Tierck Clafsen DeWitt and Descendants of His Son Luycas DeWitt

About the Book

The DeWitt genealogy is a fascinating study of 26 generations of the family from 1293 to the present. This work is the collaboration of descendants of the three children of Leucas, ninth child of Tierck Clafsen DeWitt. American Ambassador Lester DeWitt Ballor of UEL descent obtained a copy from The Royal Library of the Hague of Beschayving DerStad Dordrecht by Mattys Balen, Jans Zoon published in 1677. This information provided the first thirteen generations in Holland.

He also received a 32-page copy of a lawsuit in 1684 by Jan DeWitt on behalf of his brother Tierck for rent owned by Pieter Janz, their sister Faelde's husband. The property was land inherited by Tierck from his father Nicholaas. It provided information on her mother Taetje Cornelisz, her father, brothers and their shipyard.

About the Author

Vona Edna (DeWitt) Smith UE was born in Sandy Lake Manitoba, Canada in 1923 to Ira Smith DeWitt and Edna Belle Barker, the youngest of seven. She graduated with a scholarship from high school and enrolled in Brandon MB Normal School [Teachers College] and taught in rural schools in the Province. In 1942 she married Gilbert Doran Smith who servced inthe Royal Canadian Air Force. They moved to Vancouver BC in 1948. They have 4 children -- Corrine, Gilbert who has a daughter Kasia, Aida, and Julia who married Howard Webb who children are Brennan and Jenna. The author has 5 certificates and her husband had 7 granted by the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada. The children and grandchildren all have their certificates.

She has a lifetime interest in family history. Her mother was an American, a descendant of Ebenezer Judd who fought against the British in 1776-1783. She visited his grave near Syracuse, NY as well as the graves of her grandmother Lovina Gertrude (Judd) Barker and great grandparents Philo and Mary (Adams) Barker in Brookfield MO. Thay had previously lived in North East, Erie County PA. Her grandfather Wilbur Jay Barker served in the Union Army in the American War between the North and South and moved with his parents and sisters to Missouri after the end of the war. With his second wife and children he moved to Manitoba in 1898. He is buried near Newdale, MB. Vona's mother was born in 1883, Grandfather Wilbur in 1843 and great grandfather Philo in 1803.

Vona DeWitt Smith is a skilled lecturer, journalist, researcher and mentor. Vona has lectured in Canada and the United States, has served as both a Loyalist Librarian and Geneologist for more than 15 years and is the past President of the Vancouver Branch of the UEL Association of Canada. Vona has been a major part in keeping the Association alive in BC working with other to help establish two new Branches in BC (the total now being four). It is Vona's dedication to research that has enabled so many British Columbians to affix UE (Unity of the empire) after their names. This is the only hereditary title given by the Crown outside of Britain.

Vona is an expert in many areas of geneological research: Atlantic Canada, Ontario, the United States, Palatines, and Loyalists, etc. Vona's personal library is a treasure of Canadian and American histories. She has travelled extensively across Canada and the US in order to do major research on her family, as well as writing her own book on Tierck Claeszen deWitt b. 1620 (son of Nicholaas DeWit) and his descendants.

Vona is also a master seamstress and has made innumerable ladies and men's period costomes complete with mob caps and tricorn hats. Many workshops, conventions, and luncheons have been graced by Vona's Loyalist costumes. The costumes were also featured on TV in the series Geneology and Basic Geneology (Rogers Community Channel) and in particular were worn at the 1994 BC Convention of the UEL Association of Canada, held for the first time outside of Ontario.