Hallo,

Please help me read and understand a few words in the following marriage record, 1767, Elspeet, Gelderland.

What I read is this:  Den 9 Meij in ondertrouw ingetekent Johannis Evertsen Frens J.M. Custos & ....... tot Elspeet & Margareta Bessls Smink JD van Vaassen wonende tot Elspeet. bevestigt den 29 Maij.

"Custos" appears in other records pertaining to this man and his father, but it appears to be a title or occupation, not a surname.  What is custos?

And I cannot read the following word, which seems to end with ...meester.

Thanks for all your help.

Gordon

Hello Gordon, 'custos' is the latin word for the dutch word 'koster'. The other word is 'kerkmeester'; it is not entirely clear to me if this function should be translated with churchwarden or that a churchwarden is actually more comparable to a koster.

Graag gedaan!