De Familie Thiels - Tiels - Thils - Tils

Herselt, cradle of our family.

For generations the Thiels family lived in Herselt. Most of them in the hamlets of Blauberg or Voortjesheide (quarter Varenwinkel). There, their presence was so pronounced that in Blauberg the saying was: “At Blauberg everybody is named Aerts, except for the Thiels, their name is Meynckens”. In other words at Blauberg two families were omnipresent, the Aerts or the “klones”, so called because their ancestor was a “klone-maker” (wooden shoe maker) and the Thiels. That didn’t stop the Thiels from swarming out, both inside and outside of the community. It didn’t stop at the neighbouring villages either. The Thiels are now present in Belgium, The Netherlands, where already in the 13th century a “Thiels” was mentioned in the deeds of Tilburg, France and since the late 19th century in the USA.

For genealogists or anyone interested in family history a single core area, like Herselt in our family, can be a blessing but also a curse. A blessing because most information can be found in a single community or right in the neighboorhood,but also a curse because at every single moment you have to take into account all the peculiarities of the area. For the community of Herselt that means lots of peculiarities in the previous centuries!

From the early middle ages till about 1800 Herselt was a manor, what we would now call a municipality in the Duchy of Brabant. It was part of the marquisate Westerlo just like the current sister communities Westerlo, Olen and Hulshout. This marquisate Westerlo was part of the duchy of Brabant.  Adjacent communities like Testelt, Begijnendijk, Aarschot and Wolfsdonk were part of a different duchy, the duchy of Aarschot. These borders brought lots of different rules, laws and taxes which make it more difficult to fully research our ancestors’ life. For example Aarschot and Westerlo used different units of distance, area, weight.  Of course both dutchies also had their own currency.

In Herselt the situation was even more complicated. Although it was one manor with its own governmental and judicial council, the municipality was divided in three parishes.
-      Herselt (the town centre with Varenwinkel) was the St. Servatius parish.
-      Ramsel was in the St. Hubert parish.
-      Blauberg and Bergom did not have its own church, but belonged to the St. Lambert parish of Westerlo, which was in the other Duchy.

The division of Herselt into three parishes, two municipalities and two duchies was the source of many problems because a a large part of life and economy in the middle ages was based upon the principle of one village one parish. All rules of the local government such as taxes, laws, administration and tithe covered the entire manor. Parishes however organized the daily life, baptisms, weddings, funerals and their registration, but also assistance to the poor (Tables of the Holy Spirit) and tithes which served for the maintenance of the church, the presbytery and also the pay of the pastor. Those living in Blauberg or Bergom, had to pay taxes in Herselt, but had to go to Westerlo for all parish matters. As long as this had to do with paying the tithes and other church matters (baptising), people of Bergom and Blauberg were very welcome but when the same people came to get help from the Tables of the H. Spirit, it was a whole different story.  At that time the game of passing responsibilities between Westerlo and Herselt would start. Poor people, especially in Blauberg, were often the victims.

For family researchers the split in the community of Herselt is often a stumbling block. Our ancestors were mostly tenant farmers who possessed little or no property and mostly moved whenever their land lease came to an end. So it happens that families officially always had lived in Herselt, but resided for shorter periods in the two municipalities, Herselt and Westerlo. If on top of this, they would move from one parish to another everything would be even more complicated. Who would expect that a family from the Voortjesheide or the Bleidenhoek in Blauberg was allowed to baptise one child in Herselt centre and next one in Westerlo and vice versa?  Mostly when this happened there are no apparent reasons.

As a final twist our ancestral home land is right on the border of three dioceses; Mechelen for the communities of the actual province of Flemish-Brabant, Antwerp for Herselt St. Servatius, and s’Hertogenbosch (in the Netherlands) for the parishes Westerlo and Ramsel.

All this illustrates that finding information about our family has at times been very difficult. Depending on which side of the many border you are, records in different archives in different towns need to be consulted.

However, if you’re not dicouraged by this, lots of interesting things about the family can be found. Did you know for example that Jan Thils was “borgemeester” (tax collector) for Ramsel in 1786? That Norbertus Thiels became the 43nd abbot of the Abbey of Averbode. That Petrus Hubertus Thiels was pastor of Langdorp and later Ramsel. His brother Norbertus Franciscus studied to become a medical doctor in the university of Leiden (the Netherlands) in 1806 - an exception in those times - and had to flee from the police after a scuffle? That their brother Michiel had a large farm on the Voortjesheide?

However, we should not feel two comfortable by all this for it displays too nice a view of life of our ancestors. Even though some family members became well known and/or had a good career for the majority of the family life was not bed of roses. On the contrary, daily life meant usually hard work on poor soil. Most people were happy if they had enough to feed their families. Of course there was no social safety-net like we have today. A failing harvest, a contagious disease among people or life stock, passing armies, or a fire were all tragedies and disappointments, which were able to reduce a family from prosperity to beggary within a matter of minutes. For poor families these matters were real disasters.

The living conditions of our ancestors were not so ideal. Most of the houses were made of clay with only one open fireplace which had to burn a fire day and night to cook the food, but also to heat the house. The saying: “burned on the front, frozen on the back,” explains the heat such a fireplace produced. Those who have some doubts about it have to go to the open-air museum of Bokrijk in early spring or late autumn. There you can feel how “cosy” it feels if you have to live in it your whole life. In such a loam hut one was hardly capable to heat the living room; the sleeping room (if it existed) or the sleeping attics were ice cold. The high child mortality was in large part due to these inferior accommodations. Therefore a lot of family members, the maids and servants slept on the hay in the barn or in the hayloft above the stable. There at least one got warm from the hay or straw and from the animals. Stinking like dung of goats or cows, it was just part of the deal.

Along with inferior hygiene and poor accommodations you also have to consider the food situation. That was simple for the poor and the day workers; there was always a shortage on food. For those who had enough to feed their family the food was very simple and one sided; porridge and rye bread three times a day. Much variety didn’t exist. It goes for itself that it wasn’t stimulating a good health. A lot of disfigurements, sicknesses and early deaths were the result of these poor nutritional and living conditions.

Those who, like the Thiels family, want to write the history of their family cannot pass
these things by. It is only against the background of hard work on poor sandy soil, of wars and epidemics, of life and death, that a family tree or history becomes more than a series of meaningless names. Only then do you realize that it is all about people of flesh and blood, who are living on within us.

Some old pictures of Herselt and Ramsel

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Gregorius Thiels
43rd Abbot of the Abbey of Averbode
Living in the turbulent years of the French Revolution.

Being the 16th child in a family of 17 children, Norbertus Thiels was born on Friday, August 17th 1742. His parents were Joannes, 42 years and Joanna Elisabeth Verreyt, 42 years. He was baptized the next day and his godfather and godmother were Petrus Servatius and Isabella Maria Thiels, his 15-year-old brother and 22-year-old sister.

During his childhood, he went to school in Westerlo, a neighboring village within walking distance.
As a young man of 20 years, he entered the Abbey of Averbode on October 12th 1762. Averbode is a village situated next to Herselt.

Two years later in 1764, Norbertus was professed and became a priest, and was given the name Gregorius. Shortly afterwards, he was sent to the University of Leuven, where he studied for two more years.
In 1768, he returned to Averbode to teach Theology and became Provisory for the Abbey in 1772, a job he did for approximately 18 years. Later, he returned to Leuven to be the President of the Norbertinian College.

When Abbot Verboven died in October 1790, a new Abbot was chosen. It was Gregorius Thiels who was elected to become the 43rd Abbot on November 12th 1790.  Due to the Austrian conquerors who ruled our regions, it took until April 1791 before Gregorius was finally settled as the new Abbot. 

 After several heavy fights, the Austrians were defeated by the French Army and our regions were annexed to the French Republic.  A normal life wasn’t possible anymore, because the French were out for revenge after the quartering of Australian troops in the Abbey.  Abbot Gregorius began taking measures to hide the goods and other valuable things as much as possible.  He himself left the Abbey on July 10th 1794 to hide. He returned to the Abbey in 1795, but was driven out indefinitely on February 14th 1797 because the Abbey could no longer pay their high taxes. Robbery and the confiscating of goods became a common affair that time.

In his wandering over the next several years, he lived in different places, such as Testelt, Diest and even Emmerich in Westfalen (Germany).  It wasn’t until 1808, before he could return to his Abbey in Averbode.

Much of his plans were not carried out due to living during the turbulent years of the French Revolution.
The French were finally driven out after Napoleon’s army was defeated in the battle of Waterloo.

Abbot Gregorius Thiels died on July 31st 1822 at the age of 79 years. You can find his tombstone on the small Abbey Cemetery, against the wall of the Abbey Church.

In memory of Gregorius, the Abbey created a medallion in 1993. On one side, it shows Gregorius, and on the other side, it shows the inside of the old 14th century entrance gate.

The Last Will & Testament of Abbot Gregorius Thiels. Last year, the family Thiels Organization came into possession of a copy of the Last Will and Testament of the well-known Gregorius Thiels. Gregorius was the 43rd Abbot of the Norbertine Abbey of Averbode. Being a person with strong historical values, Gregorius had a responsibility to the above mentioned Abbey. His Episcopal title as Bishop gave him a seat into the States General of the Duchy of Brabant. What gives even more additional value, is that Gregorius played an important role and carried a huge responsibility on a turning point in history during the end of the “Old Regime” and the beginning of the “Modern Times”. This was at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. The end of the Austrian Netherlands, the French Revolution, (when Gregorius and his confrères were expelled of their abbey and had to flee) and thus the Dutch period into our regions. His Last Will and Testament was drawn up about five years prior to his death, which was July 31, 1822.  He was 79 years old.  The text in the left margin on the first page informs us that his worldly goods were heritage by his confrère Carleer:  “Mr. I. Carleer for the Notary V. Di Martinelli, the 12th of December 1822”.
Op heden desen achtentwintighsten february achthien hondert en seventhien voor my Vin- centius Dimartinelli openbaeren Notaris ter resi- dentie Van de stad Diest arr.  van Loven provin- ce Van Zuydt Brabant en in de presentie der Vier hier onder te noemen en ondergeteekende getuygen tot dese Expresselyk Vacerende tot Everbode onder Testelt, was pre- sent  Den Hoogh weerdigen Heer Gergorius Thiels inwoonende op de pastorye tot Everbode onder Testelt voorschreven zynde gezond van Lichaem en memorie Verstand en Zinnen de selve wel machtigh en gebruyckende, Zoo het daerelyk schene en bleeke aen my notaris en de vier hier Onder te noemen getuygen uyt Zyne Conversatie en redecavelingen, en aen my notaris en de Vier getuygen seer wel bekent Welcken Comparant Gregorius Thiels Hooghweerdigh Heer Van het voor dese abdye, van het geseydt Everbode, niet soekende Van dese wereld te schyden sonder over syne tydelyke goederen gedisponeert te hebben, en my voornoemden en ondergeteekenden notaris in de presentie der vier hier onder te noemen getuygen zegt en dicteert dit zyn tegen woordigh testament en zyn dispositie van uytersten wille als Volght Voor Eerst bevele ik Gregorius Thiels Hoogh weerdigh Heere van het voor dese abdye Everbode testateur by dese, myne Ziele Zoo haest de selve uyt myn sterffelyk Lichaem sal Komen te scheyden aen de Grondeloose Bermhertigheyd Van God almachtigh mynen Schepper en Salighmaeker, aen de voorspraeke Van Zyne gebenedyde Moeder en Heylige Maghet Maria, en van het geheel hemels gezelschap en myn dood Lichaem ter gewyde aerde, laetende myne begraeffenisse, uytvaerdt en alle godvruchtige Werken te doen tot Laeffenisse myner Ziele aen de discretie van myne hier onder te noemen Erffgenaemen, waer mede comende tot de dispositie Van alle myne tydelyke goederen meubelen en immeubelen en allent welck my op den dagh Van myn overlyden sal toebehooren, alle het selve laet maeke en legatere ik aen den Eerweerdige Heere Ignatius Loyola Carleer, actuelen onderpastoor tot Testelt, noemende en instituerende den selven by desen voor Mynen Eenighsten en universeelen Erffgenaem en in geval den gesyden en voornoemden Heere Carleer van voor my testateur komt te overlyden, noeme en instituere ik by dese voor mynen Eenighsten en universelen Erffgenaemen den Eerweerdigen Heere Willebrordus Verhulst, actuelen onder pastoor van Couersel, en in geval de voornoemde twee Heren Carleer en Verhulst byde voor my komen te overlyden, noeme en instituere ik voor mynen Eenighsten en universelen Erffgenaemen den Eerweerdigen Heere Sulpitius De Lespes tegen woordigh onder pastoor tot Averbode vorschreve, om nae mynen dood met alle myne goederen te doen en te dispone- ren als Van saeke, hem in vollen eygendom toebehoorende Waer in bestaet mynen Eenighsten en laesten wille Dit testament is alsoo door den geseyde hoogh weerdigen Heere Gregorius Thiels testateur, aen my notaris voornoemt en ondergeschreven gedicteert, door my notaris voornoemt zoo en gelyk hy het my heeft gedicteert geschreven en ter- stonds daer nae door my notaris aen den geseyden Hoogh weerdigen Heere testateur voor gelesen, alles in de presentie Van den Eerweerdigen Heere Antonius Robyns, Pastoor van Averbode, Joannes Franciscus Vermeylen Land- bouwer tot Testelt, Henricus Claes Landbouwer woonende onder Testelt voorschreven en Henricus Corten koster van en tot Averboden voor getuygen hier toe expresselyk aensoght genietende alle van hunne Borgelyke Rechten in Welckens presentie den heere testateur nae voor lesinge aen hem gedaen als boven heeft verclaert het selve wel te hebben verstaen Conforme te syn aen zyne intentie en daer in te Volherden, waer nae door my notaris aen den Heere testateur en de vier voornoemde getuygen gevraeght off hy en sy alle konde off wisten te schryven, heeft den Heere testateur en alle de getuygen geantwoord dat ja en dese te sullen teeken- en met my notaris waer van acte – aldus gedaen en gepasseert op de pastorye tot Averboden woonplaetse van den Heere testateur onder Testelt ten daeghe maende en jaere als boven omtrent twelf uren des middaghs, nae voorlesinge van allent voorschreven heeft den heere testateur en de vier getuygen dese beneffens my notaris ge- teekent als volght Gregorius Thiels Antonius Robyns Jan Fr: Vermylen Henri Claes Henricus Corten V: Di Martinelli Nris Enregistré a Diest le Treize novembre 1800 vingt deux folio cent Douze verso Case Cinq    reçu Trois florins Cinquante Quatre et demi Cous: ad 9° Comprise

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The relation between these areas is not known yet, but probably it has to be found in
the fact that one family, a young man or different Thiels, moved from the northeast to the southwest of the province of Flemish Brabant. This is situated on a logic geographic line, while it is “following” an old Roman road.
On the other hand factors of an economic basis will have played an important role (Spanish presence) and even so the agrarian factor. One moves in fact from a poor healthy sand soil (Kempen and Hageland) to the rich clay and loam soil of southwest Flemish Brabant.
That a re-location took place in the Brussels’ area cannot be denied. From HOLVAO there have been “name carriers” (and still are) who settled in the greater area of the capital; and coupled to this the all or not return to the different areas of origin after some time and/or generations.

And what about Wallonia?

One may say that the majority of the Thiels, whom went to the Wallonian part of the country, settled in the area of La Louvière. Of course exceptions exist. Reason: the coalmines in this area with an attractive economical perspective during the dark crisis years around 1840. Some moved over there in order to be involved into the agricultural sector. Others commuted every day between HOLVEO and the mining or agricultural area, some stayed only for the harvest period and some others settled there forever.

Geographic spreading Thiels in Belgium	Geographic spreading Thils in Belgium
Geographic spreading Tiels in Belgium	Geographic spreading Tils in Belgium

The Netherlands

Joannes Ludovicus Thiels born on September 19, 1777 in Tessenderlo is the founder of our Dutch branch. He belongs to the branch Veerle I and youngest son of Joannes Baptista Thiels from Veerle en Maria Christina Pontanis, born in Testelt.
Joannes Ludovicus married Maria Christina Merkelbags from Luyksgestel - Netherlands in 1812 and they had six children. Since then, this branch has grown into about 400 peoples. Remarkable is the change of name into Tils and Tiels. Most of their descendants still lives in the neighbourhood of Luyksgestel, Asten and Eindhoven.

Geographic spreading Thiels in Netherland	Geographic spreading Tiels in Netherland
Geographic spreading Tils in Netherland

USA

At last we know about the immigration in 1883 of the family of Henricus Thiels –
Maria Brems. This household of father Henricus, mother Maria and 5 children depart from Ramsel (Belgium) to the USA, where they settle in Alexandria, the middle and the heart of the “Deep South State of Louisiana”. Today we know about hundreds of descendants of this hard working family, which once left Flanders due to the economical and agrarian crisis period by the end of the first half of the nineteenth century.

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