Document: Instruction to commissioners of the tenths to notify the farmers on Long Island to commute or leave the tenths on the field

Instructions and commission for the deputies Peter Tonneman and Gysbert Opdijck[i]

Whereas the director general and councilors of New Netherland, pursuant to an order of the lords directors, have notified the farmers by their resolution and published orders, not to presume to remove the crops from the fields before first having given notice to the director general and councilors or their deputies, in order to count off the tenths, as it is done in the fatherland, but to leave it in the field for the common interest; it being well understood that this applies to all, who by their patents and title deeds have become subject to tithing or that they first civilly agree for the first year about the tenths with the director general and councilors or their delegates, for which Peter Tonneman, schout of the villages of Breuckelen, Amesfoort and Midwout and with him Gysbert Op Dijck are hereby appointed and authorized, and in pursuance of our published order and resolution, they are directed to inform and notify again the farmers and planters in the countryside in the villages of Breuckelen, Amesfoort, Gravesande, Heemsteede, Vlissinge and their dependencies and to give them the choice, in the name of the director general and councilors, either to make an agreement regarding the tithes for this year or to leave the crops mowed, bound in sheaves, and cocked up in the fields, until the said commissioners shall have recorded the tenths under the penalty fixed for it in case of opposition, which the director general and councilors hope shall [ not ] take place. The said commissioners are directed to make a note of the names of all who may oppose, and make a note, or cause a note to be made, of what they say or at least the substance thereof, so that upon their return they may make a proper report and inform us, meanwhile seriously warning all who refuse, against further loss, that they may in no way have an excuse of ignorance. Of those who declare not yet to be subject to the tithing or who have lost their crops by fire or theft, they shall take only the names without making any further arrangements with them; it is also left to their discretion to make fair settlements with, or still release for this year, all those whom they or the magistrates of the villages deem to be poor and unable, without conniving with others on any exception for delay, whatever that might be. Thus done and given in our session held in Fort Amsterdam, dated the 6th of July 1656. (was signed:) P. Stuyvesant, Nicasius de Sille, La Montagne.