with posts and rails properly to fence in the village, also the plantations. 4. Also that Village or Building lots be properly fenced, to prevent one and another receiving damage from horses, cattle or hogs. 5. So therefore to promote the prosperity of the Town and for the benefit of the in-dwellers and of those who may hereafter come, the Director General and Council directs, that they from now henceforth obey the person Nicasius de Sille as their officer and Jacob Corlaer and Jan Tomasse as his assistants for the purpose of allaying all differences that may happen. 6. Another, that all the inhabitants assist in inclosing the village (with palisades,) and that the work be divided among them, so that every one may know the portion he is to keep in order. 7. And, that every person who neglects to keep his part in order or tight, so that others in consequence receive damage, shall be liable not only to make good the damage, but also be fined 12 guilders for the first neglect and double that amount for the second. 8. Also, every person shall properly inclose his village plot, to prevent the neighbours receiving damage from cows, horses or hogs, on pain of the above mentioned penalty, but if the cattle break through, one or two of them may be caught and shut up in the public pound until the damage is made good and the penalty paid. 9. Also, the inhabitants shall build in the middle of the Village a good Blockhouse, in which they shall make provision for a grain mill for the convenience of the people, on the penalty of 12 guilders for every one that neglects to assist. 10. In like manner they shall build a public pound for the cattle which commit damage, on the penalty of 2 guilders for each person who refuses. 11. Also, they shall cut down all the trees standing within gun shot of the village, so that they may see afar off, on penalty of 6 guilders a-day. 12. Also those to whom powder and lead are given for the public are forbid to use it for shooting venison or game, nor shall they lavishly squander it, on penalty of restoring four times as much as given to them by the officer or his assistants. 13. And, for the purpose of purchasing and obtaining good ammunition, the Director General and Council order for the Town of New-Utrecht, that they who slaughter oxen, cows, calves, hogs, or goats, for consumption in the town, shall be taxed for each guilder (40 cents) of their value, one stuyver (2 cents); and those who do not produce their animals for valuation previous to slaughtering shall forfeit the same for the benefit of the officer, the Town, and the informer. 14. And, those who absent themselves are notified to perform the part of the work which is allotted to them, for neglect of which their lots will be taken from them, and furthermore those who neglect to build around their village plots, will have the same given or allowed for building purposes to those who live outside the village. 15. And, that no man may pretend ignorance hereof, we direct that these our ordinances be immediately made public and that the Scout Fiscal and Assistants be notified to proceed to execute the same. And that without conniving, they proceed against those who transgress said ordinances, they being promulgated for the benefit of the Town of New Utrecht. Thus done &c. 23d Feb. 1660. On the 25th of February accompanied by my deputy Resolveertt Waldron, I came to the village of New-Utrecht with the above ordinances, and made the same public, and also posted a copy of the same, signed with my hand and dated as above, on my house. NICASIUS DE SILLE. The original of the preceding is in the hand writing of the Secretary Jacob Curlaer and dated as above written. to be entered in its proper place. N. B. This was forgotten The Director General and Council of New Netherland, hereby authorize and qualify the Noble Lord Nicasius de Sille, member of the Council and Fiscal to appoint a substitute to perform his duties as Scout (sheriff) in the Town of New Utrecht, until the Director General and Coun cil see fit to commit the same to some other suitable person. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherlands this 23d February A 1660, subscribed by me PETRUS STUYVESANT &C. The Lord General P. Stuyvesant is pleased to learn that the new Village is pleasantly situated and he hopes it will prosper. He also on the 6th of February in the year 1660, in company with the Fiscal personally visited the place, and by word of mouth gave good directions and advice; he also called the people together and admonished every man in the first place to prepare and make his own dwelling, and to keep a man or servant able to bear arms; also to enclose the village with a good heavy palisades, for which latter purpose the Director General and Council had promised several Negroes who should come on the 16th inst. following. The inhabitants had the Prince's flag (given to the Town by the Fiscal) hoisted on a high pole in the centre of the village and unfurled to the breeze. Moreover Ruth Joosten prepared a dinner or public entertainment in as good a stile as the place could afford, in which he was assisted by the inhabitants. The Director General and his attendants remained but a short time at the banquet in consequence of the necessity of their departure to attend to other business. On the 25th of said month of February I brought 7 Negroes, with Paulus Heymans as their overseer, who on the 26th inst. began with much strength to cut trees in the woods and split them for Palisades. There came however a soldier to fetch the Fiscal, who consequently could not remain longer. He was commissioned with the Burgomaster, Paulus Leenderse Van de Grist and Jacob Backer, Schepen, to proceed in the yacht Sea Bear to the South River (Delaware). When he returned he found the Village inclosed with palisades to his contentment. At this time Jacob Backer made known that he would not accept of his improved lot, its situation not pleasing him; the Scout and officer Nicasius de Sille therefore verbally warned him of the consequences, on which he answered that he would have nothing to do with the land; Will you have it? keep it. On this the Lord General gave it to the officer de Sille and on the 27th of May issued an order to the surveyor, to survey the same as follows: One lot known as No 8, in width 26 rods, lying on the Southwest side of the land of the said Fiscal and on the Northeast side of the land of Arien Willemse, stretching South East towards the woods containing 25 morgens (50 acres); and also a lot in the meadows known as No 4, containing 3 morgens. Besides the above, the Village plot attached to the aforesaid lands is also to be included in the patent. At this time we discovered that we had an insufficient quantity of meadow to supply the wants of our increased quantity of cattle. We were advised to apply to the Lord General and Council for another piece of meadow for the use of the Town situated in the Canarse meadows. We therefore several times spoke to the Lord General in relation to said meadows. On the 12th of June 1660, the General with the Fiscal and Van Ruyven came over and taking Curlaer and Jan Tomasse, went to the Canarse, where the meadows were shown to the Lords. Upon this the Lord General and Council made provision for the Town, and gave them a piece of meadow extending from Varckens (Hogs) hook to the Vischers (fisher's) hook, where the fisherman Hoorn had placed his house. The Secretary Cornelis Van Ruyven was notified of this and directed to deliver to the Town a writing securing to them the aforesaid meadows. In February 1660, as well as previously, several proclamations and ordinances had been published, in which those who lived separately and outside the villages, were charged in the name of the Director General and Council of the New-Netherland, to abandon their separate dwellings and destroy them, or at least to unroof them, and to transport themselves and their goods into the adjoining villages, on the penalty, in the first place of the confiscation of all their goods upon all who from the aforesaid time are found residing in separate dwellings or farm houses. Those who do not remove by the 18 of May will also be liable to a penalty of 50 guilders, to be paid immediately and also to have their houses unroofed at their expense. After this it happened that several persons who resided outside the village paid no attention to the above order, among whom was a Mr. Stilwel, who had purchased the land of Antony Jansen Van Salee, Turck, but he made satisfaction to the Director General and Council for the same. Also another was Albert Albertse who hired a part of the plantation of C. Van Werckhoven on the Najack; he excused himself on the ground of being on hired land, and regarded not the Lords order, in consequence of which the Fiscal ex officio brought him on the 19th of August 1660, before the high Council in Fort Amsterdam, and complained of his refusal to obey the ordinance. He was condemned and sentenced as follows, after which he came and resided in the village of Utrecht which lay near his lands: By the Director General and Council of the New Netherland on a hearing of the parties; We condemn Albert Albertse alias Lintwever, to amends by paying the penalty of 50 guilders as per proclamation, and to stand imprisoned until the fine be paid. On this sentence, after being imprisoned, he paid the fine and then removed within the village of New Utrecht. In this year it happened that one Pieter Roeloffe sold his house and building plot in the village of Utrecht to one Jan Zeelen, and was about selling his farm and meadows, on which he had performed very little labour, to another man; on this Jan Zeelen applied to the Director General and Council to have the said lands given to him, knowing that under the circumstances such lands fell to the Director General and Council. They granted his request and allowed and permitted to the said Jan Zeelen the lot in question known as No. 18, no man being allowed to sell lands for which he had no patent, without liberty first obtained from the public authorities, neither was it lawful to alienate the same. This took place on the 16th of Jan. 1660. In the month of October of this year it came to the ears of the Fiscal, that an individual had done amiss in the village, from which evil consequences were likely to flow. To punish evil doers, frighten the vicious, and produce tranquillity for the good, the Fiscal sent to the Village half a dozen shackels with an iron rod and a good lock. Oderunt peccare Mali formidine pœnæ. |