Verhildersum

Verhildersum
Verhildersum
Groningen
Garrison information
Occupants	1398: Aylko Ferhildema 16th century: Aepke Onsta, Eylco Onsta until 1564. 1576: Ecke Claessen 1587: Hidde Onsta Various other occupants after that, including the Van Starkenborgh family

Verhildersum is a borg directly to the east of the town of Leens in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is now a museum.

Etymology

The name Verhildersum comes from Verhildert, where Ver means 'woman' or 'noble woman' and Hilder(t) is a proper name. When this woman lived is unknown. The ending -um in Verhildersum stands for 'house'.

History

The borg dates, as a heerd (a word for

Gronings

), from the 14th century. It became a borg in the 17th century.

In 1398 a certain Aylko Ferhildema is mentioned, the same person as Aylko Onsta from

Groningen), just like the Onstaborg

. However, in between these two battles no mention of the borg is made in official records. In a document mention is made of the reconstruction of the borg after 1514 for the sum of 1200 gold pieces, excluding some exterior buildings.

After the death of the inhabitant Aepke Onsta in 1564, Ecke Claessen is mentioned as the inhabitant of the borg in 1576. Complaints by him are made with regard to troubles caused by billeted soldiers with their two wives and a child, who reside at the borg due to the Eighty Years' War. During the war Eylco Onsta flees to East Frisia, but despite this keeps calling himself hoofdeling of Wetsinge, Sauwerd and Verhildersum. However, in reality, in 1587, twenty years after the death of Aepke Onsta, it is arranged in the property settlement that not he alone, but he and his sister Hidde Onsta together become owner of the borg Verhildersum. Verhildersum was then a heerd (farm) of 150 yokes (about 75 hectares) on which stood 'the old borg'.^[1]

Estate

Around the borg lies the Verhildersum Estate of 32

garden shed

.

Farmhouse

The schathuis was built originally built in 1833 on the estate of Saaksumborg, a borg which is now demolished. The schathuis used to be a farmhouse and derives its name from the old Frysian word skat, which means cattle.^[2] In 1972, the schathuis was moved to the Verhildersum Estate.

From 1994 to 2012, the fine dining restaurant Schathoes Verhildersum of chef Dick Soek was housed in the building.^[3] The restaurant had one Michelin star from 2004 to 2012. Since 2012, the grand cafe 't Schathuys is housed in the building.