In session at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, present: the lord director general, Petrus Stuyvesant, the lord Nicasius de Sille, fiscal and first councilor of New Netherland, and the lord Pieter Tonneman.[i]
Tuesday, the 16th of January anno 1657.
Copy.
To the honorable lords the director general and high councilors of New Netherland
Pieter van Couwenhoven, brother of Jacob van Couwenhoven, makes known with humble reverence how it is that he, by the testament dated 20 April 1653,[ii] confirmed by the same Jacob van Couwenhoven and Hester Jansen dr., his deceased housewife, before the notary Dirck van Schelluyne and certain witnesses, he, petitioner, together [several lines lost] Loockermans who [ ] married [ ] sister of the aforesaid Hester Jansen [ ] who was also empowered for [ ] Setten,[iii] mother of the aforesaid Hester Jansz [ dr. ], the aforesaid Jacob van Couwenhoven, intending to enter into a second marriage; it is also the case that he, petitioner, and the aforesaid Loockermans have tried and sought to plead with Jacob van Couwenhoven for a repartition, separation, and division of the estate before the celebration of his second marriage, by which they were unable to get any further than an agreement of proof of the aforesaid children’s mother’s goods dated 2 October 1655: each child the sum of ƒ2000:– in addition to linen, wool, and silk clothing, jewelry and otherwise from their aforesaid deceased mother; therefore, having undertaken all of this with good intentions, partly because the aforesaid Jacob van Couwenhoven (entirely unwilling to furnish an overview and inventory of the estate as is fitting) declaring to be able to show the aforesaid children as before, and on the other hand that he promised, as a good father, to provide the best for his aforesaid children; and whereas he, the petitioner, learns that the aforesaid Jacob van Couwenhoven is burdened with heavy debts, which he daily increases, so that the petitioner is fearful that the aforesaid children [ ] the previously disclosed mother’s estate or [several lines lost] hatred toward the petitioner, because he speaks about it, for which reason and because he, petitioner, afterwards would not like to be the subject of any accusations which the unwillingness and worries of the aforesaid Jacob van Couwenhoven should cause. Therefore, it is necessary for him to turn to your honors, requesting that the same be pleased to appoint one or more other guardians or administrators, who will promote and care for the legal interests of the aforesaid children as is appropriate, and that the same be obliged annually to make an honest and sincere account of their administration and meetings; the same person or persons also be authorized to enter upon the aforesaid estate, to have the goods properly inventoried, to properly arrange it, and to benefit the same in such a way as the petitioner and the closest blood relatives of the aforesaid Hester Jansz, deceased, shall find best and appropriate for the aforesaid children; and then to proceed to a repartition, separation, and division of the estate, doing as good and faithful curators are obliged to do, so that this way, the best is done for the aforesaid children and their legal interests [several lines lost].
