Document: Ordinance|Burgomasters and Schepenen setting the price of bread and regulating the annual marking of measures

Document ID
NYC-RNA_V1_065
Description

Ordinance|Burgomasters and Schepenen setting the price of bread and regulating the annual marking of measures

Document Date
1659-09-25
Document Type
Full Resolution Image

Translation
Translation

Many complaints are daily made among the burghers and inhabitants, because they cannot obtain any coarse bread at the bakers, as none or only a little is baked; while white bread, cakes or sugarpones are too expensive for the general public, to be used in the families. Considering the high price and scarcity of grain, also the complaints of the bakers, that they cannot bake bread at the formerly fixed prices without loss, the Schout, Burgomasters and Schepens, to obviate new complaints as much as possible fix the prices of bread as follows:

For each loaf of wheat bread, weighing 6 lbs..... 5 stivers.
For each loaf of rye bread, weighing 6 lbs........12 stivers.
For each loaf of white bread, weighing 4 lbs..... 4 stivers.

And hereby we order all bakers and people, who make baking their profession, to govern themselves by the foregoing weights and prices and to accommodate the burghers, inhabitants all and everybody, needing bread or wishing to buy it, but to prevent any more complaints we forbid herewith the baking of cakes or sugarpones.

Within this City of Amsterdam in N.N., following the laudable custom of the City of Amsterdam in Europe, all casks, ells, cans and weights are marked yearly for the prevention of frauds and cheating, which may be done with them. Therefore, that everybody may be treated alike and justly the Schout, Burgomasters and Schepens order, that all, who use such measures and weights in their business, shall have them measured and stamped by the sworn Gauger, appointed for this purpose by their Honors under the penalties formerly published. As Gauger of casks Jan Jansen van Brestee, cooper, has been appointed and for the measuring and marking of ells, cans and weights Andries de Haas, who will receive their pay out of the fees according to the regulations given them. Let everybody govern himself hereby.

References

The Records of New Amsterdam from 1653 to 1674 Anno Domini, Volume I Minutes of the Court of Burgomasters and Schepens 1653-1655, Translations by Edmund O'Callaghan,  Edited by Berthold Fernow,  1897, Published under the authority of the City of New York by the Knickerbocker Press

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