Barend van Thijn, born 29 November 1860 in Krommenie, was a son of the butcher Salomon Barend van Thijn and Betje Vet. After two stillborn children, he was the eldest of the 6 other children who were born in this family. Barend followed his father in his trade: he too became a butcher.
Barend van Thijn married Roosje van Thijn in Koog aan de Zaan on 13 March 1887, a daughter of the butcher Emanuel Levie van Thijn and Sophia Elisabeth Meijer. The couple had two children, namely Betje in 1888 and Emanuel in 1897. Their daughter Betje was killed in the Shoah; their son Emanuel survived the Holocaust.
Afther their marriage, Barend and Roosje has lived for a long time at Zanddwarssraat 2 in Amsterdam. Roosje van Thijn-van Thijn however passed away there 20 July 1928 and was interred in the Jewish Cemetery in Diemen. After his son Emanuel was married already in 1924 to Sara Pacher and his daughter Betje in 1929 to Jacob Jessurun and both the children have left their parental home, Barend moved 20 January 1930 to Pretoriusplein 4 in Amsterdam, after which again four relocations followed. Finally Barend was registered in 1936 at the address Tilanusstraat 60 1st stock, where he lived in whith Härtz. Barend passed away there 3 June 1942 and he too has been interred in the Jewish Cemetery in Diemen.
Sources: City archive of Amsterdam, family registration card of Barend van Thijn, archive cards of Barend van Thijn, Betje van Thijn and Emanuel van Thijn; website wiewaswie.nl; website Het Stenen Archief.nl, graves of Roosje van Thijn-van Thijn and Barend van Thijn and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration card of Barend van Thijn.