Peter Pauwels, also known as Petrus Paulsen (1715, Ubach - October 15th 1771, Herzogenrath) is a weaver from Ubach and a supposed Bokkenrijder. He is one of the first convicts in the third persecution trial of Overmaas.
Personal life
On December 14th 1715 Peter Pauwels is baptised as son of Godefridus (Paulsen?) and Elisabetha Mannens. In documents dating back to that time we discover that there was a couple in Ubach named Godefridus Paulsen and Elisabeth Mannens who had at least six children: Cornelia Paulsen (February 18th 1701 - ?), Margaretha Paulsen (October 19th 1702 - ?), Martinus Paulsen (December 14th 1703 - ?), Severinus Paulsen (August 20th 1709 - April 23rd 1731), Mathias Paulsen (December 19th 1712) and Petrus Pauwels (December 14th 1715). Based on the date of birth, the parents and the partner (mentioned later) we can consider that this is the same Peter Pauwels, although this source states he passed in 1763.
Peter is a weaver regarding his profession; somebody mentioned him as "he, Peter Pauwels in his attic stitching the yarn for weaving". He is described as a man with grey hair.
On October 15th 1736, exactly 36 years before his death, the 20 year old Peter marries the 21 year old Sophia Ploum (1715 - May 28th 1796, Ubach). They supposedly lived somewhere else for a few years and then go live in Ubach again. They have at least five children: Godfried Pauwels (? - c. 1772), Maria Elisabeth Pauwels (1745 - 1808), Johannes Josephus Paulsen (1749 - ?), Johannes Wilhelmus Paulsen (1756 - ?) and Maria Theresia Pauels (1760 - ?). Godfried Pauwels also ended up as a convicted Bokkenrijder, later as his father, but of his trial nothing has been kept around. Another source doesn't mention Godfried as child of Peter Pauwels, but there is a Maria Gertrudis mentioned.
Maria Theresia Pauels marries later on with Joannes Reinarts, possibly family of the convicted Bokkenrijder Gabriël Reinarts.
Trial
Afterwards, so after a couple of decennia, Peter Pauwels is spoken about as accomplice of the gang from the fourties, but during those trials he was never persecuted. Even though that is the case, his name does get mentioned during the third persecution period, in the summer of 1771, in a declaration by Peter Müller; he gave a voluntary declaration between July 10th until 13th, where he blamed countless people. Later other people also named Peter as accomplice; he even gets accused to be one of the leaders. He is arrested and imprisoned in Burg Rode in Herzogenrath. On August 1st, 2nd and 3rd he's interrogated under torture and eventually driven to confession. On August 8th the recollection follows, and later a death sentence. On October 15th 1771 Peter Pauwels dies on the gallows, located on the Beckenberg (Becken hill) in Herzogenrath, together with eight others: Joseph Keyser, Joseph Ploum, Willem Ploum, Jacob Otten, Gabriël Reinarts, Cornelis Dautsenberg, Adolf Steyns and Hendrik Steyns.
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