Document: Ordinance for the sweeping of chimneys

Whereas daily experience teaches us that in consequence of the foul and unswept condition of the chimneys, they often catch fire and generally the houses also, yes, frequently the neighboring buildings, especially when they are covered with flammable materials, whereby great damage is done not only to houses and goods but—sad spectacle—to people also; therefore, the vice director and magistrates of this court, wishing as a matter of their official duty to prevent such accidents to the best of their ability, do hereby order all burghers and inhabitants of Fort Orange and the village of Beverwijck, and each one in particular, to keep the chimneys of the respective houses clean and free from danger of fire, on pain of forfeiture of one pound Flemish for every chimney which shall be found dirty and declared as such 15 days after the publication hereof.

Done in Fort Orange, the 24th of October 1656.

La Montagne
Rutger Jacobsz
Andries Herberts