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In the [ name of God, Amen ]. On the fifteenth day of March [ in the year after the birth ] of His only [ begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus ] Christ, sixteen [ hundred and forty-two ], before [ me, Cornelis van Tienhoven ], appointed secretary [ in ] New Netherland for [ the General ] Chartered West India [ Company, residing ] in Fort Amsterdam, [ personally ] appeared Barent Dircksen from Norden^[1] [ and ][  Lysbet ] Dirckx, his lawful wife, residing [ here ] on the island of Manhatans in New Nether[ land ], both in bodily health, able to go about and in full possession and exercise of their faculties, understanding and memory as seemed evident to us, who declared that they, the testators, considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof, and wishing to anticipate all such uncertainty and unexpectedness by testamentary disposition, of their own free will, full knowledge and deliberate intention, without inducement, persuasion or misleading on the part of any one, have made and concluded, as they do hereby make and conclude, their testament and disposition of last will in manner and form hereinafter written, to wit: First, after express revocation and annulment of all testaments and other dispositions whatsoever which either of them before the date hereof may have anywise made, executed or given, they, the testators, commending their souls always and whenever they shall have left their bodies to the infinite mercy of Almighty God and their dead bodies to a Christian burial in the hope of a blessed and glorious resurrection on the last day and he, Barent Dircksen from Norden, above named, proceeding herewith to the disposition of his property, means and effects in New Netherland and such other goods as he has received or may yet receive by inheritance from his deceased relations, besides all other profits and gains, he, the testator, Barent Dircksen aforesaid, bequeaths, devises and gives, as he hereby does bequeath, devise and give, all of them to Lysbet Dircks, his, the testator’s, wife here present, in case he, the testator, should first die and depart out of this sorrowful world, and that as a recompense for her, Lysbet Dirck’s, faithful love and care which she has bestowed on him, the testator. And whereas the institution of heirs is the foundation of all wills, without which no will can exist, he, the testator, declares and nominates Femmetje Alberts, his niece, at present the wife of Hendrick Westercamp, to receive after his, the testator’s, death, out of the estate left behind, the sum of two hundred Carolus guilders, after the payment of which neither she nor any other of his, the testator’s, blood relations shall have any further claim, all other property which he, the testator, shall leave behind [ being bequeathed ] to [ the aforesaid ] Lysbet [ Dircks ].

[ In like manner ] Lysbet Dircks, [ wife of Barent Dircksen ] from Norden, [ coming to the ] disposition of her property, movable and immovable, legacies and bequests, leaves to Barent Dircksen, her present husband, in case she die before her husband, the just half of the estate belonging to her, that is to say, after her death Barent shall take his half out of the entire estate and property left by her and the remaining half he, Barent Dircksen, shall fairly divide with the children of Lysbet Dircks by her first husband or her heirs; all of which she, Lysbet Dircks, bequeaths and makes over to him, Barent Dircksen, in recompense and gratitude for the fidelity and love he bears to her; they, the testators, wishing and desiring that the survivor of both of them, in the manner hereinbefore set forth, shall take, possess, use, dispose of and control as they please and judge best the property which they shall leave behind, without any contradiction or gainsay of any one. And they, Barent Dircksen and Lysbet Dircks aforesaid, declare this to be their testament and last will, wishing and desiring that the same may have full force and effect as such, or as codicil, gift among the living, in anticipation of death, or otherwise, as may be most acceptable, although all the requisite formalities may not be observed herein, also notwithstanding some public law, acts, statutes, customs or ordinances, of what ever place they may be, should be contrary thereto, all of which, for so much as is [ necessary ], they hereby expressly render inapplicable and void, requesting that this be by me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary above named, reduced to writing and duly recorded and that one or more public instruments hereof in due form be issued and delivered to them. Thus done and executed and the record thereof signed by Barent Dircksen and Lysbet Dircks, with Maurits Jansen and Oloff Stevensen, commissaries, as witnesses hereto invited, besides me, the secretary, in New Netherland in Fort Amsterdam, the day and year aforesaid.

References

Translation: Scott, K., & Stryker-Rodda, K. (Ed.). New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 2, Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1642-1647 (A. Van Laer, Trans.). Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1974.A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.