View source for Bekker, Peter (1687-1749)

Peter (Pieter) Bekker (Becker): preacher of the Mennonites ([[Groningen Old Flemish Mennonites|Groninger Old Flemish]]) in [[West Prussia|West Prussia]]; born 24 February 1687, Deutsch Konopat, Schwetz, Prussia, the son of Johann Becker. Peter's father was the son of Lutheran parents. Peter married Trincke Ratzlaff (29 September 1691 - 27 December 1754) on 24 September 1708 in Przechowka, Schwetz, Prussia. She was the daughter of Berent Ratzlaff (1660-ca. 1717) and Lysabet (Onrow) Ratzlaff. Peter and Trincke had at least three children: Berent, Ancke, and Peter. Peter died on 5 September 1749 in Prussia.

At the time of the visit of [[Hulshoff, Hendrik (1664-1745)|Hendrik Berends Hulshoff]] in 1719 he was living at Przeckowsken on the Vistula. Later he evidently lived at [[Danzig (Poland)|Danzig]]. In the [[Amsterdam Mennonite Library (Bibliotheek en Archief van de Vereenigde
Doopsgezinde Gemeente te Amsterdam)|archives at Amsterdam]] there are eight letters from him in which he requests help from the Committee for Foreign Needs <em>([[Commissie voor Buitenlandsche Nooden|Commissie voor Buitenlandsche Nooden]]), </em>because of floods, famine, and persecution. The first letter is dated 6 March 1727, and the last one 20 June 1737 (See bibliography). 

Another minister named Peter Becker, who was minister of the congregation at Kleinsee, wrote on 23 March 1776, on behalf of this congregation, to ask to have their debt canceled <em>(Inv. Arch. Amst. </em>I, No. 1713).
= Bibliography =
GRANDMA (The <strong>G</strong>enealogical <strong>R</strong>egistry <strong>an</strong>d <strong>D</strong>atabase of <strong>M</strong>ennonite <strong>A</strong>ncestry) Database, 7.0 ed. Fresno, CA: <span class="link-external">[http://calmenno.org/index.htm California Mennonite Historical Society]</span>, 2012: #31954.

Hoop Scheffer, Jacob Gijsbert de. <em>Inventaris der Archiefstukken berustende bij de Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam</em>, 2 vols. Amsterdam: Uitgegeven en ten geschenke aangeboden door den Kerkeraad dier Gemeente, 1883-1884: v. I, Nos. 1088, 1581, 1598, 1610, 1635, 1643, 1645, 1662, 1713; v. II, 2, 738, 740.
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