The Geregt of Oosterhout

The Dovecote

The "Geregt van Oosterhout" could be found in the forest area popularly known as the

Dovecote. The name the Dovecote is a derivative of the actual dovecote that was once built on

the castle grounds of the Heerlijk Huis in Dongen. After most of the castle buildings have long since been

had disappeared, this dovecote on the former outer bailey remained in place for a long time and arose on

a card justified. Twelve copies of the same map later, the name dovecote had already gone

and had ended up in the woods around the later Boswachterij Dorst. It

area is bordered to the north by the Vijf Eiken industrial estate, to the west by the road

between Dongen and Rijen, in the south the Ketenbaan/Steenovensebaan and in the east the Vijf

Oak Road. For centuries, the Dovecote was a moer area, which was in the possession of the Lords of

Breda. It was then known as "Prinsenmoerke". How swampy it has been remains to be seen.

view. Rather, we should imagine here an area of moors with a number of natural

fens.

All the lands that were in the possession of the Lords of Breda were heaths and wastelands.

They yielded more when they were planted with forests. This is what happened with the Prinsenmoerke.

The planting of the grounds probably took place for a large part halfway or at the end of the

end of the eighteenth century.

Some of the forests can be found in the archives of Domains. From 1819 dates a

overview of the forests and plantations in Oosterhout. In it, "Het Moerken" is mentioned separately. In

In the year 1848 a new overview of the Domain Forests was drawn up. This overview

"Het Moerken" further divided into separate beds: Hazenlust (94 ares); Holtslag (50 ares); Diana's

Tranquility (53 ares); The Kranegoor (72 ares); Den Duiventoorn (45 ares); Kraayenperk (30 ares); The Quadrilateral

(64 ares); The Domkamp (1 hectare, 37 ares); Vosseperk (84 ares); Charlottenburg (1 hectare, 4 ares);

Wildrust (1 hectare, 26 ares); Snake bed (2 hectares, 10 ares); Arendsvlugt (1 hectare, 3 ares);

Hoogenbosch (4 hectares, 6 ares). Including the hedgerow around "Het Moerken", the surface area would be

of the forest area on more than 18 hectares.

Most of the names of the beds refer to the appearance of animals: the fox, the eagle,

snake, hare, cranes, crows. Charlottenburg and Diana's Rust are named after people. The

The latter name may refer to the goddess of the hunt, Diana. The Wildrust perk will be a

resting place for game. The name Holtslag refers to influence from the eastern part of the Netherlands (by

a forest ranger from those parts?). What 'stupid' means in Domkamp is not entirely clear; one

Camp is an enclosed piece of land. The Duiventoorn is named after a dovecote, which stood near the

"Burnt Hoof" under Dongen. This farm stood on the castle grounds of the Heerlijk Huis

van Dongen. After this farm burned down in the eighteenth century, there was not a single building left

intact present on the castle grounds. The last above-ground remains of the adjacent dovecote

must have disappeared as early as the seventeenth century.

The Geregt of Oosterhout

The lords of Oosterhout have held the right of high jurisdiction for centuries. After death

of Willem van Duvenvoorde, the high jurisdiction was vested in the lord of Breda as the

lord of the lord of Oosterhout. This means that Oosterhout had the right to commit crimes

judge. In the end, only the high jurisdiction could impose the death penalty. Was someone in the

sentenced to death, the execution was presumably carried out on the Hill in the center of

Oosterhout. It cannot be ruled out that the execution of this punishment was often also carried out in Breda.

carried out for deterrence and to set an example of the greatest possible quantity of

people. In addition, the execution of the death penalty was lucrative due to the forfeiture of the

possessions of the condemned person and at the same time less lucrative because the executioner also had to pay

become. It was customary that, prior to or after the ceremony, the members of the

 

quadruple had a meal. The bill was sometimes paid out of the forfeited goods of the

But often the costs were simply borne by the urban bourgeoisie. One of

the last criminals who were active in Oosterhout and sentenced to death is Adriaan van

Been camping. The executioner's sword (sign of his dignity; not the actual sword for the

executions) is still kept in Breda. After the execution, the body was

transferred to the gallows, which had a place outside the built-up area. There, the

executed for some time to passers-by to deter malicious people.

The Oosterhout gallows were first located on the border of Oosterhout and Teteringen/Breda. In 1659

three old Oosterhouters stated that the old gallows stood "on the Cruysspoor teijnde de Hey-straete

of Teteringen being kept on the trail for the protection of the prescribed jurisdiction"

(the latter refers to the municipal boundary). The elderly knew some interesting details

over the gallows. For example, a certain Daniel van Hemstede, who died in Oosterhout and

his wife and child. He was therefore ordered by bailiff Van Rijen to become a

exhumed in the cemetery and reburied under the gallows. As a symbol for the murdered woman and

A large and a small "clippel" (= club) were hung on the gallows. This incident should be

took place at the beginning of the seventeenth century. During that period, Van Rijen was bailiff in

Oosterhout.

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