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by Laurens Beijen
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The Johan Franco branch of the IJsselstein family

The Johan Franco's IV, V and VI

After the Johan Franco's I, II en III, the subjects of the previous pages, now the Johan Franco's IV, V are VI are discussed. Hendrik J.R. Beijen, a son of Johan Franco III, is also mentioned on this page.

Johan Franco IV

Johan Franco IV (10.2), the eldest son of Johan Franco III, was born in 1803 in IJsselstein. Just like his father he studied medicine in Utrecht. In 1828 he took cum laude his doctor's degree in medicine after writing a thesis about certain kinds of cough: De tussi convulsiva. In 1829 he also got his doctor's degree in surgery. He worked as a medical doctor in Barneveld, in the province of Gelderland. He was known as a good doctor who always was there for the less fortunate in the Barneveld area.

Johan Franco IV married Anne Helène Florentine Bogaard. They had eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.

Johan Franco passed away in 1878. After his death the local newspaper expressed great appreciation for his work as a doctor: "Since half a century, this outstanding physician was based in this community. To the end he enjoyed the confidence of his numerous patients, and his help was sought from far and wide. Gifted with a clear understanding, he was a faithful and helpful doctor in case of serious illness; his good-humoured mind and friendly intercourse brought calm and courage in many a house of grief."


Above a picture of Johan Franco's wife is shown. At an older age she had severe mental problems. She was hospitalized in a clinic in Zutphen, where she passed away in 1877.

Some of the children of Johan Franco IV are discussed on other pages:

  • his sons Pieter Wilhelm Adriaan (11.4) and Hendrik Rudolph (11.9) on the page Beijens in the Dutch East Indies;
  • his daughter Jacoba Cornelia (11.10) on the page about Jacoba Cornelia Beijen and her children.

    Johan Franco V

    Johan Franco V (11.3) was born in Barneveld in 1833. Just like some of his uncles and brothers Johan Franco chose a military career. He reached the rank of captain in the engineering corps. In 1872, before his 39th birthday, he got early retirement, probably for medical reasons.

    The photo on the left was made in 1861 when he was 28 years old: J.F. Beijen 1st lieutenant of the engineering corps in 1861 in garrison in Nijmegen. The photo next to it must have been taken in 1902 or later, when Johan Franco was already 69 years of age or older. Under the photo it is stated that the photographer Louis Fraenkel got an award at the international photography exhibition in Amsterdam in 1902.
    The photo on the right is incorrectly attributed by some to his father Johan Franco IV. He cannot have been photographed in 1902 because he already died in 1878.

    When he was 51 years old, Johan Franco married Fennechiena Boers who was twenty years younger. They had two children.

    At an older age he published several pamphlets about religious subjects. He was also an active member of the temperance movement. He passed away in 1918.

    Johan Franco VI


    Johan Franco VI (12.2) was born in Sint Oedenrode in the province of North Brabant in 1886. He was the son of the above-mentioned Johan Franco V and Fennechiena Boers. He was unmarried.
    Johan Franco, usually named Jan, was trained at the Maritime Training School in Amsterdam and then worked for a long time in the Dutch East Indies as a navigating officer. Later he was a captain on merchant ships. Before and in the Second World War he was a lieutenant in the Dutch Navy. A picture of him from 1940 is shown above.
    He passed away in 1971 in Amsterdam, aged 84.

    Hendrik J.R. Beijen, Minister of War

    Hendrik Johan Rudolph Beijen (10.9) (1817-1892) was a son of Johan Franco III and therefore a brother of Johan Franco IV. He joined the army as a voluntary cannoneer when he was only fifteen years. After a series of promotions he was finally appointed as a major general of the Infantry. He married Louisa Elisabeth Ebeling. Three of their four children died at a relatively young age. After Louisa's passing Hendrik published a booklet with diary passages and poems that Louisa wrote after the death of their children.
    In 1876 Hendrik was appointed Minister of War. He kept that position until the end of 1877, when a new cabinet took up office. From 1880 Hendrik was a member of the Council of State; besides that he was an adjutant in special service to King William III.

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