Document: Petition of councillor Tonneman for some allowance as sheriff and secretary of the district of Breuckelen

Copy.

To the honorable lord director general and honorable councilors of N: Netherland[i]

The assistant and fellow member of your honors’ honorable council, also in his capacity of schout and secretary of the villages of Breuckelen, Midwout, and Amesfoort, shows that [ he has served in ] the aforesaid capacities, namely in the position in the council for 18 months, and both as schout and secretary for 29 months. But he still is not entered into the books by commissary C: van Bruggen, who troubles him about how to enter him, petitioner, and now also disputes his, petitioner’s, ƒ2[ 00 ] annual contract for his service in the council, which your honors granted him, petitioner, according to the enclosed deeds and commission drawn from the resolutions of director general and councilors, [ and to which ] he would not be entitled. He raises objections against entering his, petitioner’s, name into the books before your honor’s order and consent [ and ] [ whereas your petitioner has without doubt performed the duties of the several beforementioned offices without reproach—at least he cannot believe that just complaints ] can be [ made against him or submitted to your honors— and whereas even if ] somebody else [had charge of the schout’s office, the yearly] salary of ƒ200 would have to be [ paid, your ] petitioner and fellow [ member of your honorable board thinks, ] under correction, [ that he is ] justly [ entitled to it and ] therefore requests explanation concerning his salary as member of the council and as schout and secretary and that thereupon his name may be properly entered into the books.

Honorable lords, your honors will not be unaware of what it means to be embraced and burdened by a wife and five children while everything here is costly and expensive, especially for those who properly try to support themselves in an honest way according to their qualification. But the petitioner has no other intention and request than to ask for what is honestly due to him according to the offices with which he was favored and for which he is qualified, and [ what ] your honors, according to your honors’ very wise discretion, shall find appropriate. Awaiting hereupon your honors’ just disposition and favorable recommendation, doing this, etc. (lower stood) Your honors’ obedient and humble servant (and was signed) Pieter Tonneman (in the margin dated) Amsterdam in N: Netherland, 8 July 1658.