The Petrus Henricus van Overdijk                           Family Web Site

The Tilburg/Oirschot van Overdijks

Updated June 2010

When I opened this web site in November 2008 I never dreamt that  I would receive so much help from researchers in Holland. A sincere thank you to Eef van der Lee and Theo vanden Bogaard for their collective help in helping to build a family tree.

Dear Sir and or Madam, Geachte Meneer of Mevrouw, Petrus Henricus Van Overdijk/Overdiek/Overdyk was born in Holland around 1882 , he went to England as a young man [about 18] to work as a Musical Instrument Maker for a company called Boosey and Hawkes.. He married Sarah Bailey and they had three children, Peter, Susie and Ann. I now know that his ancesters came from the Oirschot area. Petrus Henricus Van Overdijk/Overdiek/Overdyk was geboren in Nederland rond 1882, hij immigreerde naar Engeland als een jonge man (zo tegen 8 jaar oud) om als een muziekinstrument bouwer voor een firma van 'Boosye and Hawkes'. Hij trouwde Sarah Bailey, en ze hadden drie kinderen, Peter, Susie, en Ann. Ik heb reden om te geloven dat hij oorspronkelijk uit de Oirschot omstreek kwam. The marriage only lasted about seven years when Sarah Bailey left her husband and the three children. Petrus Van Overdijk stayed close to the children all of his life until he died at age 54 in 1936. Het huwelijk heeft ongeveer zeven jaren standgehouden voordat Sarah Bailey haar man en drie kinderen verliet. Petrus van Overdijk had gedurende zijn leven een hechte verhouding met zijn kinderen tot aan zijn dood in 1936 op 54e leeftijd. My name is Peter Townsend , I was born in England but have lived in Canada for the last 53 years. I am the son of Peter's daughter Susie and therefore the Grandson of Petrus Hendricus Henry Van Overdijk. Mijn naam is Peter Townsend, ik ben in Engeland geboren maar heb in Cnada gewoond voor de laatste 46 jaren. Ik ben de zoon van Peter's dochter Susie, en zodoende de grootzoon van Peter Henry van Overdijk. My reason for writing this letter is to try and re establish contact with my Dutch relatives that my Uncle Peter [ now deceased] once had , and to try and learn more about the Dutch side of the family. I would also like to be able to draw a more complete family tree. If you have a Petrus Henricus Van Overdijk in your family that fits the description above or know of one in another family I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Mijn reden voor het schrijven van deze brief is om te proberen weer kontakt optenemen met mijn Nederlandsche familie die mijn oom Peter (nu overleden) ooit eens had, en om te proberen meer te leren kennen over de nederlandsche kant van de familie. Als het enigszins mogelijk is zou ik graag de familieboom optekenen. Als U een 'Peter van Overdijk' in uw familie hebt op wie de beschrijving past in bovengeschrevene, of U kent iemand in een andere familie met die naam, zou ik ontzettend graag wat van U willen horen. I can be contacted by Email at petert@magma.ca <mailto:petert@magma.ca>                                                                                                                                         Ik kan gemailed worden op petert@magma.ca or by phone at 613 592 3536 [ Canadian number] per telefoon op 613 592 3536 (canada) or by mail at Peter Townsend 21 Sandwell Crecent, Kanata K2K 1V2, Ontario Canada. of via de post aan Peter Townsend, 21 Sandwell Crecent, Kanata K2K 1V2, Ontario Canada This letter has been very kindly translated by a family friend who is originally from Holland. If you could reply in English please do, otherwise I am sure she will translate your letter for me. Een vriend van de familie was zo vriendelijk om deze brief voor mij te vertalen, zij is oorspronkelijk van Nederland. Als het mogelijk is antwoord U alstublieft in het engels, het dat niet kan, weet ik zeker dat zij uw brief wel even voor me wil vertalen. Yours Sincerely                          Hoogachtend, Peter Townsend                           Peter Townsend PS. I  have opened a Van Overdijk  web site to help in the search for my Dutch relatives   http://vanoverdiijksoftilberg.com

Background Story The marriage between Peter Van Overdyk and Nan Van Overdyk [nee Bailey ] in the early 1900's was neither happy or successful. Peter who came to England from Holland was a musical instrument maker, he was said to have been very authoritarian to hear my Nan’s side of the story,  and shortly after the above photo’s were taken she left him and the three children. This was a very traumatic event which completely broke up the family and the best way to explain what happened will be to quote verbatim from a letter I received at Christmas 1998 from my Aunt Doris who was married to the son Peter and who passed away three months later.  “Your Grandfather Peter Henry Van Overdyk died Oct 1936 aged 54, I remember this because it was the year our son David was born. He [ your Grandfather] was born in Osterwyk [ subsequentaly turned out to be Oirschot ].  It is a village in the south of Holland near the Belgium border. He came to England at the age of 18 I think and went to work for Booseys musical instruments [ now Boosey and Hawkes ]. He was a very clever man and became foreman, he remained there until he died.  I don’t know when he was married or split up, Peter was seven and Ann five. Susie went to a family and Peter and Ann were separated and sent to Convents. I don’t think either of them had a very happy childhood, the Nuns were very strict and things went on in those days that would not be allowed now. Grandfather lived the rest of his life in lodgings, when Ann and Peter were fourteen they left the convent and went to work , Poor Ann was put straight into service, Peter lived in lodgings with his Dad and went to work at Boosey and Hawkes as an apprentice , not a very good life. That is how I met Peter, my mother let out rooms when my father died, I think Grandfather died mainly from neglect....the foregoing was copied from a letter from Aunt Doris. Actually my Grandfather died from Consumption [ T B ], I saw his death certificate when examining family documents when my mother died. By all accounts my mother Susie had a much better life and was looked after by a family as a foster child. Sometime in the late forties or early fifties she was to meet some of the family members again and their reunion was a very happy one

Above photo of Peter Henry [Petrus Henricus van Overdijk]. Plus children Peter, Ann and Susie and mother Sarah Bailey.