Document: Petition of magistrates of Midwout as to the disposition to be made of the four church lots

Show with [ due humility and ] proper reverence how [the schepenen of the] court of Middewout have heretofore requested and shown several times how necessary and useful it would be for Midwout and for easing its general burdens, if the four church lots became property of the same village, upon which your honors at last were pleased to resolve that a more detailed written report was required, and a statement of the manner in which the requested church lots were to be administered.[i]

Therefore, the following shall serve your honors as a more detailed report, and in order to explain this more clearly, we think (under correction) that the most obvious means for the best of the community and the village of Midwoud will be as we explain in more detail in the following:

First, that 25 morgens with their appurtenances, located on the east side of the square[ii] and on the south side of the road, may be used for the repairs and maintenance of the church.

Second, that the other 25 morgens, also located on the east side of the marketplace, and on the north side of the road, with their appurtenances and privileges [ be used ] for the maintenance of a school, church service, etc. If this will be approved and granted by your honors, the necessary means thereto shall, if required, be reserved.

Third, concerning the remaining 50 morgens located on the west side, these should [ necessarily be added to the parsonage, but we cannot well decide which is the most requisite and best use for them. The further explanation of ] this point, [ quite lengthy, ] is substantially a request to be excused from contributing to the support of their minister until the tenth of their village is paid off. We wrote this here in a short form, because the deputies from Middewout immediately took along the petition and answer, and therefore we had no time to copy it entirely. (was signed) Jan Strijcker, Adrijaen Hegeman, Willem Jacobse van Boer[ um ] (lower stood) By order of the schepenen of the aforesaid court of Middewout (was signed) Pieter Tonneman, secretary in this matter.