Nationality Swiss Ethnicity German | Occupation Minister Name John Hess | |
Born May 17, 1584 Wald, Zurich, Switzerland Died 1639 (age 55)
Othenbach Prison, Switzerland Cause of death Tuberculosis (then known as Consumption) Other names Hans Jacob Hess, Jakob Kuntz Hess | ||
John Jacob Hess (German: Hans Jacob Hess) (May 17, 1584 – 1639) was a Swiss-German Anabaptist minister and martyr.
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Early life
John Jacob Hess was born in Wald, Zurich, Switzerland on May 17, 1584 to Hans Heinrich Hess, a bailiff, (1534–1587) and Adelheid Kuntz (1546–1585). He had eight older full siblings: Margaretha, Christian, Matheus, Hans, Elsy, Margaretha, Heinrich, and Dorothea; five older half-siblings from his father's first two marriages: Adelheid, Barbara, Veronica, Catharina and Anna; and one younger half-brother, Hans, from his father's fourth marriage.
Marriage and children
He married Anna Egli (1584–1639) on April 27, 1606. They had 7 children: Anna (b: September 1607), Christian (b. February 15, 1609), Heinrich (b. January 28, 1615), Hans Egli (b. May 24, 1617), Samuel (b. August 28, 1621), Veronica (b. February 10, 1623), and Dorothea (b. October 7, 1627).
Imprisonment and death
In 1637, he was arrested for being Anabaptist, and locked in Othenbach Prison for 19 days. Later that year, he was again arrested, this time spending eight weeks in Othenbach Prison. In 1638, he was arrested for the third and final time, and thrown in Othenbach Prison for 83 weeks. While imprisoned, he was stripped and put in iron bonds for 16 weeks. He, along with his wife, who was imprisoned for 63 weeks, contracted tuberculosis (then known as consumption), and died. His property was seized and sold for 4,000 guilders (approximately $800,000 in modern US dollars). None of the money was restored to his descendants.