The Galama Family

  The Galama Family

The story of our Galama ancestors starts in the east of Friesland, a province in the north of the Netherlands. The last name may vary, both Galema and Galama are related to one another, as mistakes were made when registering births and marriages. 

The suffix -ma of their surname indicates it is typically Frisian. The Frisians are a group of people  coming out of southern Scandinavia, Denmark and north eastern Germany, who around 400 nC, (re)colonized the region that is now known as Friesland.

The Galama/Galema family seems to be connected to the south-western part of Friesland, and the name appears as early as 876, when a certain Igo Galama, in 876, fights the Vikings.  

The name in stories and documents, and they are in general landowners in Friesland, apparently reasonably affluent, and frequently in trouble with the authorities.

In 1099, Igo Joukes Galama dies in Antioch (Turkey, then the Byzantine Empire) during the First Crusade.  The Frisians that participated  (mind you, this information is not vetted) were part of the army which was led by Godfrey of Bouillon and they are only mentioned in passing by Fulcher of Chartres, who mentions that the Frisian language was one of the many tongues spoken by the crusaders.  
In 1112, a Galama nobleman fought Count Floris II, and in the 1400's,  Igo Gaeles Galama was in frequent conflict with the authorities, fought for Frisian independence (1350–1498)  and was known as the 'forest swine'.

The Fries Galama defends itself against Count Floris II; The Frisian nobleman Galama defends his regt against Graave Floris den II. with the sword. The Frisian nobleman Galama defends his right to Count Floris II in the year 1112.

Quite the warriors. They sometimes appear to have administrative functions, such as the signature of a Ausonius van Galama at the Unie of Utrecht, an agreement to cooperate in the fight against the Spaniards, in 1579.

 But somewhere along the line, they appear to become more docile, and are mostly active in the agricultural field. And the story of the current Galamas/Galemas starts in 1700 in an area between Bolsward and Sneek, in Friesland. They are most likely not directly related to the previous Galamas, since that branch had died out by then. 

In the 1500's, there is also a switch from a predominant Catholic population to a society that chooses for a more sober Protestantism. Most of the Dutch become Protestants. But in Friesland, where water is a constant threat, many farm enclaves have built 'terpen', or small hills, a defense against the high water in times of storm or constant rain. Life on those 'terpen' was more isolated than the life of people in village and towns.  And for some reason or another, certain small settlements remain Catholic in an otherwise Protestant Friesland. The Galamas originate from an area between Bolsward and Sneek, with towns such as Blauwhuis, Greonterp, Tjerkwerd and Dedgum, where many families are still Catholic. 

So how/why did they adapt that name? We do not know.
Napoleon stipulated in 1811 that every family must have a name. But the current Galama's already identify themselves as such by then.

But what we do know is that they all originate from the same area; the western side of the province of Friesland (not to be confused with West Friesland, which in fact is part of the province of North Holland).

And their story starts in 1741, when Klaas Ysbrand Galema is born, on April 21 in Oostwierum. What is unusual is that Klaas his father, Ysbrand Gaeles goes by the last name of Meylema, but Klaas picks Galema, and so do 4 of his 7 siblings.

And Klaas has a son, Ysbrand Klazes, my great great great grandfather, of whom we have the very first photograph that appears in the family album.