Document: Sentence of John Tilton for harboring some of "the abominable sect of Quakers"

[ 10th of January 1658. Present in council their honors, the director general Petrus Stuyvesant, and the councilors Nicasius de Sille and Pieter Tonneman. ] Received [ and read the charge of the fiscal against ] Jan Tilton for lodging and accommodating a banished female Quaker and the [ written answer of ] Jan Tilton, which [ having been read ] the following sentence was [ pronounced: ] [i]

Whereas Jan Tilton, residing at Gravesand on Long Island, presently a prisoner, presumed to lodge and accommodate a female Quaker banished from the province of New Netherland, as well as some persons of her following devoted to the abominable sect of the Quakers, which is directly against the order and edicts of the director general and councilors of New Netherland, and [ deserves ] to be punished severely as an [ example ] to others. Yet, taking into consideration the request of the imprisoned Tilton, [ wherein ] he shows and declares that the female Quaker and other neighbors came into his house during his absence, and [ further ] considering his previous behavior, the director general and councilors of N: Netherland, administering justice in the name of the honorable high and mighty lords States General of the United Netherlands, and the honorable lords directors of the Chartered West India Company, condemn the aforesaid Jan Tilton, as they hereby do, to a fine of twelve pounds Flemish together with the legal costs; one third of the fine to be for the fiscal, one third for the schout of Gravesande, and the remaining third as is appropriate. 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.