Document: Petition concerning the estate of Cornelis van Werckhoven

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To the honorable directors of the West India Company chamber at Amsterdam.

With all due humility Pieter van Werckhoven, surviving son of the honorable Cornelis van Werckhoven, former schepen and member of the city council of Utrecht, and Daniel Gabrij in the stead of the honorable Comelis Jansz van Werkhoven, how it is that the same Cornelis van Werckhoven, after departing New Amsterdam in the year 1654 for patria, left there a certain Jaques Corteljauw, to whom, according to him, he entrusted and commended the management and administration of his farms and other effects, but under what provisions and conditions such was to be accomplished is unknown to the petitioners, because they have found no papers or documents which mention it. Therefore, they, petitioners, in their aforesaid capacity, have written the aforesaid Corteljauw several times for the purpose of having him send over to the petitioners pertinent abstract and inventory, together with authentic copies of the account and other items relating to the person of the aforesaid Werckhooven. Whereupon Corteljauw replied to both that he would first have to be paid everything which has accrued to him pursuant to writs, notarial actions, and advanced monies. The petitioners considered this very strange because they knew nothing about what or how much the aforesaid Corteljauw is claiming, much less the source thereof; nevertheless, should his debts be honest and reasonable, then he shall not be denied payment. But, whereas they cannot otherwise see and perceive that the aforesaid Corteljauw only seeks to make a claim to keep the goods in his hands and to frustrate the under-aged child thereof, and that such is not appropriate; therefore, they, petitioners, tum to your honors (as surrogate fathers and guardians of widows and orphans), humbly requesting that your honors be pleased to authorize the director residing in New Netherland to constrain the aforesaid Corteljauw to turn over the abstract and inventory, and to render appropriate accounts so that the underaged child may not be deprived or defrauded of his rights and remaining funds.

P. van Werckhoven
Daniel Gabrij Rights: This translation is provided for education and research purposes, courtesy of the  New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, Mutual Cultural Heritage Project. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user. For additional information see our Copyright and Use Statement Source:New York State Archives. New York (Colony). Council. Dutch colonial administrative correspondence, 1646-1664. Series A1810-78. Volume 12, document 83a, side 1.