This page is meant to answer frequently asked questions, but you can place a question on our website too. Simply e-mail the database manager at , and depending on the question he will add your quest on this page. This way you can ask more personal questions without placing them on the internet.

On our old website there was a forum. Unfortunately most visitors did not leave an emailadress and therefore we could not get back to them. Some of these questions have been replaced on this page. We would like to ask please contact us at

The database manager would like to ask your help in finding descendants of Vermeer and Rhemrev immigrants. Are you one of them and willing to help?
See our questionnaire and/or familyrecords and please contact at

F.A.Q.

My grandfather's name was John Vermeer and he came from Holland. Would you have his family tree?
It is likely we know more about him, but you will have to be more specific. There are hundreds of persons named John Vermeer. Please gather as much information about him, your grandmother and their family. Our questionnaire (Word or Pdf) and/or familyrecords can be very helpful.
Filled in and returned surveys will be rewarded with a survey of your ancestral line from the earliest ancestor found. You can return your questionnaire to or
Thanks very much in advance!

Where can I find my family on your website?
Our foundation publishes genealogical surveys in our magazine Alweer een Vermeer. If we would place all our records on the internet, we would cut our own fingers. Our database is a result of decades of research.
All surveys that are on our website now, are meant to give you an impression of our activities and to start interaction between us and you as a reader. Don't hesitate and feel free to ask questions. Please also take a look at our questionnaire (Word or Pdf).
Because of privacy considerations we do not publish information about living persons on our website, except with personal written permission.

Was does the Rhemrev name has to do with Vermeer?
Rhemrev is Vermehr written backwards. A few centuries ago in the region between Arnhem and Nijmegen in the province of Gelderland and close to the German border Vermeer was also written as Vermehr. One member of this family went to the Dutch East-Indies (now Indonesia) with the Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC = [Dutch] United East-Indian [Trading] Company.
In the Dutch East-Indies there was a lack of European women. Men often had a 'njai', a native housekeeper, who often was more then a servant only. It was a completely accepted phenomenon for a long time and even recommended for civil servants to be, because it was better than flee into alcohol or visiting prostitutes.
Children born from these relationships grew up with their father also if he later got married to an European woman. The child was given the name surname of his natural European father but written backwards. This became officially when they were recognized by their fathers by civil registrars which became possible in 1828. This is how Vermehr became Rhemrev.
Leendert Hendrik Vermehr (aprox.1737-1790) had a son with his Javanese njai. This son, Leendert, was born in about 1758 and later got married and he had six children: four sons and two daughters. These four sons together are the ancestors of all Rhemrev's that live around the world.
The earlier mentioned Leendert Hendrik Vermeer was a son of Lubertus Vermehr (1696-1749) and Cornelia van Westhoven. You can find them in the survey of the Vermeer family of the Betuwe which starts in the early 15th century.

Specific Questions.

This is where your question could be.

From the database manager.

1. I am looking for descendants of Vermeer and Rhemrev immigrants all around the world. If you can help filling in gaps, add new generations, scan old photographs or otherwise, please contact me at