Peter Ponts (also known as Petrus Ponts) (February 7th 1716, Hoensbroek - November 12th 1743, Hoensbroek) was a knacker and an alledged member of the Bokkenrijders, the son of knacker and accused leader of the Bokkenrijders, Mathijs Ponts from Hoensbroek. He was arrested and executed during the third persecution period.
Peters signature; it seems to show he wrote his name as 'Peter Poonts'.
Personal life
Peter was baptised on February 7th 1716, together with his twin sister Gertrudis Ponts; they were probably born on the same day or the day beforehand. They are the children of Mathijs Ponts (1690) and Barbara Bemelmans (1684), who both stem from a family of knackers. Besides his twin sister, Peter has seven other siblings: Ida (1712), Johannes (1713), Hendrik (1718), Maria (1721), Margretha (1723), Matthias (1726) and Reinerus (1729). They grow up together at the Akerstraat in Hoensbroek. Just like his other brothers, Peter gets taught the skill of being a knacker. He can, unlike his father, read and write.
It was likely that Peter was a friend of Peter Caspar ter Koning (1716), a soldier and cobbler from Schaesberg and the presumed author of the 'Bokkenrijderssong' from 1743. Both young men get sentenced to their death due to being an accused Bokkenrijder.
Peters sister Ida and brothers Johannes and Hendrik leave home, however Hendrik sometimes still lives with them from time to time. Peter stays in Hoensbroek to work together with his father; it was likely that he helped around with raising his younger siblings. It is unknown whether his twin sister Gertrudis moved out or was married already during the time of Peters arrest.
In May of 1741 Peter and his brother Hendrik start a fight in the inn of Christiaan La Haye next to the house of the Ponts family. Peter and Hendrik do not get arrested, but the stranger does; they end up being found in the Ponts family's home, arrested and banned. Peters dad Mathijs Ponts pays for the costs of the trial.
Arrest
On April 10th 1743 Peter gets arrested at home, together with his father Mathijs and possibly also with his sister Maria. They get locked up in the prisons of the castle of Hoensbroek. On July 29th, 30th and 31st he gets tortured for three days until he admits; the bailliff writes that he shows almost no signs of pain. After the torture he tries to commit suicide. He is in such despair that he, without any weapons, bites his arteries on two places in his arm "like a mad dog", until he almost bleeds to death. The attempt failed however, and Peter survives.
On November 12th 1743 Peter gets executed, together with Mathijs Ponts, Maria Ponts, Joannes Klinckers, Corst Klinkers and Joannes Kraems. It is unsure whether he was hanged, or was wheeled after his hand was chopped off. He became 27 years old.
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