Document: Confirmation of report of Johannes la Montagne and Thomas Willett

The director general and councilors of N. N., having received the report made by their commissioners, the lord councilor La Montagne and Captain Tomas Willett, concerning the differences between Tomas Stevensen and those of Middelborgh, approve the completed report, confirming with the same; namely, that the general interest should be preferred to private concerns and order therefore on the first point that the aforesaid Tomas Stevensz shall move the old public wagon path, changed by him on his own authority, namely, from the house of the aforesaid Stevensz to the wagon path leading from the new road to the meadowlands.[i]

On the second point regarding the complaints of the village about the damming of a certain run of water, the director general and councilors order that the dam, as it now is, may remain, but that those of the village may, if they wish, construct another dam below that of said Stevensen to collect water for their animals.

On the third, the director general and councilors order that Thomas Stevensz shall hereby take up his fences, placed in the river by him, whereby the passage from the strand is closed for those of the village, or that the magistrates of said village may have it done.

On the fourth and last it is understood that the meadowlands mentioned in the patent have been acquired by misinformation and false report; that the proposition, intention and promise of the director general, as president of the council, in every respect was and ought to continue to the effect that a private plantation or bouwery should not prejudice the village community. It is further clearly evident that a mistake has been made by either the clerk or by the surveyor in measuring and reporting the size and boundaries of the meadowlands and that later disputes could result therefrom. The aforesaid director general and councilors order therefore that the patent of Thomas Steevens shall be corrected, but so that, in place of a third part of the meadow allowed by the magistrates to him as to others, he shall keep one half of it near his farm, because he has been up to now the oldest and first owner of it; in regard to the other half he shall be considered in the allotment with the other inhabitants of the village of Middelburgh. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, 22 September 1656.