Slavery in New Netherland

Translation from Van Laer, Register of the Provincial Secretary, Volume I, 1638-1642, doc. 91, pg. 123 [This document and the entirety of Volume I was lost in the 1911 Capitol fire.]

Before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland, appeared Manuel, the commandant's servant, and constituted and empowered, as he hereby does constitute and empower, Bastiaen Jansen Crol, commissary at Fort Orange, [his attorney] to collect in the name and on the behalf of Manuel aforesaid the sum of fifteen guilders, which are due him from Hendric Fredericksen from Bunnick for wages, as appears from the accompanying affidavit; he, the principal, therefore, gives full power to collect the said money from Hendric Fredericksen and he shall hold valid whatever the above named Mr. Crol shall do herein, [the latter having full power] to sue at law, to give receipt and to do whatever the time and necessity shall require. Thus done in Fort Amsterdam, this 31st of March 1639.

About the New Netherland Institute

For over three decades, NNI has helped cast light on America's Dutch roots. In 2010, it partnered with the New York State Office of Cultural Education to establish the New Netherland Research Center, with matching funds from the State of the Netherlands. NNI is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. More

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