The geneology project  - (Please note *-marked links are to Dutch written pages)

The geneology project of the 'descendants of Laurentius' started with the ancestor research of the Lauwens and Lauwers families in the former Duchy of Brabant, Dutch-speaking Belgium. The late Livien Lauwens from Kapelle-op-den-Bos ('Chapel in the woods') drew the red ochre lines in a family research which led him to the ancestors Peter Lauwers who married at Leest ('Rural road') in 1655, a small town close to the city of Malines, with Joanne Persoons. The extension to Lauwers followed some years ago, inspired by the 20-year research done by Lucien Lauwers of Scherpenheuvel ('Sharp Hill'). The family names proved to be related anyhow, and other writings of the family name came up in the family history that unfolded: Laureys, Lauwaert (s), Lauwen, Lawen (s), Laurens,… Some explanation on the different approaches is to follow below.

The Hombeek-Leest line*

This ancestral line returns to Geert Lauwers, carp for the 'lords of the king' (tax collector for the dukes of Brabant) at Capelle-op-den-Bosch ('Chapel in the woods' in old Dutch writing), born in 1440. Because the data are only fully documented with birth- and marriage certificates as from the marriage of Peter Lauwers and Joanna persons in 1655, we speak of this line as the Hombeek-Leest branch. The information is completed systematically with the results from the family reconstructions.  

Background stories*

All history is family history. This becomes clear through the numerous stories that were collected over the past twelve centuries. 

The stories are sorted on year, and are accessible through the story board overview.

Family reconstructions: the broader scope*

A much more extensive research on several sources such as parish registers, municipal population records, documents of the local and region government, authenticated certificates, medieval chronicles, make out the working basis of the so-called family reconstructions. The results of these are processed systematic by municipality, by country region, by country or by parish, depending on the amount of the findings. The family reconstructions turn out to be rather a technical descendence approach, accessible by means of a separate overview of family reconstructions. The data of thousands of families are added, completed and corrected systematically.

A complete index on familie names and first names is built simultaneously to make the information still more accessible.

Related families in the personal line*

Some lineages of related families in recent generations, were further explored:

• lineage of Colaers (wife)
• lineage of Van Praet (mother)
• lineage of Cools (grandmother on mother's side)
• lineage of Van Keer (grandmother on father's side)
• lineage of Moortgat (great-grandmother on father's side)

An index on family names found in the research are still available.

Geneography: origin according to DNA*

The modern technology of genetic research: in the genes, and then specifically the Y-chromosomes, the distant origin can be examined along the male line. The results of participating in the worldwide project of the National Geographic society, are on the page dedicated to geneography. It's a voyage into time up to 50,000 years ago.

Thematical approach*

Some subjects are being approached as a theme:

• heraldry: known family weapons
• etymology: the origin of the name