Background name OTTERSPOOR

It is safe to say, that the Otterspoors originate from the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands.

The first mention of the name(Otterspore) is in a document in Latyn dated  before 13/3/1139 in which Bishop Andreas puts a tenth near Breukelen and Otterspoor under the control of the Kapittel of saint Pieter of Utrecht.

In a document in latyn dated April 1228 a tenth of Otterspoor(a part of the village Breukelen west of the river Vecht) is mentioned again.

In a document dated 2/01/1298 concerning properties near Breukelen the polder Otterspoor-Broek is mentioned.

According to an article in the magazin Old Utrecht, approximately 1140-50 the Otterspoordam/Sluce was built north of the border between the villages Maarssen and Breukelen in the river Vecht, and also assumed was the start of the village Otterspoor in relation to jobs deriving from transporting goods from seaships to smaller vessels at the Sluce.

According to a study concerning the history of watermaintenance a Tax named Otterspoorhoeven (Otterspoorhoefslag) was levied on (probably) the protected villages and so on.

Near Otterspoor-Broek on the Vecht at Zandpad 27. Maarssen a Mansion named Otterspoor existed. Drawings in the book 'de zegepralende Vecht' show a beauful house with grand gardens. A poem was written about it. Only the pillars from the frontgate still stand today.

Otterspoor on the river Vecht

                        Gatepillars from former Otterspoor (Zandpad  27,Maarsen)                                  close-up from top of pillar

Gardenview from house Otterspoor

Gardenview from house Otterspoor

The same book mentions, that the common name for the swampplant 'Galigaan' (cladium Mariscus) was Otterspoor.

Strange is, that part of Manhatten (Harlem) in New York went by the name of Otterspoor before 1639 and a mansion named Otterspoor was built there!!!

The most likely explanation is, that the area reminded of  the polder Otterspoor-Broek near Breukelen in Utrecht.

On van der Doncks map of New Netherland from 1656 A place Breukelen existed on Long Island.

Today the name Otterspoor is still in use as the name for an animalfarm for children and streetnames in the Town Utrecht and some of the villages nearby (and a flat, would you believe it)

From the Concise British Flora in Color

The magazin from the Otterstation . 'Aqua Lutra' (with the aim to put the otters back into the dutch rivers) also went by the name Otterspoor for a few years.

In the dictionairy of dutch names by Swaen, A.E.J. it is stated, that the name OTTERSPEER derives from the animal kingdom.

In the same dictionairy it is stated that the name OTTERSPEER derives from a profession.

The name OTTERSPOOR is not mentioned

In another wordbook of familynames it is stated, that the name OTTERSPEER is a pseudonym for Ottercatcher (hunter)

It all seems just guesswork and it seems more likely that the name OTTERSPEER is a wrong spelling of OTTERSPOOR

The following wrong spelling of the name Otterspoor have been found so far;

De volgende verkeerde spellingen van de naam Otterspoor zijn tot nu toe aangetroffen;

Otter Spoor, Ottenspoor, Ottorspoor, Hotterspoor, Otterspoir, Otterspoon, Otterspor, Ockterspoor,  Oosterspor , Otterspon(Amsterdam )

Opperspoor, Oosterspoor, Offerspoor, Otterspoort, Otterspeer, Otterspeen, Otterspoel, Ottersporen, Otterspier, Otterspogh, otterspooor, (Rotterdam archief)

Otterpeer, Otterpoor, Ottespoor, Ottospeer, Ottespeer, Ottenspeer, Oterspeer , Otterspreer, Ottersprong, 't Otterspoor (Net)

Ottersper, Ottospoor, Otterspeur, otterspoer, otterspoors, ottersspoor , otterspoior, Atterspoor , Ootterspoor (diversen)