For our foreign members and visitors, our Canadian member Tom Bijvoet has prepared a FAQ in English with information about our association.
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This page answers many questions that visitors to the site have about the Bijvoet & Byvoet Family and its objectives, research and results. Tom Bijvoet, Updated November 2004 |
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Which surnames does the Foundation cover?
Do all individuals with those surnames share one common ancestor?
Can I access your genealogical database?
Does the family have a coat of arms or family crest?
What does the name Bijvoet mean?
Are there any famous family members?
How far back do your records go?
What is the significance of the town of Neerpelt and where is it?
In what other areas are family members historically concentrated?
Why did the family get so scattered?
Are there many family members in North America?
What about the other traditional immigration countries?
Are you related to families with names like Beifus and Beyfus?
Will you translate the website into English?
Do you have any articles in English on the site now?
Can I assist the work of the Foundation?
Does the Foundation organize family gatherings?
Who are the Foundation's members?
What is this Website about?
This website is the main communications vehicle of the Bijvoet & Byvoet foundation.
The foundation researches the genealogy and history of our family, members of which have last names like Bijvoet, Byvoets and Buijvoets. The results of that research are published on the website, along with family-related news and Foundation administrivia.
Which surnames does the Foundation cover?
The following surnames are in current use in various branches of the family:
Bijvoet- Bijvoets - Buijvoets - Buyvoets - Byvoet - Byvoets.
We have encountered many more variations in historical records. These include:
Beiffits - Beijvoet- Beijvoets - Beivoets - Beuvoets - Beuyvoets - Beyevous - Beyffits - Beyvoedts - Beyvoets - Boeijvoets - Boeyvoets - Boyvoets.
We have coined the following collective name to cover all branches of the family. This is a fantasy name that is not in actual use: Buijyvoets.
Do all individuals with those surnames share one common ancestor?
We think so. We cannot prove it yet, but strong circumstantial evidence points to the existence of one common ancestor. One of the major objectives of the Foundation is to amalgamate and integrate the several distinct lineages that we identify at the moment.
Most of the more than 5,000 individuals we have in our database belong to one of four lineages. These are referred to by the name of their common ancestor:
- Stamvader Buijvoets (Stamvader = forefather. In this case so named because his frontname is not known).
- Dierick Beyvoets
- Arien Bijvoet
For a number of individuals we have not found a home in any of these lineages. It is an ongoing effort for us to find the right place in the family tree for everyone we encounter in the records, or (even better) in real life.
Can I access your genealogical database?
Absolutely. Under B2 you can access all of our genealogical records, with the exception of records about family members alive today. For privacy reasons we have restricted access to those to members of the Foundation.
To enter our genealogical database click on the mainpage
Familiegegevens opvragen uit onze database
(Collect information from our database)
Note that although the initial presentation language is Dutch, you can switch to English language easily (hyperlink top right corner).
Does the family have a coat of arms or family crest?
Yes, we have several.
This is reputedly the oldest crest used by descendants of Dierick Beyvoets =>
Various individuals and branches of the family have over the years borne different coats of arms.
The two shields shown in the header of our website are both still in use.
See our article: Ons familiewapen (Our cout of arms).
What does the name Bijvoet mean?
Bijvoet is the Dutch name for a medicinal herb known in English as mugwort. Its scientific name is Artemisia Vulgaris.
Literally Bijvoet can also be translated as by or near the foot. One folk-etymological theory for the origin of the Dutch name of the herb is that Roman footsoldiers put mugwort in their sandals to prevent sore feet.
Why the name of a medicinal herb came to be used as our family name will probably always be shrouded in the mists of history. But we would be glad to hear of any plausible theories.
See our article: Betekenis 'Bijvoet' (Meaning of 'Bijvoet').
Are there any famous family members?
No mega rock stars or prime ministers. Yet. But many family members have made an impact on the world in their own way. Two that stand out are
Bernard Bijvoet (1889-1979), a highly acclaimed architect
Bernard Bijvoet and his design for the Amsterdam Opera House =>
Prof. Dr. Johannes Martin Bijvoet (1892-1980), a world-renowned chemist who was nominated for the Nobel Prize on several occasions.
And although we may not have any prime ministers, we do have a prime minister's housekeeper. Marie Byvoets was housekeeper to J. Ramsay MacDonald, prime minister of the United Kingdom in 1924 and again from 1929 until 1935.
How far back do your records go?
Our lineages generally go back to the late 1500s, early 1600s. The earliest family member we have in our database is Joannes Boeyvoets, who was born around 1565. The first firm date of birth we have is that of Jacobus Buyvoets, who was born on November 2nd, 1624.
What is the significance of the town of Neerpelt and where is it?
Neerpelt is where we come from originally. Three of the four lineages mentioned above begin there. Most family members living in the 16th and 17th centuries lived there.
Click here for Neerpelt on Google Maps
Neerpelt is in the northeastern part of Belgium, in the northern part of the province of Limburg, not far from the Dutch border. The Low Countries and our Traditional Settlement Areas.
In what other areas are family members historically concentrated?
When family members fanned out across the Low Countries from Neerpelt they settled in many areas.
Click chart to enlarge =>
Strong concentrations were found in the province of Noord-Holland, especially around the city of Alkmaar and the towns of Overveen and Bloemendaal.
Manor Schoonoord in Overveen,residence of several generations of Overveen Bijvoets
Another traditional settlement area is the central part of the province of Noord-Brabant, where the family had a significant presence in places like Berghem and Tilburg. Workum in the province of Friesland and Ootmarsum in the province of Overijssel became home to two significant branches of the family.
Other members of the family remained in the province of Limburg and established themselves in towns like Hasselt and Hechtel.
Byvoet Tobacco Factory in Hechtel
Why did the family get so scattered?
In the 17th century the inhabitants of Neerpelt, many of our family members included, developed a market niche as itinerant sales- and tradesmen.
In spring they would swarm out in organized companies to sell their wares throughout the Low Countries, the Rhineland and the Alsace, returning to North Limburg in the fall.
Individuals would often return to the same area year after year, eventually purchasing property for use during the summer months. In many cases this seasonal settlement turned permanent and the traveller put down roots in his market area.
Itinerant coppersmith Johannes Bijvoets settled in Friesland in the early 1800s. His grandson is profiled in this 1942 newspaper article as the last coppersmith in Friesland.
Are there many family members in North America?
Not really. Several family members crossed the Atlantic, mostly in the twentieth century and settled in the USA. There is a cluster of Byvoetses in Indiana and Illinois. Their forefather Arjen landed on Ellis Island in 1913 with a family of ten.
Jan Albert Bijvoet moved to Alabama in the 1970s, where he settled with two of his sons, who now have their own families.
Additionally, scattered individuals live in a number of states, including Florida, Colorado and California.
The author of this article immigrated to British Columbia in 1999. We are particularly interested in hooking up with emigrated family members and learning about their family histories, so please contact us!
Immigrants landing at Ellis Island, around 1913.
What about the other traditional immigration countries?
You tell us!
We know of individuals in Australia and South Africa, but believe their number is very limited.
Are you related to families with names like Beifus and Beyfus?
'Beifuss' means the same in German as 'Bijvoet' does in Dutch. Variations of the German name include, among many others, Beifus, Beifuss, Beifuß, Beyfus, Baifus and the Russian Бейфус. We know that our ancestors travelled and traded in Germany. We also know that some of our ancestors settled in their trading areas. But whether any current Beifus family members are related to the Bijvoets of Neerpelt is not known to us.
Of course we would be excited to hear of any firm indications of a family connection!
Will you translate the website into English?
We regret to say that currently we have no such plans. We will, however, continue to maintain this page in English.
If there are any topics you miss on this page and would like to see addressed, please send an E-mail to infoenglish@bijvoet.org and we will include them.
If you have a family story to tell or family materials to share and would like them published on this website, we will gladly include them in the English language. Most people in the Netherlands and Belgium have a good command of English, so most family members will be able to enjoy your contributions.
Do you have any articles in English on the site now?
Yes. There is an article about The Bijvoet Family in Alabama and there is an article about Stories of overseas Buijyvoetses. Both can be found in section Artikelen over de familie (Articles about our family) of our site.
Can I assist the work of the Foundation?
Yes please! As a purely voluntary organization we can use all the help we can get. You can help us by supplying genealogical data and by sending us family stories, articles of original documents and photographs.
If interested please contact us at infoenglish@bijvoet.org.
And of course you can assist us by giving the foundation a financial contribution. Although all the work of the Foundation is done by volunteers, we inevitably run up some costs, of which this website represents the most significant one.
If you wish to donate, please also send an E-mail to infoenglish@bijvoet.org and we will contact you.
Does the Foundation organize family gatherings?
The Foundation organizes one meeting each year, the Annual General Meeting in late summer. The venue of these meetings is usually determined several months in advance. Thus far all the meetings have taken place in the Belgian province of Limburg, in, or not too far from, Neerpelt.
Foundation Meeting, March 7th, 2004
Who are the Foundation's members?
Anyone interested in the objectives of the Foundation can join. Our current membership is listed on our website. The list can be found on the homepage under Ledenlijst (= list of members).
Where do I contact you?
E-mail me at infoenglish@bijvoet.org
Or you can send a letter to the following address:
Bijvoet & Byvoet Foundation,
Narcissenlaan 11, 3550 Zolder
Belgium Europe
How can I join?
Please fill out the contact form for membership.
This contact form is in the Dutch language. If this is a problem for you, please send an E-mail to infoenglish@bijvoet.org and we will provide you with all information needed.
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