Document: Lease from Dirck Holgersen to Jochem Calder of a piece of land on Long Island

Before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland, appeared Jochom Calder, of the first part, and Dirck Holgersz, of the second part, who in the presence of the undersigned witnesses acknowledged and declared that in all love and friendship they had mutually entered into and concluded a certain contract in regard to the lease of a certain piece of land, on the conditions hereinafter written: Dirck Holgersz leases to Jochem Calder a certain piece of land, situated on Long Island, together with the land heretofore leased by him, Dirck, to Jochom Calder, for the term of twenty consecutive years, commencing anno 1651 and ending anno 1671. The lessee shall have the land rent free for the first six years and during the other fourteen following years shall pay annually for the use of said land (of which the lessee shall cultivate and use as large or as small a part as he shall see fit) the sum of one hundred and fifty guilders in such pay as shall then be current. All of the expenses which the lessee shall incur in building, fencing and whatever else is necessary shall be at the charge of the lessee, who shall make such improvements as he shall think fit; and if it happen that he, the lessee, should die, it is stipulated that the lessor shall not be at liberty to eject the wife or descendants from the land against their will. The fences or any other improvements made by the lessee, of whatever nature they may be, shall at the expiration of the twenty years belong in full ownership to the lessor, his heirs and successors, without their paying anything for them. For further security and the performance of this contract the parties bind their respective persons and properties, submitting to that end to all courts and judges. In testimony whereof this is signed by the parties and by Jan Nagel and Pieter Jansz Noorman, witnesses hereto, this 2d of June A° 1649, in New Amsterdam.

Dirck Holgersz
Jochom Calder
Pieter Jansz
Jacob Kip
Jan Nagel