Jan Jacobs Dröst was born on 29
November 1822, over 12 years after his parents Jacob Janssen Dröst and Greetje
Claassen were married. Only two sisters
are known but other siblings were possible.
His birth occurred in Deich-und Sielrott which was, at the time, in the
Kingdom of Hannover. Hannover was ruled
by the British King George IV from 1820 to 1830 and then by King William IV
between 1830 and 1837. Though Queen
Victoria would rule Britain beginning in 1837, Hannover came under the
jurisdiction of Ernest Augustus I, the brother of William IV, who was the
active and present ruler from 1837 to 1851.
The
Kingdom of Hannover between 1815 and 1866.
The territory within these boundaries is all within present-day Germany.
On 30 August 1846, Jan Jacobs Dröst
married Elsebee Peters Wunder, who was five years his younger. Else, as she was known (family tradition)
was born 22 November 1827 at the port of Nessmersiel, the daughter of seefahrer
Jan Berends Wunder. Jan Jacobs Dröst was
a schiffer, or seaman, himself and came in contact with the Wunder family at
Nessmersiel because the port would have been his link to the sea and provided
him with access to ships for work. Just
two years after his marriage, Jan Jacob Dröst’s father Jacob died (10 December
1848). Because the death occurred just
18 days before Jan Jacobs Dröst’s first son was born, the planned name may have
been modified to include “Jacobs” as a middle name in honor of his father. This would explain why Jan and Else Dröst’s
children’s naming pattern was interrupted for one child – Johann Jacobs
Dröst as opposed to Johann Janssen Dröst.
Jan Jacobs Dröst known
children:
Gretje Janssen Dröst (F), born 25 September 1846 Westerdeich
Johann Jacobs Dröst (M), born 28 December 1848 Westerdeich
Antje Janssen Dröst (F), born 30 March 1851 Westerdeich
Jacob Janssen Dröst (M), born 6 October 1853 Westerdeich
Jantje Janssen Dröst (F), born 12 September 1856 Westerdeich
Ettje Janssen Dröst (F), born 21 June 1859 Westerdeich
Behrend Janssen Dröst (M), born 9 July 1863 Nessmersiel
Dirk Janssen Dröst (M), born 27 April 1865 Nessmersiel
Elselina Janssen Dröst (F), born 29 February 1868 Nessmersiel
Johann Janssen Dröst (M), born 4 January 1870 Osterdeich
East
Frisia was a part of the Kingdom of Hanover between 1815 and 1866.
Nessmersiel
became a part of Prussia in 1865 after the Danish and Austrian wars
The Dröst connection to the sea
began with Jan Jacobs Dröst and may even be more distantly connected to the
Wunder family of Nessmersiel. While the
Jan Jacobs Dröst children were raised at Westerdeich (1846-1859), Nessmersiel
(1863-1869), and later Osterdeich (by 1870, from birth records of children), he
was likely absent for some of those births.
Work as a sailor took him away from home for large amounts of time. Though Nessmersiel was a popular port on the
North Sea, the major sea port on the North Sea was Bremen. All sailors on the German coast were connected
to Bremen in some way. Bremen is
southeast of Nessmersiel - about 80 miles as the crow flies. Like some other European ports, Bremen is
located about 30 miles inland from the North Sea on the Weser River.
For the first 44 years of Jan
Jacobs Dröst’s life, he was a loyal subject of the Kingdom of Hanover, ruled by
British monarchs and their relatives.
During the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Prussia gained dominance over
most German states. The Kingdom of
Hanover sought neutrality but was forcefully annexed by Prussia,
nonetheless. Within four years, Prussia
invaded France, who was under the rule of Napoleon III, during the
Franco-Prussian War. The hostile move
was an attempt to extend German unification.
Because of East Frisia’s close proximity to France, Jan Jacobs Dröst and
his wife Else feared their oldest son would be conscripted to the Prussian
army. They urged him to flee to America
(family tradition). East Frisia remained
a part of Prussia until after the end of the 19th century.
Prussia
after reunifying most of the North German states under their rule.
Jan Jacobs Dröst continued to
live at Osterdeich as his children became adults. In the same year his youngest child became 18
years of age, Jan Jacobs Dröst passed away.
He died in Osterdeich on 19 July 1888 at the age of 65. His wife Else continued to live in Osterdeich
for 12 years. Her life would end on 22
September 1900 in Osterdeich at the age of 72 years.