Document: Dutch colonial council minutes, 25 November 1638

Holding Institution

Document ID

NYSA_A1809-78_V04_p025

Description

Court proceedings. Cornelis Lambertsen Cool vs. Jan Celes, for damages sustained by defendant's hogs; parties ordered to arrange the matter and to take care, each of his own hogs. Fiscal vs. Nicolas Coorn, on a charge of theft; defendant suspended from his office for eight days. Same vs. Hans Skipper, Jochem Beeckman and Jacob Swart, soldiers, on a charge of theft; case continued. [1638];Proclamation calling on all persons who have any public property to return the same within eight days on pain of being prosecuted for theft; also, offering a reward for the discovery of such persons as plunder the gardens and rob the hen roosts of private individuals, and forbidding all those in the company's service to leave the island of Manhattans without permission. [1638]

Document Date

1638-11-25

Document Date (Date Type)

1638-11-25

Document Type

Minutes

Court

Document Type Unlinked

Minutes

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Translation

On Thursday, being the 25th of November anno 1638

Cornelis Lambertsen Cool, plaintiff, vs. Jan Celes, defendant. The plaintiff demands reparation of the damage which the defendant's hogs have caused the plaintiff. Parties are ordered to settle with each other and each to keep his hogs penned in.

Ulrich Lupoldt, plaintiff, vs. Nicolaes Coorn, defendant. Whereas the defendant is accused by the soldiers of theft, as appears by their testimony and the deposition of van Curler, the plaintiff demands that the said Coorn be punished according to the merits of the case. The defendant is suspended from his office for the period of eight days.

Ulrich Lupoldt, plaintiff, vs. Hans Schipper, Jochem Seeckman and Jacob Swardt, defendants. Whereas the defendants are accused of theft by their sergeant Coorn and partly admit their theft, the plaintiff demands that they be punished as an example to other soldiers. Case adjourned to the next court day so that parties may bring further evidence in the matter.

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Ordinance for the recovery of public property, protection of private garden and henroosts and prohibiting persons In the public service to quit the island of Manhattan without permission[1]

'Whereas the honorable director and council of New Netherland observe that there are persons here who seek to enrich themselves with the Company's goods and effects, taking possession of the same as if they were their own property, and whereas such tends to the prejudice of the aforesaid Company; Therefore, all persons who at present have any property in their hands belonging to the Company, be it large or small, are warned to return the same within the space of eight days unless they have purchased it from the former honorable directors, without proof of which no excuse shall be accepted; and if hereafter it be found that any one is in possession of property belonging to the Company, he shall suffer the punishment usually administered to thieves and unfaithful servants who steal their masters' property.

Translation Superscripts

[1]: Revised from Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, pp. 17-18.

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_V04_p025.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.