Baetje Jans (van Hartenvelt) - where is "Haerdt"?

the Dutch verb vellen means to cut down or fell...

How is "vellen" relevant? "velt" and "veld" may be interchangeable but "vellen" is a big change. Or am i missing something obvious?

I have always been of the opinion that "velt" is a geographical descriptor, similar to moorland. Changing the T to D gives you "veld", meaning field, which is not dissimilar.

It is only an impression on my part... I am thinking that velt is a past participle of vellen used as noun. Perhaps is similar to the English form fells (to fell {a tree} ~> felled ~> falls(way)...

Language is often has a great deal of 'hin und weg' in it...

In all of this I am not being certain or definitive. It is just an exploration of ideas.

All along I feel that regional designations, the "van or von" thing, do endure through the centuries.

As Aerdt and a small neighboring community with a similar name jump out at me on the 17th century map, I am wondering if all van Hart + suffix (Hert+ suffix) originated in that geographic are at that major fork of the Rhine. (see map)

See this detail:

https://www.geni.com/photo/view/6000000051035289964?album_type=phot...

"Hartwert" could easily have become Hartenvelt in my estimation.

I'm sorry : It's "Harwert" on the map... I have had a hard time finding out anything about neighboring <Schencken Shans> , the fortified looking settlement right in the crotch of the fork in the river. I wonder if it has anything to do with the well-to-do Schenck family?
Henrich Schenck van Nydeggen

I would wager that there would have been a need for all kinds of support to man Schencken Shans in and around 1645.... This would encourage residents to add the moniker "Ich bin von {the place where the Rhine splits or 'falls apart'} to their patronym.

I've always had a fascination with the lore of rivers.

schans (Dutch)
Origin & history
From German Schanze; cognate with English sconce
Pronunciation
(BE): IPA: /sxɑns/
(NL): IPA: /sχɑns/
Rhymes: -ɑns
Noun
schans (common) (pl. schansen, diminutive schansje)
a sconce or a similar type of fortification
a platform or ramp used for ski jumpers (or any similar sport) to gain elevation during their jumps

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maarten_Schenck_van_Nydeggen

Maarten Schenk van Nydeggen

see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schenkenschanz

Looking at GoogleMaps https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Tolkamer,+Netherlands/Schenkensc...

The village of Schenkenschanz is a little south of the original fortress site, which seems to me to be the present town of Tolkamer, Harwert is now Herwen.

http://www.schanz2.de/schenkenschanz/geschichte03.html