Document: Letter from the burgomasters and schepens to director and council

The honorable and highly esteemed Director-General and High Council of New Netherland.

Honorable gentlemen: Whereas a matrimonial suit has been instituted before us, mayors and schepens of the city of New Amsterdam, between Pieter Cock, plaintiff, and Anna van Vorst, defendant; therefore, we have thought it proper to send the same papers, under cover, to your honors, in order to obtain your honors' decision thereon. Done at the session of the mayors and schepens of the aforesaid city of New Amsterdam, 19 February 1654, in New Netherland; be­ low was written: By order of the aforesaid mayors and schepens; and was signed Jacob Kip, secretary.[1]

The director-general and high council, after seeing and reading the above, make the following recommendation: Whereas the suit is completed, the sentence must follow. If either of the parties should find themselves injured by the decision of the mayors and schepens, they can address an appeal to the high council. 30 April 1654, New Netherland.

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 5.