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== Brief History ==
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{{Template:Nonbrit}}
Information on ancestors with a '''Dutch''' connection.
==The Dutch East India Company or VOC==
The Dutch name of the Dutch East India Company was the Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC, literally the "United East Indian Company". The alternative spelling Vereenigde is also used.
===Brief History===
"The Dutch sent their first fleet to the East in 1595. Being commercial realists they went straight to the source of the spice trade in the East Indies, established themselves at Batavia (now, as previous to their arrival, called Jakarta), and proceeded to oust the Portuguese. Then they established a chain of posts through Ceylon and Capetown to connect themselves with their home base and proceeded to develop a great Asian network of trade by which they planned to earn resources needed to purchase spices without drawing on the silver bullion which was in chronic short supply in northern Europe. India came within their purview only as a link in their great commerical chain. It was a source of textiles for sale in the East Indies in exchange for spices while the extreme south and Ceylon were valuable for their own supplies of pepper, cardamom and cinnamon. The Dutch had 'factories' or warehouses as far north as Agra but they took no part in politics or cultural contacts. Their eccentric tombs at Surat and their factories at Cochin and Negapatam are their principal memorials in India. Only in Ceylon did they exercise dominion in the plains from Colombo and leave a living memorial in the Burgher community."<ref> Spear, ''A History of India'' (Volume Two) (1978) pp.65-68 </ref>
===Individuals===
An example of a Dutchman who ended up in Bengal was Johan Jacob Hoff . A Dutch book states he had joined the VOC in 1788. He went from Holland to the Dutch East Indies for the Chamber of Enkhuizen with the vessel Maria Carolina. Having arrived at Batavia, Hoff was sent to Malacca where he served as a “second chirurgeon.” In 1795 he was taken prisoner by the English in Malacca at Pera; together with the garrison stationed there, he was sent to Bengal. <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=agJXAAAAMAAJ&q=Hoff+inauthor:Pieter+inauthor:Van+inauthor:der+inauthor:Kemp&dq=Hoff+inauthor:Pieter+inauthor:Van+inauthor:der+inauthor:Kemp&hl=en&ei=A-AvTbRAi71xh9SI8wc&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ ''Het Nederlandsch-Indisch bestuur in het midden van 1817, naar oorspronkelijke stukken''] by Pieter Hendrik van der Kemp 1915 Google Books (snippet view); pages 216 and 217, translated by Leo Janssen. The book by Van der Kemp deals with the period of 1817 and the complications with respect to the cession of the former Dutch possessions in Bengal according to the Treaty of London of 1814. Details provided by Mary McPherson (<nowiki>marymac129@btinternet.com</nowiki>) who is researching a man named Johan Jacob Hoff, possibly the man mentioned in the book. The book is available at the [[British Library]] together with many other books by the author including ''De administratie der geldmiddelen van Neerl.-Indië. (Alphabetisch Register, etc.)''.</ref>
== Church Records ==
==External links==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company Dutch East India Company] Wikipedia
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_India Dutch India] Wikipedia
*[http://www.colonialvoyage.com/ Dutch and Portuguese Colonial History Links] Marco Ramerini's site
