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In the year after the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, one thousand six hundred and forty-nine, the twelfth day of the month of December, we, the undersigned, came to the house of one Jan Jansz Damen, on the island of Manhatans, where the said Jan Jansen Damen was lying sick in bed, who according to our observation appeared to be still in full possession of his understanding and memory and who, reflecting on the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof and wishing therefore, as far as it was in his power, to anticipate this uncertainty by certain testamentary disposition, commended first and foremost his soul after his death into the hands of God Almighty and his body to a Christian burial. Coming next to the disposal of all temporal means, effects and goods which God Almighty has granted to him in this world, he wills and desires that the son of his, the testator's, sister Hendrickie Jansz, deceased, who at present resides with him, the testator, and is named Jan Cornelisz Buys, alias Jan Damen, shall out of the most readily available money have the sum of six hundred Carolus guilders and all his, the testator's, clothes and linen which belong to his body, without any exception, provided that he, Jan Cornelisz Buys, shall be bound to remain with his, the testator's, widow until the time the ships sail for the fatherland, when he shall be released from his service. It is the testator's desire that the above mentioned six hundred guiloers with the interest thereof shall not belong to him, Jan Cornelisz Buys, until he be married or through sickness or otherwise shall be in extreme need of the same. And he desires that Egbert Woutersz, Tomas Hal and Cornelis Aertsen, all inhabitants here, shall be, if they please, tutors and guardians of the said Jan Cornelisz Buys and also in particular take upon themselves the entire settlement and distribution of the estate which he leaves behind. Furthermore, he desires that the poor at Bunnick, situated in the diocese of Utrecht, shall out of the next most readily available money receive end be allowed the sum of four hundred Carolus guilders. And he further desires that the residue of the moneys which shall be found to belong to his, the testator's, just share of the entire estate, after a calculation of the debts and assets has been made, shall be divided pro rata between his, the testator's, brothers and sisters, or their children or heirs; the brothers being named Cornelis Jansz Cuyper, Cornelis Jansz Damen and Willem Jansz Damen; the sisters Neeltie Jansz Damen and Hendrickie Jansz Damen, deceased. He likewise desires, in case his surviving: widow should sell or lease the farm and lands which she occupies at present, that the West Indian servant maid, named Cicilje, shall be emancipated and completely released from her slavery, but otherwise not. He, the testator, Jan Jansz Damen above mentioned, declares this to be his last will and testament and. desires that it shall take effect before all courts, tribunals and judges, revoking hereby all previous wills, testaments, codicils, or other instruments of last will made and signed by him before the date hereof, declaring and holding the same as null and void and as never made, willing and desiring that this testament alone shall be valid and none other. Thus done and signed by the testator and witnesses, the day and year above written, on the island of Manhatans in New Netherland.

References

Translation: Scott, K., & Stryker-Rodda, K. (Ed.). New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 3, Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1648-1660 (A. Van Laer, Trans.). Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1974.A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.