The province of Overijssel has an online database of ancient propery records. In one of them I have found the earliest reference to the Beernink family that I have yet come across. Below I show the document and its English translation, along with some comments.

This document records the transfers of ownership of a single piece of property within the Beernink family from 1379 to 1575. It is fascinating for many different reasons.

First of all, you can see the family name changing over time. This shows that spelling was not fixed, even within a single family. And the conclusion from that is that someone named Beerninck might easily be related to someone named Beernink, for example.

My aunt believes that Beernink is a contraction of Berend-ink, meaning "the land of Berend". This leads to the possibility that the original family were serfs living on the land of Count Berend. Interestingly, there was a Count Berend (or Bernard) of Bentheim, which is about 20 miles from the parish of Wierden, which is the location described in this document. Even more interesting is that 1379, the first date recorded for the property, was during the time when Berend was Count of Bentheim. In fact 1379 is the very year that the city of Nordhorn was granted municipal rights by Count Berend. Looking at the first property record, you can see that the name was recorded as "Berendinch", which is about as close to Berend-ink as you can possibly get!

So far I have been able to trace our direct family back to about 1729. At that time, they lived in the Countship of Bentheim, just over the Dutch border, as they would until the late 1800's. At present I'm examining older records to see whether I can find clues to our earlier ancestry. This document shows at least that Beerninks were not confined to Bentheim prior to 1700.

Here's the family line derived from this document. The dates are the dates they "owned" the property, not dates alive, although the next generation usually takes over after the father's death.

A separate document either continues the history for this parcel, or documents the ownership for a separate parcel. Although I believe it to be the same family, I have no proof.

1379-1433	Henriic Berndinc	daughter Wobbe, son Engelbert, son Ludeke
-1436	Engelbert Beerning	son of Henric
1436-1490	Henric Bernyng	son of Englebert?
1494	Engbert Beerninck	son of Henric
1494-1535	Henrick Beerninck Engbertszoen	son of Engbert
1535-1575	Geert Berninck	brother of Henrick, son of Engbert
1575	Engelbert Berninck	Son of Geert
1605	Egbert Beerninck	Taken from a different property record in Wierden
1627	Engbert Beerninck	Son of Egbert

Dutch

English

Comments on the section

Richterambt KEDINGEN / buurschap Wierden

Richterambt KEDINGEN / neighborhood Wierden

A richterambt is a district that can be covered by a single administrator, or richter. A buurschap (now buurtschap) is a hamlet. A kerspel is a single parish.

Dat huys to Berendinch in dienstmannestad, gheleghen in den kerspel van Wederden.

That house of Berendinch in dienstmannestad, gheleghen in the parish of Wierden.

Beerninks have been living in Wierden since at least 1379. Beerninks are still living there today.

Henriic Berndinc.

Henriic Berndinc.

Berendinch is already becoming shorter. Also interesting because my father's name is Heinrich Beernink.

Wobbe, dochter van Henric Bernding, na opdracht door haar vader onder voorbehoud van diens lijftucht. Hulder haar man Herman Geveling. * Dat goit to Bernding mit allen synen toebehoeren ende mit aller slachter nutte, gelegen in den kerspel van Wederden.

Wobbe, daughter of Henric Bernding, after task through her father under reservation of that one body discipline. Hulder her man Herman Geveling. * That goit to Bernding measured all synen toebehoeren and measures aller slachter advantageous, lain in the parish of Wierden.

I don't quite understand what the "after task" refers to, but I find it interesting that the title has passed to a daughter, even though there is a living son (Englebert).

Engelbert Beerning na de dood van zijn vader.

Engelbert Beerning after the death of his father.

Death of father, or of daughter, acting as proxy for father?

Ludeke Bernynge na de dood van zijn broer Engbert

Ludeke Bernynge after the death of his brother Engbert.

Henric Bernyng na opdracht door Ludeke Bernyng.

Henric Bernyng after task through Ludeke Bernyng

Henrick Bernyng

Henrick Bernyng

Engbert Beerninck na de dood van zijn vader Henric Beerninck.

Engbert Beerninck after the death of his father Henric Beerninck.

Henrick Beerninck Engbertszoen, onmondig, na opdracht door zijn vader. Hulder zijn vader Engbert voornoemd. ** Met een aantekening: "Item Egbert Beerninck heeft dit naebescreven guet ende alle hy heeft daironder geset Henrick, zyn zone, van hem ende synre moeder, alsde geboren is hy bequeme is dit leen te besitten. Ende waer 't anders solde dat verbuert wesen tot behoiff myns genedigen heren. Ende dairtoe heeft hyrvoir geloift Roeloff van Langen by verlies van alle zynen gueden, heerlick ende eygen".

Henrick Beerninck Engbertszoen, onmondig, after task through his father. Hulder his father Engbert afore-mentioned. ** With an annotation: "Item Egbert Beerninck this naebescreven guet and all hy has has born is is borrow daironder geset Henrick, zyn zone, of him and synre mother, alsde hy bequeme this to besitten. And waer it otherwise that verbuert wesen messed around till behoiff myns genedigen again. And dairtoe has lose hyrvoir geloift Roeloff of Long by of all zynen gueden, heerlick and eygen".

A sudden appearance of the patronymic naming system, where the father's first name is used to form the last name of the son.

Henrick Berninck na kwijtschelding van het verzuim "vermits ignorantie".

Henrick Berninck after kwijtschelding of the oversight "so far as ignorantie".

Geert Berninck na opdracht door zijn broer Henrick Berninck.

Geert Berninck after task through his brother Henrick Berninck.

Gheert Berninck.

Gheert Berninck.

Engelbert Berninck tot zijn goede recht en met instemming van zijn vader Gheert Berninck.

Engelbert Berninck till his good law and with approval of his father Gheert Berninck.

1570 May 31 Otto of Long, richter of Almelo, declares that Henryck Abbynck has sold to Engelbert Bernynck and his wife Berentken two pieces of farmland of the late Deryck Abbyncks by Grutersvelt.

Dat erve ende goet, Beerninck genoempt, in 't kerspell van Wijrden, gerichte Kedingen gelegen, ehrtijtz een horich goet des Haves Colmenschate geweest synde ende bij tyde van Robert van der Beeck, rentmeister des landes Sallant, den 12 novembris 1559 tot een leengoedt gemaeckt.

That property and goet, Beerninck genoempt, in the parish of Wierden, directed Kedingen lain, ehrtijtz a horich goet of the Property Colmenschate been synde and with tyde of Robert van of the Beeck, rentmeister of the country Sallant, the 12 novembris 1559 till a leengoedt gemaeckt.

Egbert Beerninck

Egbert Beerninck

Engbert Beerninck, onmondig, na de dood van zijn vader Egbert Beerninck. Hulder Dirck Haercamp.

Engbert Beerninck, onmondig, after the death of his father Egbert Beerninck. Hulder Dirck Haercamp.

Hermtien Engberts, oudste dochter van wijlen Engbert Beerninck, na de dood van haar broer, die als leenvolger onbeleend was overleden. Hulder haar man Jan Camphuis.

Hermtien Engberts, oldests daughter of late Engbert Beerninck, after the death of her brother, that passed away was as a leenvolger onbeleend. Hulder her man Jan Camphuis.

This is the last mention of the Beernink name in this property record. Note that Hermtien's surname "Engberts" is derived from the given name of her father "Engbert".

Here is a badly translated description of the sources from which this document came. Please refer to the Overijssel Historical Center for the original text.

In the Overstichtse and Overijsselse loan protocols (=leenregisters) stand a period from now of more than four centuries the pawnings (transitions of possession) written down of approximately 2500 farms, fields and tiend- and visrechten in Overijssel, Drenthe, Gelderland and the county Bentheim. The loan records contain approximately 25,000 names of persons, place, estates and lots. This source offers a wealth of information over the local history, but also and especially over the family relations of owners from lend. This everything from a period in which other sources of information over real estate and persons relative scarce are.

A repertorium is a systematic analysis of the original documents. For a complete survey of the you can lend seek geographically on province, richterambt/bailiff office and neighbor ship. You can seek also on key word (place name, farm or field name, name of family or person). By the transition of the possession not only the new owner is named, but in many cases also the blood-relationship till the previous owner. The each other chronologically following annotations bring often several generations of a particular family in image. They offer also the possibility the history of the specific property, lot or law to follow; just as changes in the naamgeving. Footnotes provide often yet supplementary information.

The loan system has a complicated previous history that goes back till in the early middle ages. See opposite the extensive introduction.

The loan gentleman wanted to lend the from at the leenman. Original granted the leenman at the loan gentleman particular services, for instance military help. Moreover the pawning was temporarily. After death of the leenman, the loan defense at the loan gentleman decayed. Gradually at - certainly after the middle ages - became the borrow hereditary in the family from the leenman, that she sell could even.

Yet remained there a through the loan law regular proportion between leenman and loan gentleman. This loan law particular under others on which weijze borrow from one on the other leenman could be transferred; either through far captive either through sale. Of this have been held annotation in the loan protocols.

Overijssel made until 1528 part from by the diocese Utrecht and became also well the Oversticht named. The bishop was as well spiritually as lay gentleman. After 1528, the souvereiniteit came over Overijssel at the sovereigns from the Habsburgse House, first Karel V and later Philips II. After the Uprising came that sovereignty ultimately at the States of Overijssel.

All these sovereigns stepped on as a loan gentleman. In the loan room, the administration found want to borrow from the transition of the possession of the. The archives of the loan rooms have been kept remained in respective the Utrechts Archives for the episcopal period and in the realm archives in Overijssel for the period 1528 - 1805.

In 1805, the loan system has been planed down.

Also here are some additional records to explore:

The most old now present protocol, that aangelegd became under the government of bishop Florens (or Floris) of Wevelinkhoven (1379-1393) has relation on all Stichtse lend, as well the Overstichtse as the Nederstichtse. Only already under Florens successor Frederik of Blankenheim (1393-1423) became there gone over till the keeping up of a separate protocol for the Overstichtse loan good next to a separate protocol for the Nederstichtse. That same happened under Frederiks successors, what it closed led that there the period from now 1393-1527/28 [223] two parallel series loan protocols arose. Parallel courses, that protocols also for what the through their covered periods concerned, since it customary was that there at the coming forward from a new bishop also a new protocol became aangelegd; in that of its predecessor (s) became then no pawnings more registered. Since there between 1393 and 1527/28 6 bishops acted are there now over that period 6 pairs of loan protocols person present next to the most old common protocol over 1379-1393.