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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2007-11 > 1195427162


From: Bonnie Schrack <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Berbers and Mennonites
Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:06:02 -0500
References: <200711180519.lAI5JdMS020722@phoenix.cs.uoguelph.ca><003001c829e8$43988680$9500a8c0@Penner5>
In-Reply-To: <003001c829e8$43988680$9500a8c0@Penner5>


Aha! Thanks, Glen, for this very informative email. I didn't see it in
the list archive when I composed my last email.

> I should point out that the connection between Bender and Penner is
> pure speculation and is based on the fact that a number of early (in
> the 1600s) Penders also signed their names, or were referred to, as
> Penner. By the 1700s Pender was essentially replaced by Penner. The
> connection to Pennert is based on the fact that several church
> registers use the name Pennert and Penner for the same person in
> different parts of the register. There is a Bender DNA project (
> http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/b/bender/results.html ) which
> has results for a Bender and a Bendert. These are nowhere near those
> for the Penners found at www.mennonitedna.com
> <http://www.mennonitedna.com>; .

Sounds like the Penners and Benders are unlikely to be related, but it
may require the testing of a lot of lineages to sort out the
relationship of the Penners with the Pennerts and Penders.

> With respect to the Spanish/Dutch connection one should realize that
> the Spanish occupied the Netherlands for many years and did so right
> at the time that the Anabaptist/Mennonite movement began.

Ah, that timing element is crucial, thanks for shedding light on that.

> This means that there were already thousands of Spaniards in the
> Netherlands in the early 1500s. It also means that the persecution of
> the Mennonites was organized by the Spanish whose king had a personal
> interest in eliminating heretics from any Spanish occupied territory.

Aha! So it may have been the Spanish Inquisition rather than the Dutch
who were responsible for the burning at the stake of Lysken Pennaerts, no?

So you think it's quite possible that someone from Spain, who perhaps
was already not a Catholic by conviction, may have come to the
Netherlands and became a Mennonite there? It would be great to find
some history book with relevant details on that time and place.

Bonnie

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