Document: Petition of Thomas Wheeler and other settlers of Westchester submitting themselves to the government of New Netherland and asking certain privileges

Honored Sir with the Rest of your honoured Court the Governour and Court to the New Netherlands:

May you be pleased to take in to your Consideration the humble Request of your pore and humbell petisinors that wheras it doth appeare that you make claim to the plase where we ware to bee the writ of the hye and myghtie states of the Netherlands wee whose names are underwritten are willing to submit our selves unto the gouerment of the said Netherlands soe long as we Continow within theyr jurisdiction provided that wee may injoy our Liberties in chusing our ofisors for the administration of such Lawes as may be maid for the good of our tounship which wee now inhabit as alsoe we may have our armes Restored according to your promise which were taken from us: whereby we may be abell to attend our selves from such as may unjustlie a salt us and to make such Lawes and orders as my be for the particular good and welfare of the said place not being Repugnant to the Generali Lawes and to distribut our landes unto the inhabitans none admitted according to first proposition as Lyckewyse to Reseue [ receive ] such inhabatans as may be comfortabell to us in particklar and the good of the generall as for [ far ] as we are able to judge. March 16: 56

Thomas X NeumanThomas WheelerRobbert BassetIsayh GillbertJohn RoesRobert RoesEermod CaniffNicklis HillWilliam X BenfullJohn X YennetRobert X MeakerObodiah GilbertJohn BroundishEdwart WatersSamuell BaretWilliam Ward