History of Jaarsveld
De kern Jaarsveld heeft de oudste bewoningsgeschiedenis van de gemeente Lopik. Al voor de grote ontginningen waren hier stukken grond in cultuur gebracht op oude oeverwallen en stroomruggen, die wat hoger lagen dan de rest van het gebied.
De overige delen van Jaarsveld waren erg moerassig en lastig te ontginnen. Daarom heeft men in de tijd van de grote systematische ontginningen in de Lopikerwaard, met Jaarsveld gewacht tot men over betere waterstaatkundige inzichten en technieken beschikte.
The name Jaarsveld comes from “the field of Jarigs.” Around the homestead of “Jarigs” the village arose. The presence of Veldenstein castle greatly stimulated the development of the village.
Twistpunt Tussen Holland en Utrecht
Lordships were administrative units, which were given in fief by a sovereign to a feudal lord. The feudal lord exercised power there. He had all kinds of rights, for example to collect taxes (tithes and excise), to appoint officials, etc. In Jaarsveld there was constant dispute as to which higher authority the village fell under: the Sticht Utrecht or Holland. Finally, around the year 1640, Simon van Alteren resolutely cut the knot and brought his seigniory under the jurisdiction and supremacy of Holland. In the French era (after 1795) all seigniors were dissolved and municipalities were formed. In 1805 Jaarsveld was assigned to Utrecht.
Wapen
The coat of arms of Jaarsveld comes from the Van Uten Goye family. Members of this family were more or less besieged with Jaarsveld as early as 1285 and 1322. This coat of arms had been described as "in blue, twelve bells of gold." This turned out to be historically incorrect. It should have been 6 bars, alternately of throat (red) and of "vair." Vair was the fur of a squirrel species and was represented in the coat of arms as blue on silver. The municipality of Jaarsveld was dissolved in 1943 and joined the municipality of Lopik. In the new coat of arms of Lopik, the improved version of the coat of arms of Jaarsveld was inserted in 1948. That coat of arms existed until 1989, when a municipal redivision called for a new coat of arms for Lopik.
Administration Center
Jaarsveld was het centrum van bestuur, kerk, school en handel, voor de polders Batuwe, Graaf, Vogelzang, Wiel en Vijfhoeven. Het gebied strekte zich uit vanaf de huidige Radiolaan in Lopikerkapel tot de Tiendweg. In het Noorden werd het begrensd door de huidige Wetering en ten zuiden door de Lek. Verder was hier het bestuurscentrum voor het dijkbeheer gevestigd.
The village government consisted of a bailiff, 7 aldermen and a clerk (secretary). The drost (or bailiff) was the chief administrative official, in charge of judgments. In practice, he was usually also bailiff and secretary. The most famous drost, also sheriff and secretary, was Warnardus Verhagen (1754 -1832) appointed in 1793. After the French revolution he was again accepted by the citizenry as secretary, and the authorities appointed him successively baljuw of Jaarsveld, "maire" in 1799 and mayor in 1825.
Neighborhoods
Jaarsveld kende verschillende buurtschappen: De Graaf, langs de Graafdijk. Aan beide uiteinden daarvan lagen de Fuikebrug en de Uitweg. Jaarsvelderkapel was de bebouwing ten zuiden van de Enge IJssel, tegenover het dorp Lopikerkapel ten noorden van de Enge IJssel, dat onder Lopik viel.