The Schreierstoren, Amsterdam, The Netherlands for Weathervane Wednesday

The 15th century Schreierstoren is a tower that was originally part of the city wall of Amsterdam.  I twas built in 1487. The ship on the weathervane is very appropriate because in 1595 Cornelis Houtman left here for the East Indies in 1595.  And this is where Henry Hudson set sail for North America in 1609 on his third voyage and founded New Amsterdam (Manhattan).  

The name Schreierstoren has many stories.  One is that women would go there to cry over lost husbands, those who were gone to sea for war, fishing, or exploration like Henry Hudson. The English translation is incorrectly told to be "Weeper's Tower" or "Tower of Tears".  However the name in Old Dutch translates to "Sharp Angle Tower" because the now extinct wall once made a sharp turn at this tower.  

The weathervane is a two dimensional gilded ship.  It cannot represent Henry Hudson's ship De Halve Maen  (The Half Moon) because he left Amsterdam in 1609, and this tower was built in 1487. 

This tower is now a cafe and bookshop, located at Prins Hendrikkade 94. 

For the truly curious:

Schreierstoren at Wikipedia:    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schreierstoren  

"The true story behind Amsterdam's Schreierstoren": 

   https://www.dutchamsterdam.nl/279-schreierstoren-amsterdam   

Click here to see over 550 other Weathervane Wednesday posts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday 

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Schreierstoren, Amsterdam, The Netherlands for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 28, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-schreierstoren-amsterdam.html: accessed [access date]). 

The Westerkerk, Amsterdam, The Netherlands for Weathervane Wednesday

While we were in Amsterdam in April, our hotel was located a block from this impressive church, with a gilded weathercock above a fantastic domed steeple.  This is the Westerkerk, a Reformed church built between 1620 and 1631 in Renaissance style.  There are older churches in Amsterdam that were built before the Reformation.  This is one of the first Protestant churches built in The Netherlands, and at the time it was built it was the biggest Protestant church in the world.  This church is also very close to the Anne Frank House. 

The impressive spire is 286 feet tall.  The blue dome is actually the Imperial Crown of Austria worn by the Emperor Maximilian I.  The weathercock is a traditional symbol of Christianity, ever since the decree by Pope Nicholas in the 9th century.  His papal edict said that a cockerel, the symbol of St. Peter's betrayal, should be installed on top of churches.  It is also a symbol of hope, vigilance, the dawn, and human fallibility.  By chance, most of these roosters were installed as weathervanes. Early weathervanes did not include the cardinal letters, like this one, because early churches were always laid out east to west. 

The Westerkerk is still a working church, and it is open to visitors Monday to Friday.  Many famous people, including the artist Rembrandt, are buried here.  The entrance is Prinsengracht 279.  The tower is owned by the City of Amsterdam and has a separate entrance.  It is not open to the public at this time. 

For the truly curious:

Westerkerk at Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerkerk      

The official Westerkerk website:   https://westerkerk.nl/tourist-information-westerkerk-amsterdam/   

Click here to see over 550 other Weathervane Wednesday posts from around the world:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Westerkerk, Amsterdam, The Netherlands for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 21, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-westerkerk-amsterdam-netherlands.html: accessed [access date]). 

Three Weathervanes over the Magna Plaza, Amsterdam,The Netherlands, for Weathervane Wednesday

 These three weathervanes were photogaphed near Dam Square, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 

This huge building in Amsterdam, located near the Royal Palace in Dam Square, is the former main post office, which was rennovated and turned into a huge shopping mall with over 40 stores and shops.  There are three towers, and each has it's own weathervane.  

1. The main tower on Raadhuisstraat has an onion dome with a gilded, two dimensional weathervane of a postal rider (complete with a post horn).  The post horn is the symbol for the mail service in many countries, including Spain and Germany. 

2. The entrance with two smaller towers each have a gilded banner, one with the letter "W" for Queen Wilhelmina, who was the monarch when this building was being built between 1895 and 1899.  

3. The second banner has a lion rampant, which is a common heraldic symbol seen on coats of arms. The lion rampant is associated with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the former Dutch Republic, and is part of the royal coat of arms. 

This building housed the central post office, the telegraph company, and the telephone company until 1987 when it was sold to a developer to renovate it into a shopping mall.  The exterior was cleaned and repaired, and the interior completely rebuilt. It reopened as a shopping center in 1992.  

For the truly curious:

Magna Plaza at Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Plaza  

The official Magna Plaza website:   https://www.magnaplaza.nl/   

The Dutch Republic Lion at Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Republic_Lion   

The Post Horn article at Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_horn   

Click here to see over 550 more weathervanes from around the world!   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Three Weathervanes over the Magna Plaza, Amsterdam,The Netherlands, for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 14, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/05/three-weathervanes-over-magna-plaza.html: accessed [access date]). 

Enkhuizen Gatehouse, The Netherlands- for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

This gilded ship weathervane is located above the Drommedaris or the Enkhuisan Town Gate.  Enkhuizen was a walled city, but now only several gates remain.  This gate was established about 1540 at the entrance to the Old Harbor. There is a 44 bell carillon in the tower, and a drawbridge over the canal. 

The weathervane is a gilded, two dimensional image of a typical Dutch sailing ship.  The Enkhuizen harbor leads out to the Ijsselmeer, which is a huge, fresh water lake that used to be part of the sea before a large dike was built. Before the harbor silted over, and before the Ijsselmeer was formed, Enkhuizen was a major seaport like Amsterdam, and a base for the Dutch East India Trade Company.  

For the truly curious:

Enkhuizen at Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enkhuizen   

Drommedaris at Wikipedia (with lots of new and old photos):   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drommedaris  

To see over 550 Weathervane Wednesday posts, click here:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday 

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Enkhuizen Gatehouse, The Netherlands- for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 7, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/05/enkhuizen-gatehouse-netherlands-for.html: accessed [access date]). 

A Dragon! for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed over a private residence in Concord, New Hampshire

This three dimensional dragon was found on a garage cupola on South Main Street, Concord, New Hampshire.  It's an adorable and whimsical dragon, and I've driven this way for years and never noticed it until winter when all the leaves were off the trees.  It is hard to see when you are whizzing along South Main Street/Route 3A, and very hard to pull over in the traffic and take a good look.  

This dragon has all the details - wings, scales, and an amazing long tail.  It stands above gilded cardinal points (north, south, east and west).  It must have special meaning to the homeowners.  Dragon weathervanes are fairly rare, but I'll post links to three down below for those who are interested. 

For the truly curious:

Click here to see over 550 more weathervanes featured on "Weathervane Wednesday":   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

A 7 headed dragon weathervane from Spain:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/03/weathervane-wednesday-7-headed-dragon.html  

A dragon from Shelburne Farms, Vermont:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/08/weathervane-wednesday-dragon.html  

A dragon at Cambridge University in England:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/01/weathervane-wednesday-weathervanes-of.html  

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Dragon!  for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted 30 April 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-dragon-for-weathervane-wednesday.html: accessed [access date]). 

Troublesome Thomas Tuck of Beverly, Massachusetts

 

The town seal of Beverly, Massachusetts

I share this ancestor, Thomas Tuck (1611 - 1667) with my fellow genealogy blogger, Bill West, who unfortunately passed away last year.  Bill wrote three interesting blog posts about Thomas Tuck, and you can find the links below at the end of this post.  It was Bill who called our common ancestor "Troublesome Thomas Tuck".  

Thomas Tuck was my 9th great grandfather, born about 1611 probably in England.  He died in Beverly, Massachusetts on 20 March 1667.  Years after he died his ghost became part of the 1692 witch trails, when someone accused him of coming back from the dead to urge her to buy some land!  In my opinion his ghost was mentioned because he was not particularly law abiding during his life.  But we will never know, will we? 

" And for seeing the devill, or any spirit but ones, & that was soon after old Thomas Tuck dyed (w'ch I take to be about ten yeare since) & that shee took it to be the Ghost of Thom: tuck coming to speak w'th her about some land s'd Tuck had told her of before his death. But that shee fled from the Ghost & got away."  Salem Witch Papers No. 68.18 Examination of Dorcas Hoar 2 May 1692 

I'm on a search to learn more about Thomas Tuck's wife.  Or his wives.  I wasn't sure how many times he married, or which wife might have been the mother of my 8th great grandfather, John Tuck, born in 1646 in Beverly and died there in 1722.  There is no mention of Thomas Tuck, unfortunately, in any of the Great Migration Books, so I can assume he came to Massachusetts after 1635 (which is the drop off date for Robert Charles Anderson's research).  He is not found in many other records except for court records, where I can find many, many mentions of his misadventures.

In Sidney Perley's History of Salem, 1924, Volume 1, pages 399 - 401 there is a very short mention of Thomas Tuck.  No, not three pages on him, just three sentences in the footnotes:

"Thomas Tuck, a blacksmith, aged about twenty-five, lived on Cape Ann side in 1636.  In 1643 he was living apart from his wife, and in 1650 he had married the widow of George Harris.  His wife was Joan in 1679.  In 1643 he was complained of for living absent from his wife, but was discharged."

What facts do I learn from this tiny paragraph?  Or what new questions do I have?  How many wives did Thomas Tuck have? Which wife was my ancestress? Where can I find more records? Does he appear anywhere except in court records? Why was he a part of the Salem Witch Hysteria? 

Fortunately, after a lot of digging over many months, I found a terrific resource.  Someone had done a sketch of Thomas Tuck and his children in the 2018 edition of the New England Historic Genealogical Society Register journal, hidden inside an article about George Harris (Yes!  The same George Harris mentioned in that brief little paragraph in the History of Salem.) And this article answered all my questions about Troublesome Thomas Tuck, and even brought up some new questions and further things to investigate.

My question was how many wives did Thomas Tuck have?   Apparently he had two, one before "Joan".  Joan's previous marriage to George Harris left her with three sons.  One of these sons, Samuel Harris (1644-1682) was married to Mary Hoar, the daughter of accused witch Dorcas (Galley) Hoar.  This news explained a lot of the mentions in court records of Thomas Tuck being the "father-in-law" (step-father) to Joseph Harris.  It also explains why the Tuck and Harris children were called to testify at Dorcas Hoar's trial for witchcraft in 1692. 

The article also listed many, many resources in the footnotes for additional deeds, court records, and other information.  Some of the best I found were compiled genealogies done on the Harris family, which helped me to sort out the Tuck family!  

Thomas and Joan Tuck had only one known child, my 8th great grandfather John Tuck (1646 - 1722) who married a Rachel (________) - another brick wall female line to untangle.  But they had six children including my 7th great grandfather John Tuck (1674 - 1717), and his sister Mary Tuck (1682 - 1741/2) who married John Balch the grandson of my 8th great grandparents Benjamin Balch and Sarah Gardner. Another daughter-in-law, Sarah Reith, remarried, when her husband Joseph Tuck died, to Samuel Allen of Manchester, Massachusetts (My mother's maiden name is Allen, a descendant of William Allen (1602 - 1678) of Manchester, so I need to find the kinship connection for this Samuel Allen). I had some notes on these Balch/Tuck/Reith/Allen families already in my files. I'm sure that I can unravel it all now with this new information. 

Don't forget to check journal articles, blog posts, and compiled genealogies of related families when you hit a Brick Wall ancestor!  Especially new articles published in the last five years, which may not be mentioned as much as articles from the 20th century or early 2000s (or show up on online searches).  

For the truly curious:

History of Salem, by Sidney Perley, 1924, Volume 1, pages 399 - 401.

NEHGS Register, 2018, Volume 172, pages 302 - 304  George Harris 1 of Salem, Massachusetts, with Sketch of Thomas 1 Tuck, by Gale Ion Harris https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/55221/304/73267555

The Salem Witchcraft Papers, at salemlib.virginia.edu/texts/transcripts.html, SWP No. 68.4 (deposition of Rachel Tuck and Hannah Cox v. Dorcas Hoar, 14 May 1692)

From Bill West's blog West in New England, more about Thomas Tuck: 

https://westinnewengland.blogspot.com/2015/04/thomas-tuck-and-stolen-bell-pt1.html  

https://westinnewengland.blogspot.com/2015/04/thomas-tuck-and-stolen-bell-pt2.html  

https://westinnewengland.blogspot.com/2015/04/thomas-tuck-and-stolen-bell-pt3.html

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Troublesome Thomas Tuck of Beverly, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 22, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/04/troublesome-thomas-tuck-of-beverly.html: accessed [access date]).  

Goofy's Sky School Ride at Disneyland, California Adventure for Weathervane Wednesday

 Today's weathervane was photographed by Don Smith at Disneyland, California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California.

Our friend Don Smith travels a lot, and sometimes he sends me some great weathervane photos from his travels.  I have featured some of those weathervanes here on Weathervane Wednesday - including what may be the highest weathervane in the world HERE on top of the Matterhorn in Switzerland. 

This two dimensional metal weathervane can be found atop the watertower at the Goofy's Sky School roller coaster inside Disney California Adventure park in Anaheim, California.  This ride used to an attraction called Mulholland Madness, but it was rethemed and reopened on 1 July 2011. It is based on a 1940 short cartoon called Goofy's Glider. The ride is full of gags from this movie and other cartoons featuring Goofy. 

If you have visited Walt Disney World in Florida you might have seen the similar ride called The Great Goofini's Barnstormer inside Fantasyland. This is a junior roller coaster for young children. 

In the 1920s and 1930s barnstormers were itinerant pilots who traveled around the country doing aerial stunts with their plans, and offering plane rides.  Did you know Charles Lindbergh started his career in the air as a barnstormer? 

This weathervane is two dimensional, and it shows a hapless Goofy flying his little plane while being chased by a lightning bolt and an ominous cloud.  The weathervane is a preview of the wild ride just beyond the watertower. 

For the truly curious:

Goofy's Sky School ride at the Disneyland website:   https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disney-california-adventure/goofys-sky-school/

Weathervanes from Switzerland with photos from Don Smith:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/09/weathervanes-in-switzerland-for.html   

Click here to see over 550 Weathervane Wednesday posts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday  

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To cite/link to this blog post:   Don Smith and Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Goofy's Sky School Ride at Disneyland, California Adventure for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 16, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/04/goofys-sky-school-ride-at-disneyland.html: accessed [access date]). 

What are the genealogy resources inside the New Hampshire State Library?

 Last week the New Hampshire lawmakers tried to shutter the New Hampshire State Library, just across the street from the statehouse in Concord.  In my 26 March 2025 blog post I outlined the story of how public reaction was so strong that the lawmakers stopped pushing for closure, but instead cut the budget to the State Library.  The federal government also cut the budget for libraries, including state and local public libraries, so we will have to wait and see how this affects service, staffing, and support for the New Hampshire State Library.

I've been using this library for many years for genealogical research and to study local history.  It's one of the best resources for family history north of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  It's also located right next across the street to the New Hampshire Historical Society library (another invaluable resource with many compiled genealogies and unique manuscripts), so if you need something additional you can just walk right over.  The Concord Public library is a block away, too.  All three libraries have unique collections.  Only the NH Historical Society requires an admission or membership. 

Inside the NH State Library, behind the circulation desk on the first floor, is the genealogy room, AKA the New Hampshire Room. It looks like the biggest room in the building, and the NH Supreme Court met here until 1970. The card catalog to the entire building is online, there are 4 microfilm readers, and a photocopy machine. There is a computer to access Ancestry. Best of all, the highly trained staff is ready to assist you (mail requests for photo copies are available, too).  In the genealogy room you can find the following items:

County and Town Histories (on the left as you enter), where you can find mentions of the first settlers and many town histories have a genealogy section in the back of the book.  My favorite town histories are those books which have more pages devoted to genealogy than to the history!

Compiled Family Histories, about 2400 books, on the left and back walls. Many are out of copyright and can be found at Archive.org or Google books, but many new books are also on the shelves and unavailable any where else in New Hampshire.  There is a copy of Index to Genealogies in New Hampshire Town Histories, by William Copely, to help you find your relatives and ancestors. 

The Mayflower Silver Books, DAR Lineage books, The Tan Books (Vital Records for Massachusetts towns to 1850), 

American-Genealogical & Biographical Index, Boston Transcript Genealogy Columns (1896 - 1941) on microfiche. 

To the left there are NH Newspapers on microfilm - many are very old newspapers no longer active, some date back to the 1700s.  Also included is the Concord Monitor obituaries between about 1948 to 2014. There are finding aids for the microfilm.  Granite Monthly magazine 1877 - 1930 with an index. The NH Notables series also at Archive.org and Family Search. 

Also in the building:

Early Town Records (about 1640 - about 1830)with a name index.  Some are available on Family Search. Also Town and City Reports from the 1800s to the present (also online at UNH).  The Sargent Name Index to records on microfilm. 

1790 - 1940 NH Census Records 

Gravestone inscriptions from New Hampshire and Maine (more at the NH Historical Society)

Church records (more at the NH Historical Society)

New Hampshire State & Provincial Papers, (40 volumes) with an index (also online at the NH Archives or at UNH). This is a valuable resource I have blogged about many times. 

Many maps including the Sanborn fire insurance maps, county maps, and the 1892 NH Town and City Atlas by D. H. Hurd.  

Directories- town and city directories, phone books (1950s to the present) (The New England Telephone Museum in Warner, New Hampshire also has phone books). 

For the truly curious:

The New Hampshire State Library, 20 Park Street, Concord, NH   https://www.nhsl.dncr.nh.gov/   

The New Hampshire State Library Genealogical Resources:   https://www.nhsl.dncr.nh.gov/collections/genealogical-resources   

26 March 2025 blog post about the New Hampshire State Library budget cuts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/03/new-hampshire-state-library-budget-cuts.html  

If you are a member of the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists, there is a video from 15 March 2022 available to members of Rebecca Stockbridge's lecture "New Hampshire State Library's Genealogical Resources" with two handouts.  

Also, see my 10 May 2019 blog post "Researching Your Ancestors in Concord, New Hampshire":   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/05/researching-your-ancestors-in-concord.html   

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "What are the genealogy resources inside the New Hampshire State Library?", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 8, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/03/what-are-genealogy-resources-inside-new.html: acessed [access date]).