author
Petrus Hendrix
1723–1795
An 18th-century Dutch priest and beekeeper, he turned close observation into a practical guide to life around the hive. His surviving work offers a vivid glimpse of rural beekeeping along the Maas, Peel, and Niers.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Meerlo on August 13, 1723, Petrus Hendrix was a Catholic clergyman in Limburg. A biographical notice records that he served as chaplain in Blitterswijck from 1747 to 1751, spent part of that time caring for a vacant parish, and from August 18, 1751 remained chaplain in Lottum until his death.
He was also known as a devoted beekeeper. Hendrix wrote Het Geldersch Byenboek, a practical beekeeping work rooted in local experience and observation in the region around the Maas, Peel, and Niers. That blend of pastoral life and hands-on knowledge gives his writing much of its charm.
Sources found during this search agree on his importance as the author of Het Geldersch Byenboek, though there was some conflict about his exact death date and place. A reliable Dutch biographical entry says he died in Lottum on March 5, 1795, while other records point to 1795 more generally.