VOC Sergeant Jacob Bulner c1722 - 1790

To avoid confusion in constructing and editing the family tree at Geni.com, I have come up with renaming the Jacob Bulner names with I, II, III and IV for the different generations.

• Jacob Bulner I (born circa 1722-1731 - died 25 May 1790; VOC soldier from Osnabrugge, Germany; founder of the Bulner lineage and heritage)
• Jacob Bulner II (estimated born circa 1780, ie before his father died; he was the founder's son)
• Jacob Bulner III (estimated born circa 1800, ie a grandson of the founding father)
• Jacob Bulner IV (born 1827; great-grandson of the founder)
• Lawrence Peter John Bulner (born 1840; great-great-grandson of the founder)
• Frederick William Bulner (born 1872 Kandy, Ceylon; died 1961 in Singapore; great-great-great-grandson of the founder; my great-grandfather)

Query Jacob Bulner in the first 4 generations

• Whom did VOC soldier Jacob Bulner (Osnabrugge) marry? When did he marry? Who was his son? What was his name?
• 36 years had lapsed between VOC soldier Jacob Bulner's (uit Osnabrugge) demise in 1790 and when Jacob Bulner III (born circa 1800 Ceylon) married Magdalena in 1826.
• VOC soldier Jacob Bulner (Osnabrugge) could not have lived beyond his demise in 1790. So there must be another man by the same name who lived and married after VOC soldier Jacob Bulner's (uit Osnabrugge) demise in 1790. This man (Jacob Bulner II or III) could be his issue. This son or grandson married Magdalena.
• The dates are in the 1800s, ie after VOC soldier Jacob Bulner (uit Osnabrugge) died in Ceylon in 1790. They point to a second man who was a German Burgher (ie a local Ceylonese mix) and with a Bulner surname. He could be Jacob Bulner Jr, Jacob Bulner II or Jacob Bulner III.
• Who was Jacob Bulner Jr or Jacob Bulner II? When was he born? Whom did he marry? Who was his issue?
• Who was Jacob Bulner III? When was he born? Whom did he marry? Who was his issue?

------
First Generation
(1) SARGEANT JACOB BULNER I (born circa 1722 Germany - died 25 May 1790 Ceylon)

Jacob Bulner was a German from Osnabrugge, Germany (now Osnabruck). He joined as a soldier to work for the VOC Military. He was a VOC servant. He enlisted at the Dutch Chamber Amsterdam (office) in 1752. He sailed to Ceylon via the Cape of Good Hope on the Dutch restored ship Herstelder. The ship stopped over at Texel, Cape of Good Hope for 20 days before resuming its voyage to Ceylon. He worked in Colombo, Ceylon (Asia sector) from 1752 till he died in office in 1790 in Ceylon. His employment records are available online at the Dutch Nationaal Archief.

• He was a VOC soldier for 38 years (1752-1790)
• Jacob Bulner (uit Osnabrugge; German origin) was employed by the Dutch VOC
• Jacob Bulner (uit Osnabrugge) joined as a soldier with the Chamber of Amsterdam
• He sailed from Amsterdam to Ceylon via the Cape of Good Hope (tip of South Africa)
• Departure from Amsterdam on Monday, 31 January 1752
• Out-bound voyage and ship route: Departure of the ship Herstelder bound for Ceylon via the Cape of Good Hope.
• Arrival at Cape on Thursday, 27 April: 1752: 87 days after departure from Amsterdam, arrival of the ship Herstelder at the Cape of Good Hope.
• 20 days stopover in South Africa at a place called Texel
• Departure from Cape on Wednesday, 17 May 1752: 20 days after arrival at the Cape, departure of the ship Herstelder from the Cape bound for Ceylon
• Arrival in Ceylon on Saturday, 12 August 1752: 87 days after departure from the Cape, 194 days after departure from the Netherlands, arrival of the ship Herstelder in Ceylon.
• Termination of employment on Tuesday, 25 May 1790: 13994 days after employment, resignation of Jacob Bulner (Asia), reason deceased. He died in office.
• He enlisted with the VOC at room Amsterdam (Amsterdam Chamber) on 31 January 1752 in Amsterdam, Holland/the Netherlands.
• (Estimated) He was born circa 1722 in Osnabrugge, Germany.
• If he was 30 when he enlisted with the VOC in 1752, then he was born circa 1722.
• Deceased 25 May 1790 Ceylon; he died in office based on VOC record

Source citation:
Nationaal Archief (Netherlands), Dutch East India Company, archive 1.04.02, inventory number 6289, folio 232
https://www.openarch.nl/show.php?archive=ghn&identifier=ee7fa489-0791-46ad-91aa-c0e54218eae9&lang=en

----------------
VOC Employment Records

The VOC employment records of its crew are kept online at the Netherlands, Dutch East India Company Crew Index, 1633-1795 (in Dutch). To search for Jacob Bulner, knowledge of the following details are good to know:

• Name: Jacob Bulner (Asia)
• Post: Soldier (at entry)
• Sector: Military
• Search name: First search for  the last name 'Bulner', and then search for Jacob.
• Use Google Translate for the Dutch pages of the Dutch Nationaal Archief.
• Year that he enlisted with the VOC: 1752 (he is 1752 Jacob Bulner)
• Name, origin, date of birth and death: Jacob Bulner c1731 Onsnabrugge - 1790 Kandy, Ceylon
• On the VOC archives as: Jacob Bulner Folio 232
• From VOC website, title and lifespan: Sergeant Jacob Bulner VOC (Asia) 1752-1790

http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/index/nt00444?lang=en
http://janganstop.com/news/Netherlands,-Dutch-East-India-Company-Crew-Index,-1633-1795/
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=61290

-----------------
THE INTERNATIONAL CEYLON DATABASE
http://ceylondatabase.net/military.html

There were 3 Bulner surnames listed in the Ceylon database:

1. Sergeant Jacob Bulner
2. 2nd Lieut. Henry Malcolm Bulner 
3. Pvt. JN Bulner in E Company (Reg # 1093).

This is Sergeant Jacob Bulner (c1722-1790) who served the VOC in Colombo, Ceylon from 1752 to 1790 when he died. He died in Ceylon.

Henry Malcolm Bulner (Hal Bulner), born 31 October 1913, Bangkok, Siam. He is 2nd Lieut. Henry Malcolm Bulner in the Ceylon Light Infantry in 1942 (Second World War, WW2). He was the son of John Walter Bulner. John Walter Bulner was the 6th Generation of Bulner. John Walter BULNER was born on 4 February 1883 in Ceylon, and died on 27 May 1967 in Melbourne. He married Daisy Maud Jacobs at Christ Church in Bangkok, Siam, on 19 December 1912. They had 3 children:

1. Henry Malcolm Bulner (Hal Bulner), born 31 October 1913, Bangkok, Siam. 
2. Iris Daphne, born 21 March 1915, Bangkok, Siam.
3. Phyllis Dagmar, born 14 July 1918, Bangkok, Siam. She is deceased.

Who is this Pvt J N Bulner of Company E (Rget No 1093)?

What Regiment? Where? When?

-----------------

Jacob Bulner was a German. Why did he join the Dutch VOC?

Here are some answers for the question:
http://www.verreverwanten.nl/themas/vreemdelingen/vluchtelingen_als_economische_motor/803.html

-----------------
Ship: Herstelder (restored Elder, 1741-1762)

The ship Elder was constructed in the VOC shipyard in Amsterdam and was bought by the Chamber of Amsterdam. It was used by the VOC from 1741 till 08/06/1762 (8 June 1762). It was repaired/restored (ie extended from 131 ft to 150 ft) in 1742 and renamed the Herstelder. It made several trips to Ceylon and Batavia, and was finally sold to India in 1762.

• Length 150 ft
• Capacity 1150 tons
• It could carry 341 men.

-----------------

Voyage from Holland to Ceylon via the Cape of Good Hope 1752

In January 1752, Jacob Bulner sailed on the restored ship Herstelder from Amsterdam to Ceylon via the Cape of Good Hope (tip of South Africa). The ship made a 20 days stopover at the Cape before resuming its voyage onward to Ceylon. The stopover town was Texel, an island off South Africa. He reached Ceylon in August 1752.

• Sailed away with the ship Herstelder
• Date of service with VOC: 1790-05-25 (25 May 1790)
• Departure from Amsterdam on Monday, 31 January 1752
• Out-bound voyage and ship route: Depart Amsterdam on Herstelder bound for Ceylon
• Departure of the ship Herstelder bound for Ceylon via the Cape of Good Hope.
• Arrival at Cape on Thursday, 27 April: 1752: 87 days after departure from Amsterdam, arrival of the ship Herstelder at the Cape of Good Hope.
• 20 days stopover in South Africa at a place called Texel
• Departure from Cape on Wednesday, 17 May 1752: 20 days after arrival at the Cape, departure of the ship Herstelder from the Cape bound for Ceylon
• Arrival in Ceylon on Saturday, 12 August 1752: 87 days after departure from the Cape, 194 days after departure from the Netherlands, 
• Arrival of the ship Herstelder in Ceylon on 12 August 1752
• He arrived in Ceylon aboard the Herstelder on 12 August 1752

----
Details of Jacob Bulner when he enlisted with the VOC in Amsterdam:
(translated from Dutch)

• Name seafarer: Jacob
• Name occupant: Bulner
• Origin occupant: Osnabrugge
• Date of appointment: 1752-01-31 (31 January 1752)
• On entering function: Soldier
• Explaining function: Military
• Sailed away with the ship: Herstelder
• Date of service: 1790-05-25 (25 May 1790)
• Where service from: Asia
• Reason for terminating employment: Deceased
• Information return: ING
• Debenture: Yes
• Monthly Letter: No
• Folio: 232 (see below)

Link for Folio 232:
Scan name: EN-HaNA_1.04.02_6289_0504.jpg
Scan http://hdl.handle.net/10648/4bdcd427-b666-b6f6-1564-db331debbd99
Reference source code access: 1:04:02, inventory number 6289, folio 232

https://afbeeldingen.gahetna.nl/naa/thumb/1280x1280/4bdcd427-b666-b6f6-1564-db331debbd99.jpg

Folio 232 downloaded on 15 April 2017 from Dutch Nationaal Archief:

Jacob Bulner (folio 232, left page)

Jacob Bulner (Folio 232, right page).

Acknowledgement:
Folio 232 above (left and right pages) were downloaded from:
National Archives, The Hague, Dutch East India Company (VOC), access number 1:04:02, inventory number 6289
NL-Hana, VOC, 1:04:02, inv 6289

Sources:

• http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/das/detailVoyage/94614
• RGP-GS166, 1979. Dutch Asiatic Shipping in the 17th and 18th centuries, Volume II, Outward-bound voyages from the Netherlands to Asia and the Cape (1595-1794) . - The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1979. - 765 p, [and] - ISBN 90-247-2270-5. 
• RGP-GS167, 1979. Dutch Asiatic Shipping in the 17th and 18th centuries, Volume III, Homeward-bound voyages from Asia and the Cape to the Netherlands (1597-1795) . - The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1979. - 626 p, [and] - 90-247-2282-9.

'Paperie' at Pinterest (similar handwritten manuscripts of 1752 period):

https://www.pinterest.com/jadorngifts/paperie/

-----------------
PowerPoint slides of his translated VOC documents (Folio 232)

------------------
Uniform for the VOC soldiers

Initially there was no proper uniform for the VOC military/soldiers. Their garment made them looked ugly and the soldiers were unhappy. Then the VOC uniform was improved. There were many versions and colours of the VOC uniforms from 1602 to 1799 (197 years). In 1750, the VOC uniform was described as listed below:

• Tricorne black hat (3-bended hat or 3-pointed hat, later became 2-pointed hat)
• White wig (with long tail, tied with a band, and pushed to the back, for upper class or nobility)
• White long-sleeves shirt (with many buttons on the front left bodice, from top to bottom, shirt hangs below belt)
• A white belt (with buckle in front, to hang ammunition pouch)
• White pants (knee length, later became long pants)
• Waistcoat (long or short/waist length, blue outside and red inside, other colours noted, buttoned at top, and folded or pinned at the rear for easy walking, sleeve ends can't be seen)
• Gaiters (shin and ankle guards; before boots were invented; below knee; buttoned, cotton or leather)
• Black socks
• Black shoes (with/without buckle)
• Bayonet
• Sword (not all are issued swords)

from http://www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en/Uniform-VOC-soldiers.5460

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AMH-5460-NA_Uniform_for_VOC_soldiers.jpg

Sources:
http://www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en/Uniform-VOC-soldiers.5460
http://arpan-media.blogspot.my/2013/12/seragam-kompeni-voc-1700-1800.html

-----------------
Videos of the VOC 1602 - 1799

VOC 1602-1949 videos on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Z6rZhPcCY (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6R2KRS5Efw (Part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXCXCeuW4ew (Part 3)

Last VOC Governor-General in Indonesia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzj-LFaDTKk

-----------------
Colombo

Armchair General:
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59720&page=15

-----------------
In Jacob Bulner's ledger of 1752-1790 of Amsterdam Chamber (kamer Amsterdam) for the ship Herstelder, there was mention of a name - Janssen e Palmar.

There is a region and company producing beef and dairy cattle, pigs and sheep for export. It goes by the name Hunland (a cross between Hungary and Holland). There is a man named Janssen at this company.

http://www.hunland.com/en/photoalbum/logistiek

=======
Second generation:
(2) JACOB BULNER II

• born circa 1780 (ie before his VOC soldier father died in 1790)
• his wife is unknown
• his issue is unknown
• possibly married circa 1800, circa age 20

Third generation:
(3) JACOB BULNER III

• born circa 1800
• possibly married circa age 25
• married Magdalena Elizabeth Vandyn at St John's Church, Mannar, Ceylon on 31 January 1826
• had 3 children:

1. Gertruida Carolina Bulner (born 12 Sept 1824)
2. Jacob Bulner IV (born 6 Dec 1827)
3. William Ethelwald Godfrey Bulner (born 15 Nov 1829)

Fourth generation:
(4) JACOB BULNER IV (1827-died)

• born 6 December 1827 Ceylon
• identified as Jacob Bulner IV (Ceylon); he was a German Burgher 
• partnered with Princess van Rooyen when he was 13 years old
• issue: only one son - Lawrence Peter Bulner (born 13 May 1840-died 7 Nov 1920)

Fifth generation:
(5) LAWRENCE PETER BULNER (1840-1920)

• His sons are Charles Frederick Austin, Francis Ackland, Henry Edgar Crofton, John Richard Arthur, William Frederick 
• birth/baptism St Paul's Church, Kandy, Ceylon

Sixth generation:
(6) FREDERICK WILLIAM BULNER (born 1872, alive in 1952, died 1961)

• His wife is Emma Frances Horatia Krasse
• His daughter is Katherine Daisy Courcey Bulner

Seventh generation:
(7) KATHERINE DAISY DECOURSEY BULNER (born 1911 Kandy-died 1981 KL)

• Her father is Frederick William Bulner
• Her mother is Emma Frances Horatia Krasse
• She was born on 5 March 1911 in Kandy, Ceylon
• She was baptised at St Paul's Church, Kandy, Ceylon
• She died on 9 April 1981 in Kuala Lumpur
• She married to Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos in 1931
• She had 4 daughters: Tulip, Esther, June, and Daisy Yvette
• They divorced in 1948

Eighth generation:
(8) TULIP BT CHE LAH (born 1931-died 2004)

• Her father is Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos (1903-1986)
• Her mother is Katherine Daisy DeCourcey Bulner
• She was born on 4 November 1931 at Tanglin Hospital, KL
• She died on 5 June 2004
• She married to Abdul Rashid bin Mohd Yusope (1931-2009)
• She had 7 children: M. Sharif, Sharifah, Faridah, Rabi'ah, M. Farid, M. Amin, and Aminah

Ninth generation:

(9) FARIDAH  BT ABDUL RASHID (1958-)

• Her father is Abdul Rashid bin Mohd Yusope
• Her mother is Tulip bt Dr Che Lah
• She was born in 1958 in Malacca
• She married to Affandi bin Hussien
• She has 6 children: Nuraishah Bazilah, M Azfar Hakim, M. Ibrahim Adzim, Nurfarahiyah Nasuha, Nuramira Suraiya, and Yusrina Faqihah
• All her 4 daughters are married

Share: