Document: Interrogatories on which Harmen Smeeman is examined on a charge of plucking the goose

Holding Institution

New York State Archives

Document ID

NYSA_A1809-78_V05_0217

Description

Interrogatories. On which Harmen Smeeman is examined on a charge of plucking the goose.

Document Date

1654-02-25

Document Date (Date Type)

1654-02-25

Document Type

Interrogatories

Minutes

Document Type Unlinked

Interrogatories

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Translation

1.How old is he and where was he born?Answer: About 30 years old; from Iserloo.2. Whether on Sunday morning, being the 8th of February, he was not forbidden by order of the director-general and council, through the court-messenger, to pull the goose?[1] Answer: Yes.3.Whether, contrary to [ ] , he did not pull the goose?Answer: Yes.4.Whether he was not summoned because of this by the court-messenger to appear before the director-general and council, and whether he did not reply to the court-messenger that if the fiscal has anything to say he can summon me and the others before the mayors and schepens?Answer: Yes.

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.

Translation Superscripts

[1]: Pulling the goose, which was a custom practiced at Shrovetide, consisted of greasing the neck of a goose which was suspended by a rope between two poles. Horsemen then attempted to seize the goose while riding past at full gallop. The rider who succeeded in carrying off the goose was declared king of the festival. See Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674, compiled and translated by E. B. O’Callaghan, Albany, 1868, 333 for a note on festivals.

References

From the collections of the New York State Archives, Albany, New York. https://www.archives.nysed.gov/

Translation link see: http://iarchives.nysed.gov/xtf/view?docId=tei/A1809/NYSA_A1809-78_V05_0217.xml

Published bound volume is also available: Translation: Scott, K., & Stryker-Rodda, K. (Ed.). New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 4, Council Minutes, 1638-1649 (A. Van Laer, Trans.). Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1974.

Copyright to the published bound volume is held by the Holland Society of New York.
A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.