Albert Ten Brink
By Bentheimers International Society
Some information for this biography was taken from “Die Familien der Kirchengemeinde Lage (1700–1900),” by Harm Schneider.
A portion of General Major von Le Coq‘s Grafschaft Bentheim map (1805) depicting the settlement of Lage. Albert Ten Brink was born here in 1810.
Albert Ten Brink was born in Lage on October 22, 1810 to Mallagijas Ten Brink and Hindrikje Rotman, the youngest of five children. His father was a kuiper, a maker and repairer of casks and barrels. Sometime before 1834, he married Jenne Hoed. She had a six–year–old daughter named Hendrika by this time. On January 13, 1834, Albert and Jenne (or Jenneken) had a son and named him Hendrik.
The Albert Ten Brink Family Leaves Lage
In 1857, Albert’s family departed Lage for Bremen, where they boarded the Von Stein. After their ship reached New York City on August 7, the Ten Brinks traveled to Graafschap, Michigan, where they bought a 40–acre farm in Laketown Township, Section 11, just west of the village.
The Ten Brink Farm In Laketown Township
According to the July 1860 Federal Census, this land was valued at $200; the Ten Brinks owned $30 in personal property. Interestingly, this census also tells us that their household included only Albert and Hendrik, three years after leaving Lage. In October of 1858, daughter Hendrika had married Hendrikus Strabbing, an 1847 emigrant from Drenthe, the Netherlands, and was living on the Strabbing farm in Fillmore Township. But in August of 1859, Albert’s wife Jenne passed away suddenly from apoplexy (cerebral hemorrhage or stroke) in Overisel Township.
Federal Census for 1860, showing that only Albert and his son Hendrik were living on the farm in Laketown three years after arriving here.
Albert and Hendrik appear together again in the 1870 Federal Census. By this time, their farm was worth $700, and they had $100 in personal possessions. Albert’s farm is included on an 1873 plat map of Laketown Township. However, it appears that Albert Ten Brink passed away sometime between 1873 and August 18, 1877, when his son Hendrik made a contract with Gerrit and Katie Lemmen. According to their contract, Hendrik would live with the Lemmen family and be treated like a family member.
At this time, the location of Albert’s grave is unknown to us. If you know what happened to Albert Ten Brink or the location of his burial site, please use the contact form below so we can complete his story.
The Albert Ten Brink family on the passenger arrivals list of the Von Stein immigrant ship. Above the Ten Brink names are those of fellow Grafschafters Hermann (Harm) Wolters, his wife Swenne Adriaans Wolters, and daughter Stine from Altendorf.
A plat map of Laketown Township from 1864. Although the image quality isn’t very good, “A. Ten Brink” is still legible.
A plat map from 1873 with the A. Ten Brink farm highlighted. This 40–acre farm would be divided into two 20–acre parcels at some time before 1895.
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