More about Adelina Jessy Maidman

Today, at the Museum, I had an opportunity to copy more documents held there. These are bad copies of faded handwritten transcriptions of, I presume, translations from the Dutch.Of particular interest was the documentation pertaining to the marriage of William Townsend and Adelina Jessy Maidman. As follows:

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Registrar's Office, The Isle of Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, Residence Padang

No1. Extract


On the 18th of January of the year 1864 in Padang at the Registrar's office a marriage was solemnised between William Townsend born in Padang, 53 years old living in Padang and Adeline Jessy Maidman born in Padang, 27 years old living in Padang.


I declare that the above extract signed by me, public servant at the Registrar's office in Padang is a conformatry (sic) of the Registrar's office in Padang. 19 Nov 1877.

Sighted for legalisation the above signature of Cyril Hendrick Boelhammer civil servant of the Registrar's office in Padang. The president of the court of Justice in Padang.
 {attachment}
Extract from the Registrar office at Padang 1864
Today the 18th January 1864 appeared before me, Willem van Ommen, civil servant of the Registrar office at Padang, William Townsend born in Padang, 53 years old, dwelling in Padang eldest son of Edward James Townsend and Corneila Johanna Dederingh both deceased, formerly married to Clementina Cecilia Sophia Chew, deceased, and Adelina Jessy Maidman born in Padang, twenty seven years old without profession, living in Padang, eldest daughter of Richard Robert Maidman, profession retired civil servant, and Latia (sic), without profession, both living in Padang, not married before. These persons asked me to solemnise their marriage. Included are some documents which are attached to this document.
1st - a certificate of the birth of the bride
2nd - a document death certificate of the groom's former wife Clementina Cecilia Sophia Chew
3rd - an authenticated certificate to notify the consent of the mother of the bride
4th - Evidence of the announcement of the wedding without resistance has occurred.
- Afterwards the groom has declared another oath that he was not able to produce a birth certificate.
- Has appeared before me Richard Robert Maidman 60 years old retired civil servant living in Padang who acted as substitute of father of the bride, who gave permission for the wedding.


William Townsend and Adelina Jessy Maidman declare that they take each other as partners and that they fulfil all the lasts and plights (sic) according to the law and are now in name of law man and wife.
Done in presence of Joseph Adam Koopman 54 years old retired civil servant and Adolf Hugo van Diemont, 39 years of age, merchant, brother in law of the bride both living in Padang.

This certificate is then ...

Signature W Townsend, AJ Maidman, RR Maidman.

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This answers some questions and raises others. Why did Richard Robert and Letitia Agatha stand in for Adelina Jessy's parents, John Butter Maidman and Johanna Maria? Did the 'happy couple" really have Adelina's parents' blessing? The story here is that Adelina was the daughter of a village girl, an 'Inlandse vrouw', but this is not well supported by the documentation. Even Letitia Agatha (?), wife of Richard Robert Maidman, does not sound like the name of a village girl of the era. She, herself, might have been the daughter of a 'mixed' relationship.