Introduction: Roelf Meinders was the tenth child of the married couple Meindert Tiddes and Aaltje Jelles, a sister of Stijnje Jelles. Like we know, Roelf's parents farmed on a rented farmstead of 54½ "grazen" land at the big "Hoge Werf or Warf" in Opwierde. According to the present witnesses of the bridegroom at his 1782 marriage, the main part of the 13 children of the married couple Meindert Tiddes and Aaltje Jelles must have died in infancy. Here is only spoken about Roelf's younger sisters Mettje, Jantje and Aaltje Meinderts and an older brother Jacob Meinderts. That makes only five(!) surviving children!

• Appeared on March 28, 1782 in the village Lasquert to the Judge Dr. Henricus Johannes Wieringa: Roelf Meinders as bridegroom and Eenje Fiebes as bride, daughter of Fiebe Sijwkes and her deceased mother Jeltje Tomas.
• First: Everybody here is satisfied with this arrangement.
• Second: all the children, coming from this marriage, will be equal and representing heirs in all cases of family inheritances.
• Third: if the bridegroom will die before the bride, wihtout leaving child or children, the longest living party will keep the complete (im)movables; only the personal clothes and properties has to be handed over to his relatives within six weeks.
Fourth: dito when the bride will die before the bridegroom... etc.
• Witnesses from the bridegrooms side:
• Jacob Meinders, as full brother.
• Mettje Meinders, as full sister.
• Jantje Meinders, as dito.
• Aaltje Meinders, as dito.
• Witnesses from the brides side:
• Fiebe Sijwkes, as full father.
• Lijsbeth Fiebes and her spouse Julle Harms, as full sister and brother-in-law.
• Martje Fiebes, as full sister. [*Note A.G.: She must have been married later that same day in Appingedam to Frans Eeckens, while here she is still unmarried. See also my note in next paragraph!].
• Hitje Sjaddes and wife Lukke Joesten, as half-brother by marriage and half-sister.
• Doeke Tomas and wife Antje Beenes, as full uncle and aunt by marriage.
• Conclusions:
1. The parents of Eenje Fiebes were Fiebe Sijwkes and Jeltje Tomas.
2. Mother Jeltje Tomas died before March 1782.
3. Jeltje Tomas had a brother Doeke Tomas, married to Antje Beenes.
4. In 1782 Eenje Fiebes had (at least) two sisters: Lijsbeth Fiebes, married to Julle Harms and (an unmarried?) sister Martje Fiebes.
5. In 1782 Roelf Meinders had (at least) three younger and unmarried(?) sisters - Mettje, Jantje and Aaltje Meinders- and one older and also unmarried(?) brother Jacob Meinders.
6. The absence here of the parents of Roelf Meinderts must be indicating that they already were deceased. That fits with the earlier located accounts that father Meindert Tiddes was buried on July, 16, 1781 and his wife Aaltje Jelles 9 days later in Opwierde. Which probably meant that in 1782 Roelf Meinders must have taken over the family farmstead from his deceased parents and not his 8½ years older brother Jacob?
7. The account of the sale of the parents property will show us that Eenje Fiebes was a daughter of a big farmer.

Albert Geurink.
Date: Winsum, February 23, 2005.