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Letter from the Directors in Amsterdam to the Director General and Council

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The 19th of June 1658.

Honorable, Prudent, Beloved, Faithful.

Herewith goes the duplicate of our most recent letter dated the 7th of this month, to which we still refer, except that we find therein an error concerning our order given in the practise of the formula of baptism in the Reformed Church over there, because the legality concerning the formula was not apparent to us then, which we find to be such that it may be practised there in such a manner without giving any offence to the Lutherans and other sects, as your honors shall be able to see in the extract of the same accompanying this.[1] Therefore, we want and desire that the same shall be observed word for word in the church there, as we have found it to pertain to the welfare and being of the state.

As Barent Jochemsen, skipper of the ship the Gulde Meulen (mostly freighted on behalf of this city to carry over colonists and other free people) intends to go directly from here to the South River and therefore has asked for our permission thereto, we have not been willing to refuse it this time for various reasons, so that in case he should not first call with his ship at the Manhattans, as the clause of the contract, made with such private skippers, directs, he shall not therefore be molested or troubled there which we desire to communicate to your honors in order to be able to regulate them.

That the children and heirs of the deceased Cornelis van Werckhoven have petitioned us and we have thereon resolved, your honors shall be able to observe from their accompanying petition and the extract of our resolution. Your honors are therefore recommended to offer a helping hand to the attorney of the aforesaid heirs according to the intent of our aforesaid resolution, and to maintain his legal rights, in case his suit against the person of Jacques Corteliau might be found in such a manner as the aforesaid heirs have been claiming. [      ]

Although we have informed your honors in our letter of the 20th last past that the person of Magdalena Dircx alias the Flying Angel would not be transported there without our foreknowledge and consent; nevertheless, we have finally allowed the same after her and her husband's perserverence and promises to lead there a quiet and honest life henceforth, as your honors shall be able to see from the accompanying extract of our resolution. In case they should come to misbehave once again and go against their promises, your honors have then all the more reason to punish them according to the circumstances of the case, as is appropriate.

Hereby, Honorable, Prudent, Beloved, Faithful, we commend your honors to God's protection, remaining,

G. Witsen
Abr. Wilmerdonx

Amsterdam, the 19th of June 1658.

ADDRESSED: ]

To the Lord Petrus Stuyvesant
Director General and Councilors in New Netherland.

ENDORSED: ]

Received by the Gulde Meulen No. 1

Notes

Extract no longer exists.

References

A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.