This is the wedding certificate for Dirk de Wit and Wubbina Swalve from when they were married in Beverwijk on Aug. 15 in 1902. It’s filled out in cursive Dutch, so I have no hope of deciphering it myself, but — luckily — the Genlias database has a record of it (Please see the Google Translate version below).

The interesting part for me is at the bottom of the certificate, where all the signatures are located. They read, from left to right and top to bottom: Dirk de Wit, F.B. Swalve, W. E. J. P. Swalve, H. C. Koster (H. Swalve), D de Wit, Unknown, A.J. Swalve, H. Goudsbloem, Unknown. So we can see that all these people — the bride and bridegroom, all of their parents, and Wubbina’s brother A.J. — were in attendance.

Thanks for this image go to Jan Brul, who found my post on the Ancestry.com discussion boards when I was looking for more information on the de Wit family and who has been super helpful since in connecting me with people and online databases. And also to FamilySearch.org, which posted the image online in the first place, in its “Netherlands, Civil Registration, 1792-1952 collection under “Huwelijken 1883-1902, Overlijden 1883-1887.”

Here’s the Google Translate version of the digital record on Genlias.nl:

“Source Registry – Wedding
Archive Location North Holland Archives
General Toegangnr: 358
Inventory: 358.20
Municipality: Beverwijk
Type of document: Marriage
Act Number: 34
Date: 08/15/1902

Groom Dirk de Wit
Age: 29
Place of birth: Buren
Bridal Wubbina Engellina Johanna Petronella Swalve
Age: 22
Birthplace: Beverwijk

Father groom Dirk de Wit
Mother groom Hendrika Goudsblom
Father bride Freek Bellinga Swalve
Mother Bride Helena Catrina Koster

Further information profession Bg.: Teacher, professional father Bg.: Municipal constable”