Curacao Papers 1640 – 1665 Curacao Papers 1640 – 1665 Translated and Edited by Charles T. Gehring A Publication of the New Netherland Research Center and the New Netherland Institute 2011 i ׀ Curacao Papers, 1640 – 1665 About the New Netherland Research Center and the New Netherland Institute The New Netherland Research Center is a partnership between the New York State Office of Cultural Education and the New Netherland Institute. Housed in the New York State Library, the Center supports research on the seventeenth century Dutch province of New Netherland, which was centered on New York’s Hudson Valley and extended from Connecticut to Delaware. Under Director Dr. Charles Gehring and Assistant Director Dr. Janny Venema, it continues the work of the New Netherland Project, which since 1974 has translated Dutch era documents held by the New York State Library and the New York State Archives. Visit the New Netherland Research Center online at www.nysl.nysed.gov/newnetherland/. The New Netherland Institute is an independent nonprofit organization supporting research and education in Dutch-American history. For over three decades, the Institute and its predecessor organization the Friends of New Netherland have supported the translation of New York’s Dutch era documents by the New Netherland Project. Through a three-year matching grant from the State of the Netherlands, the Institute now undertakes financial and programmatic support of the New Netherland Research Center. The Institute relies heavily on its members to fulfill this mission. Interested parties can learn more about the Institute’s programs and how to join at www.nnp.org. New Netherland Research Center New Netherland Institute ii ׀ Curacao Papers, 1640 – 1665 About the Translator and Editor Charles T. Gehring was born in Fort Plain, an old Erie Canal town in New York State’s Mohawk Valley. After completing his undergraduate and graduate studies at Virginia Military Institute and West Virginia University he continued with post graduate work at Albert-Ludwigs- Universitat in Freiburg, Germany. There he began his study of the Dutch language and first realized that his future research lay much closer to home. He eventually received a Ph.D. in Germanic Linguistics from Indiana University with a concentration in Netherlandic Studies. His dissertation (1973) was a linguistic investigation of the survival of the Dutch language in colonial New York. For over three decades as Director of the New York State Library’s New Netherland Project he has translated the official records of the Dutch colony and promoted awareness of the Dutch role in American history. He continues that work as Director of the New Netherland Research Center. He has been a fellow of the Holland Society of New York since 1979. In September of 1994 Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands conferred on him the distinction of Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau. New Netherland Research Center New Netherland Institute Curacao Papers 1640 – 1665 1 ׀ Curacao Papers, 1640 – 1665 RESOLUTION BOOK OF CURAÇAO 1643 AND 1644 No. 58 MM New Netherland Research Center New Netherland Institute 2 ׀ Curacao Papers, 1640 – 1665 1 Instructions [ ] from the honorable West India Company [ ] here in Amsterdam, by which the honorable and valiant Jacob Pietersz Tolck and his council, together with their secret instruc- tions, are to regulate themselves.1 The aforesaid director shall have supreme authority and command, and in all meetings and councils the prominent position and voice, both at sea in the ships and yachts under his command and direction as well as on land upon the aforesaid island of Curaçao and the island of Buenairo, over the soldiers, sailors and all other persons, natives of the country and the Company’s Blacks. Whereas he shall propose all matters concerning civil administration, justice, trade and war, which are to be decided by majority vote, he shall have a double vote in case of tie. In addition to him, the director, the council shall consist of the lieutenant in charge of the soldiers, who shall have second position, the commissary in charge of the merchandise, Petrus Stuifsandt, the third position, and then those skippers of ships and yachts, who are present, successively according to their time in service, and then such of them who shall newly arrive, provided that the council does not [exceed] the number of seven persons; furthermore, in purely military matters in this country and in the punishing of soldiers, the captain, the ensign-bearer and the oldest sergeant shall be admitted. In these sessions Arnoult Verellen shall be employed as secretary, recording and registering, according to form, all cases, propositions, resolutions and detainments, with the reasons therefore also, all sentences judgments and decisions. In addition, he is to keep a good and perfect journal and daybook of everything which may occur on land and sea: what ships arrive there; what they unload, load and transact. He is also to record, confirm and register last wills and testaments of the people, and all other documents, contracts and assorted other instruments, public as well as private; 1 These instructions were issued to Jacob Pietersz Tolck when he became director of Curaçao in 1638. This copy from the West India Company records was probably made by Tolck’s successor, Jan Claessen van Campen, before he became director in 1641. New Netherland Research Center New Netherland Institute 3 ׀ Curacao Papers, 1640 – 1665 and to send over to [us] with every ship copies of all resolutions, journals and other registers, signed by the aforesaid director and by himself. And the aforesaid Petrus Stuifsandt, as commissary over the merchandise, shall likewise keep good books and registers of all the Company’s business, trade, incoming items there, as well as of the sailors and soldiers, of those who die, accounts of the deceased, and inventories and sales of property they leave behind; also, to send over to us with every ship copies of testaments which the secretary shall entrust to him from time to time; and once a year copies of the account books of the soldiers’ salary as well as of the commercial activities. With the capture and arrival of prizes, before any [ ] and unloading, the aforesaid commissary shall be summoned, if he is nearby either on land or at sea, and in his presence, to have the secretary together with two persons from the council, appointed thereto by the director and council, inventory and describe the same in a book kept expressly for this purpose, according to form. The commissary shall keep good and [ ] copybooks of these inventories and registers which are also to be sent over to us [ ]. The aforesaid director shall keep all the personnel and people, placed and to be placed under him, in good order and discipline, and to their tasks; and obey and observe the sworn regulations and all other orders, instructions and ordinances; together with his aforesaid council, punishing, to the best of his knowledge and ability, all civil and criminal offences, according to the aforesaid regulations, and, furthermore, according to the written laws, military regulations, ordinances and customs of this country. If any voting disagreements arise among the councilors, the minority shall be obligated to follow the majority in all respects without contradiction; and outside the meeting, not to reveal in the least or indicate that they were of another opinion or point of view, except for being allowed to record or have recorded their opinion in the book of resolutions. The prizes captured there or nearby during his residency, he shall send over with exact inventories, manifests and bills of lading, to the high chamber of Amsterdam, in addition to whatever may captured by other means, until further orders. Taking care that, upon three citations, complaints and defaults with the council, after obtaining reliable information, signed declarations and confessions by the [ ], all captured ships and merchandise legally be declared good prizes under the charge of the auditor or provisional fiscal as plaintiff for the Company (who shall be obliged to do this for the Company out of his ordinary salary); and then after eradicating the original mark and [ ], to send [ ] New Netherland Research Center New Netherland Institute 4 ׀ Curacao Papers, 1640 – 1665 under the Company’s mark. Concerning the saltpans, both here and upon Buenairo, he is to pay close attention that the seasons are observed and during the dry period that as much salt as possible is made, [collected] dried and preserved, so that all incoming ships, whether belonging to the Company or private, shall be so served thereby that they need not depart from there empty and seek their cargoes of salt elsewhere, to which (being a matter of [ ] concern to the Company) he is earnestly ordered to apply himself. As a signal for all incoming ships, it is further ordered that a pole be erected, and whenever ships are spotted at sea near the harbor, to hoist a large basket up it which can then be observed by them. He shall take care that the fortifications of both islands are kept in proper repair by the personnel and soldiers under his command, and maintained in such a state as is necessary for the protections of the islands and the security of the garrisons. And he is not to permit persons, who ordinarily reside in the fort, to remain outside during the night without his consent and order or that the same be’ frequented too much by foreigners. The keys shall only be entrusted to the director who resides in the fortifications. He alone shall give the watchword and have all general and special authority, power and command. And the lieutenant shall depend completely on the director’s orders and commands, and accordingly lead the soldiers on expeditions and to and from guard duty, and carry out everything which the director shall order him to do.