Draft:Buwalda-geslacht

'Buwalda' is an old Frisian family that originated in Burgwerd, a small village just north of Bolsward, Friesland. The name ‘Buwalda’ is derived from a medieval estate called ‘Buwalda State’, located southeast of Tjerkwerd, Friesland.

History

The oldest archival document referring to the Buwalda family dates back to 1478. In this document, a certain 'Renicx toe Buwanda' is mentioned as owning a portion of a ‘fenne’ (a piece of land) in Eemswoude, a hamlet near Tjerkwerd in Friesland. The Buwalda family’s prominence is evident from the fact that the name has been commonly used for a hamlet since the eighteenth century. This estate included at least five farms, several of which were inhabited by people who called themselves ‘Toe Bualda’. The land of the five farms formed a contiguous whole, covering an area of 92 pondematen and 33 bunders. In 1813, the pondemaat was uniformly established at 3674.363 square meters (almost 36.74 ares). A bunder (Latin: bonnarium; French: bonnier) or bonder is an old unit of land area, which was often slightly larger than a hectare (ha). In 1501, the place was referred to as Beulda, in 1664 as Bouwoude, and around 1700 as Buwalde. This hamlet included several stinses like Hoytema State, Buwalda - Stapert State, Obblema State, and Maskebourherne. A stins (plural: stinsen or stinzen) is a medieval, defensible, habitable tower (later also built horizontally) in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen. The original Frisian word ‘stins’ means ‘stone house’. The defensible stinsen were built as buildings where, in times of armed conflict, a few families could safely retreat. Particularly wealthy families could afford this. After the stinsen lost their defensive function, they were abandoned or expanded into substantial houses (states). These mansions belonged to wealthy, noble, or notable gentlemen who often owned estates and frequently held administrative functions, such as that of grietman. In total, Friesland once had over 175 states.

The Buwalda hamlet is connected by a canal, the Hillebrandsvaart, to the village of Tjerkwerd. In the Geographical Dictionary by A.J. van der Aa, Tjerkwerd around 1840 is described as follows:

"Tjerkwerd or Kerkwaard, village, province of Friesland, quarter of Westergoo, grietenij of Wonseradeel, arrondissement and 2½ hours West Northwest of Sneek, canton and ½ hour Southwest of Bolsward. With the associated neighborhood Baburen, Buwalda [Buwaldaburen], Eemswoude, Jonkershuizen, Jousterp, and Rijtseterp, it counts 63 houses and 460 inhabitants, who mostly make their living in cattle farming. Previously, the states Hoitema and Walta stood here."

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the hamlet was called both Buwaldaburen (Buwaldabuorren in Frisian) and Jonkershuizen. By the end of the 20th century, Jonkershuizen became the dominant name. The name change from Buwaldaburen to Jonkershuizen has an interesting background. The residents of Buwaldaburen found their marriage partners mainly within families of minor nobles and landowners, who were in turn related to other nobles. As a result, the residents of Buwaldaburen had many “jonkers” (young nobles) in their family and among their ancestors. Due to marriage politics in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, all owners and users of the states in Buwaldaburen became closely related to “jonkers.” From that time on, the name Jonkershuizen was used, referring to the many nobles within the community. This name has been retained to this day.

Historically, many Buwaldas were farmers. In the 18th century, however, the Burgwerd branch of the family evolved into a merchant dynasty. This branch of the family built a hotel empire that lasted for five generations, as well as an international postal and wagon service, and managed an art collection. They operated cafe-restaurants and inns in various cities, including Makkum, Hilversum, Leeuwarden, The Hague, Weesp, Apeldoorn, and Vlissingen. Many members of the Buwalda family also served as church wardens, an important ecclesiastical position. In the 20th century, several Buwaldas held prominent diplomatic and political positions on behalf of the Netherlands.

The Buwalda family has 12 branches, three of which are extinct, and has four different registered family coats of arms.

Genealogy: The Origin of the Name 'Buwalda'

The genealogy of the Buwalda family has a rich history. The name ‘Buwalda’ consists of two parts: ‘Bu’ and ‘Walda’. ‘Bu’ is related to ‘by’, which means ‘village’, a term common in Scandinavian languages; many village names there end in ‘by’. A similar example is the village of ‘Lockerbie’ in Scotland. On old maps, the names ‘Bualda’ and ‘Buwewoude’ appear. The second part, ‘Walda’ or ‘Walta’, stands for ‘forest’ or ‘power’, as is also heard in the German ‘Verwaltung’ and ‘Staatsanwalt’, and the Dutch word ‘geweld’. Together, ‘Buwalda’ would mean ‘village chief’.

The old Buwalda's often wrote their name as ‘Bualda’, probably due to pronunciation. Despite the different spellings, the same family name was meant. In the immediate vicinity of Buwaldabuorren (Buwalda State), there were several ‘forests’, which contributed to the naming and prestige of the family in the region.