Document: Dutch colonial council minutes, 11 September 1642

On the 11th of September

Whereupon Elsjen Jans in court has returned the pledge of troth, being a handkerchief.

Engel Jans acknowledges in court that she contracted with Melyn at Amsterdam to go with him to New Netherland, upon promise that Melyn would give her so much land on Staten Island as she would need for a garden or farm on which to support herself and her children, In return for which Engel Jans promised to serve him, Melyn, according to the best of her ability.

Tomas Hal binds himself as ball for Pieter Barnevelt and takes him into his custody, promising if necessary to deliver him again into our hands and meanwhile to prevent him from committing any mischief or rascality.

Eduwart Oyens from Wales, aged 21 years, declares that Jan Brent, the cooper, went out without letting him, the deponent, know where he went, leaving in his house the deponent, Isaac Abrahamsen and Eduwart, the carpenter, his wife and the boy. When the cooper went out he desired Eduwart Oyens to take his wife to Brundil's house, as he intended to go out working for some time without saying where.

Between 11 and 12 o'clock he left the house with the wife end they came about half past one in the evening at Brundil's. They took with them a box, a bushel of flour, as many cooper's tools as a man could reasonably carry under his arm, and butter and cheese. Owing to contrary current they were held up at Varken Eylant,[1] which is the reason they were so long on the way, where they heard from Brundil and Jan Smit that all the goods were gone. Brudnil asked what had become of the husband. They answered that he was working for a farmer.

It is ordered that Ritchert, that is to say, Eduwart Oyens shall be put under arrest until further information is received regarding the cooper.