Document: Writ of appeal in the case of Peter Dircksen Waterhond vs. David Ferera

PETRUS STUYVESANT on behalf [ ] Mightinesses, the lords States General [ ] Netherlands and the honorable lords [ ] of the chartered West India Company [ ] New Netherland, Curasao, Bonayro, Aruba and their dependencies, together with the lords councilors [ ] has summoned the court’s messenger hereto, greetings. Whereas Pieter Dircksz Waterhont, skipper on the ship Nieu Amsterdam, has been accepted by us in a writ of appeal concerning and with regard to the judgment handed down by the court of Amsterdam in New Netherland dated 18 October, last past, between him and Davidt Ferera, Jew, and that the same Pieter Dircksz has been condemned by the aforesaid judgment to satisfy the aforesaid David Ferera for the signed manifest of 40 anckers of distilled spirits, notwithstanding he has de- mon-strated and proven that the same anckers were delivered from the ship to the honorable Company’s warehouse; besides, they were marked by or on behalf of Adriaen Blommert in the ship, hauled away by him in a boat, and the greater portion thereof delivered by Adriaen Blommert to Mr. Abraham Staes (so he claims), requesting, therefore, our assistance. For this reason we hereby order that you summon, on behalf of the high authorities, the aforesaid David Ferera to appear or to send a deputy before us here in Fort Amsterdam on the 18th of this month in order to see us annul the aforesaid judgment and nullify it, to sustain the same or to renounce it, as their good counsel shall dictate, summoning those of the aforesaid court to attend or to send deputies, if it so pleases them, and if this case is of any concern to them, ordering, furthermore, on behalf of those as stated above neither to attempt nor initiate anything to the prejudice of the aforesaid appeal against the aforesaid summoned people, but on the contrary, if anything be attempted or initiated to correct the same and to return it to its original and proper state; providing authentic copies for the aforesaid David Ferera, and relating to us what occurs. Done at Amsterdam in New Netherland, 4 January 1656.