Research

Translation

Minute of the qualifying of the magistrates of several towns

Series:
Scanned Document:

At a Meeting of the Commanders and Honorable Council of War of New Netherland, holden in Fort Willem Hendrik, 2th August, 1673.

Present —   Commander Jacob Benckes, 
Commander Cornelis Evertsen, Junior, 
Captain Anthony Colve. 

The newly chosen Schout, Secretary and Schepens of the Towns of Midwout, Breukelen, Amesfort, Utreght, Boswyck and Gravesend, appear before the Council to take the oath of allegiance, which they have subscribed in form as hereinbefore taken by Burgomasters and Schepens.

The Schout and Magistrates of the Town of Bergen in like manner appearing, have also taken the oath in form as aforesaid, and are further told that the Commanders shall visit their Town on Sunday after the Sermon, in order to administer the oath of allegiance to all their people.

On the petition of the Schout of the Town of Bergen he is permitted and allowed by the Honorable Council of War henceforth to fill and execute the office of auctioneer.

James Grover making known that he hath in hands on Staten Island a Water Mill belonging to Mr. Lovelace,[1] on which work he has, he says, received 10 pounds sterling, requests order what further is to be done. Whereupon he is allowed to proceed with the work according to contract.

It is this day resolved by the Council of War to demand an account and balance from Mr. Cornelis van Ruyven, late Receiver of the Duke of York's revenues in this country.

The Deputies from Oostdurp, alias West Chester and the dependency called East Chester, delivering to the Council their credentials, offering further to submit themselves to their High Mightinesses and his Highness of Orange, are ordered to cause their inhabitants to nominate by plurality of votes and to present here on the earliest opportunity, a double number to be Magistrates of their towns, from which three shall be elected by us as Magistrates, to wit: two for the Town of West Chester and one for East Chester, who shall have power to decide all suits in his town to the value of 30 shillings English; suits of a greater value shall have to be determined by the entire Board in the Town of West Chester aforesaid.

At a Meeting of the Commanders and Honorable Council of War, holden in Fort Willem Hendrik, Tuesday the 22nd August, Anno 1673.

Present —   Commander Cornelis Evertsen, Junior, 
Commander Jacob Benckes, 
Captain Anthony Colve. 

The Deputies of Flushing, Heemstede, Rustdorp, Middelburgh and Oysterbay, having been summoned, appear before the Council delivering in a petition, and with it,

From the Town of flushing, one Flag and one Constable's Staff.
From the Town of Rustdorp, one Flag and 1 Staff.
From the Town of Middelburgh, one Flag and 1 Staff.
From the Town of Oysterbay, one Flag and 1 Staff.
From the Town of Heemstede, one Constable's Staff without any Flag, which they promised to send on the first opportunity, and they were strictly charged so to do.
Item; the Deputies from West Chester delivered in like manner to the Council one Flag and one Staff.
Further, the deputies from said Five Long Island Towns are ordered and directed, as soon as possible to cause to be nominated by their Commonalty, and to be presented to the Council here, three persons for Schout and three for Secretary; also, for each Town, six persons for Magistrates, certificates whereof are formally executed to each, and on their said petition it is ordered as followeth:

The Petition of the Deputies from Flushing, Heemstede, Jamaica, Middelborgh, Oysterbay and West Chester, wherein they declare their submission to their High Mightinesses the Lords States-General of the United Netherlands, and his Serene Highness the Prince of Orange, &c., being read, examined and taken into consideration, it is ordered as followeth:

That the same Privileges and Rights as are given to the inhabitants and subjects of the Dutch nation, shall, in like manner, be granted and allowed them, and accordingly, the four points requested in their petition, with this warning nevertheless, that the petitioners shall in future demean themselves as loyal subjects, and attempt in no wise, as some have formerly done, contrary to honor and oath, for which they are now pardoned on their request and submission, to take up arms against this Government, under the penalty that the transgressors shall without any mercy or favor be totally ruined and punished as they deserve.

( Signed ),  Cornelis Evertse, Junior,  Jacob Benckes. 

The inhabitants of Mamarnek have in like manner by their Deputies submitted themselves, whereupon an order is sent them to nominate, by plurality of votes, four persons, and to present them here on the earliest occasion, when two will be chosen by us to be Magistrates.

Notes

Colonel Francis Lovelace was the second son of Sir Richard Lovelace, afterwards Baron Lovelace of Hurley, in the county of Berks, and Margaret, daughter of William Dodsworth, a citizen of London. His brother John, 2d Lord Lovelace, adhered to the side of Charles I. Colonel Lovelace was appointed Governor of New-York in 1668, and administered its affairs, with moderation and to the satisfaction of all classes, until the 30th July, 1673. He was active in settling the county of Ulster, where he laid out the town of Hurley, so called after his ancestral seat in Berkshire, England, and originally owned a large farm on Statin Island, part of which is at present occupied by the Quarantine grounds. His grandson, the 4th Lord Lovelace, died Governor of New-York, in 1709. — Ed.

References

Translation: O'Callaghan, E.B., trans./ed., Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New-York, vol. 2 (Albany: Weed, Parsons: 1858), pp. 569-730 (vol. 23, pp. 1-270 only).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.