The Hondius Family

Jodocus Hondius the Elder (1563-1612)

Joost d’Hondt was born at Wakken (Flanders) in 1563. Two years later, his family settled down in Ghent, where young Joost displayed a great gift for drawing and calligraphy. By study and lessons, he developed his talents and became an engraver with a good reputation.

Due to the circumstances of war, he moved in 1584 to London where he settled down as an engraver, instrument-maker and map-maker. In 1587, he married Coletta van den Keere, sister of the well-known engraver, Pieter van den Keere (Petrus Kaerius); some years earlier his sister, Jacomina, had married Pieter van den Berghe (Petrus Montanus). Joost, who had latinized his name to Jodocus Hondius, closely co-operated with his two brothers-in-law.

The political situation in the Northern Netherlands in 1593 was such that Jodocus seemed to be justified in establishing himself in Amsterdam, where so many Antwerp printers, publishers, and engravers had gone. In this new centre of cartography, Jodocus Hondius set up his business “In de Wackere Hondt” (in the vigilant dog), this name being an allusion to his birthplace and name. Here he engraved many maps and published atlases and many other works such as his continuation of Gerard Mercator’s Atlas.

He suddenly passed away in February 1612. The publishing firm of Jodocus Hondius was continued by his widow; later on by his two sons Jodocus Jr., and Henricus, and by his son-in-law, J. Janssonius.

Jodocus Hondius II (1594-1629) & Henricus Hondius (1597-1651)

After the father’s death, the widow with her seven children continued publishing the atlases under the name of Jodocus Hondius till 1620. The firm was reinforced by the very welcome help of Joannes Janssonius (1588-1664), who married 24-year-old Elisabeth Hondius in 1612. After 1619 Mercator’s Atlas was published under the name of Henricus Hondius.

One of the most dramatic events in the early history of commercial cartography in Amsterdam was the sale of Jodocus Hondius Jr.’s copper-plates to Willem Jansz. Blaeu in 1629, the year of his death. At least 34 plates, from which Jodocus II had printed single-sheet maps for his own benefit, passed into the hands of his great competitor. Immediately after that, his brother, Henricus, and Joannes Janssonius ordered the engraving of identical plates.

During a long period, Henricus devoted all his energy to the publication of the Atlas. He saw its growth up to, and including, the fourth part in 1646; after that, his name does not figure any more on the title-pages. After 1638, the title of the Atlas was changed to Atlas Novus; it was mainly carried on by Joannes Janssonius.

The competition with the Blaeus dates from 1630. In 1630, Willem Janszoon (=Blaeu) made the first attack with his Atlantis Appendix. In 1635, Blaeu completed his Theatrum orbis terrarum in two volumes with texts in French, Latin, Dutch, and German, which prompted Henricus Hondius to speed up the enlargement of his Atlas.

Antonius Sanderus (Antwerpen, 1586 – Affligem, 1664)

Antoon Sanders (in Latin Antonius Sanderus) came from a distinguished Ghent family who briefly stayed in Antwerp after temporarily fleeing the Ghent Republic.
Antonius Sanderus, a man of exceptional intellectual prowess, embarked on his Latin studies in the renowned Jesuit college of Oudenaarde, further honing his knowledge in Ghent. His thirst for knowledge led him to pursue philosophy at the Jesuit College of Douai, where he earned a Master's Artium in 1609, a testament to his scholarly dedication.
In 1611, Sanderus was ordained a priest in Ghent and assumed the role of a pastor in a few hamlets near Eeklo. However, despite the relative calm of the Twelve Years' Truce, the region was not without its tensions. Sanderus found himself in a precarious position due to his controversial writings, which included critiques of Anabaptism in Flanders, sparking heated debates and raising eyebrows among his peers.
In 1615, he became Baccalaureus in theology at the University of Leuven, and in 1619, he returned to Douai, where he obtained a degree in theology at the University of Douai.
In 1621, he returned to Ghent, where he enjoyed the protection of Bishop Antonius Triest. In 1623, he was made chaplain and secretary to Cardinal Alfonso de la Cueva, the governor of Philip IV of Spain in the Southern Netherlands.
1625, he became a canon at St. Martins' Church in Ypres.

In the meantime, he conducted extensive research for a prestigious history work on the county of Flanders, the Flandria Illustrata. For these searches, he visited monasteries and castles to consult the archives, a testament to his dedication and thoroughness as a historian. However, this meticulous approach to research was not always appreciated by the other canons of Ypres, who felt he was neglecting his other duties.
That is why he resigned from his religious functions in 1654 and received the post of Censor Librorum in Brussels, a position of significant influence in the control and regulation of printed materials. In this role, he played a crucial part in shaping the intellectual and cultural life of the city.
In 1668, he offered his resignation as a canon of the chapter of Ypres. The reasons for this decision are not entirely clear, but it is believed that his increasing focus on his historical research and the offer of a more suitable environment for his work at the Affligem Abbey were contributing factors. Finally, he left the city to settle in the Affligem Abbey, where he was warmly received by the abbot Benedictus van Haeften.
He died there on January 16, 1664, and was buried in the abbey church.

Antonius Sanderus published historical works from 1610, but his magnum opus is the richly illustrated Flandria Illustrata, sive Descriptio Comitatus Istius per Totum Terrarum Orbis Terrarum. The publication was begun by Henricus Hondius, who had a publication contract with Sanderus as early as 1634. It was a landmark in studying Flanders' history, featuring numerous portraits, plans, views, and maps. In 1641, Hondius printed the first volume in Leiden as Theatrum Flandriae but immediately sold the rights to Joan Blaeu. They published two volumes of the work in 1641 and 1644, respectively, with a fake publisher's address in Cologne. The work's influence extended beyond its initial publication, with Blaeu using fifteen maps of the Flandria Illustrata for his Atlas Maior and most of the plans being used in the town book of the Royal Netherlands.
In 1659, he published a history of Brabant abbeys and monasteries: the Chorographia sacra Brabantiae.