The NOE family from the Meetjesland in East-Flanders, Belgium

B VI c Ferdinand Noë

fs Jacobus Bernardus (B V b) & Apolonia Pauwels
brother of Petrus Bernardus (B VI b)

° Boekhoute 13/1/1825
x Boekhoute 14/5/1850 Seraphina Francisca Verdeghem
† Boekhoute 12/2/1878

Jacobus and Apolonia had been married for ten years when their sixth child, Ferdinand was born. Ferdinand was 9 years old when he lost his father. On 14/5/1850 in Boekhoute he married Seraphina Francisca Verdeghem who was born on 21/11/1818 as the illegitimate daughter of Joanna Theresia Verdeghem. On Christmas 1849 Seraphina had already given birth to a daughter.

In the 17^th and 18^th century there were in our Meetjesland 1 to 2 % illegitimate births. But in 19^th century, especially in the lower classes of the population this had increased to 4 %. The great majority of these children were recognized in a later marriage.

Ferdinand and Seraphina were labourers. They lived on the Graafjansdijk in Boekhoute in the Notelaer district (A "notelaar" as we write this word now is a wall nut tree. And what about the Graafjansdijk? The word "graaf" means count or earl; "Jan" = John and a "dijk" is dam, a dyke, here built to protect the hinterland, the polders from the sea. Boekhoute and the Graafjansdijk are now miles away from the Northsea but in Ferdinand's days Boekhoute was a fishing port.)

The little house with stable, fruit trees and hedges, built on a piece of land of 3 are (almost 360 square yards) was situated in Section A Nr. 667. His mother rented the land since 24/4/1834. The owner was a Mrs. Eugène Dellafaille, viscountess of Clerken, Wissocq etc. and on 27/3/1852 Ferdinand bought the house from his mother for 100 francs. The notary public who wrote out the deeds for this transaction was Master Taelman from Kaprijke.

He sold that same house to his brother Jan Bernard for only 80 francs. We see in the deed of this sale that both were illiterate.

On 15/3/1859 Ferdinand bought nearby, nl. Section A Nr. 628, half of a small house standing on 1.5 are. This was close to the "Waterdijkschen" mill. Ferdinand paid Francisca Roegiers, the widow of Jacob Dierick 100 francs for her half of the house and the other half belonged to the two orphans of Francisca and Jacob Dierick and he rented it from them for 9 years at 3 francs per year.

Seraphina died in Boekhoute on 22/4/1859 shortly after the birth of her fifth child. Until the end of the 19^th century 7 to 8% of all fertile women died during or as a direct consequence of childbirth.

Ferdinand was perhaps a bit short-tempered and maybe he also liked fist fights. A first complaint dated 12/9/1868 was rejected on 10/10/1868 but another complaint was received on 22/12/1868 for which he was condemned on 30/1/1869 to a fine of 25 francs. A third complaint was lodged against him for which he was summoned to court on 12/11/1870 and this time he received not only a fine of 25 francs but he also had to pay 4.60 francs for the legal costs. Those two cases cost him more than half the price he paid for his half house.

Ferdinand and Seraphina had 5 children:

Stephanie Noë
° Boekhoute 25/12/1849
Recognized as their daughter on their wedding day.
She died in Boekhoute on 21/7/1852.
Joannes Franciscus Noë
° Boekhoute 27/8/1851
x Waterland-Oudeman 24/12/1875 Sophie Van Durme
† before 1918
Rosalie Noë
° Boekhoute 24/7/1854
† Boekhoute 10/3/1857
Jacobus Noë
° Boekhoute 10/3/1857
x Assenede 3/5/1880 Nathalie Clementina Sienack
xx Ath 8/4/1890 Celina Maria Boquet
xxx 13/9/1907 Emilie Calcus
† ?
August Noë
° Boekhoute 15/4/1859
† Boekhoute 5/5/1859

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