GENEALOGIA LEMNIANA

THE BOOK
The first Lem in this century searching for the history of the Lem family was Rvd. Leon Lem. He was born in Brugge (Belgium) but lived in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). He contacted a lot of Lem Lemm and Leme all over the world.In the Netherlands he corresponded with Dr. Piet Lem in Nijmegen which started ( ca. 1935) the research in the Netherlands.In 1982 Ruud Lem ( a son of Piet, living in Lymington U.K) and Wil Lem ( Maastricht NL) restarted in co-operation the world wide research. They could use all the information found by Leon and Piet Lem.After visiting a lot of archives, contacts with many institutes and individuals all over the world they decided in 1992 to produce a book with all the information which was gathered together and include all the family branches which were found.In 1993 they published: Genealogia Lemniana The world history of Lemm; Lem and Lems

FAMILY LEME

The history of Leme Family, from Brazil, begins in XVI Cent. in S.Vicente Town, after the first Portuguese men arrived in my country. The father of all Brazilian Leme(s) was Pedro Leme, born in Madeira Isle, Portugal.
Pedro Leme was son of Antonio Leme and Maria Adao Ferreira, the first Leme arrive in that isle.
Antonio Leme, son of Martim Leme, grandson of Maeten Lem from Brugge, Belgium.
This is the link of Leme and Lem from Belgium, Holland, Germany and Great Bretain.
Ruud Lem, in his Genealogia Lemniana, tell us that the surname Lem comes from Willem, comum name after Willem I (William I of England).
In Brazil, this family was more important to conquist land to Portugal. Leme, of Fernão Dias Paes Leme and others "Bandeirantes" made the conquist indian lands in XVI Centuries.
Pedro Leme and his son in law Braz Esteves was more important in the sugar factory (engenhos) in that time. The family was very rich with that business.

E-mail from Ruud Lem (UK) to Gilberto Leme (Brazil)

Dear Gilberto : I will try to answeryour letter more in detail, but would like to make you aware that so many genealogists and historians have made a search for this family LEM/LEMS and in particular to the person of Martin or Martim LEM.

1+ 2: We are not certain about the father as there are a few Willem (William/Guilhermo) possible :

We know from the archives in Brugge/Bruges in French, that the father of Martin LEM (I) was Willem LEM.

Also is known that young Martin had several properties in Brugge and was selling them. Contracts we have in copy.

It therfore is possible that Willem LEM died before 1415.

There is no certaunty as the birthdate of Martin, we assume about 1395. As young Martin was selling various properties, he might have become an orphan. He is supposed to have gone to Lisboa in 1420, so when he was 25 and that can make sense. Very likely his father Willem LEM had some dealings and business, both in Lisboa and in Brugge.

We have found a mention of a Willem/Guillaume LEM who married in 1391 with Claire de Beernem. So that could make that Willem was born around 1350.

To make matters more complicated : we found that a certain Claire de Beernem had founded in 1372 a chapel for her disceased husband Jean Golebeters. This chapel was no. 35, the St.Julien-chapel in the Catherdral St, Donatius in Brugge. This cathedral was savagedly demolished by the French in 1801 and nothing is left!

So, we have a possibility that Willem LEM married in 1391 to the widow Catherine (called also Claire??) and that she is the mother of Martin LEM (I) This information was supplied by the historian Gailliard.

Another mention we found for a Willem LEM who was married to a Catherine ......nn.... She was burried in the Eeckhout Abbey in Brugge in 1393.

When we make a connection, we could say that Martin LEM could have been born in 1393 and maybe his mother died in childbirth!?

We have also a mention by Manuel Soerio (Anaes de Flandres, TM.2a anno 1471 and of Henrique Henrigues de Noronha.p.351) about the origin of the LEM-family from the town Bergues St.Winochs in (now French) Flanders, but in those days in west-Flanders. We find there 3 Lem's :

Willem, Raem and Jan (Jean/Joao) in 1390. This town was a very flourishing cloth-making town with much exports.

So you see that it is possible that Willem, Raem and Jan LEM were living in Bergues St.Winoch in 1390 and that Willem (re-) married in 1391 to Claire de Beernem.

There is another point which makes this possible : the later Chapel of the LEM-Family in Brugge in 1480 and 1500 plus was the St.Julien no. 35! QED we might say!

3) Martin LEM x Joana de Barros is not proven

4+5: I already reported on 08.10.07

6) : Pedro Leme was the son of Antonio LEM(e) who settled on Funchal,Madeira.