Jean François Foppens

Johannes Franciscus Foppens
Native name Jean François Foppens
Born November 17, 1689
Brussels, Spanish Netherlands
Died July 16, 1761 (aged 71)
Mechelen, Austrian Netherlands
Resting place St. Rumbold's Cathedral
Occupation clergyman
Language Latin
Education Master of Arts, Licentiate of Theology
Alma mater Leuven University
Genre ecclesiastical history, literary biography and bibliography
Subjects Belgian bishoprics
Belgian authors
Notable works Bibliotheca belgica, sive virorum in Belgio vita scriptisque illustrium catalogus (2 vols., Brussels, 1739)

Jean François Foppens, sometimes Latinized Johannes Franciscus Foppens (1689–1761), was a Belgian ecclesiastical historian, and literary biographer and bibliographer. He is best known for his Bibliotheca belgica, sive virorum in Belgio vita scriptisque illustrium catalogus (2 vols., Brussels, 1739), a catalogue of Belgian authors and their works.[1]

Life

Foppens was born in Brussels on 17 November 1689, the son of a family of printers. He was sent to Leuven University in 1704 and graduated Master of Arts in 1706, at the age of 17. Around 1713 he began lecturing on Philosophy at the university while studying Theology. In 1715 he graduated Licentiate of Theology and began a clerical career, holding a canonry of the church of St Martin in Aalst, then St. Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges, and finally St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen. He died in Mechelen on 16 July 1761 and was buried in the cathedral.

Works

References

  1. H. Helbig, "Foppens (Jean-François)", Biographie Nationale de Belgique, vol. 7 (Brussels, 1883), 193–195.