Document: Petition of rev. Mr. Polhemus complaining of the non-payment of his salary

Tuesday, 17 April 1657 in Fort Amsterdam. Present at the session: The honorable lord director general Petrus Stuyvesant, the lords councilors Nicasius de Sille and Pieter Tonneman.

Copy.

To the honorable lord director general Petrus Stuyvesant and the honorable lords councilors of New Netherland.

Johannis Tho. Polheym, minister, shows with proper reverence, how he, petitioner, has hoped from time to time that his agreed upon and promised salary would be paid to him better than has happened until now but finds his hope almost frustrated, whereas your honor’s petitioner on the [several lines lost] has family [ ] to maintain, he has been forced to take on debt by one and the other against his wishes, of which he sees no chance to solve it, unless your honors offer him a helping hand; therefore, he turns reverently to your honors, requesting that your honors, out of consideration of the aforesaid, be pleased to give and pay so much to Sr. Oloff Stevensz on the account of the petitioner the sum of one hundred guilders, which doing etc. (written below) your esteemed honors’ servant (and signed) Johannis Th. Polheym.