The Coat of Arms "van Engelenburg"

Are we family?
It is almost certain that the van Engelenburgs are related to each other. Although in the past, a few van Engelenburgs were creative with the spelling of their name, we now all agree on this spelling:
v a n     E n g e l e n b u r g.
The family "Engelenburg" (since 1652, but without "van") spells its name the same way but without the "van". Any "van" placed in front of their name was an easily traceable mistake. Until now, no lines have been found joining the two families genealogically.

The Engelenburg-legend
Also - and that is the issue here - the coats of arms of the two families do not look alike. Generally speaking, there are similarities, but when viewed in detail, the differences are easily visible. Probably the foundation name Engelenburg is originating from the legend-of-Engelenburg.


The kind of coat of arms.
In the heraldry of arms, the coat of arms of both families are what is refered to as "speaking" arms, possibly also "saga" coats of arms.
Over the centuries, both of them have become modified, no longer projecting an exact translation of the Engelenburg legend. But these changes reveal a great deal about the families.

The earliest Dutch coat of arms.
According to the legend, the purist image was not actually a coat of arms but a printer's mark. It belonged to the Amsterdam bookprinter Doen Pietersz, who worked in the "Engelenburch" house and printed his logo in his books. In the year of 1523, a fairly good representation of the van Engelenburg in Rome, and above it, a sword-bearing angel appeared on the front page of his books. The Engelenburg-legend was well-known in his time, coursed by plague epedemies in Europe and the breviary the name, his working place, ment a lot to him. That is why Doen Pietersz deserves the prize for the best (van) Engelenburg coat of arms!
In 1761 Lucas Engelenburg, mayor of Vollenhove, used his coat of arms in a seal. This coat of arms is described in Dutch, Patriciaat nr. 43:

"A single red tower with above a red angel, her hands below and spread".

Despite no further description, the Elsevier Encyclopedia of Heraldry provides in liturature more information under "engel"(angel):"In heraldry illustrated as a woman figure with wings. Exception: the archangel Michaël, which is carried by the Engelenburg family".
You can see: above the single red tower (the Engelenburg is sandstone/yellow) a red angel waft without a sword. The reason to this diversion is not known. A section of the Engelenburg family has moved to South-Africa and played there in the early days an important roll. There house in Pretoria, now a museum, support this Engelenburg coat-of-arms at several locations troughout the museum.


The Engelenburg-coat of arms
For the reason, the Engelenburg family from Vollenhove/Enkhuizen bear the coat of arms for the longest period (as far as we know at this moment), first some remarks about this. In 1761 Lucas Engelenburg, Mayor of Vollenhove, used his coat of arms in a seal.
This coat of arms is mentioned in 'Nederlands Patriciaat' nr. 43:

"A single red tower with above a red angel with her hands spread down".

However further not written in this, the Elsevier's Encyclopedie of Heraldry gifs further information nadere information under "engel":

"In Heraldry represented as a woman figure with wings. Exception: the Arch Angel Michaël, beared by the Engelenburg family".

You can see: above the single red tower (the Engelenburg is sandstone/yellow) a red angel floats without a sword. The reason for this differation is unknown. One part of the Engelenburg Family has gone to South-Africa and in the early days played an important role. Their house in Pretoria, now a museum, carries this Engelenburg coat of arms on several places.


The Van Engelenburg coat of arms.
Be careful by dropping conclusions to fast!!
When you look at the collections Musschaert and Steenkamp/Damstra in the Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie in The Hague at the department Heraldry, you will find fiches, seals and even coloured delineations of the "Engelenburg" coat-of-arms", where above someone wrote the name "Van Engelenburg". This is the way the coat-of-arms of Barend Engelenberch is related to us.
In 1955 in Veenendaal a picture postcard appeared with coats-of-arms on it of Veenendaal gender. Among them also the Van Engelenburg family, this time only an immage of the building in Rome, without an angel. The source of this is not to catch up to; the author is A.P. de Kleuver.

March 29 1972 an article appeared in the daily news "De Vallei" in Veenendaal titled "Grootveld synonymous to Veenendaal", in which the name, ground en coat of arms of our family are named. A detailed coat of arms, once again without mentioning a source, was there.


The registered coat-of-arms "Van Engelenburg".
Until now the first proven coat of arms "Van Engelenburg" was carried by Pieter van Engelenburg (1803-1870). He died childless. Pieter was carrying a small cachet, a so called bréloque, with the coat of arms to his watch-chain. Pieter was a woolmanufacturer and a lord of the poor (a function in the poor-relief board) in Veenendaal. The coat of arms shows three evenly high towers with vanes, the middle one, the armytower of donjon, in front. An angel with her wings up and her arms down as a sign of heraldry. Not clear it is, the angel is female or male.
Frequent consultation with the conservator of the "Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie" in connection with the registration of the coat of arms produced the following: the old coat of arms remains completely, however there is some expanation; it also distinguish itself of the coat of arms "Engelenburg". Only the sign of heraldry, the angel, in the "original" meaning (look for Doen Pietersz) brought back to the archangel Michaël with the flaming sword. To this item was, like they say in heraldry, applied "improving the coat of arms". There will be grant to a later article. In the registration of coat-of-arms this is clearly defined. The commission registration coat-of-arms C.B.G. did accept the proof of the old coat of arms and the improvement of the coat of arms within the sign of heraldry. September 26th 1995 the "Van Engelenburg coat of arms" is registrated under nr. 671 requested to Miciel Carel van Engelenburg as follows:

"In black a golden castle consist of three covered towers lighted and vaned in silver, the middle one closed of silver, everything standing on a green ground. Sign of heraldry: The archangel Michaël, showed well and with the wings spread, in the right hand keeping a flaming sword; the angel in silver, armour, sword and sheath of gold. Garments: black, lined of gold".

How to become and use the coat of arms, see the navigation bar under:"Fund". Henk J. van Engelenburg

This article comes from the Family magazine 1 - September 1998.

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