Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

plicadoe published by yo' Honner & yo' Councell we doe affirme we neuer saw any such plicadoes nor neuer knew them, but for yo' Honners perticuler writing an order Concerning ye Quakers we haue procicuted vnto o' powers: as for ye Artikels wch y ffiscaull is pleased toe caull o' Charter if any thing be in them, we neuer red them but are ignorant of them; but for or patten wch we call o' Charter we haue hard red, & we doe Conceiue it grants vs libertie of Consience: wthout molistacion either of Maiestrat or Minnester & if we are in ye darke therein we desier yo' Honner toe direct vs and wee shall euer subscrib ourselues yo' humble seruants Amsterdam, New Netherland Januarie ye 9th 1658.

Sheweth

marke

WILLIAM NOBLE

EDWARD FFARINGTON

To the Honoured gouernour & his

Councell the humble petition of William
Noble & Edward ffarington

That whereas your petitioners haveing Subscribed a wrighting offensiue to your honnors presented by Tobias Feakx we Acknowledge our offence for Acting soe inconsiderately & humbly Craue your pardon promiseing for the Time to Come that we shall offend noe more in that Line & your petitioners Shall euer pray for your health and happiness

Amsterdam,

January 10th 1658.

WILLIAM NOBLE
EDWARD FFARINGTON

The Fiscal having submitted to the Council and read the interrogatories, on which in presence of commissaries the Magistrates of Vlissingen, William Noble and Edward Farrington, were examined, it is found, that the said Magistrates have been misled by the Schout Tobias Feakx; that they deserve some punishment for having signed the remonstrance entered here on the first of January, but considering their verbal and the foregoing written acknowledgment of their error and promise to be more cautious hereafter, their fault is graciously forgiven and pardoned on condition of their paying the costs and mises of law. Date as above (10th of January.)

Before the Council appeared upon summons John Townsend, who being questioned, whether he had not gone, while at Vlissingen, with the Clerk Edward Hart to the house of Edward Farrington and had not persuaded Edward Farrington to sign the foregoing remonstrance, answered that he had been at Vlissingen and visited Farrington, being an old acquaintance, but had not persuaded him to sign anything.

Further questioned, whether he had been at Gravesend with the banished Quakeress, he answered he had been at Gravesend, but not in her company.

As there are other suspicious indications, that the said Townsend was friendly to the Quakers, he is given the choice either to go to prison, until the Fiscal shall have further informed himself on this point or to give bail for twelve pound sterling, that he will appear upon the Fiscal's summons; he promised to give bail, which he has done as the records prove. Date as above (10th January.)

15th of January 1658.

Henry Townsend, who on the 8th inst. had been summoned for reasons stated in the resolution of that day, appeared before the Council this day and the Fiscal Nicasius de Sille, as lawofficer, demanded by word of mouth, that, as the said Henry Townsend had before now and

again lately transgressed and disobeyed the placats of the Director-General and Council in lodging and keeping with the sect called Quakers, which he openly acknowledges, the said Henry Townsend for the stated reasons should be condemned to a fine of one hundred pounds Flemish, as an example for other transgressors and contumacious offenders of good order and the placats of the Director-General and Council in New Netherland.

Having heard the demand of the Fiscal and the confession of the said Henry Townsend, the Director-General and Council of New Netherland, administering the law in the name of their High: Might: the Lords States General of the United Netherlands and the Lords Directors of the Priv. W. I. Company condemn said Henry Townsend to a fine of 300 fl, to be applied as directed by law, he to remain in prison, until the fine has been paid with the costs and mises of law as an example to others.

Done in Council, the 15th of January 1658.

P. STUYVESANT.

LETTER FROM WM. LAWRENCE OF FLUSHING, L. I., TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL, IN REGARD TO HOLDING THE COURT AT FLUSHING AND COUNCIL MINUTE THEREON.

Honored Sir

Wearas diuers of our inhabittants having Cases depending in our Courtt att Vlissing and desiering Isheeuw in ther cases Edward Farrintton and William Nobell in regard of ther latte trubell are nott willing to proseed aney ferrder without your honeres forder order this is to request you would be pleased to maniffest your mind in this case to this bearrer William Nobell so that wee may ether proseed or forbeare so I shall remain Vlishinge Jenewarey

the 20th 1658.

22 January

Your humbell Saruantt

WILLIAM LAWRENCE.

The foregoing letter from the oldest Magistrate of the village of Vlissingen, William Lawrence, having been opened and read in Council, it is resolved, to answer by the bearer thereof, William Noble, that they should suspend their meetings as Magistrates, until the Director-General and Council have been in their village or sent their committee, to give the necessary orders; if meanwhile something extraordinary occurred, they should refer it to the Director and Council.

For the above stated reasons and on account of what the people of Hemstead report and request in their foregoing letter of the 28th of December, it is resolved that the Director-General and Council proceed in person in some safe and convenient manner to the neighboring English villages to give there some necessary orders.

LETTER FROM EDWARD HART TO THE DIRECTOR AND COUNCIL ASKING TO BE RELEASED AND HARDONED AND COUNCIL MINUTE THEREON.

Right Honnorable Governor and Counsell.

ffor asmuch as I haue written a writeing whereat you take offence my humble desire is that your Honnors woulde bee favorable and gracious vnto mee, for it was not written in disobedience

vnto any of your lawes, therefore my humble request is for your mercy, not your Judgement, and that you woulde bee pleased to consider my poore estate and Condition and release mee from my bonds and Imprisonment, and I shall indeavor hereafter to walke inoffensively vnto your Lordeshipps and shall ever remaine your humble servant to Command.

January 23 1658.

EDWARD HART.

In Council received and read the foregoing petition of the imprisoned Clerk of Vlissingen, Edward Hart, and having considered his verbal promises of better behavior and the mediation of some inhabitants of said village, also that he has always been an efficient officer and as an old resident is well acquainted with divers matters; further whereas the Schout Tobias Feakx has advised him to draw up the remonstrance recorded on the first of January and he is burdened with a large family,

The Director-General and Council forgive and pardon his error this time on condition of his paying the costs and mises of law. Date as above.

SENTENCE OF TOBIAS FEAKX, SCHOUT OF FLUSHING.

Whereas Tobias Feake, a resident of Vlissingen on Long Island now a prisoner, has confessed and acknowledged, that he received an order from the Honble Director-General, not to admit, lodge and entertain in the said village any one of the heretical and abominable sect called Quakers, but has nevertheless had the audacity, in contempt of the said order and formerly published and renewed placats, to be a leader and instigator in the conception of a seditious, mutinous and detestable letter of defiance (chartebel) signed by himself and his complices and by him retained and then delivered to the Director-General, wherein they justify and uphold the abominable sect of Quakers, who vilify both the political authorities and the Ministers of the Gospel and undermine the State and God's service, and absolutely demand, that all sects, especially the said abominable and heretical sect of Quakers shall and must be tolerated and admitted; all of which is directly contrary and repugnant to the above referred to orders and placats of the Director-General and Council, which he pursuant to his oath, official position and duty, as a subordinate officer of the General and Schout in the said village of Vlissingen, should by all means have upheld and enforced,

But whereas he has herein not only failed, but has himself transgressed and disobeyed, for which as an example to others he deserves severe punishment, yet considering the humble petition of the prisoner Feake, confessing his wrongdoing and promising hereafter to avoid such errors.

Therefore the Director-General and Council of New Netherland, administering the law in the name of their High: Might: the Lords States General of the United Netherlands and the Lords Directors of the Priv. W. I. Company first dismiss the said Tobias Feakx from his office as Schout of the said village of Vlissingen and banish him from this Province of New Netherland or to pay a fine of 200 fl to be applied as directed by law, if he will keep his promise, together with the costs and mises of law.

Done at Fort Amsterdam in N. N. the 28th of January 1658.

P. STUYVESANT.
PIETER TONNEMAN.

PETITION OF THE MAGISTRATES OF MIDWOUT, (FLATBUSH L. I.) AS TO THE DISPOSITION TO BE MADE OF THE CHURCHLAND AND ORDER OF COUNCIL THEREON.

To their Noble Very Worshipful Honors, Petrus Stuyvesant and the High Council of New Netherland.

Show with due humility and reverence the Schepens of the Court of Midwout, that heretofore they have several times requested and shown, how necessary and useful in easing the burdens of the village and the congregation the four church-lots would be, if granted to the village of Midwout; whereupon at last your Honors directed, that a further report in writing and a statement of the manner, in which the said church-lots were to be administered, was required.

We submit therefore to your Honors as our report and further explanation: we believe, under correction, that the best measures for the advantage of the congregation and the village of Midwout are as stated here below:

First. That 25 morgens with their appurtenances lying on the east side of the plain and south side of the road be used for the repairs and maintenance of the church.

Second. That another lot of 25 morgens lying also on the east side of the marketplace and north side of the road with their appurtenances and privileges be used for the support of a school, divine service etc. If your Honors approve and consent, the necessary means thereto shall be found.

Third. The remaining 50 morgens lying on the west side should necessarily be added to the parsonage, but we cannot well decide, which is the most requisite and best use for them. The further explanation of this point, quite lengthy, is substantially a request to be excused from contributing to the support of their Minister, until the tithes for their village became due; I have abbreviated it here, because the deputies from Midwout took the petition and answer directly away and I had therefore no time to copy it entirely. It was signed Jan Strycker, Adriaen Hegeman, Willem Jacobse van Boerum and below stood By order of the Schepens of the Court of Midwout, Pieter Tonneman, Secretary.

Having received and read the foregoing petition the following answer was given:

We consent to the first two points regarding the lots and allow, that they be used for the purposes and no other, which the petitioners propose and submit.

The Director-General and Council agree, that the remaining two lots or 50 morgens be used for the parsonage, to support as far as they will go, the present and future Ministers.

The Director-General and Council are of opinion, that the deficiency must be made up by the inhabitants according to their former promises and subscriptions and continue so, until the tithes are due, when further orders concerning the support of the Minister shall be give

Thus done in Council held at Fort Amsterdam in N. N. the 29th of January 1658.

P. STUYVESANT.

NICASIUS DE SILLE, P. TONNEMAN.

S'.

LETTER FROM THE TOWN CLERK OF HEMSTED TO STUYVESANT: TROUBLES WITH THE INDIANS.

After our humble and dutifull respects, Wee haue According to youre honors directions sent vnto ye Indians and haue vsed all p'swading meanes to haue ye Sagamoore and others of them to Lay out our Lands, and to giue Sattisfaction for ye Iniuries don vs But wee can gett no sattisfactory Answere, onely they brought vs some of theire dogs, and they killed them, but haue reserued some of ye best, Contrary to their Agreement, soe that wee are still like to suffer, yf some speedy coorce be not taken for remedy Therefore wee humbly desire y' Acistance, that According to oure Agreement with them in yo' honors presence wee may haue Justice. And since they haue denyed to grant vs righte, In soe much that wee are still in danger to be spoiled & ruinated by them, yf it may stand with youre honors lyking & Approbation, wee haue taken A resolution to Craue yo honors Ayd, that wee may be Able to Compell them, And therevnto desire some quantity of powder and Lead wth some flint, for ye vse of ye towne, And allsoe yf yo' honor please to sende vs men, wee desire some 40 Souldiers wth their Comander, the bringer hereof Mr. Hicks is able to sattisfy yo' konor in all matters Concerning ye p'ticulars. Thus with desiring God Allmighty to preserue yo' hon' wth much health And happines wee are Hemsteede ye 30th

of Jany A° 1658.

stilo nouo.

To the Rt honorable and our very noble Gouernor Pieter Stuyvesant, Gouern and Capt Generall of ye New Netherlands these present att Mannatens.

[ocr errors]

Yo' honors obedient

Seruants

for ye Towne

JOHN JAMES.

ORDER ON A PETITION OF D° POLHEMIUS, MINISTER AT MIDWOUT, L. I., CONCERNING HIS SALARY. January 29th, 1658.

Received and read the remonstrance and request of D' Johannes Theodorus Polheym, preacher at Midwout, etc., on Long Island, who shows, that from the month of October 1654 to the 7th of April 1656, the date of his agreement with the inhabitants of the villages of Breuckelen, Midwout and Amesfoort, he has had charge as pastor of the congregation and performed the duties connected with it as well as he could, without however receiving from the inhabitants of said villages any remuneration for it. Having arrived here from the Islands poor and without means he has been compelled to draw, with the knowledge of Director-General and Council, from the Company's Warehouse and office the necessaries of life, amounting now to fl 942. He requests therefore, that this sum might be balanced against his services performed during the time, as above stated, when he received no salary, so that his wife or children might not be troubled or asked to pay it at some future time.

Having taken this into consideration and being well aware, that the laborer is worthy of his hire, that the petitioner served as pastor in the said villages from the year 1654 to the 7th of

« VorigeDoorgaan »