In the year 1554, there was put to death for the testimony of the truth, at Ghent, in Flanders, a pious witness of God, named William Van Louvain, the grandfather of Jan Doom. He did not suffer for any crime or heresy, but only for the testimony of the truth, in a good conscience, having renounced the Babylonian whore, together with her lovers, and all her false worship, and united himself with Christ, following him with the whole heart in the regeneration, and through faith, overcoming this world with all that is therein, whereby he finally, through grace, obtained the end of the faith, that is, eternal salvation, through Christ Jesus.
PIETER WITH THE LAME FOOT, JAN DROOGHSCHEERDER, HANS BORDUERWERCKER, AND FRANS SWEERDTVEGER, A. D. 1555.
In the year 1555, the young nobleman Jan van Immerseele having become Margrave, four brethren were apprehended at Antwerp, for the testimony of the truth, namely, Pieter with the lame foot, Jan Drooghscheerder, Hans Borduerwercker, and Frans Sweerdtveger, who, as they valiantly adhered to it, and could not be brought to apostatize, were finally sentenced to death, and had to lay down their lives publicly in the market place, for the name of the Lord, for which he will well reward them.
In said year there was also apprehended at Antwerp, a young maiden from Ghent, named Tanneken van der Leyen, who loved God and his truth more than all that was in the world; hence, since she preferred the doctrine of Christ and his apostles to all human doctrine, and immovably adhered to it, she was condemned to death, and drowned in the Scheldt.