Schabaelje (Scabalie, Scabalje, Schabaellie), a Dutch Mennonite family found at Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the 17th and 18th centuries as members of the Waterlander (Toren) congregation and after the merger (1668) of this congregation with the Lamist church, of the united Lam en Toren congregation. Jan Philipsz Schabaelje, the renowned author of Lusthof des Gemoets and many other books, belonged to this family. Dirk (Philipsz) Scabalie (Jan's brother), b. at Zoutelande, Dutch province of Zeeland, about 1590, d. at Amsterdam after 1641, a member of the Waterlander congregation at Amsterdam, was a miller (also called Dirk Philipsz Molenaar), who had made much money by an invention for making white flour from buckwheat. This Dirk Scabalie was during his lifetime noted as a dramatic poet; his play Spel des Gheschils tot Athenen, a paraphrase of Acts 17, was played in the city theater of Amsterdam in 1617. He also published Aerdige comedie van Eigenbaet and Spel van des Heeren Wyngaert (Amsterdam, 1614), a tract on Romans 9 (Amsterdam, 1616) and Spel des Oproers tot Efesen (Amsterdam, 1641). With his brother Jan Philipsz Schabaelje he published a hymnal called Walchers Liedboeck (Vlissingen, 1611). His father Philips Scabalie seems to have been a rather liberal Mennonite, who for some time shared the radical views of Robbert Robbertsz.

Carel Scabalje was a deacon of the Waterlanders 1659-61, and of the Lam en Toren congregation 1683-88. Pieter Schabaelje was a public notary at Amsterdam 1695-ca. l735.

The Schabaelje family at Amsterdam died out in the early 18th century.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 437. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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