Articles in English
25. Dezember 2024
By several authors we are informed about the course of life, the origin, and the descendants of Joris Janssen Rapalje, the ancestor of all Rapalje families in America. By Leslie A. Bryan we know that „Joris Janssen Rapalje, Hugenot, son of Jean, was babtized 28. April at Valenciennes, died in Brooklyn, New Netherland, probably early in 1663, married 1624 in Amsterdam, Catalina Trico, daughter of Jenonimus.“
25. Dezember 2024
In the period around 1600 France was bordered in the North by the Spanish Netherlands. Today it borders Belgium, but the Kingdom of Belgium has only existed since 1831, before that it was a part of the Netherlands.
Until 1668 the border between France and the Spanish Netherlands was south of Valenciennes . At that time, the city belonged to the Hainaut (German: Hainaut). Under Louis XIV (1643-1715), the border ran north of Valenciennes after 1668. From then on, the city belonged to the „Department du Nord“ in France. It is located about 30 km south of the now Belgian town Tournai and about 30 km west of the now Belgian town Mons.