Document: Petition of the burgomasters and schepens of New Amsterdam requesting that delegates be summoned from the respective Dutch towns and villages

To their Honors, the Director- General and Council of New Netherland.

The present mayors and schepens of this city of New Amsterdam make known with all due respect that:Whereas our commissioners Martin Crigier and Poulus Leendersz vande Grift informed our board concerning what the assembly of commissioners on behalf of your honors, us and the respective English villages finally resolved on the 27th of November (the motives of which can be related verbally to your honors) that the commissioners from all the Dutch and English villages and settlements shall assemble on the 10th of next month to write to the lords-directors, as lords and superiors of this province, about the present state of affairs here. Therefore, we, the aforesaid mayors and schepens, fully comprehending the necessity of the same, make the friendly request of your honors to summon commissioners from the respective Dutch villages and settlements to appear on the appointed day and make such a remonstrance to the lords directors for the peace and welfare of the country as shall be considered necessary. In expectation of your honors' favorable decision, done in council this 29 November 1653 at New Amsterdam.

Arent van Hattem
Marten Crigier
P. L. vander Grift
W. Beeckman
Pieter Wolfersz

Rights: This translation is provided for education and research purposes, courtesy of the  New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, Mutual Cultural Heritage Project. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user. For additional information see our Copyright and Use Statement Source: New York State Archives. New Netherland. Council. Dutch colonial council minutes, 1638-1665. Series A1809. Volume 5.