This day, date underwritten, before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland, appeared Mr. La Montangne, councilor of New Netherland, of the first part, and Bout Francen from Naerden, of the second part, who acknowledge that they have amicably agreed and contracted together about the hire of the farm called Vredendael,[1] situated on the island of Manhattan, on the conditions and terms hereinafter written:
Mr. La Montangne leases the above mentioned farm to Bout Fransen above named, who also acknowledges that he has rented the said farm, for the term of three consecutive years commencing on the date hereof and ending the 14th of June anno 1646, with which farm Mr. La Montangne delivers all that is specified in the inventory hereto annexed. In regard to the cattle mentioned in the [ invent ]ory, the lessee shall restore them to the lessor at the expiration of the lease in such number and condition as now received, and then the increase which shall be bred by God’s blessing from said cattle is to be divided half and half, it being well understood that the lessor shall first withdraw his number. The lessee shall during the aforesaid lease keep in proper repair the house, barrack and barn, together with everything that is delivered with the farm, and surrender it again to the proprietor at the end of the term in the same condition as now received. The lessee shall also be bound during the lease to cultivate the land diligently and at the expiration of the term to deliver it back properly fenced, when thirteen morgens of it must be sowed as he now receives it, to wit, with rye, barley and peas. Bout Fransen shall likewise be bound to pay strict attention to the orchard, so that the trees belonging to the proprietor may not be destroyed by cattle or otherwise. Parties shall during the lease share in common the risk of the death of the cattle, and if any die, the loss must be made good from the increase, so that the capital stock may remain complete. The lessee shall annually pay for said farm and cattle as rent fifty schepels of rye, sixteen schepels of barley, and ten schepels of peas; for the cows shall be paid as rent [ the first year ] twenty pounds of good butter for each cow; the second and third year twenty-five pounds of butter for each animal. For the performance and security of all that is above written Wessel Eversen offers himself as surety and principal, and specially for the sum of three hundred and fifty Carolus guilders advanced by Mr. La Montangne to the lessee, which must be paid within one year from date, the same being for the wages of a servant man, board and security for the first year’s rent, the servant’s wages amounting to one hundred guilders. To which end the aforesaid Bout Francen and Wessel Eversen, each as principal, submit to all courts, tribunals and judges, placing under the control thereof their persons and properties, movable and immovable, present and future, without any exception. Thus done and contracted on the farm Vredendael and to that end signed in the record by the parties, the surety and the witnesses hereto invited, together with me, the secretary, the fourteenth day of June anno 1643, on the island of Manhatans, in New Netherland.
La Montagne
Bout Frans
Wessel Eversen
Cornelio vander Hoykens
Cornelis Piters
