Martinus Nutius

Martinus Nutius Meranus (1515—1558) was born at Meer, near Hoogstraten, and sometimes went by the name Vermeere ("of Meer"). He became a burgher of Antwerp on 31 December 1544, having been a member of Antwerp's Guild of St Luke since 1540.[1] In 1541 his address was In Sint Jacob, naest die Gulden panne, op die pleijne van de Iseren waghe^{[needs translation]}. In 1543 he was buyten die Camerpoorte in den Gulden Eenhoren^{[needs translation]}, in 1544, at the sign of the Fox, and from 1546, in de twee Oeyvaerts (the two storks) on the Corte Camerstraet. His printer's mark became two storks, one carrying a fish or an eel to the other (a needle replaced the fish or eel from 1552). His motto was Pietas homini tutissima virtus (Piety is the most secure virtue for men).[1]

Nutius's output as a printer included an unusual number of works in Spanish. He was married to Marie Borrewater, who ran the family business as "Widow of Martinus Nutius" from 1558 to 1564, when their son Philippus Nutius took over the shop.[1]

Martinus Nutius II (1553—1608) was the younger son of Martin Nutius and Marie Borrewater, and younger brother to Philippus Nutius. He became associated with his brother in the family business from 1579, and took it over completely after his brother's death in 1586. He joined the Guild of St Luke in 1587.[2] On 23 April 1589 he married Anna Templaers. Their children were Martin (born 1594), Philippus (born 1597),[3] Maria (born 1601), Michel (born 1603), and Jean-Baptiste (born 1606).[2]

The younger Nutius was the printer of Jerome Nadal's Evangelicae Historiae Imagines (1593), a project in which Christopher Plantin, who died in 1589, had originally been involved. He died on 18 March 1608. The business was carried on under the name "Heirs of Martin Nutius", but as his oldest child was still only 14 at the time of his death, others must also have been involved. From 1614 to 1618 the imprint was "Heirs of Martin Nutius with Jean Meursius", returning to "Heirs of Martin Nutius" from 1618 to 1623.[2]

Martinus Nutius III (1594—1638) was the oldest son of Martinus Nutius II. He was received as a master in the Guild of St Luke in 1613 but continued to work under the imprint "Heirs of Martin Nutius" until 1623. On 24 November 1618 he married Catherine Galle, daughter of Theodore Galle and Catherine Moerentorf (daughter of Jan Moretus and granddaughter of Christopher Plantin). Later, on 29 April 1635, he married Catherine Galle, daughter of Michel Galle.[7]

Nutius was the printer of the first nine volumes of Cornelius a Lapide's biblical commentaries. The tenth volume was printed by his heirs in 1639, and the final, eleventh volume by Joannes Meursius in 1643.[7]

On 15 November 1638, Balthasar Moretus wrote to the bookseller Balthazar Bellerus, in Douai, asking him to take Nutius's oldest son, Martin, as an apprentice. Bellerus declined on 23 November, predicting that there would be no future for the boy in the book trade.[7]