View source for Jater (ca. 1510-1550)

Jater, an [[Anabaptism|Anabaptist]] martyr, was burned at the stake on 9 August 1550 at [[Arnhem (Gelderland, Netherlands)|Arnhem]], Dutch province of [[Gelderland (Netherlands)|Gelderland]]. In the sentence this martyr is called Jater Willem Libresdochter, wife of Goirt Raeymakers. She was 40 years of age. From about 1529 to 1547 she had lived at [[Maastricht (Limburg, Netherlands)|Maastricht]], Dutch province of [[Limburg (Netherlands)|Limburg]]. She had been baptized about 1542 at Maastricht by Lenart ([[Lenart van Ysenbroeck (16th century)|Lenaert van IJsenbroeck]]. One of the principal charges against her was that she possessed a book written by [[Menno Simons (1496-1561)|Menno Simons]]. She frankly confessed her faith and even tried to win over the judges to her principles. She stated that true Christians are obliged to live according to "the way and doctrines of the apostles"; they do not defend their faith with worldly weapons, and in the congregation they aid one another and do not let any starve. Jater was arrested by the bailiff of Montfort at [[Illikhoven (Limburg, Netherlands)|Illikhoven]] in the duchy of Upper-Gelre, where she had been living for three years, and from where she was brought to Arnhem.
= Bibliography =
Bax, Willem<em>. Het protestantisme in het bisdom Luik en vooral te Maastricht. </em>s-Gravenhage: Nijhoff, 1937-1941: 328-330.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. ''Mennonitisches Lexikon'', 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. II, 394.

Vos, Karel. <em>Menno Simons, 1496-1561, zijn leven en werken en zijne reformatorische denkbeelden.</em> Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1914: 86, 242.

Jater's trial and sentence are published in <em>Nederlands Archief voor Kerkgeschiedenis</em> 10 (The Hague, 1913): 261-263, 268.
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