Research

Series:

Scanned Document:

1654 New Amsterdam 8 April.

The director-general and council of New Netherland to all who hear, see or read this, greetings; let it be known:

Whereas we have received definite reports and, in fact, experienced that some pirates and bandits, under what commission or pretext is unknown to the director-general and council, are operating on Long Island and the mainland between this province and the province of our neighbors, who, as we are informed, have been declared pirates and bandits by the neighboring governors and magistrates of New England, and therefore denied all lodging, asylum and sustenance within their jurisdiction, and are accordingly to be considered runaways and exiled from New England; these pirates and bandits have not hesitated to molest the good people of this province in the countryside and plunder them of their property, of which various evidence can be seen and heard, both now and last year, that such has been perpetrated on various inhabitants. And whereas the director-general and council have received definite reports that the aforesaid pirates and bandits are abetted, favored, harbored, sustained and supported by subjects and inhabitants having established residences within this province, and are consequently so encouraged and emboldened that some of them have dared not only to frequent, spy and keep watch on the outer villages but even on this city under the guise of travelers; therefore, the director-general and council, wishing to provide for the inhabitants to the best of their ability, have considered it highly necessary to enact against the aforesaid the following ordinance and regulation:

The director-general and council of New Netherland order and command all their subjects, regardless of what nation they may be, none excepted, not to communicate with such pirates and bandits, much less harbor, conceal or hide them, or to accommodate or provide them with any necessaries; however, if anyone may receive any information or knowledge of the whereabouts of such pirates and bandits or where they may reside or put themselves up, they are to report the same to the magistrates of the nearest village and court immediately, on pain of confiscation of all one's goods and of being declared an enemy of the state and banished from the country.

Secondly, all magistrates of the respective villages within this province are hereby recommended, each within his jurisdiction, to establish and to maintain such order, watch and place of assembly as they think necessary for the security of the good inhabitants of the aforesaid place, according to the circumstances of the locality; and all inhabitants are hereby ordered and charged promptly and without objection to comply with and obey such orders of the magistrates, and at their command promptly and immediately to pursue, attack and capture, if possible, such pirates and bandits, on penalty as written above. In order to encourage the good inhabitants in this their duty, the director-general and council promise the sum of one hundred daalders ^[1] for every pirate or bandit delivered into the hands of the director-general and council or their fiscal.

Thirdly, in order that the preceding may be better practiced and observed by the good inhabitants of this province, the director-general and council order and command that all persons who have no residence within this province of New Netherland and arrive in any village or house in this country shall be obliged, when required by the magistrate, officer of the law or any citizen or inhabitant, to show an entry and exit pass from the governor or magistrate from where he comes and where he resides, and if anyone be found without a pass, he shall be examined and heard by the magistrate regarding from where he came and for what purpose and business he has come into the aforesaid province of New Netherland, in order, according to the circumstances and facts of the case, to be so disposed of as shall be found proper; and so that the aforesaid may be better obeyed, all inhabitants are ordered not to lodge any unknown foreigners without first making known to the magistrates or officers of the place the name of such arriving travelers or foreigners, under penalty of f24.

Furthermore, in order that everyone may be better and with more certainty forewarned of any raid and impending danger, the director-general and council order and command that no person shall fire a gun within this province at night between sunset and sunrise on pain of forfeiting one Flemish pound^[2] for each shot, unless there is some appearance of a raid, in which case everyone is not only permitted but hereby commanded to give an alarm of the threatened raid by firing his gun three times in succession, as quickly as possible. When this alarm is heard by the nearest watch, village or household, such watch, village or household is hereby commanded to do the same in order, by such means, to make the raid known to all watches, villages and households so that everyone may be on his guard and appear under his authorized officer at the appointed place of assembly.

And, in order that no one may plead ignorance, the director-general and council order that this general order shall be sent everywhere throughout this province of New Netherland, so that it may be published, posted and enforced by the magistrates of the respective colonies and villages, and so that the opponents there and elsewhere may be duly proceeded against according to the tenor of this ordinance.

Done at the session of the honorable director-general and high council held in New Amsterdam. Present: The Director-General, Mr. de Sille, La Montagne, Fiscal Cornelis van Thienhooven. 8 April 1654; and was signed: P. Stuyvesant, N. de Sille, La Montagne, Cor. van Thienhooven.

Notes

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.