Document: Petition of Johan de Deckere for payment of certain expenses incurred by him when commissary at Fort Orange

Copy.

To the honorable lords director general and councilors of N: Netherland

The undersigned, a member of your council, shows with due respect how during the time in his position of commies at Fort Orange he, at his costs and expense, maintained one of the Company’s Negroes who for some time, almost as a servant of the citizenry,[i] [ was ] held to look after its fires in the guardhouse and to poke those up, and who also was especially employed as a servant of the court, without ever obtaining any reimbursement for it (although at the time he asked the lord director general for it). And whereas it is not reasonable, and also contrary to the practice here, that servants of the commonalty or the court would be maintained at the expense of a private person, he, petitioner, turns to your honors, still requesting a reasonable recompense for the aforesaid. Which doing, etc.

(was signed) J: de Deckere

[several lines lost] [ ] given to the Negro [ ] mentioned [ in ] the enclosed request, the sum of ninety guilders. Dated as above.