George Vancouver (Captain Royal Navy)
-  van Couwen  -  Vancouwen  -  Vancouven  -  Vancouver  -
or
-  van Coeverden - Vancoeverden - Vancouverden - Vancouverden  -  Vancouver  -
 
 
Vancouver
another theory
 
   

"Vancouver" Its all in a name.... (but which name??)

The Accepted Theory........


Attached is an essay written by a Mr. Adrien Mansvelt, resident Vancouver Consul General of the Netherlands in the early 1970's.
This is the version that has been accepted by everyone involved (i.e. governments, media, families and historians) only because there is no other explanation to the origins of George Vancouvers' family.

Throughout the entire 2nd part of this article you will notice that such terms as accepted, possible and assumed are used again and again.
I find it difficult to believe this story due only to the fact that these words are used again and again throughout.

The statement that the van Coeverden family is the oldest in the Netherlands is an exaggeration in itself. There is no proof of this what so ever, certainly I am not saying that this family didn't have lands and titles (there is absolute proof of this) but in no way will I believe that this family is the original "family of the Netherlands.

The over indulged story begins at the top of the second part, whereas the author is making assumptions based on no hard physical proof

Read the Essay

The numerous inconsistencies in this Essay are, to say the least, troubling and confusing for the reader. To base a theory on assumptions is not only foolish but wrong, the Crest at the beginning of the essay is stated to be the Crest of the city of Coevorden, when in fact the crest looks nothing like it at all as seen on the Coevorden City Web Page.

The following is a pamphlet put out for public interest at the World Exposition in Vancouver, Canada in 1986 It is based wholly on the above article and thus has cemented the theories of Mr. Mansveld into true historical fact.  Unfortunately without DNA analysis these theories will most likely remain as the concrete proof of the Vancouver blood line.

Read the Pamphlet

Invited as guests of honor, by the City of Vancouver, were direct descendants of a sibling of Captain Vancouver.  I have been in contact with George Vancouvers' great, great, great, grand nephew (Mr. David Bundy), who steadfastly refuses to believe that Captain Vancouver may actually have descended from a family of farmers, builders and merchants rather than of noble lineage as Mansvelds' theory portrays.

View the Family Tree (as theorized by Mr. Mansveld)


The name starts as "van Borculo" it last two generations like that and then suddenly changes to the name of the female line of the family "van Coeverden"

NOTE: In western civilization it is almost always a fact that the male name carries and the female name is dropped, that is however not always true in the modern world but 700 years ago it was almost a certainty.

Either way it carries on in the van Coeverden name. The third entry of the tree lists a "Reinolt van Borculo (a.k.a. Reinolt van Coeverden)" he marries an unknown (N.N.) and the last name continues as van Coeverden. Two generations later... another Reinolt van Coeverden marries yet another nameless individual (N.N.)

(isn't that odd for grandfather and grandson {both having identical names} to both marry a person without any name recognition (N.N.)??.and no other info). Does the possibility then exist that this is an error in the records and that the same generation is entered twice?

They carry on the lineage through the centuries to the fifteenth generation under Reint Wolter van Coeverden, who marries and moves to England this couple creates the sixteenth generation of Lucas Hendrik van Coeverden (a.k.a. Luke Henry Vancouver) he in turn fathered John Jasper Vancouver and the rest is history. 

An over view  of the Accepted Explanation


The name starts as "van Borculo" it lasts two generations like that and then suddenly changes to the name of the female line of the family "van Coeverden" this name actually originated from two generations back

The masculine name is lost for no reason at all !!!  

The lineage carries on through the centuries to the fifteenth generation under Reint Wolter van Coeverden (a count), who marries and moves to England this couple creates the sixteenth generation of Lucas Hendrik van Coeverden (a.k.a. Luke Henry Vancouver).  (a regular English Subject!!!???)   What happened to the titles????

WHY THIS DRASTIC CHANGE IN THE LAST NAME???

van Borculo to Coeverden both said to be historically Noble lineages, but changed from van Borculo (the masculine name) to Coeverden (the feminine name)

Coeverden to Vancouver, six major changes in one generation all to make it English??, then why not simply Vancoeverden or Vancoever??

External Link: Municipality of Coevorden 
(No where on the City of Coevorden Site does it mention the relation to arguably their most famous son, leaving me to wonder if they even believe the common theory of his Name.) 

Coe Vorden: Dutch words meaning place where Cows cross   -   English Translation: Cow Fjord or Cow Ford

possible connection  but the spelling is wrong, the last name in question is Coeverden not Coevorden

Six changes to the name over one generation
Coevorden
van Coeverden
Vancouver

Coevorden  -  van Coeverden  -  Vancoeverden  -  Vancouverden  -  Vancouverden

van Coeverden to Vancouver shows us six major changes the addition of the word "van" (simply means from in dutch), capitalization of the "v" and the removal of the space between words but then also the loss of the "e" and replacement with a "u" and the loss of the "den" at the end of the name.

Why did these major changes occur??, these are all questions that my father and I have been asking ourselves for years.

I know what it feels like to come to an anglo nation my last name "van Kaauwen" is constantly changed to "Vankaauwen" but that's two small changes the capitalization of the "v" and the removal of the space between words"

People are usually proud of their family history so what would make this person change their name so drastically, especially when there were noble titles bestowed on his family that might be lost because of the name change. It does not line up!

OUR EXPLANATION

 

  Page     1    2    3    4     5    6

Last Update 07-14-2006

Copyright 2006