Geeraerdt van de Walle (16th century)

Geeraerdt van de Walle, of Hansbeke in Flanders, who was arrested and tried in November 1590 at Ghent, Belgium, evidently was a Mennonite preacher. His trial gives an interesting account of the character and the principles of the Mennonites in Flanders. As early as 1578 Geeraerdt participated in the Mennonite meetings, but not until 1587 was he admitted to baptism on faith by Hans Busschaert. He related that meetings in Ghent were held in weavers' workrooms; the women sat near their spinning wheels; a number of men, some from outside the city, entered, but not at the same time. He admitted that he had written letters to the Dutch province of Zeeland; and that he also had sometimes explained "the doctrines of Menno Simons." A New Testament which he possessed was taken away when he was arrested. Geeraerdt was a simple brushmaker and farm laborer. The extant documents do not tell the outcome of the trial.

Bibliography

Verheyden, A. L. E. Het Gentsche Martyrologium (1530-1595). Brugge: De Tempel, 1946: 69.

Verheyden, A. L. E. "Mennisme in Viaanderen." Unpublished manuscript.

Additional Information

Author(s)	Nanne van der Zijpp
Date Published	1956

Cite This Article

MLA style

van der Zijpp, Nanne. "Geeraerdt van de Walle (16th century)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Geeraerdt_van_de_Walle_(16th_century)&oldid=87686.

APA style

van der Zijpp, Nanne. (1956). Geeraerdt van de Walle (16th century). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Geeraerdt_van_de_Walle_(16th_century)&oldid=87686.

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