Garret Van Sweringen, born about 1636 in The Netherlands, lived from 1657 until 1664 in the Dutch colony Newer Amstel (now New Castle in Delaware), and then moved to St. Mary’s City in Maryland to become one of Maryland’s most influential citizens as an innkeeper, the first coffee house owner, alderman, and sheriff of St. Mary’s County. His life in which he overcame many setbacks is an inspiration to many. He is the ancestor of thousands of Americans, including at least four governors of Maryland. For more than 100 years, researchers have tried to find his ancestors in The Netherlands. Researcher Teun van der Vorm takes the audience into the fascinating life of Garrett van Sweringen and the successful search for his ancestors

About the speaker:   Teun van der Vorm (1966), lives in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, together with his wife Alice Marques. He studied mathematics and computer science and currently works as CEO of an IT company. In his spare time, he is a passionate genealogical and historical researcher who enjoys the challenge of solving difficult genealogical problems. He regularly publishes in genealogical magazines and is chairman of Ons Voorgeslacht, a Dutch genealogical society of researchers specializing in pre-1700 research in the western part of The Netherlands. Over the last three years, he has worked with great dedication to portray the life of Garrett Van Sweringen and find his ancestors in The Netherlands.