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The 27th of December anno 1656.

To the highly esteemed lord director general and lords councilors of New Netherland.

Raechel de Vinje, housewife of Cornelis van Tienhoven, shows with all due humility how on this date an extract was placed in her, petitioner’s, hand from the Register of Reclusie of the honorable lord general and councilors dated 21; pursuant to the request of the lord fiscal Nicasius de Sille, your honors have allowed and authorized the aforesaid D’Sille, in the presence of both burgomasters and others, whom the petitioner shall desire to add thereto, to inventory all the effects that the petitioner’s husband left behind after his departure and to impound the same until the accounts of his receivership have been examined and balanced; therefore, she, petitioner, in such an innocuous matter, is turning to your highly esteemed honors with a humble request that their highly esteemed honors first be pleased to consider the good service that her, petitioner’s, husband has done for the honorable Company and country in various negotiations and other affairs concerning this province; also, that she, petitioner, is still presently in a saddened and miserable state because of the unexpected departure of her husband, together with the changes which might befall her, petitioner, over the inventory of her moveable goods, being now halfway into a pregnancy; furthermore, she, petitioner, requests, with all respect that your honors order the honorable lord fiscal to suspend the inventory of her husband’s effects until the time that, after liquidation of accounts of her husband’s receivership a deficiency will be found. She, the petitioner, hopes in the meantime that until her husband returns that your highly esteemed honors shall be content with the prohibition made to the secretaries that she, petitioner, not be allowed to convey any real estate, which far exceed the moveable effects, and this to prevent any commotion and keep ordinary people from talking and to grieve her, petitioner, more, assuring her that your highly esteemed honors’ loving kindness be pleased to grant this her, petitioner’s, request, which doing and remain (lower stood) your highly esteemed honors’ very dutiful subject and saddened servant (was signed)

Raegel van Tienhoven

References

Translation: Gehring, C., & Venema, J. (Ed.). New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 8, Council Minutes, 1656-1658 Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press: 2018.A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.