House of Springorum

Welcome to the Springorum Family History

This site traces the family tree of the Springorum family from its earliest mention in 17th-century Dortmund (Germany) through the subsequent generations—including the branches that moved to the Netherlands. My research initially focuses on the direct male line: first I want to learn where my surname comes from.

Ultimately, this brings us to Reinhard Springorum, the earliest securely attested ancestor. Along the way you’ll meet many notable figures: priests, merchants, and even a privateer captain operating under a letter of marque.

Although Reinhard Springorum is the earliest confirmed ancestor, the name Springorum already appears in 1423 in Bochum. For now, however, the evidence—such as baptism or marriage entries—needed to link those early mentions to the tree is missing. Given the scarcity of surviving sources from that period, it is unlikely we will ever be able to prove this with certainty.

Whether you’re a Springorum descendant, a genealogy enthusiast, or simply curious about family history, I invite you to explore where the Springorum story leads you.

Why did I start this journey

When yet another person asked me where exactly my last name comes from, I decided to investigate it myself. Using the wealth of publicly accessible archives, the trail quickly led me to Amsterdam. However, the two Springorums I found in Amsterdam traced their roots back to Germany—specifically to Heinrichenburg, Vest Recklinghausen. In the surrounding area (Dortmund, Bochum, Herdecke & Unna), I encountered several more Springorums.

How did I start

At first, my approach was, to put it mildly, not very structured. Gradually, I brought more order to my findings. An introductory genealogy course gave me confidence that I was on the right track; with that knowledge I could tap into new sources and gained an ever clearer picture of how the name Springorum spread.

I found no hard evidence that the Amsterdam Springorums were connected to the descendants of Reinhard Springorum from Dortmund. So I eventually took a DNA test. The result — a match with a German descendant of Reinhard, seven or eight generations back — was no surprise, but it was a relief. It confirmed what I had suspected.

What I didn’t realize then is just how remarkable this match is. The chance of a DNA match across seven or eight generations is very small — about one in fifty — because most people related that distantly share almost no DNA anymore, at least not enough to be recognized as a significant match.

What did I find

During this journey, I stumbled upon remarkable stories, which I have gathered here for anyone bearing the name Springorum—and for anyone else who enjoys diving into a bit of history.

This isn’t your typical genealogy website—and that’s very much intentional. Yes, you’ll find a timeline where all the Springorums are lined up in order, but that’s not the heart of it. What you’ll mostly discover here are stories drawn from old documents I stumbled across along the way. For some Springorums, there was hardly anything to be found. For others, the records opened up surprising connections that gave me a vivid glimpse into their lives. It’s far from complete, but every piece is rooted in real historical sources.

If you’d like to explore even more Springorums than I’ve included here, take a look at my Geneanet site—it holds the full family tree.

And how I will continue

When I started this journey at the end of 2024, I had no idea it would lead to countless nights spent browsing and searching. The time I’ve poured into this project just keeps growing. I’ve come to realize it’s the kind of thing that never really ends. And yes—on dark winter evenings, I’m far more likely to put in the effort than on warm summer nights. That’s why so many blanks still remain on these pages—they’re waiting for time, focus, and the right moment to be filled.

Help Needed

There will be mistakes, for sure. If you notice any mistakes, missing details, or have extra information that could improve the site, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I welcome corrections, updates, or new discoveries—especially from fellow Springorums or anyone with relevant historical insight. Are you a descendant of one of the Springorums, but this part is still missing? Let me know, and I’ll make it a priority.

Rudolf Springorum

Contact: email

This website was originally written in English. Only a few pages have been translated into Dutch and German, partly using automatic, AI-based translations.