Document: Dutch colonial council minutes, 7 April 1639

Holding Institution

Document ID

NYSA_A1809-78_V04_p038

Description

Court proceedings. Fiscal vs. corporal Hans Steen, for fornication; guilty; sentence, three hours' ride on the Wooden horse, and to be reduced for 14 days to the ranks. Fiscal vs. Anthony Jansen from Salee, on a charge that he and his wife are public disturbers, and requesting that they be banished from the country. Jan Cornelissen and Wybrant Pietersen vs. The same, slander. Gerreken Hessels vs. The same, to recover a kid due for labor; judgment for plaintiff. [1639]

Document Date

1639-04-07

Document Date (Date Type)

1639-04-07

Document Type

Minutes

Court

Document Type Unlinked

Minutes

Full Resolution Image

Download, 100MB+ (Right-Click)

Translation

On Thursday, being the 7th of April anno 1639

Remmer Jansen from Jeverden,[1] aged 20 years, says that an Indian woman came to the guardhouse and that Hans Steen desired her to lie down on the bunk beside him, which took place; also that Hans Steen ordered the soldiers to put out the fire, which soldiers put out the fire, and that the aforesaid Indian woman left the guardhouse in the morning.

Declaration of Jochem Beeckman from Statyn,[2] aged about 24 years. Hans Steen, seeing an Indian woman, called to her to come to the guardhouse. When there, said Hans Steen asked her to lie down beside him on the bunk, which the woman did. He also forbade the soldiers to make a fire.

Declaration of Jan Andrlesen from Basenborch,[3] aged 23 years, soldier. Declares that another did guard duty for him and that he was not present.

Declaration of Gregoris [ blank ], aged 22 years, that he saw on the ship De Liefde that there was some powder left, but that Hans Steen stowed it away and that on shore he never saw the aforesaid powder again, which belonged to the Company.

All that is hereinbefore written having been duly considered and seeing that this is a matter of consequence which tends to demoralize the soldiers and might occasion disorder in the guardhouse , we have therefore condemned Hans Steen aforesaid to ride the wooden horse for three hours and to do guard duty as a private soldier for 14 days.

The fiscal, plaintiff, vs. Anthony Jansen from Salee, defendant. Plaintiff demands that the defendant prove that he, the plaintiff, drew his sword in his house; also that the honorable director and council be pleased to banish the defendant from the jurisdiction of New Netherland in as much as the good inhabitants daily experience much trouble from him and his wife, as appears by the depositions and also by the former resolution book kept during the administration of the late Mr. van Twiller, which testifies to their conduct here; all of which the plaintiff requests may be duly considered.

Translation Superscripts

[1]: Jever, Oldenburg, Germany.
[2]: Stettin, Germany.
[3]: Probably intended for Batenborch, or Batenburg, province of Gelderland.

References

From the collections of the New York State Archives, Albany, New York. https://www.archives.nysed.gov/

Translation link see: http://iarchives.nysed.gov/xtf/view?docId=tei/A1809/NYSA_A1809-78_V04_p038.xml

Published bound volume is also available: Translation: Scott, K., & Stryker-Rodda, K. (Ed.). New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 4, Council Minutes, 1638-1649 (A. Van Laer, Trans.). Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1974.

Copyright to the published bound volume is held by the Holland Society of New York.
A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.