Lucas Bouyssavy is the founder of our the Boissevain family. In 1687, at the age of 25, he flew due to religious beliefs from his native country France. There he left his family and all his possessions. After three years of dangerous wanderings, he settled in 1691 in Amsterdam. Then he lost contact with his old friends and relatives. More than three centuries later the descendants of Lucas’ family count more than 1000 families members with the name Boissevain around the world. Our family bond is stronger than ever: we communicate about past and present events by Internet and Social Media.

Lucas sells his ancestral heritage at a young age and makes his testament leaving France. As a refugee, he is completely destitute, but with much sympathy and support of the church and the tolerant Dutch people he builds up a new life. Besides the text of his testament not very much is known about Lucas and his French parents. Investigations into his origin and his ancestors in the archives of the church and the civil registration have so far only yielded a few results.

Even of his two children and his wife, Marthe, a little is known. In the following generations the family lift itself out of poverty. They are mainly interested in trade and the shipping of trade. Various family members had major positions in areas arround Amsterdam, for example functions in the Walloon municipality, the City Council, in the House and the Commercial Court. The social rise of the family continues in the nineteenth century. According the diaries, letters and travel books the Boissevains have a rich social life in and around Amsterdam. Late nineteenth century, the telephone was introduced. In 1885 Adolphe Boissevain shows with his 43 year interest in a telephone in his house. He let out a first-mains to establish a private connection to his home south of the local network from Hilversum to Amsterdam. Over the generations the family spread further over the Netherlands and Europe. Then the family is spread over the North American continent. In the former Dutch East Indies, for the family prominent positions are available. To keep in touch with the homeland, the family depends on the postal facility with a delivery time of several months.

To strengthen family ties and to maintain the history of the family a family circle is founded in 1934.This was turned into a family foundation in 1967. The family tree is identified and a central archive of the family was built. Each year a bulletin with family news is published and once in five years a family reunion is organized.

From the beginning of this century the family is active on the Web. The family website goes live in 2000 in Dutch and English. The site contains information about the family history, genealogy, archives, family stories, etc. The contents of the website is supplied by family members worldwide. The stories are about the past of the family, including how the many unknown stories of emigrants outside Europe. Half of the family lives in Canada and the U.S. and is interested in their roots. Outside the family the website is consulted. A fifteen year old student from Chicago for example writes a poem about Gideon Boissevain following an assignment about a person who has experienced the Holocaust and had to pay for it with his life.

In 2005, the Amsterdam municipal archive inventory of the family was identified. The family archive covers approximately 25 meter of correspondence, documents and photos. The inventory of the archives and later the digitized documents were published on the Internet and the Municipal archives were consulted intensively. The online archive will be used for educational purposes (e.g . to illustrate the life in the nineteenth century) and is also frequently consulted for the writing of theses and research.

In 2008 the family is published on Internet by Genealogy Online. The number of visitors and information requests will now increase rapidly. People looking at the history of the family and related families consult the family site. Through internet contacts we learn about the origin and ancestors from France in the sixteenth century. This year, a family member. waiting for about sixty years, get information about her natural father and meets her unknown half sister.

Internet means a lot to our family in our quest for our shared past. This is what brings us together every five years during the family reunion. Enthused by information and announcements on the Internet to meet relatives from all over the world together in Amsterdam. During a cruise through the canals we see the canal houses where a rich family history is hidden. Generations with a common ancestor meet. Half brothers, half sisters, uncles and aunts are sometimes together for the first time.

However, the objective foundation of the family to share information about the present with relatives via the internet has not been successful. The forums and guest books were not consulted and were closed due to spam. It is now clear that this was not the right way to organize a family interaction.

But now the Social Media found their way into the family. On MySpace and Facebook family members are active and communicating, "becoming hidden behind screens, in short quick errands”. Family groups are formed and new family contacts made. The young people who never knew the family foundation to achieve, are now involved in their family. They exchange information, pictures and movies from, give it back to comment and discuss what keeps them busy. Virtual contact lays the foundation for personal contact. Annual polluting transatlantic flights are not feasible, but if we are to the U.S. or Canada and vice versa travel than we are looking at each other for personal contacts.

Bouyssavy Lucas had his flight from France at home and homeland behind. The current generation retains independent of residence time and contact and extend social network. Ancestor of Lucas would have wondered.

@ jwboissevain
Jan Willem Boissevain is ex Board member and Webmaster of the Boissevain Foundation