Document: Contract of sale from Jan de Jongh and Jan Hendricksen van Gunst of 25 acres of land on the west side of the village of Midwout, L. I.

Before me, Cornelis van Ruyven, appointed secretary in New Netherland in the service of the General Chartered West India Company, and before the undersigned witnesses appeared Mr. Jan de Jongh of the first part and Jan Hendricksen van Gunst of the second part. The above named Jan de Jongh acknowledged that he had sold and he, Jan Hendricksen, that he had bought a certain lot or share of land belonging to the vendor, containing twenty-five morgens, situated on the westerly side in the village of Midwout on Long Island, adjoining on the south side Butger Jansen, on the north side Aert [ Tonissen ],[1] on the east side the highway and on the west side the hills and the North river, together with what is standing thereon and also all the building timber that at present lies cut on the aforesaid land and in addition as much meadow and pasture land with it as is allotted or shall still be assigned to the aforesaid lot along with the other neighbors; all with such right and title as the vendor has acquired with the aforesaid share of land by virtue of the purchase from Jan Rutgerssz, according to the contract of sale thereof dated [ ] [2] 1655, executed before Secretary Cornelis van Ruyven and certain witnesses, the aforesaid parcel of land and what is standing thereon and what is above mentioned being sold and promised to be delivered to the buyer free and unincumbered, save the lord's right. For the purchase of the aforesaid parcel of land and what is above mentioned the buyer promises to pay to the vendor or his agent in good current money the sum of eight hundred Carolus guilders at 20 stivers the guilder, in the following instalments, to wit: on the date hereof the sum of two hundred guilders; the first of May anno 1656, three hundred guilders and the first of May anno 1657 the remaining three hundred guilders. It is further stipulated and agreed that the aforesaid parcel of land and what is standing thereon shall remain especially mortgaged, and is hereby offered as security by the buyer, to the aforesaid Mr. Jan de Jongh or his assigns until the said three instalments, to the amount of eight hundred guilders, shall have been paid, when the groundbrief shall be delivered by the vendor to the purchaser- For all that is hereinbefore written the respective parties bind their persons and properties, present and future, submitting the same to the control of all courts, judges and justices Thus done without guile or deceit, in the presence of Elbert Eldersen and Pieter Ebel, as witnesses hereto invited, in Amsterdam in New Netherland, the 22d of May anno 1655.

Jan Hendricks
Jan Jansz de Jongh
Elbert Eidertsen
Pieter Ebel
Cornelis van Ruyven