David van Diepen is the earliest name found so far in the West Fresian tree of van Diepens. Thousands of names have been found in the Catholic and Reformed baptism books from the start of the 18th century. There are gaps here and there (or total breaks) in the registers because of fires or persecution of priests in those days. Baptism often had to take place in secret or was impossible because the spiritual leaders were pursued and persecuted. The search through the record books can be compared with the proverbial needle in a haystack, while parts of the haystack are missing altogether so the needle might never be found.

The marriage acts of his children Antje, David and Jan in Wognum, Spierdijk and Abbekerk give no idea of the then locations of their father or mother, or even if they were still alive. They were living in very turbulent times in which epidemics and wars caused significant disturbance in the social fabric. Death and disease of cattle was so prevalent and dramatic in West Friesland that farmers were robbed of income and in many cases switched from cattle grazing to market-gardening or even walked off their land altogether.

Antje Davids (van Diepen) first shows up in the baptism books in the parish of De Goorn on 7 May 1732 when she was the witness to the baptism of Johanna, daughter of Engel Janse and Jantje Willems of Noorddijk, and again on 8 October 1732 when she was witness for Nicolaas, son of Sijmen Claes and Anna Jacobs, also in Noorddijk. After marrying Muus Luytjes in 1733 she is often recorded in the baptism books at Wognum, both as a mother and as a witness. Her witness activities continued in these books until 1773, around the time she most likely passed away. Worth mentioning is that her oldest son Luitje (baptised 9 January 1736) was known as Luitje van Diepen when he passed away on 21 March 1813.

Of David Davids (van Diepen) all that is known is that he married Teunisje Symons on 3 January 1740 in the Reformed Church and was a bachelor at the time of marriage, so he was not a widower. At the time of marriage he lived in Spierdijk, Teunisje in De Goorn. Both had to pay 3 guilders, which indicates they were people of some means. On 20 January 1750 he bought a piece of grassland at De Goorn and added it at the southern end of property he already owned and was probably living on. On 30 October 1760 he was using the name van Diepen when he was named as guardian of the child of Jacob Pieters Knollendam and Grietje Claes. Two years later, on 21 June 1762, he died in De Goorn. Sadly his age at death was not mentioned.

The baptism of Jan Davids (van Diepen) has not been traced. His birth year of about 1717 is able to be determined by his being 55 years old when he signed documents in 1773. The earliest mention of him is on 14 April 1743 when he paid 3 guilders impost at the death of a Marijtje Willem in Wognum. On 14 January 1745 his brother David sold him a house at De Goorn, but Jan still lived in The Keern (Zwaagdijk). He was still there in 1748, evidenced by the baptism of his two children Grietje (1745) and Arien (1748). On 20 November 1753 he bought a house and yard next to the church at Wognum from Reinier van Stokkum, the Catholic priest. On 15 August 1772 he is seen in the acts of the Hoorn notary van Beek following the death of Jan's wife Neel. A separation of property takes place. He owned 2 houses and yards (both in De Goorn) in partnership with Jacob Pietersz Ligthart, with 8 parcels of grassland, of which some are in Zuid (South) Spierdijk. They have names like Ruygenweid, Zoutackers, and 't Lageland etc, and are in total about 17 hectares. It is noticable that even at the age of 55 Jan was signing his name with an X.

On Arien's marriage papers in 1770 he was known as Arien Braak. We are not sure where that surname came from but on old maps in an around De Goorn there are areas written in (or drawn) that are so low they are frequently inundated with water. These areas are designated "Braak". This is true of one in the Mijzerdijk at Ursem, and one on the Noorddijk (at the time a dead end path). These areas are still today called "De Braak" by name, and are the areas that Arien van Diepen practised his business. Near the place where the Noorddijk runs into Zuid (South) Spierdijk in the direction of Berkhout, old maps show a small lake that also carried the "Braak" name. There was also a "Braak" in the bend in Zuid (South) Spierdijk. It is possible that Arien was the user or owner of such a braak and ended up with the nickname, which he used on his marriage certificate. In De Goorn the family name Braak is a common name.

The use of a nickname was common before about 1811 when Napoleon ordered that all births, marriages and deaths must be meticulously recorded so that he had accurate records of available soldiers. From that year onwards the use of a surname became compulsory and nicknames were not allowed to be used. 1811 was an important year for genealogists because no longer was it acceptable to call yourself for instance "Jan Pieters" (John, son of Peter), or to use a nickname like Arien van Diepen did. Previously it was also common for surnames to be changed over with the wife's family. It was now compulsory to have a surname and use it.

Jan van Diepen lived on a farm at Dorpsstraat 52 in Obdam that he purchased on 26 Jan 1797 from Cornelis Groot for 4898 florins. The farmhouse was on the protected historical monument list but was destroyed by a fire between 1980 and 1990. The cause of the fire has not been determined or made public, but differing theories have been put forward.

In 1824 there was a division of his estate after his death. 30 plots were divided up, among them two farmhouses, some scrub forest and a reed bed on the ring canal. In the estate every object in the house was listed and evaluated. There are a lot of pages and the livestock is also broken down in the list, and includes 20 milk cows, 4 milk vessels, 5 "hokkelingen" (?), one meadow cow, 5 grass calves, 4 sows, 21 sheep and lambs, a horse, cheeses and enough hay for 25 cows.

According to the will his wife Antje Zoet can continue to live on the farm. In 1826 she married for the second time to Jan Bijvoet (baptised 16/10/1764 in Obdam), the son of Klaas Ari�n Bijvoet and Antje Jansdr Hoogland). This was Jan's 3rd marriage. In his autobiography Pieter van Diepen (born 20/3/1853) said that Jan Bijvoet was a very angry individual indeed, beating his step-children.

The division of Dirk's estate showed that he had been a rich man with plenty of property. The in memoriam card from his funeral shows that he was involved in a lot of organisations. Most remarkable was Dirk's third marriage. He was 67 and married a 19-year-old Trijntje Floris. The story has been passed down through the family but had been spoken of in hushed tones, most of the elderly relatives refused to talk about it and much of it is gossip. Dirk van Diepen died in 1871 and his third wife Trijntje withdrew from the farm after his death and lived with her parents in Spierdijk (Spanbroek). She was given 8000 guilders plus a bed of her choice. In 1876, she married Gerrit Tamis, a wealthy stock breeder in Heerhugowaard. Not long after they married he died also. Around 1915 she sold her business and moved in with her sister and a servant in a mansion in the centre of Heerhugowaard. She died there in 1919.

Landman of 60 hectares at Tropweere. The business was purchased by the family for F13313 (florins) from Lijsbeth Blokker, the widow of Jan Ligthart. After the death of Jan's mother Aaltje Bijvoet in 1843 a property division among the children took place on 16 Jun 1844. Jan purchased the business.

Jacob was a landman at Noord (North) Spierdijk and at the Waarddijk in Heerhugowaard. He was nice enough to hire a man-servant in the full knowledge that the man had typhus. Jacob himself contracted typhus and died at the age of 37. Engeltje married (2) Hendrik Veenboer on 17 Aug 1865 at Heerhugowaaard, he was the widower of Grietje Groenveld.

Had a farm business at Zandwerven, later operated by his daughter Anna.

Had a farm at Oostdijk 61 in Heerhugowaard, the farmhouse burnt down in 1950 because of a lightning strike. The family moved to the parish church of Obdam, where Simon made himself busy with plans to himself finance and build a new church in the centre of Heerhugowaard. He achieved his aim in 1868, and his church was blessed and dedicated. Sadly his wife Geertje Klaver was to be the first person buried in the parish graveyard at the new St. Dionysius church.

Cattle holder on the Rafaelhoeve at Hoogwoud. He was also an alderman and church elder.