Research

Translation

Appointment of magistrates for the town of Heemsteede

Series:
Scanned Document:

To the honorable, dear and good friends, the inhabitants of the village of Midwout.[1]

[Today, dated as below, the nomination for magistrates of the village of Heemstede on Long Island in this province of New Netherland, dated 8 December 1653, was submitted to the honorable director-general and council. According to the privileges granted to the aforesaid village, a double number had been nominated from which the general and council were to make their selection. After mature deliberation and for the sake of unity and peace among the inhabitants of the aforesaid village, they, for the present, selected and appointed as magistrates of the village of Hemstede: Mr. Stickland, Mr. Wasborn and Mr. Gilderslieff, who are to administer law and justice in the aforesaid village to the best of their knowledge and information in accordance with their privileges and the laws of New Netherland. Hereupon the above said magistrates took the oath before the honorable director-general and council.
The newly elected and qualified magistrates are here by authorized to call to their assistance, in cases of absence or important actions coming up before them, two or three capable persons out of the community or the former magistrates residing in the aforesaid village.
Thus done at the meeting of the director-general and high council held at Fort Amsterdam, 11 December 1653.
By order of the director-general and high council,
Cornelis van Ruyven, secretary.] [2]

Notes

Manuscript page [159] has been lost; the translation has been recovered from Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York, Volumes I-XI, edited by E. B. O’Callaghan; Volumes XII- XIV, edited by Berthold Fernow; Albany, 1865-1883, 14:230 and The Records of New Amsterdam, 1653-1674, edited by Berthold Fernow, 7 vols., 1897 (reprinted Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1976), 1:140.
Same as note 85, except there is no translation in The Records of New Amsterdam, 1653-1674, edited by Berthold Fernow, 7 vols., 1897 (reprinted Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1976).

References

Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 5, Council Minutes, 1652-1654 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1983).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.