View source for Loosjes, Petrus (1735-1813)

Petrus Loosjes, a son of [[Loosjes, Adriaan (1689-1767)|Adriaan Loosjes]] and Trijntje Louwe, half brother of [[Loosjes, Cornelis (1723-1792)|Cornelis Loosjes]], was born 20 November 1735 at West-Zaandam and died 12 January 1813 at Haarlem. Having been trained at the [[Amsterdam Mennonite Theological Seminary (Kweekschool)|Amsterdam Mennonite Lamist Seminary]] 1754-1759, he served as preacher in the congregations of Den Hoorn on the island of [[Texel (Noord-Holland, Netherlands)|Texel]] 1759-1762, [[Monnikendam (Noord-Holland, Netherlands)|Monnikendam]] 1762, and Haarlem 1762-1811 (congregation of the Klein Heiligland until 1784 and when this congregation merged with that of Peuzelaarssteeg, of the united congregation until he resigned in 1812). Together with his half brother Cornelis, also a preacher of Haarlem, he edited the <em>Vaderlandsche Letteroefeningen, </em>a literary periodical founded by his brother, of which after the death of the latter he was the only editor. He wrote a sequel to the well-known Dutch history of [[Wagenaar, Jan (1709-1773)|Jan Wagenaar]], <em>Vaderlandsche Historie, </em>to which he added 24 volumes, published anonymously 1786-1811.

Petrus Loosjes was married to Sijtje Oudt. Their son [[Loosjes, Adriaan (1761-1818)|Adriaan]] was a well-known bookseller and founder of the Loosjes publishing house. Their daughter Agatha (born 1766) was married to Francois Bohn, a Mennonite of Leiden, who founded at Haarlem a publishing company, which was still in existence in the mid-20th century.
= Bibliography =
<em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em> (1909): 101.

Molhuysen, P. C. and  P. J. Blok. <em>Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek.</em> Leiden, 1911-1937: VIII, 1072 f.

<em>Naamlijst der tegenwoordig in dienst zijnde predikanten der Mennoniten in de vereenigde Nederlanden.</em> (Amsterdam, 1815): 72 f.
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