Document: Complaint of the fiscal against Elbert Elbertsen and others refusing to pay the tenths

Whereas the honorable lords directors of the Chartered West India Company have found that some land-greedy people have not neglected to buy land from the wilden and as a result claim actual and real possession and ownership without registration thereof according to ordinances, by which unregistered sales the director general and councilors are frustrated in their feudal rights, as otherwise, for which reason the director and councilors of New Netherland noticing the contempt for their ordinances and the harmful consequences coming from not requesting proper patents from the director and councilors. It was for this reason that the director general and councilors renewed the ordinance concerning this matter on July 1, 1652, and then again for the last time on August 2, 1654,[i] expressly forbidding that no one buy any land directly or indirectly from the wilden, or assume, possess, or sell without the consent and approval of the Company or their deputies here, or those having purchased with consent shall make known the same in order to request a patent thereon. However, in order to not dispossess actual owners, or to disrupt them in their work, it was then published how those who still had no patents, report [ ] and conveyance [ ] secretary of this [ ] and sealed [ ] on forfeiture of his land and the right of possession thereto.

And whereas now, after many directives from the honorable lords directors, the director general and councilors are ordered to collect the tenths which many have owed for several years, and it is due time to collect the same. Also, as no one has voiced any opposition to the commissioners sent over there except for Elbert Elbertsz, Joris Jacobsz, and Hendrick Pietersz, inhabitants of Amesfoort, behaving as if they alone had the supreme authority, and in addition, showed themselves in their speech to be seditious and rebellious people and disturbers of the peace of this province, opposing the orders and commands of their high authorities, and shouting out in a loud voice before the good inhabitants that the director and councilors should come themselves to fetch the tenths, but that in spite of us, for we are not bound or obliged to pay tenths, and many other scandalous blasphemies [ directed ] untimely to the ears of the director and councilors as commissioners.

Thereupon the fiscal, as preserver of justice, concludes for the maintenance of justice, placards, and ordinances that [ the farms of ] the aforesaid Elbert Elbertsz, Joris Jacobsz, and Hendrick Pietersz [ adhere thereto ] and the growth thereon according to the placards.