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Ordinary Session Held in Fort Orange
July 28, 1657

President, J. Lamontagne
Jacob Schermerhoorn
Philip Pietersen
Abraham Staets
Jan Tomassen
Goossen Gerritsen
Adriaen Gerritsen
magistrates

Harmen Jacobsen, plaintiff, against

Default. {	Abraham Vosburch, Willem Hofmeyer,	} defendants
	Marten Metselaer, Tjerck Claessen
	Henderick Gerritsen, Stoffel Davids
	Claes Ripsen, Claes Janssen,
	Poulus Jurcksz, and Pieter Meessen

Jan de Wever, plaintiff, against
Default. Pieter Stevensen, defendant.

Harmen Jacobsen, plaintiff, against Henderick Bierman, defendant.
The plaintiff demands restitution of the farmer’s book.
The defendant says that the book in his custody was attached by order of the burghers in charge of the farming out of the aforesaid excise while the plaintiff was away from here.
The court orders the defendant, Henderick Bierman, to retain the excise book in his hands and to collect the excise, as the plaintiff left the said excise uncollected, provided that the defendant shall render an accounting of the profit of the said excise to the court, at the expiration of the term, in the presence of the plaintiff and the sureties.

Idem Harmen Jacobsen, plaintiff, against Henderick Bierman, defendant.
The plaintiff demands payment of seventeen and a half beavers.
The defendant admits the debt and promises to pay within six weeks.
The court, having heard the defendant’s admission and promises, condemns the defendant to pay the sum demanded within six weeks, under penalty of attachment.

Idem Harmen Jacobsen, plaintiff, against Pieter Bronck, defendant.
The plaintiff says that he has had the money in the hands of Jan Tomassen, which was attached by the defendant, reattached in the said hands, as the defendant had agreed to take it or accepted it in payment of a certain debt and then, by means of a new account, had tried to have the said account, which was to be paid in beavers, serve in payment of his last claim against Kit Davids, leaving the payment of this last claim, which was to be in sewant, to the plaintiff. He produces a deposition of Henderick Bierman and Evert Noldinck, in which they attest that the defendant, Pieter Bronck, after the liquidation of accounts, agreed to demand payment from Kit Davids.
The defendant denies that he made any such agreement.
The court orders Henderick Bierman and Evert Noldinck to confirm their affidavit by oath in the presence of the court or in the presence of two magistrates.

Idem plaintiff, against Barent Albertsen, defendant.
The plaintiff demands payment of six beavers for a barrel of meat.
The defendant admits the debt.
The court orders the defendant to pay within six weeks.

Idem plaintiff, against Jacob Loper, defendant.
The plaintiff demands payment of six and a half beavers for a cart.
The defendant denies that the plaintiff delivered the cart to him, but admits that he bought it.
The court orders the defendant to pay the six and a half beavers within the space of 14 days, under penalty of attachment.

Jan Eerhaer, plaintiff, against Kit Davidsen, defendant.
The plaintiff demands payment of the sum of ƒ248:-.
The defendant admits that he did owe the sum demanded, but says that he paid ƒ32:- on account and offers to pay the balance within the space of fifteen days.
The court orders the defendant to pay the balance within the space promised by him, under penalty of attachment.

Jan van Eeckelen, plaintiff, against Foppe Barentsen, defendant.
The plaintiff demands payment of ƒ22:- for wages and some materials delivered by him.
The defendant admits that he owes the plaintiff for the making of three coats, but claims that the defendant did not earn as much as that making them.
The court, having heard the parties, orders Jan Verbeeck and Jacob Tijssen, who have knowledge of such matters, to judge of the wages demanded, wherewith the parties are to be satisfied.

President, Jacob Schermerhoorn
Philip Pietersen
Jan Tomassen
Adriaen Gerritsen

The honorable officer, plaintiff, against Jacob Loockermans, defendant.
The plaintiff says that on the 22d day of July of this year, 1657, being a Sunday, the defendant, deliberately and without any occasion, shamefully cut Meuwes Hoogenboom with his knife, so that the said Meuwes Hoogenboom will be disfigured all his life, the wound extending from the left side of his forehead to the lower lip and reaching down to the bone. And whereas such a deed is against the ordinance of the high and mighty lords the states general and contrary to the placards published here,^[1] the plaintiff, in his official capacity, demands that the defendant, in accordance with the aforesaid ordinance and placards, be condemned to pay a fine of three hundred guilders and in addition be ordered to compensate the patient for his suffering and lost time and to pay the surgeon’s fee, or, in default thereof, that the defendant, instead of being sent to prison, be employed in the hardest labor which can be found in this country for the space of eighteen months.
The defendant admits having committed the deed and sues for pardon.
The court, having heard the defendant’s confession and seen the depositions of six irreproachable witnesses, who jointly attest that the defendant, deliberately and without cause, shamefully disfigured Meeuwes Hoogenboom with his knife, condemns the said Jacob Loockermans, in accordance with his confession and the testimony produced, to pay the sum of three hundred guilders and compensation for pain, lost time, board, and medicines of the interested party, which sums he is to pay while in irons, or, in default thereof, he is condemned to earn the said sums by the hardest kind of labor during the space of eighteen months, according to the ordinance.

Jurriaen Janssen, appearing in person before the court, declared in the presence of Goossen Gerritsen that the words which he spoke to the aforesaid Goossen Gerritsen, to wit, that he was engaged to Annetien Lievens, the present fiancee of Goossen Gerritsen, were false, and begged forgiveness of the said Goossen Gerritsen.
Goossen Gerritsen declares before the court that he has had sufficient satisfaction from Jurriaen Janssen, considering his youth.
The court grants Goossen Gerritsen a certificate of satisfaction and orders Jurriaen Janssen to come to an agreement with the officer about the pecuniary fine.

Notes

References

Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., New Netherland Documents Series: Vol. 16, part 2, Fort Orange Court Minutes, 1652-1660 (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press: 1990).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.