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[ In the year after the ] birth of our Lord and Savior [ Jesus ] Christ, one thousand six hundred and forty-[ three ], before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary in New Netherland appointed by the General Chartered West India Company, personally came and appeared Brant Peelen of Nykerck,^[1] widower of the late Lubbertje Wouters, and Marritjen Pieters, widow of the late Claes Sybrantsen, with Jan Schepmoes, her chosen guardian herein, who declared that they intended to enter together into the holy state of matrimony, for which reason and purpose he, Brant Pelen, the present bridegroom, from his first available goods, means and effects, promises to pay in advance to his three children by his first wife the sum of three thousand Carolus guilders, to wit: To his daughter Lysbet Brants one thousand guilders; to Geert Brants one thousand guilders; and to Gerritjen Brants a like one thousand guilders. She, Marritjen Pieters, present bride, promises to pay and turn over to each of her two children, named Sybrant Claesen and Aeltjen Claes, as their paternal inheritance and estate, the sum of two hundred guilders, once, which aforesaid four hundred guilders he, Brant Pelen, shall be at liberty to use for four consecutive years without interest, and if he, Brant Pelen, use the aforesaid money any longer, he shall annually pay as interest of the hundred guilders five per cent, but with the express condition and stipulation that they, the bridegroom and bride, remain bound to bring up the youngest child, Aeltjen Claes, without touching her property, to clothe her, to send her to school and to let her learn reading, writing and a good handicraft, in such manner as honest parents ought and should do and they are bound to do before God and men.

In this their marriage contract it is with the will and consent of the said bridegroom and bride also expressly agreed and stipulated that, having considered that nothing is certain but death and nothing more uncertain than the hour thereof, and therefore wishing to provide against all such uncertainty of death by this their joint will, they, the bridegroom and bride, both declare that whenever it shall please Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth (whom they pray that it may be His divine will to bless them in this their marriage in such way as may be necessary for them here temporarily and hereafter eternally, Amen), to call either of them first out of this world, the survivor shall remain in full control and possession of all the temporal estate which God has granted, or shall grant, in this world jointly to the said bridegroom and bride, it being well understood that there shall be no difference in regard to the property, the property of each, being held by them both in common, being put down as of equal value, as no inventory is made on either side and the property on both sides is accepted as of the same value. All of which is thus concluded and contracted by both of them after mature deliberation, it being their wish and request that this shall take effect after the death of either of them.

It is further covenanted that whenever either of them dies, a proper inventory shall then be made of all the property which they shall possess at the time, in order that the rightful heirs may obtain their share, and whenever the survivor shall have departed out of this sorrowful world, the lawful heirs on both sides shall then equally divide and each side receive a like portion of the estate; likewise, that the survivor shall be bound to invest the capital as profitably as possible, expecting God’s blessing, but shall not needlessly or improperly squander the same. If this occur, those interested therein shall be at liberty to interfere, and that with cause and good reason.

Wherewith he, Brant Pelen, bridegroom, and she, Marrltje Pieters, present bride, conclude their marriage contract and request that this may have effect and be valid before all lords, courts, judges and justices, to this end waiving all exceptions, none excepted, which may in any wise contravene these presents, binding themselves likewise according to law for the payment of the sums of money promised to their children on either side. In witness whereof this is signed by them respectively, together with Everardus Bogardus and Hendric Kip, as witnesses hereto invited, the 3rd of July anno 1643, in Fort Amsterdam, New Netherland.

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