trunk

trunk

Travel trunk or chest, cylindrical shape, wood covered in hide and leather, with metal nails, lock, and side bindings. Father Nerinckx used this chest when he traveled from his Belgian homeland to Baltimore, MD, in 1804. At the time Fr. Nerinckx left Belgium for America, he was not yet free from the danger of imprisonment. By not taking the oath of allegiance to the state, Fr. Nerinckx was still an outlaw in the eyes of the French government. Several attempts had been made to arrest Fr. Nerinckx on September 27 and again on September 30, 1797. He was a fugitive, wandering, seeking refuge where he could. On Easter Sunday, April 7, 1798, a decree was issued declaring Father a “fugitive” and liable to seizure and punishment at any time. He was 16th on the list of 31. Following the publication of this decree, Fr. Nerinckx went secretly to Dendermonde in the Diocese of Ghent in East Flanders and took refuge in the Hospital of St. Blaise where he had an aunt, a nun. On July 2, 1804, he left the hospital. On July 12, 1804, he arrived safe in Amsterdam. He boarded a ship, “a floating hell,” for Baltimore on August 14, 1804. On November 14, 1804, he arrived in Baltimore.

33" x 13" x 12"

Furnishings

0001