Citizen Book Rotterdam (Poorterboek) - 1780¶

"Etienne Cabos geb. te Caussade is poorter geedt. Present de Hoere, van Alphen en van der Does, Burgemeesters"

Entry in the Citizen Book (Poorterboek) in Rotterdam from May 24, 1780, p. 158. They reside at Vissersdijk.

Image Note

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Document Information¶

Field	Value
Document Type	Poorterboek (Citizen Book)
Date	May 24, 1780
Location	Rotterdam, Netherlands
Page	158
Entry	Etienne Cabos

Transcription¶

"Etienne Cabos geb. te Caussade is poorter geedt. Present de Hoere, van Alphen en van der Does, Burgemeesters."

Translation: "Etienne Cabos, born in Caussade, has taken the citizen's oath. Present were Messrs. van Alphen and van der Does, Mayors."

Description¶

On May 24, 1780, Etienne Cabos was officially registered as a citizen (Poorter) of the city of Rotterdam. Citizenship was an important prerequisite for operating a business in Rotterdam.

What did citizenship mean?¶

Rotterdam citizenship (Poorterschap) granted:

The right to run a business
Access to the guilds
Participation in civic life
Protection under city laws

The Witnesses¶

The presence of two mayors at the oath-taking ceremony was customary. They represented the city government and administered the oath.

The Path to Citizenship¶

To become a citizen, one had to:

Provide proof of good character
Take the citizen's oath
Pay a fee

The certificate from the French Reformed Church in Isenburg likely served Etienne as proof of his good character.

The New Residence: Vissersdijk¶

After receiving citizenship, the family settled at Vissersdijk and opened a haberdashery shop there. Vissersdijk was a street in the center of Rotterdam, near the harbor.

Significance for Family History¶

This entry documents:

The official settlement of the family in Rotterdam
The exact date of naturalization
The place of origin "Caussade" - an important genealogical record
The beginning of a new chapter of life in the Netherlands

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