Translation
Power of attorney from Hendrick Egbertsen to Harmen Hendricksen Drooch to settle his late wife's estate at Haerlem
This day, the eighteenth day of the month of August, in the year one thousand six hundred and forty-nine, at the office of C. van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland, in his absence before Jacob Hendricksz Kip, his clerk, appeared the worthy Hendrick Egbertsz from Nieuwenhuys, at present residing on the island of Manhatans in New Netherland, widower of Printie Arents van Helmont, in her lifetime residing at Haerlem, who before and in the presence of the undersigned witnesses appoints and empowers, as she does hereby, the worthy Mr. Harmen Hendricksz Droch,[1] residing at Amsterdam, in the capacity aforesaid to settle the estate of his late wife at Haerlem, according to the antenuptial contract which they made together; to have the property sold, to collect and receive the money accruing therefrom, to give a proper receipt for his, the principal's, share, and further to act as circumstances may require and as in his judgment may seem best He shall have power to substitute one or more persons; if necessary, to institute legal proceedings; to hear judgment pronounced and to appeal therefrom and in all things to do as the case may require; he, the principal, promising to hold valid whatever shall be done and performed in the matter aforesaid by his attorney or his substitute, even though the matter should require more ample and more specific authority than is herein mentioned. He requests an authentic instrument hereof Thus done and the original hereof in the record signed by Hendrick Egbertsz, with [ ], as witnesses hereto invited, this 18th of August 1649,[2] in New Amsterdam, New Netherland.
Notes
Probably Intended for "Drooch." See Johan E. Elias, De Vroedschap
van Amsterdam, 1:140.