Claudine Le Vettre, And With Her A Brother, A. D. 1568.

It is understood that the child which was taken from her in prison was from that time on seen no more, without the father and the friends ever knowing what became of it.

Piersom had formerly lived with his wife Claudine, in Bruges, where the same thing had happened to him, namely, that he with his wife escaped from the inquisitor, through the friendly warning of a councillor of the city. However he had to leave behind everything he had, as was also the case at Meenen. But the pious man of Meenen who had warned him, concealed Piersom’s books and part of his household goods, and saw that they were again taken to the place where the books belonged. But the bad neighbor, who had betrayed Claudine, fell into such detestation with the town’s people that he had to leave the place, after the rabble of the town had demolished and ruined his shop, calling after him, Judas! Judas, the traitor!

Meenen was at that time an open city, without walls and gates, and hence Titelmannus did not dare trust his prisoners there: it would have gone with them as it did in another small town of Flanders, where on a set day the peasants came in great numbers, broke open the prison, and liberated about four hundred persons who had been imprisoned for the same cause.

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The friends had Piersom’s children baptized by the pastor of Meenen, as Margriete, the oldest of the children, who subsequently died, at the age of sixteen, in Calais, was wont to relate.

The remainder were three sons, named Pieter, Nicolaes and Jan, the last mentioned being the infant which was nourished at the mother’s breasts in prison. Pieter died during his mother’s imprisonment.

Piersom subsequently married a woman by the name of Peronne Hennebo, who died at Leyden, A. D. 1589, leaving two daughters, Maria and Martha, both born at Hoorn. This Martha was the wife of Doctor Dirk Volkertsz Velius, who wrote the Chronicles of Hoorn, and the mother of Pieter Velius of Hoorn.

Piersom’s third wife was Habeau de la Motte, mother of Margriete des Muliers, who resided at Gonda.

Piersom fell asleep in the Lord in Leyden, in the year 1591, leaving a son by his first wife Claudine, two daughters by his second wife Peronne, and a daughter by his last wife, as already said.

Claudine was beautiful of person, and a good singer, so that she moved the bystanders by her singing. Especially on the last day of her life, people stood before the prison, to hear her sing with a joyful heart, when death was announced to her. One who related it to me had heard her sing with a clear, strong voice the 27th psalm of David:

Le Seigneur est la clarte qui m’addresse.

And the people firmly believed that if they had not gagged her when they brought her to the place of execution, she would have departed life singing and praising God.

This account we received from D. N. M., the son of Piersom and Claudine, by the help of D. D. V., Claudine’s brother-in-law.