View source for Aken, Johan Andries van (1623-1706)

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Johan Andries van Aken, a preacher at [[Utrecht (Utrecht, Netherlands)|Utrecht]], was born 9 January 1623 at Rivers near [[Aachen (Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany)|Aachen]], [[Germany]], and died 11 May 1706 at Utrecht. He was a son of Frans Andries and Katharina Woestenraad, and perhaps a great-grandson of [[Gillis van Aken (ca. 1500-1557)|Gillis van Aken]]. Early orphaned, he was reared by his uncle Jelis de Graaf, a manufacturer of shears. He stayed for a time in [[Leiden (Zuid-Holland, Netherlands)|Leiden]] and [[Middelburg (Zeeland, Netherlands)|Middelburg]], and in 1645 went to Utrecht, where he married Maria Cornelis de Schut in 1646. She died in 1667. In 1668 he married the widow of Denys de Nekker, Josina, nee Wille, who died in 1703. From 1652 on he was a Mennonite preacher at Utrecht. During the dissensions in the congregation from 1660 to 1664  he sided with [[Maurik, Willem van (1625-1710)|W. van Maurick]]. For more than 50 years he preached and enjoyed the high esteem of his fellow citizens. This is shown by the fact that in 1672 the magistrate of Utrecht sent him to [[Amsterdam (Noord-Holland, Netherlands)|Amsterdam]] to borrow 100,000 guilders to redeem several citizens who had been taken as hostages by the French. He was wealthy and very benevolent to the poor, regardless of creed. Chr. Tirion preached his funeral sermon, which was printed at Utrecht in 1706.
= Bibliography =
Cate, G. ten. "Iets over Jöhan Andries van Aken en zijn geslacht." <em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em> (1872); (1916): 145 ff.

<em>Catalogus der werken over de Doopsgezinden en hunne geschiedenis aanwezig in de bibliotheek der Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam</em>. Amsterdam: J.H. de Bussy, 1919: 251.

Berghuijs, H. B. <em>Geschiedenis der Doopsgezinde Gemeente te Utrecht</em>. Utrecht, 1925.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. ''Mennonitisches Lexikon'', 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 15.
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[[Category:Ministers]]