Eagum ( nl, Aegum) is a small village in the
Dutch province of
Friesland. It is in the municipality of
Leeuwarden, about 10 km south of the city of
Leeuwarden.
Eagum had about 35 inhabitants (in January 2017),
History
The village was first mentioned in 1503 as "van agum", and means "settlement of Age (person)".
Before the was ''
polder
A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are:
# Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed
# Flood plains s ...
ed'' in 1633, it was mainly a fishing village. The original village church was demolished in 1776. Its successor was torn down in 1856, however the tower has remained standing. In 1840, it was home to 49 people.
Before 2014, Eagum was part of
Boarnsterhim municipality and before 1984 it belonged to
Idaarderadeel.
Fonda Family
One claim to fame is that Eagum, in the 17th century also spelled Agum, is the place of origin of the Fonda family in the United States. In 1642, Jellis Douwese Fonda (1614–1659), an innkeeper in Aegum, married Hester Jansz in Diemen, near Amsterdam. Six weeks later, their son Douw Jellise Fonda was born in Aegum, soon followed by daughter Annetje and another named Geertie. In 1642, the Fonda family emigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland (New York), and settled in the Hudson River valley, near Fort Orange (Albany), in a hamlet called Rennselaerwyck (Troy). Jellis became a blacksmith and brandy distiller, and Hester gave birth to three more children, Sarah, Abraham, and Saertje. Jellis Fonda died in 1659, only 45 years old. His widow soon remarried. Among Jellis Fonda's best known descendants are American actor
Henry Jaynes Fonda (1905–1982), an American Academy Award-winning film and stage actor, his son
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...
(1940-2019), two-time
Academy Award-nominated and two-time
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
- winning actor and director, and his daughter
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
(1937- ), two-time
Academy Award-winning actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model and fitness guru. Famous actress
Bridget Fonda
Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in ''The Godfather Part III'' (1990), ''Single White Female'' (1992), ''Singles'' (1992), ''Point of No Return'' (1993), '' It Could Happen to You'' ( ...
is Peter's daughter.
References
Populated places in Friesland
Leeuwarden
{{Friesland-geo-stub