Document: Lease from Remmert Jansen to Barent Jansen Bal of a farm on Long Island

On this day, the 31st of August 1651, before me, Jacob Kip, clerk appointed here, appeared Remmert Jansen of the first part and Barent Jansen Bal and Hendrick Dircksen jointly of the second part, who in the presence of the hereinafter mentioned witnesses declared that in all love and friendship they had agreed and contracted with each other about the lease of a certain farm on the conditions hereinafter stated, to wit: Rem Jansen leases to Barent Jansz Bal and Hendrick Dircksen in company, who also acknowledge that they have hired, a certain farm standing and situated on the south side of the farm of Hans Hansen, named in the Indian tongue Rinnegackonck, for the period of four years, commencing the first of September of this year and ending the first of September 1655; on which farm the lessor has had already built, or shall still build, a house and hayrick end with which he shall deliver two horses, being a mare and a gelding, each five years old; two milch cows and a heifer of two years, and two sows, which the lessor will send down from Fort Orange. For the rent of each milch cow the lessees shall pay yearly sixteen pounds of butter and for each horse yearly fifteen schepels of hard grain, whether rye, wheat or barley The lessees acknowledge that they have received the said animals on condition that each party shall receive half the increase and that the risk shall be in common, and in case it should happen that any of the aforesaid animals came to die, the original number shall be made complete again from the increase at the end of the term of the lease, when the same shall be divided and distributed. Furthermore, the lessor now delivers with the farm a plow with its appurtenances and he has delivered the land now to the lessees tightly fenced with posts and rails, which land the lessees promise at the expiration of the lease to deliver again tightly fenced as they now receive it, and they shall divide the land into two parts adjoining each other and if it should suit their convenience the lessees shall be at liberty to put two or three tobacco planters on the land according to their pleasure. For all of which the lessees jointly and each of them separately promise and bind themselves to pay yearly as rent, in addition to what is above mentioned, the sum of one hundred and fifty Carolus guilders, to be paid in the produce of the land at the market price here, or in such payment as they can obtain therefor. Receiving the land now unheeded, the lessees shall deliver the same again, together with the said house and everything else, at the expiration of the terra of the lease in the same condition as now received. The parties promise to hold this their agreement firm, binding and irrevocable and to observe and carry out the same, all under binding obligation according to law. In testimony whereof these presents are signed by the parties and the witnesses on the date above written, at Manhatans in New Netherland.

Rem Yanszen van Yever
Barent Jansen Bal
Hendrick Dircksen
Oloff Stevensen
Gerrit Jansen
Jacob Kip