Ten Persons, Men as Well as Women

Ancient and trustworthy memoirs tell us, as undoubted facts, that about the year of our Lord 1570 two very devout persons, a man and a woman, whose names we have not been able to learn, were sought by the bailiff of the city of Dordrecht, because they were called Anabaptists, and at last found in the Marienbon Street of that city, in a house from which hung the sign of a boot. Since they held steadfastly to their faith, both were burned soon afterward in the market field, beyond the scales, which was then the place of execution.

Also, that seven others, men as well as women, of the same religion, who had come from Breda,* when they could by no means be moved from it, suffered the same punishment, namely, by fire, until death followed; and this took place in the plain, not far from the Menne bridge, beyond the powder magazine, that being the other place of execution. [n1022-1]

About the end of the year, namely, in the month of November, when that great and terrible flood that came on All Saints Day (of which almost everyone knows something) had come to an end, it is stated that a certain Anabaptist widow in the Armetij Street was taken by the bailiff and the stadtholder from a room beside a stairway; this widow, some time afterward, since she would not fall away from her faith, also had to die in the flames.

We searched for the examinations and death sentences of the aforementioned persons in the ordinary's criminal city records of that time, but did not find them, nor of J. W. van Kuyck and Adriaentgen Jans van Molenaersgraef, who were put to death two years afterward; though there were several living witnesses of it in our time, who saw the death of these persons, together with all the circumstances. This being the case, it appears that the papists were ashamed to put the court proceedings and death sentences of these persons into the city records, since it seemed that the country, and at the same time this city also, would before long change its government and its religion. This was accomplished about two years afterward through the coming of William the First, prince of Orange; and so the constraint laid upon faith and conscience ceased at the same time, in that place.

Further Observation. As for the persons who then (in the year 1570) sat in court and administered justice, they were, according to the record of Johan van Beverwijck, in his register of the magistracy of Dordrecht, as follows

Adriaen van Bleyenbergh Adriaenss, bailiff of that city, who entered on his office in the year 1549 and completed his term in the year 1571.

Arent van der Mijle Sir Corneliss, burgomaster of the community.

Together with nine judges: Gijsbrecht van Haerlem Jans; Cornelis van Diemen Jacobss; Huybrecht Jonge Adriaenss; Jan van Slingelandt Sir Ottenss; Wourick van Drenkwaert Sir Wilmss; Jan Janss Elandtss; Bondewijn Heerman Gijsbrechtss; Dierick van Beverwijck Sir Philips; Cornelis van Mosyenbroeck Sir Corneliss.

However, whether all of them agreed to this sentence, or only some of them, is not known to us.