The Van Aisma family derived their name from Zathe Groot Aisma under Bitgummole. In 1811 Evert Klazes (IV.1) names himself, along with his three sisters, Van Aisma, after the farm on which he works and which he himself gives that name. They are of smallholder descent, in the lineage their grandfather is probably laborer in Menaam, because he was not found as a user of land, their great-grandfather was an innkeeper.
The name is not derived from kinship to the lords Van Aysma, who have resided at Bitgum on Aysma State since the Middle Ages.

Through his wife, Evert becomes a wealthy man. His son Johannes also marries into money as does grandson Hartman, three times. Eventually, great-grandson Johannes Hartman van Aisma, as the only heir, gathers the family possessions together in a foundation. With the growing property also come the social functions: church father, councilor, alderman, mayor, member of Provincial States – and with it status.

This is a ‘small’ family, which means that the male members are not numerous in number: five adults, two of whom have no children. Thus, the name remains limited. And the male line died out in 1942 with Johannes Hartman van Aisma.

Most are Dutch Reformed; with the exception of Tjitske and Trijntje Everts van Aisma (III.1.3 and III.1.5) who were first Reformed and later became Mennonites and their Mennonite husbands Cornelis Jarigs Mollema and Thomas Rinks Groenveld; the same goes for Hartman van Aisma (VI.2), he also becomes a Mennonite.

Pieter Fabrij de Jonge (IV.1.4) is considered Christian Reformed for his marriage contract and later liberal Reformed, in the resident register of Leeuwarden of 1859-1876 he, his wife Gertje and foster son Johannes Hartman are still registered as Reformed, in the resident register of 1876-1904 all three as Dutch Reformed.

The reason why in 2020 Erfgoed Fundaasje has re-immersed itself in the Van Aisma’s is the research by Maurice van Lieshout into Lucien von Römer (1873-1965), who was friends with Hartman van Aisma in Breda. Von Römer wrote about thirty poems on Hartman. Look for a preview of Van Lieshout’s study in this genealogy on Hartman van Aisma (VII.2).

In 2008 Jan van der Leij in Bitgummole conducted an in-depth investigation into the Van Aisma family. This is in response to a visit to Bitgum and Bitgummole by American descendants of Minke Everts van Aisma (IV.1.2). Van der Leij has traced the lives of various Van Aismas in detail and this information is gratefully used in this genealogy.

On 27 October 2020 this collection was donated by Jan van der Leij in Bitgummole to Stichting Erfgoed Fundaasje, who will house it, according to contract with the municipality Waadhoeke, where it is secured for the future and made accessible for general consultation. A valuable asset!

For the full genealogy (in Frisian), click here.