Isaac Allewijn

The name Alwein is of great antiquity in the Netherlands where it was found spelled as Alewijn or Halewijn. The meaning is, literally, "ale-wine," and the original bearers were probably the owners of large vineyards or vintners, a profession highly esteemed in old and modern times. Bearers of the name held positions in the courts of the Holland nobility. Gerrit Alewijn was in charge of munitions under Willem III, Count of Holland, in 1332, and was appointed to the same post in 1342 under Willem IV. Jan Alewijn was a schepen, or magistrate, in Amsterdam in 1405 and another of the same name was a councillor in 1469 under Karl the Bold. Diedrick "de Halevin alias Alewijn" was made a knight by the French King, Francis I, at Pavia, in 1525. His grandson, of the same name, who was born in 1574 and died in Amsterdam in 1637, received a large estate in Beemster, 13 miles north of Amsterdam. Many persons of the name served as burgomasters in their localities. Mr. William Alewijn of Amsterdam, born 1769, died 1835, was granted a coat of arms in 1815. Jacob Alewijn was mint-master in Zutphen, in the province of Gelderland, near Arnhern, and died in Harder, a locality about 30 miles east of Amsterdam, May 26, 1606. His name indicates that he may have been the progenitor of the family whose records follow: (J.B. Rietstap: "Wapenboek van den Nederlandischen Adel," Vol. 1, pp. 7) A.A. Vosterman Van Oyen: "Stamen-Wapenboek van Aanzienlijke Nederlandischen Familien," Vol.1, p. 7) Hans Jacob Alwein, or Alwine as the name appears in early Pennsylvania records, was probably a decendant of Jacob Alewijn, a mint-master in Zutphen, as above mentioned. .

Taken from Vol. XVI and New Series Vol II, Part 2 of "colonial & Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania", pages 555 & 556.