Research

Series:

Scanned Document:

Whereas Bastiaen Jansz Crol, commissary at Fort Orange, when here at the Manhatas, mentioned to the council of this place that the land located near Fort Orange could not be purchased from the owners thereof this present year and although it was done afterwards, it was sold by the natives only for as long a time as he, Crol, should continue to live at the Fort; and whereas, Wolphert Gerritsz who had also been directed by the noble Superiors to inform them of the situation there, asked him, Crol, expressly, what information he should give to the noble Lords and he answered, that there was no chance or means to obtain any land this year, repeating the same several times, according to the deposition made by the said Wolphert Gerritsen; and whereas, it happened afterwards, that Ghillis Hosset sailing up the river came on the 27th of July 1631 to the place, where Jan Jansse Meyns camped with men to cut timber for the ship, there came also by accident Cottamack, Nawanemit, Abantsene, Sagiskwa, Kanamoack, owners and proprietors of their respective parcels of land, stretching along the river, north and south, from the fort to a little south of Moenemines Castle, belonging to the said owners jointly and conjunctly and the land belonging to the said Naswanemit in particular called Gesmesseeck located on the east side from opposite Castle Island to the said fort, also from Secktanock, the mill creek, northward to Nejagonse about 3 miles distance and when the said Gillis Hosset came and proposed to the same owners of the said land that they should sell, convey and transfer their respective parcels of land, the same declared in the presence of Jan Jansz Meyns, Wolfert Gerritsen and Jan Tysz Trompetter, that they were willing to sell, transfer, cede and convey their respective pieces of land, as on the 6th of August following before us director and council in New Netherland, residing on the island of the Manahatas at Fort Amsterdam under the jurisdiction of their High Mightinesses, the Lords States General of the United Netherlands and the Chartered West India Company, Chamber of Amsterdam, they voluntarily and advisedly for a certain quantity of goods, which they acknowledge to have been paid to and received by them before the passing of this act, by virtue and under the name of a bargain, transfer cede and convey hereby to and for the behoof of Mr. Killiaen van Renseler, in whose absence we accept the same ex officio under the usual stipulations, to wit: the respective parcels of land, here above specified with the trees, appendencies and dependencies thereto belonging, also all the actions, rights, and privileges etc...

Done on the aforesaid Island the Manahatas in Fort Amsterdam, on the day and year above written.

References

Translation: Gehring, C. trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vols. GG, HH & II, Land Papers, 1630-1664 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1980).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.