Research

Translation

Order to inhabitants of New Castle to obey the directions of the court

Series:
Scanned Document:

Honorable Gentlemen of the Council of New Castle:[1]

Pursuant to the permission given to us by your Honors to submit our complaints and desires in writing, we protest, with all due reverence, against being obliged to help build Mr. Hans Block's dike and have resolved not to do it, having no reason for it, unless we should be expressly ordered to do so by the Honorable General. We therefore all desire and humbly request also to have a copy of it so that we may act accordingly.

Concerning the marshland formerly belonging to Capt. Carr, we are ready to help build the dike together with the inhabitants of New Castle on the condition that we shall have a hereditary right to use a portion of the marshland and we will keep our part in repair. We request of your Honor to grant us a delay to do the aforesaid work until the grain is in the ground. Requesting herewith a favorable recommendation, we remain, etc.

New Castle 5 June 1675

Jacop van der Veer
Evert Eck
Tomas Jacobsen
Matihas Matihason Defo[      ]
Jacob Janssen
Martin X Gertsen
John Ogle
John X Breadborne
Pieter Jegou

[ Notation: ] The petitioners are commanded to obey our previous order immediately and in case of refusal the High Sheriff shall have the construction done at their doubled expense according to the Lord General's definitive order.

by the Court ordered[4]

Will. Tom

[ Verso: ] Domine Fabricius and Ogle to bee sent for here and the other here subscribed to bee questioned and sentenced at the generall Court at Delaware.[5]

[ Endorsed: ] No. 9 N. Castle in Delowor 5th of June 1675
Petition to the Court in oposition to order.

Notes

Damaged portions of this document have been recovered from the signed copy (20:72), which lacks the court order, the order on the cover-fold, and the endorsement; the signatures of Jacob Janssen and Martin Gertsen also do not appear on this copy. Other translation and transcription in NYCD 12:534.
This is Capt. Evert Hendriksen Eck. c.f., 20:69.
NYCD 12:534 has Deforest as Matthias Matthiassen's surname. The final letters of the name have been lost due to a tear in the document. The name Matthias Matthiassen de Vos appears throughout NCCR and it is probable that de Vos was a variant form of Deforest in Delaware.
The preceding notation is translated from Dutch. This phrase is written in English in the hand of Wm. Tom.
This order which appears on the cover-fold is written in the hand of Matthias Nicolls, as is the following endorsement.

References

Translation: Gehring, C. trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vols. 20-21, Delaware Papers: English Period, 1664-1682 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1981).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.