Jongkind.
Brother Laurens and Education in the 19th century
In those days it was common to start working straight after primary school, from around the age of 15.
Only the upper class bourgeoisie could afford to pay for secondairy education, and often not even for all children.
Johan Bartholds older brother Laurens was lucky and was allowed to attend the Latin school in Schiedam, some 4.5 kilometres walking distance from home.
In the years 1820 - 1830, children went to school from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (or 4 p.m. in winter months). Wednesday and Saturday afternoons were days off, and of course Sundays, as is common in the christian world, were resting days.
The school of brother Laurens was located at 'the Oude Kerkhof' near the Great Church in Schiedam and had only a few pupils (8 in 1837).
One day, on his way to or from school, Laurens Cristiaan Jongkind became injured in a storm and died after a six week illness on 1 July 1829. His recently graduated friend J. Smeltzer wrote a beautiful, carrying poem for Laurens's funeral, which shows his pain and friendship. The booklet with the poem has been well preserved in the city archives of Vlaardingen.
Father Gerrit Adrianus writes in his wedding letter that his son is buried in the churchyard in a new grave of the Lord of Büüren van Heijst, a kind gesture from their landlord.
Sister 'Leentje' and the vicar
J. Schmeltzer married Johan Bartholds Jondkinds sister Magdalena Geertruij (Leentje) on 2 February 1830 and became Vicar in Klaaswaal. Until they were married he apparently already lived with the family in Vlaardingen. Perhaps they were already engaged or perhaps love blossomed for Magdalene between her brother's best friend while he lived with the family as a student.
WILLEM VAN WARMELO
Population census
We do not know exactly how long the Jongkinds lived here at West havenkade 54. In 1800 population counts (censuses) were held from time to time. The way to conduct these counts were simply done by knocking peoples doors and ask who lived there. Due to the fact that these count were done with large intermittance we can only state an approximation of how long people lived somewhere.
Remarkable is that the history of their first landlord in Vlaardingen holds similarities to father Jongkinds story:
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Willem van Warmelo
Willem van Warmelo was a prominant figure in Vlaardinger history. He was a well-known warehouse deputy in Vlaardingen. Just like Jongkinds father, Gerrit Adrianus Jongkind, he had started his career at the tax office, even in a lower function, as 'commis notaire'.
And perhaps not a coincident, Willem Warmelo, just like father Jongkind, rented part of a house from someone, being Notary Pieter Verkade, for whom he worked. So it seems Warmelo suggested the same strategy for Gerrit Jongkind or it was common practise at the time. That we don't know for sure.
What we do know is that a commis earned less than the starting position of father Gerrit Jongkind upon arrival in Vlaardingen, but Willem van Warmelo was older and had been an warehouse deputy for years. Warmelo had also bought his own premises and had tenants, like the Jongkind family when they arrived in Vlaardingen.