The Dutch East Indies Branch of The Couperus Family

Sourced from "HET GESLACHT COUPERUS in Nederland"
van 1580 tot ongeveer 1880 door W. Wijnaendts Van Resandt - 1953
Uitgegeven door H. DE BOT Leopoldstraat 1b. Rotterdam-C

Information provided by: Jan Willem Draijer, Kolhorn, The Netherlands - February, 2002
Recast in indented format and set in HTML by: Jitze Couperus - February, 2002
Dutch Text translated into English by: Jitze Couperus - September, 2002

The Following sub-tree contains a branch of the Couperus family usually associated with The Dutch East Indies. As far as is known, there are no living Couperuses descended from this tree, thus it is being treated as a separate tree from the main one elsewhere on this site.

This sub-tree is rooted in Abraham Couperus (Baptised in Leeuwarden 20 Sep, 1752 and died in Soerabaja 12 July 1813) who does not appear in the Main Tree (Beknopte Stamboom) that is maintained elsewhere on this site. It turns out that in the Main Tree there is an Abraham at slot 3/2 (Baptised Feb 27, 1698 in Warga and died 9 Mar 1771 in Leeuwarden) and this Abraham had in fact eight children (four by each of two wives) but only one of these offspring (Mollerus at 4/2) is followed further in the Main Tree. The Abraham that forms the root of this sub-tree is one of the other seven children of the Abraham at 3/2. For whatever reason, Meester J. Couperus who first constructed this tree decided to leave out the other seven children, or maybe did not know of their existence.

The Abraham at 3/2 had two wives. The first marriage with Anna Scheversteijn produced:

  • Epeus, Baptised Leeuwarden 8 May 1726, died there 16 July 1802.
  • Maria, Baptised Leeuwarden 16 April 1727, died young the same year
  • Petrus, Baptised Leeuwarden 26 April 1730, died 7 September 1775 never married.
  • Maria, Baptised Leeuwarden 24 February 1734, died 12 November 1786.
The second marriage with Gesina Hoppinga produced:
  • Mollerus, Baptised 31 Aug 1736 and died 1788 (See the entry at 4/2 in the Main Tree)
  • Anna, Baptised Leeuwarden 8 May 1737, died there in 1738.
  • Gerardus, Baptised Leeuwarden 26 March 1744, died 24 Ocober 1776 never married
  • Abraham, the root of this sub-tree (See A/1 below on this page)

I have retained the style of slot numbering contained in the original information sent to me. This helps both to differentiate these entries from those in the main tree as well as to simplify cross-referencing with other researchers. This style uses an alphabetic letter to indicate the generation, followed by a slash followed in turn by a hierarchical dotted list.

This sub-tree is interesting not only for the level of detailed information provided, but it is also in this tree that we find the most famous Couperus of all, namely the Dutch author Louis Couperus. (See the entry for D/2.4.11 below)

Note: This page has the original Dutch text translated into English - I have however retained the original spelling of place names to minimise confusion or ambiguity. Not only are modern spellings different in many cases, but in some cases, places have changed their names completely. By retaining the original spellings, I hope to avoid yet another level of "indirectness" for today's reader. Many equivalents should however be obvious - Soerabaja becomes Surabaja, Djokjakarta becomes Jogjakarta etc. Batavia is equivalent to today's Jakarta. Also and along the same lines, references to "s'Gravenhage" are to the city that we refer to in English today as "The Hague".

A/1 Abraham Couperus, baptised in Leeuwarden 20 September 1752, died in Soerabaja 12 July 1813, married Catharina Johanna Koek, 29 July 1781 in Malacca (died 11 February 1843 in Buitenzorg, daughter of Joost Jzn Koek and Catharina de Roth).
(Notes : Governor of Malacca from 1788 to 1 Dec 1795. Died nearly 61 years old.)
He had 7 children :
B/1 Gesina Couperus, baptised in Malacca 17 October 1784, died in Batavia on 10 September 1828, married (1°) Johan Hendrik Meyer, in 1800 in Tranquebar (born in Hamburg and died in 1808 in Malacca?), (2°) Jan Samuel Timmerman Thijssen, in 1812 (born in 1782 and died 14 January 1823 in Malacca).
She had 1 child :
C/1.1 (1) Henri Pieter Meyer, born in Malacca? in 1801.
(Notes : His descendants name themselves Meyer Timmerman Thijssen.)
B/2 Petrus Theodorus Couperus, baptised in Malacca 12 August 1787, died at sea op January 1823, married Catharina Rica Cransen, in op 3 February 1812 in Tjandjoer (Preanger) (born op 17 December 1795 in Batavia and died 24 January 1845 in Amsterdam, daughter of Willem Jacob Cransen and Maria Eleonora Hartman).
(Notes : Died aged 35 years on board the ship Magelhaen near the Cape of Good Hope on the way to Amsterdam.)
He had 9 children :
C/2.1 William Jacob Thomas Raffels Couperus, born Batavia 4 November 1812, died in Batavia 8 November 1814.
C/2.2 Henry William Leonard Couperus, born in Batavia 17 March 1814, died Breda 28 August 1872, married Petronella Gerardina Johanna Kulenkamp Lemmers, 25 February 1848 in Buitenzorg (born 23 January 1823 in Kuilenburg and died 17 December 1872 in Breda, daughter of J H L Kulenkamp Lemmers and Petronella Holmberg de Beckfeldt).
He had 6 children :
D/2.2.1 George William Couperus, born Soerakarta 28 December 1843, died in Bandoeng 28 June 1891.
(Notes : Died unmarried.)
D/2.2.2 Adele Cornelie Couperus, born Soerakarta 6 January 1846, died Soerabaja 24 January 1900, married George Benjamin Lowe, 19 March 1870 in Buitenzorg.
(Notes : Marriage is childless.)
D/2.2.3 Catharina Rica Couperus, born Batavia 10 January 1848, died Batavia 3 July 1848.
D/2.2.4 John Francis Couperus, born Batavia 11 August 1849, died in Salatiga 19 October 1850.
D/2.2.5 Louise Maria Huberta Couperus, born in Semarang 8 September 1851, married Frederik Hendrik Bouma, 21 April 1881 in Semarang (born in 1838 in Rotterdam and died 3 February 1890 in Semarang, son of Hendrik Hendriks Bouma and Anna Maria Wiks).
D/2.2.6 Henry William Leonard Couperus, born in on board ship near Cape Landsend 30 May 1855, married Johanna Kame Geerts, 26 November 1890 in Yokohama (born 30 June 1870 in Nagasaki).
(Notes : Marriage is childless.)
C/2.3 Petrus Theodorus Couperus, born in Batavia 14 February 1815, died in Buitenzorg 28 June 1872.
(Notes : Died unmarried.)
C/2.4 John Ricus Couperus, born in Batavia 24 February 1816, died in s'Gravenhage 13 October 1902, married Catharina Geertruida Reynst, in 1847 in Batavia (born 18 April 1829 in Batavia and died 15 February 1893).
He had 11 children :
D/2.4.1 Johanna Cornelia Couperus, born in Batavia 21 January 1848, died in Wiesbaden 16 January 1906, married Carel Servaas Fayan Vlielander Hein, 4 August 1875 in Batavia (born 2 February 1846 in Brielle and died 3 May 1900 in Wiesbaden).
D/2.4.2 Petrus Theodorus Couperus, born in Batavia op 9 May 1849, died after 1908.
D/2.4.3 Catharina Rica Geertruida Couperus, born in Batavia op 1 October 1850, married Benjamin Marius Vlielander Hein, 25 May 1871 in s'Gravenhage (born 2 December 1838 in Brielle).
D/2.4.4 Louise Johanna Baptiste Charlotte Couperus, born in Batavia 29 December 1851, died in s'Gravenhage. (Notes : Died young.)
D/2.4.5 John Ricus Couperus, born in Batavia 24 March 1853, married (1°) Camille Clementine Bedier de Prairie, 26 August 1881 in Soekaboemi, (2°) Mary Rica, 19 February 1907 in Djokjakarta (born 22 April 1873 in Bantam).
(Notes : Both of his marriages were childless.)
D/2.4.6 Stillborn child, born in Batavia 13 January 1854, died in Batavia op 13 January 1854.
D/2.4.7 Geertruida Johanna Couperus, born in Batavia 7 May 1856, married Gerardus Johannes Petrus de La Valetta, 28 February 1877 in Batavia (born 4 July 1853 in Semarang).
(Notes : Has 6 children.)
D/2.4.8 Francois Emile Couperus, born in Batavia 18 August 1857, married Marie Ernestine Clementine Cuny, 4 July 1896 in Klaten (born 1 October 1876 in Getas).
He had 2 kinderen :
E/2.4.8.1 Louise Henriette Clementine Couperus, born in s'Gravenhage 5 August 1897, died in Oeugaran 26 November 1901.
E/2.4.8.2 John Ricus Couperus, born in s'Gravenhage 11 August 1898.
(Notes : Last survivor in 1908 who could still provide descendants)
D/2.4.9 Johanna Francina Fernanda Couperus, born in s'Gravenhage 29 May 1860, died in s'Gravenhage.
(Notes : Died young.)
D/2.4.10 Maria Catharina Eleonora Couperus, born in s'Gravenhage 10 June 1861, died in s'Gravenhage.
(Notes : Died young.)
D/2.4.11 Louis Marie Anne Couperus, born in s'Gravenhage 10 June 1863, died in de Steeg (Rheden) 16 July 1923, married Elisabeth Wilhelmina Johanna Baud, 9 September 1891 in s'Gravenhage (born 30 October 1867 in Batavia, daughter of Jan Willem Carel Ricus Theodorus Baud and Johanna Wilhelmina Petronella Steenstra Toussaint).
(Notes : Marriage is childless.)
C/2.5 Catharina Rica Couperus, born in Batavia 5 September 1817, died in Batavia 31 March 1819.
C/2.6 Wilhelmina Jacobina Theodora Couperus, born in Batavia 29 November 1818, died in s'Gravenhage 30 April 1899, married Guillaume Louis Baud, 3 May 1837 in Soerabaja (born 27 December 1801 in s'Gravenhage and died 5 January 1891 in s'Gravenhage, son of Jean Baud and Maria Wellenkamp).
C/2.7 George Gerard Couperus, born in Batavia 25 December 1819, died in Batavia 20 June 1876, married Geertrude Jeanne Westpalm van Hoorn, 13 March 1872 in s'Gravenhage (born 18 January 1849 in Vlissingen, daughter of Jan Westpalm van Hoorn and Johanna Abelina Wilhelmina Otteline von Schmidt).
(Notes : No children.)
C/2.8 Elisabeth Wilhelmina Petronella Couperus, born in Batavia 11 April 1821, died in Parijs 29 December 1889, married Abraham Johan Daniel Steenstra Toussaint, 17 December 1839 in Semarang (born 5 June 1813 in Aarlanderveen and died 24 June 1876 in Batavia).
C/2.9 Geesina Rica Couperus, born in Batavia 26 June 1822, died in Bantam 13 November 1892, married (1°) Ludwig Alexander de Sturler de Frienisberg, 18 December 1840 in s'Gravenhage (born 16 July 1808 in Vierlingsbeek), (2°) Constantijn Leonard Scheidler List, in 1852 in s'Gravenhage (born 4 January 1824 in Breda), (3°) Gerard Frederik van de Poll, 10 July 1865 in Solothurn (born 25 April 1835 in Arnhem).
B/3 Jacobina Maria Couperus, born in Malacca in 1789, died after 1843, married John Tulloch, 19 July 1812 in Batavia.
(Notes : born december 1789. She had 3 sons and 2 daughters. Did not stay at Java, likely to have gone to Bengal.)
B/4 Catharina Johanna Couperus, born in Malacca 12 February 1789, baptised in Malacca 15 February 1789, died after 1842, married (1°) John McLeod, (2°) Arthur H Sim (died in after 1842).
B/5 Jan Gerhard Couperus, born in Malacca 27 November 1791, died in Malacca in 1793. (Notes : Buried 1 May 1793.)
B/6 Anna Gerhardina Couperus, born in Malacca 20 June 1794, baptised in Malacca 22 June 1794, died in Jogjakarta 15 March 1869, married Jan Adriaan Steyn Parvé, 25 March 1810 in Batavia (born 5 August 1785 in 's-Gravenhage and died 8 July 1824 in Sumenap, son of Mr Daniel Steyn Parvé and Ida Jacoba Brouwer).
(Notes : From her marriage came 4 sons and 2 daughters.)
B/7 Catharina Elisabeth Couperus, born in Tranquebar (Coromandel) in 1798, died in Banjoemas 13 September 1864, married (1°) Dr Johan August van Kerst, 15 February 1814 in Batavia (born in Havezaate?), (2°) Willem Nicolaas Servatius, 4 September 1815 in Batavia (born 29 July 1785 in Coevorden and died 24 November 1827 in Tjandjoer, son of Joan Pieter Servatius and Gerhardina Fockelina Engelhard), (3°) Joan Jacob van Bulderen, 6 November 1839 in Batavia (born 24 June 1792 in Groningen and died 29 June 1851 at sea, son of van Mr. Jan Keiser van Bulderen and Catharina Maria Muysken).