Where is everybody ?

We thought that it would be interesting to find out how many (van) Osnabrugge, Osenbrugge(n) etc. people were still alive and where they lived.

N.B. Except for the Netherlands' figures, the numbers in other countries listed below are likely to be on the low side, since the databases used are not always that accurate. For example, we had difficulties finding ourselves in our online searches in the USA, since we pay extra to have our telephone numbers unlisted. Moreover, we did not search every country, only the most obvious ones.

Netherlands (approx. 2000??)
A census done in 2007 showed how many people with the listed names below were alive and living in the Netherlands.

The countries listed below were checked on all the above names.
Each listed name was multiplied by 3 to get the total approx. number, assuming an average family of a father, mother and one child.

België (approx. 9??)
The 2013 telephone and Golden Pages directory only listed: 3 (van) Osnabrugge's.

England (approx. 3??)
- The Past:
Agnis Osenbrooke was married in London in 1595. Her father might have been a "van Ossenbrugge" from Holland. Read more here.

In a letter, dated 28 October 1667, to Johan de Witt, Grand Pensionary of the Dutch Republic, it was stated that prisoner Hendrick van Osenbrugh (and Gerrit Wiligh) and 13 others, under the command of Vice-Admiral Bankert, were released in London. They had been captured during a seabattle during the second Anglo-Dutch war. Read the story here. We do not know where this Hendrick came from.

- The Present:
Older British online library telephone books show only Willem's name: -W. Osnabrugge- (they omitted the van) living in the Liverpool area in 1972 and 1973 and in the Canterbury area in 1982 (all of which is correct).
Other immigration records show that Zoe M. Oosenbrugh emigrated to England in 1962, but from thereon she moved to New Zealand.

France (approx. 9??)
In the 2013 French telephone directories are: Johan van Osnabrugge (Willem's second cousin) in Paris, Eric Osnabrugge in Argentat and a Francine Ossenbruggen in Saingin-en-Weppes.
On Facebook: Margje van Osnabrugge (Johan's sister).

Germany (approx 27??)
In ~1890 three sons of Hermanus Gijsbertus van Osenbruggen move from Ingen, Gelderland, to Mülheim, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. They marry there and have many descendants. Look here for his descendants.

The 2013 White Pages list: 3 Oosenbrugh's, 1 Osenbruggen, 1 Osnabrugge, 1 Van Ossenbruggen.
3 Oostenbrug's on Twitter.

Switzerland (approx. 15??)
In the 2013 White Pages: 3 Oosenbrug's, 2 Oostenbrug's.

Morocco
Marie van Osnabrugge in Marrakesh.

Finland
Nicolaes van Osenbrugh (b.1656 in Arnhem), was the grandson of Dirck van Osenbrugh (b. ~1580) & his wife Janneke van Middachten (famous noble family). He married Gunilda (Zelda) the Frisian (de Vriesin) and moved to Ingria (now Finland, but then part of Sweden). He adapted his name to the local language into Ossenbrygg, which later became Åsenbrygg.

His son Nicolaus (b. 1683) and his mother Gunilda moved from Inkeri to Vieremä to escape Russian domanation. There he bought the estate of Nikulan, which had nearly a thousand hectares (2,500 acres) at that time. His descendants are very many and several Åsenbrygg families still live in Vieremä. There is also an Åsenbrygg museum.

A list of 67 settlers on "Staten Eylant", who survived the massacre "the cruel destruction by the savages" (die wrede destructie der wilden) of 1655, names Wijnolt, manservant of the late Hans Barendsen van Osenbrugge.

Several (van) Osnabrugge's came to the USA in the late 1800s. Arriving by boat in New York were a.o. Gerrit (b.1874), Johanna (b.1881), Adrianus (b.1898), Jan (b.1916), Arie (b.1918), Daniel (b.1931). Most Dutch immigrants moved to Dutch settlements in Iowa, Indiana and Michigan. Osnabrugge's were listed at Duluth MN, Jacksonville FL, St. Paul MN and Davenport, IO.
There was also a Hendrik A. Osnabrug (b.1931) emigrating to Texas from Aardijk in 1948.

Over the past 150 years several (van) O(s)senbrugge(n)'s emigrated to the US.
Old immigration records show several Oosenbrugh, Osenbrug, Osenbrugga, Osenbrugge and Osenbruggen (N.B. one -Greta Mathilda- was born in Latvia and one -Anna- in Russia. Dutch parents?). In the 1880s and -90s there were several O(s)senbrugge's in Philadelphia and Wisconsin. Several Osenbrug's in Montana around 1900.
Henry, wife Mary, son Henry and daughter Sophie Ossenbrugge, living in Philadelphia in a 1920 US census. John, Sadie, Margaret and Louise Ossenbrugge, living in Medford OR in a 1930 census.
In US Social Security death records we found: 4 Ossenbrugge's and 18 Osenbrug's.

Descendants of Teunis Oostenbrug (b. ~1730) moved to Iowa and Canada. Our database has over 100 of his descendants. For more details go here.

- The Present:
2013 White Pages list:
- Oosenbrug in Michigan
- Oostenbrug in Iowa, Wisconsin, Washington, Indiana, Michigan, and Florida.
- (van) Osenbrug in Michigan and California.
- Osenbrugh in California.
- Osenbrugge in Wisconsin.
- (van) Osenbruggen in Kentucky and in California.
- (van) Ossenbruggen in Massachusetts and in California.
- Ossenbrugge in Ohio.
- (van) Osnabrugge in Minneapolis (Mark is 1) and 1 in Florida (that is Willem).
- Vanosnabrugge in Florida and Minneapolis. (Those are Willem and Mark)

Canada (approx. 36??)
-The Past:
In 1880 there were 3 Osnabrugge's in Winnipeg, Manitoba. One had a grocery store. He was a Mennonite (church communities of Anabaptists named after Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, Netherlands).
1999 records show:
C. Oosenbrug in Chateauguay Quebec, Celine Oosenbrug in Kapuskasing Ontario, S. Oosenbrug in Porcupine Ontario, E. Oosenbrug in Yellowknife, Celine Oosenbrug in Cochrane Ontario, P. Oosenbrug in Lasalle Quebec and H J Van Ossenbrug in Nepean Ontario.
- The present:
2013 White Pages list:
- Oosenbrug in Chateauguay and in Montreal
- Oostenbrug in British Columbia, in Alberta, in Ontario.
- Oostenbrugge in Ontario and in Alberta.
- Ossenbruggen in British Columbia and in Ontario.
- van Osnabrugge in Ontario.

New Zealand (approx. 48??)
2013 White Pages list: Oosenbrugh in Hawke's Bay. Van Osenbruggen's in Auckland. Osnabrugge's in Otago and Osnabrugge's in Nelson.

South Africa (approx. 3??)
- The Past:
In 1656 Hendrick Elbertsz van Osenbrugge (Freeman in 1657) was listed as an Adelborst in the new Dutch community of only 120 people. He developed the wineries in Stellenbosch.

- The present:
The 2013 S.A. phonebook lists J. Van Ossenbruggen in Pretoria

Australia (approx. 3??)
None in the 2013 telephone directory. Osnabrugge in Brisbane on Facebook.

Indonesia
During the 1600s less than a handfull van O-s went to Indonesia for the VOC company. During the 1700s 16 (van) Osnabrugge's and 9 (van) Ossenbrug(ge) and 1 van Osenbrugh went to Batavia for the East Dutch Indies Company.
In 1759 Willem Hendrik van Ossenbroek was commander of Bantam (Java). There, he married Catharina van Mijlendonk. The Mylendonks were a noble family, also married to the van Wylich family.
In 1871 Luitenant 2e klas C. R. A. van Osenbruggen returned to Holland on Ship Noach II.
Before and after World War II there were several van O-s living there. Look here and then click on the small magnifying glasses to identify names of persons.
We're pretty sure that no legitimate descendants live there now.