Abel Eppens
Abel Eppens (tho Equart) (* around March 29, 1534 in Eekwerd, † around 1590 probably in East Frisia ) was a Dutch chronicler of the Reformation period .
Life
Eppens came from a long-established farming family in the province of Groningen. He was born as the son of Eppo Aepens (tho Equart) and Eeke Tammen on his estate, the Bolhuis in Eekwerd.
His father died early and so Eppens spent his school days in Farmsum and Groningen . He later studied in Liège , 1557 in Cologne , then in Groningen. From there he went to Wittenberg to see Philipp Melanchthon , a friend of Martin Luther . Eppens stayed in Wittenberg until Melanchthon's death in 1560 and then returned to the Netherlands .
In 1562 Eppens married Frouke Louwens. At first he lived in one of his father's farms. It was not until a few years later that he moved to the family residence on the Bolhuis estate. He was a staunch supporter of the Reformation and was heavily involved in the Dutch struggle for independence against Catholic Spain . When Groningen and the surrounding area fell to the Spanish in 1580, Eppens and his family fled to Emden.
During his stay in Emden, Eppens wrote an extensive and historically significant chronicle. It was published as The Chronicle by Abel Eppens tho Equart in 1911 and printed by Johannes Müller, Amsterdam in two volumes with a total of around 1500 pages. The chronicle ends abruptly in 1589. Eppens probably fell ill at this time and died shortly afterwards.
Abel Eppens had eight children, two of whom have become well-known sons: Leo Abels, Sicco Abels and Popko Abels. In 1595 Leo Abels became the first reformed pastor of the parish of Loppersum, to which Eekwerd and the family seat of Bolhuis are also assigned. Leo Abels left two sons: Adolf Louwens, was mayor of Groningen, and Abel Louwens, was also pastor in Loppersum.
literature
- JA Feith and H. Brugmans (eds.), De kroniek van Abel Eppens tho Equart, 2 volumes (works, uitgegeven door het Historisch Genootschap, gevestigd te Utrecht 3, 27 and 28), Amsterdam 1911–1912 Volume 1 Volume 2 (only viewable with US proxy)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Eppens, Abel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Eppens tho Equart, Abel |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Dutch chronicler of the Reformation period |
| DATE OF BIRTH | on March 29, 1534 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Eekwerd |
| DATE OF DEATH | around 1590 |
| Place of death | uncertain: East Frisia |