Hendrik Willem Christiaan Spruit was born in December of 1851 in a small hamlet village, located in the province of Utrecht, named Barwoutswaarder. He was the oldest of 12 children. At the time of his birth there were probably around 400 people living in the village.
Hendrik married Anna Maria Blom in 1877. They resided in Haarlem where Hendrik worked as an Administrator in a Military Hospital. Together they had 3 children.
In 1906 Hendrik was awarded a Knighthood of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a Dutch order of chivalry that has six degrees of chivalry. An appointment to the order is granted for special merits towards society. In addition, awards also play a role in diplomatic relations with other countries. For example, it concerns social and cultural volunteer work. This does not only concern administrators, but also people who keep associations running and make organizations accessible to society through their efforts. Military personnel receive the Order of Orange-Nassau "with the Swords", which means that instead of a gold or silver laurel wreath, they wear a pair of crossed swords in the arms of the cross. The laurel wreath was also replaced by swords on the earlier medals of honor.
If you are wanting to know more about this order, you can go here.
At this writing it is unknown what Hendrik had done to be awarded this honor, but given his position as administrator in a military hospital I surmise it might have had something to do with his work in the hospital. I have ordered some documents about this award. It may take some time to get them, but I'm hoping these documents will contain some valuable information about the purpose of his receipt of this award.
Hendrik passed away at the age of 61 in 1913 while living in Hilversum.
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