Gabriël Reinarts

Published on 15 May 2024 at 12:02

Gabriël Reinarts (also known as Gabriel Rei(j)nartz or 'Gabriel by the church') (1722, Ubach - October 15th 1771, Herzogenrath) was a carter from Ubach and suspected Bokkenrijder. He was one of the first to be convicted from the third persecution period of Overmaas.

Personal life

On August 22nd 1722 Gabriël Reinarts is baptised in Ubach, as son of Mathias and Anna Barbara Reinarts. He has at least one brother named Johannes, who married Catrine Korvers and passed somewhere between 1763 and 1771. Gabriël has at least one sister named Gertrudis Reinarts, who on February 8th 1715 was baptised and married Joannes Dammers, the rural constable of Ubach who was also accused and passed in 1772 under imprisonment. Gertrudis passed on January 16th 1760. In a statement from Gabriëls stepsis Catrine Korvers from 1771, there is also sign of a sister named Christine Reinarts.

Gabriël stayed in Ubach and became a carter, a charioteer who transported people or goods. He lived "in the home of the halfman of Briel" ("in het huijs van den halfman van Briel"), a farmer who possibly had lots of land. This house was located right near the church, which explains why he was also known as "Gabriël by the church".

On May 14th 1747 the 24 year old Gabriël Reinarts marries the 25 or 26 year old Anna Margaretha Vaessen in Ubach; she was baptised there on May 17th 1721 as daughter of Henricus and Catharina Vincken. Between 1748 and 1765 they had five or six children: Henricus Josephus Reinarts (1748), Johannes Petrus Reinarts (1751),  Johannes Mathias Reinarts (1754), Maria Catharina Reinarts (1758) and Johannes Godfried Reinarts (1763). Gabriëls partner passed on July 30th 1791 in Ubach.

Trial

End of January 1771 Gabriël Reinarts is named as accomplice by Peter Müller; possibly in the same hearing where his brother-in-law Joannes Dammers was accused. Other suspects also accused him after this. Reinarts was arrested and heared under torture, from September 4th until the 7th.

In August of 1771 Joseph Ploum accuses him of being an accomplice during the robbery of the farm 'aen het Velt' (translates to 'by the Field'), where Gabriëls own brother Johannes lives. This farm had been robbed in 1763 by the gang, where the mother of Gabriël and Johannes, Anna Barbara Reinarts, was abused by the robbers. They wanted her to tell them where the money was hidden, but she said the money was kept with her son Gabriël. After the robbery, Gabriël is one of the first to go to the farm, after he at first didn't want to go; that could be because he was possibly involved himself.

On October 15th 1771, the 49 year old Gabriël Reinarts dies on the gallows on te Beckenberg in Herzogenrath, together with eight others: Joseph Keyser, Joseph Ploum, Willem Ploum, Jacob Otten, Peter Pauwels, Cornelis Dautsenberg, Adolf Steyns, Hendrik Steyns. He leaves behind a wife and children.

Add comment

Comments

There are no comments yet.