Document: Lease of a farm on Manhattan Island to Egbert Woutersen

Before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland, appeared [blank], of the first part, and Egbert Woutersen of the second part, who in the presence of the undersigned witnesses acknowledged that they had agreed and contracted together in the manner hereinafter written:

[ ] leases to the aforesaid Egbert Woutersen, who also acknowledges that he has hired, [ ] farm, situated on the island of Manhatans, for the term of five consecutive years, which lease commenced last Amsterdam fair and terminated at Amsterdam fair anno 1651. [ ] now delivers with said farm one stallion about five years old, one mare five years old and three milch cows, the receipt of which animals he, Egbert Woutersen, acknowledges, provided that the risk of death shall be in common. And if it should happen, which God forbid, that one or more of the above mentioned animals came to die, the lessee must first of all make the stock complete out of the increase and at the expiration of the said five years the remainder of the increase shall be equally divided and apportioned. The lessee has also on said farm an ox about three years old, a bull of two years and two heifers of this year 1646, which belong in common to the lessee and the lessor and shall remain there until further agreement. For which farm the aforesaid Egbert Woutersen promises to pay to the lessor annually as rent the sum of two hundred Carolus guilders and to draw wood six days each year and to deliver annually twenty pounds of butter for each cow. It is also stipulated, if one of the cows remain barren next summer, that the lessee shall not pay any butter as rent for her that summer, but in such case shall remain bound to pay only the above mentioned rent for the two cows. It is likewise agreed, if the lessor and the lessee think it necessary that a new roof be put or laid on the house, that the lessee and the lessor shall each have to bear one-half of the expense, and that parties shall give each other a half-year’s notice before the expiration of the lease. In witness and token of the truth this is signed by parties the first of December anno 1646, in New Amsterdam.

Egbert Woutersen