Document: Petition of Dirck Theunissen (the Norman) and his daughter to be admitted to bail

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To the lords director general and high councilors of New Netherland.

Dirck Teunissen Noorman and his step daughter,[i] the lords’ prisoners, make known with all due humility how it is that their imprisonment has now lasted for more than two months without the lord fiscal [ bringing ] any written or oral charge and indictment; since that time [ ] before your honors against their [ ] your honors’ humble [ ] that your honors be pleased to order the lord fiscal that if he intends to bring a case against them, to proceed with it; and in the meanwhile to release them from the prison, at least under judicial security, promise, and handshake to return to their confinement upon the pleasure of your honors; awaiting your honors’ kind decision and disposition, we shall remain (written below) Your highly esteemed honors’ humble subjects.

After due deliberation on the preceding petition it was decided as follows: The lord fiscal is ordered to place in the hands of the petitioners a copy of the charge and to proceed with the case according to the tenor of the law; in the meanwhile allow the petitioners relief from confinement. Dated as above.

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 Netherland. Council. Dutch colonial council minutes, 1638-1665. Series A1809. Volume 8.