A historical genealogic site about a South Limburgian (southern province of The Netherlands) family and the regions where they lived. (In 1949 they counted 269 times the name Van Wersch in South Limburg and only fourteen times outside Limburg). This website uses sometimes references to the book written by my father Albert van Wersch († 2005) with the title 800 Jaar Van Wersch. Between brackets the page from this book is mentioned and the number the person has in the genealogy.
Our thanks goes to everybody who has helped us making the book and the website

The Simpelveld branch

The Kerkrade branch

The Heerlen branch

The Wittem branch

The The Haque branch

Pictures

Books

Articles

I'm not mentioned

Stories of peoples life

Worth knowing

Van Wersch Web links

E-mail

History 

The history of this family begins around 1200 in Weerst (Warsage), a little village in Belgium near the Dutch Limburgian border. In that time here the knights and later on the country squires Van Werst lived in their fortified familyhouse: The Hof (farm) of Weerst.

In the 16th century they moved to the Free Seigniory Wittem (a region in Limburg) and lived there as squires at the Groote Hof  in Ten Dorp, a former hamlet of Epen. It was here that Hans van Werst, his son Peter and their descendants from 1581 till 1800 were aldermans of the local bench. They looked after the interests of the residents
of the Free Seigniory Wittem during trails, transfer of goods and inheritance. From this area their descendants went to several places.

Everywhere

Nowadays the family Van Wersch (and they other forms of writing) lives everywhere: Chili, America, Canada, France, Israel, South Africa, Belgium, England, Germany (especially near Aachen, because Aachen is near the Limburgian Border) and ofcourse The Netherlands. And still lives the main part of the family in South of Limburg.

Chances

In the old indexes and on old maps the name of the village Weerst and the familyname Van Werst (meaning: coming from Weerst) is used in a mixed way. In the church and civil indexes from the mid 18th century, one can decide that the way of writing of the familyname Van Werst changed into Van Weers, Van Weersch en Van Wersch. Often clergymen and civil servants used the dialectal spoken name Van Weers-Van Weersch in their indexes. Some members of the Van Weersch family had their name changed back tot Van Wersch.

Navigation

On the left side you see the different branches, mentioned after the town where the first forefather came from. In the end all came from Weerst. But due to burned or lost books, we cannot trance them further back then the 16e century. Only the Heerlen Branch dates back to the 12th century. 
Pictures: all kind of old pictures featuring Van Wersch or Van Weers, Van Weersch, Van Weersth etc people.
Books: written by a Van Wersch or Van Weers, Van Weersch, Van Weersth etc
Articles written about a Van Wersch or Van Weers, Van Weersch, Van Weersth etc
Stories: this is your life about several Van Wersch or Van Weers, Van Weersch, Van Weersth etc people
Worth Knowing: interesting facts about an event or place, castles etc where a Van Wersch is involved.
(this has some pages in English)
I'm not mentioned: If you cannot find your name, or the name of your mother, could you please fill in ths form and send it to me?

Please note that I have not translated the Branches pages. Please write down on a piece of paper the following words that are frequently used in this pages:
geboren = born
overleden = deceased
getrouwd/trouwde = married to
gescheiden = divorced
ongehuwd = single
samenwonend = living together
uit het huwelijk werden geboren = from this marriage were born
dochter van / zoon van = daughter of /son of
 

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