A history of the Schenectady patent in the Dutch and English times : being contributions toward a history of the lower Mohawk Valley, Part 13

Author: Pearson, Jonathan, 1813-1887; MacMurray, Junius Wilson, d. 1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Albany, N.Y.: [J. Munsell's Sons, Printers]
Number of Pages: 518


USA > New York > Schenectady County > Schenectady > A history of the Schenectady patent in the Dutch and English times : being contributions toward a history of the lower Mohawk Valley > Part 13


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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Signed by Johannes with the mark of the turtle, and by Hendrick with the mark of the deer.§


WILLIAM HALL ..


He was a citizen of Schenectady as early as 1695, when he married Tryntje Claese, widow of Elias Van Gyseling.


He had three sons and one daughter.


* [To a point now in premises of Judge J. S. Landon, S. Ct. S. N. Y .- M'M.]


+ Dutch Church Papers. # [Eel-place-eel fishery in river-M'M].


§ This is the only mention of fishing rights which the compiler has met with among documents relating to Schenectady.


123


Adult Freeholders.


DIRK HESSELING.


In 1666, he was a resident of Albany where he owned a house ; subse- quently he removed to Schenectady where he bought a bouwery of Juriaen Teunise Tappen in 1671. The year following, - Feb. 1, 1672, he sold to Harmen Vedder " de Bouwery (daer de Voorz : Dirk Hessenlingh op woont " op Schanechtede), 800 het landt, als thuys, Schuer, ende twee berghen, &c., " 80 als het de Voorn de Hesselingh Van Juriaen Teunissen gecocht heeft "'gehadt," &c., to be delivered May 1 to Vedder together with the seed in the ground, the grantee promising to pay 20 whole beavers to Juriaen Teunissen .*


In 1670 he bought Dirk Van Schelluyne's land at Lubberde's landt [Troy] sold under an execution ; this was still in his possession in 1675.t


In 1667 he married Eytje Hendrickse, one of three sisters who were taken prisoners by the Indians at Yonkers in 1655 ; Albrechtje was in captivity twelve years and was only rescued in 1667, being brought into New Haven ; Eytje, probably a widow, was living in Schenectady in 1697.


PAULUS JANSE alias POWELYN.


But little is known of him beyond the fact that he received a patent in 1669 for a small parcel of ground on the Binne kil which three years later he sold to Christiaan Christiaanse.§


In the massacre of 1690 his son Arnout was carried away to Canada by the French.


JAN JANSE JONCKER alias VAN ROTTERDAM.


He was an early resident of Schenectady and before 1678 a landholder.


His village lot was on the cast side of Church street, adjoining the Dutch church lot now owned by Mrs. Washington and Mrs. Benjamin. Before 1690 it had passed into the possession of Jan Mebie, and in a deed to him


* This was the hindmost farm No. 8, of the bouwland, originally patented to Marten Cornelise Van Isselsteyn, now comprising the homestead of Mr. John D. Campbell .- Deeds, II, 796. Albany Co. Rec., 478.


t Albany Co. Rec., 502, 118.


Į A Robert (Dirk?) Hesselingh was killed in the massacre of 1690. - Albany Annals, ix, 89.


§ Deeds, II, 811; see also Christiaanse.


124


History of the Schenectady Patent.


given in 1708 to supply the loss of the one burned in the destruction of the town in 1690, it is described as " lying on the street called the 'Cross street,' "having to the north the heirs of Hendrick Brouwer, deceased, on ye south " ye town [church ] lot, on the east the lot of heirs of Jan Pootmau, deceased, " containing in breadth at ye [Church] street 108 feet and behind 107 feet, " in length on ye north and south sides 206 feet, wood measure."*


In 1678 Jan Janse Yoncker alias Rotterdam and Pieter Cornclise Vielè petitioned the Governor for permission to settle on the Second flat on the north side of the river and were answered that " they have liberty to Im- "prove their land provided they do not goe to live upon it but at Schanec- " tade or [among] the Inhabitants of Maalwyck." This flat then consisted of about 70 acres and was divided into equal portions,-Van Rotterdam taking the westerly half and Viele the easterly portion. Shortly before 1690 the latter died, leaving a widow and two sons; and in 1699 she con- veyed her rights in this farm to her son Lewis Vielè, who probably about 1708 released the same to the trustees of Schenectady by whom it was leased for a term of years to Symon Groot, Jr. In 1718 they conveyed this. parcel of land to Reyer Schermerhorn, and his descendants have held it until this day.t


Letters of administration on Van Rotterdam's estate were issued 23 Feb., 1702 to his sons-in-law Benjamin Lenyn, Willem Boin and Manasseh Sixbery.


Rotterdam had five (?) daughters who probably inherited his portion of this flat. In 1717 Caleb Beck was empowered to sell two-fifths of it for two of them.


JOHANNES KLEYN.


He came to Schenectady about 1678; his wife Maria, only daughter and heir of Ludovicus Cobes, secretary of the village, on the death of Kleyn, married Thomas Smith, and Feb. 4, 170}, petitioned the Court of Common Pleas of Albany county, to admit her late husband's will to probate, saying that he died the 2d Oct., 1686, at his house above Schenectady ;- that he made a will leaving half of the Fourth flat to the use of his wife, said


* Deeds, v, 80.


+ Gen. entries, 32, p. 12; Col. MSS., XXVIII, 18; Deeds, IV, 215; Deeds, VI, 464 ; Toll Papers ; Map of Ph. Ver Planck, 1718. See Second Flat.


125


Adult Freeholders.


Mary, during her lifetime and after her decease to her children; that said will was written by her father Ludovicus Cobes, and that said will was lost in the destruction of Schenectady .*


Kleyn had five daughters,-Weyntje; Baata or Baafie who married Willem Marinus; Clara; Anna, wife of Pieter Clement; and Catrina, wife of Thomas Davie.


On the 22 Aug., 1678, Sander Glen petitioned the Governor and Council for a grant of the Fourth flat for Ludovicus Cobes and Johannes Kleyn, his son-in-law, and on the 11th Dec., 1684, the patentees of Schenectady conveyed the same,-the easterly half to Cobes and the westerly half lying on Arent Mebie's kil to his son-in-law.t


JAN LABATIE (LABADIE).


Jan Labatie, a native of France, came to New Netherlands prior to 1634; subsequently he was Commissaris to the Patroon of Rensselaerswyck and afterwards held a like office at Fort Orange under the Dutch West India Company. He married Jillesje Claese Swits [or Schouw], sister of Cornelis Claese Swits of New Amsterdam, and widow of Surgeon Harmen Myndertse Van de Bogart, who died in 1647 or 1648.§ Besides divers lots in New Amsterdam and Beverwyck he purchased lands at Schenectady. |


Dutch Church Papers, Schenectady.


+ Col. MSS., XXVIII, 18; Deeds, v. 196 : see also Cobes, Tam Smit ; Dutch Church and Toll Papers.


O'Callaghan's Hist. N. N., 1, 434.


§ Surgeon Van der Bogart made his will in September, 1638, " as he intends to go on a long and perilous West India voyage." He gave all his property to Jillisje Claese [Schow], maiden, of Zierickzce, " to keep in her own possession for herself and her heirs," " provided she give to his relatives " six carolus guilders with which they must be satisfied."-Albany Records, 1, 44.


| Aug. 19, 1654, he empowered Paulus Schrick to sell his house and lot standing in the fort at Manathans. - Albany Co. Rec., 188.


11 Nov., 1654, he conveyed the last mentioned house and lot to Adrian Janse Van Leyden .- Ibid, 212.


April 23, 1655, the last mentioned sale was cancelled .- lbid, 213.


Lots bought and sold at Beverwyck.


1661, Feb. 4, he owned a house and lot in Fort Orange, patented to him April 12 1650, which he sold to Evert Pels .- Ibid, 291.


126


History of the Schenectady Patent.


His village lot in the last place was on the north side of State street, beginning 170 feet easterly from Church street and having a breadth in front upon the street of 50 ft. Subsequently it came into possession of Reyer Schermerhorn .*


In 1669 Pieter Jacobse Borsboom conveyed to him, in exchange for a house and lot on Broadway, Albany, next south of the court house, his bouwery No. 7 on the second piece of land at Schenectady, comprising 11 morgens and 263 rods, which land Labatie afterwards sold to Johannes Van Eps.t He likewise received conveyance from Bastiaen De Winter, Nov. 21, 1670, of a lot on the east side of Church street, " broad 100 feet " more or less, bounded east by Pieter Van Olinda, south by Teunis " Cornelise Swart, north by Joris Arissen Van der Baast and west by the " highway [Church street]," according to the patent of date 21 October, 1670.1


This lot, 100 feet wide on Church street and 200 feet deep, commenced 100 feet south of the south corner of Union and Church streets.


He also obtained a patent of date, Sept. 10, 1670, to confirm to him a certain lot of ground at Schenectady, being the first lot in the pasture or weyland, and another lot there adjoining, containing together in breadth by the woodside, 32 rods, and in length, 89 rods, having to the north the swamp or creupel-bosch, and to the south [east], Barent Janse, the former lot as purchased of Sander Leendertse Glen,- the latter as purchased of


1662, he bought of S. L. Glen a lot 18 ft. 4 in. wide front and rear, and 22} ft. deep on the east side of Broadway a little north of Hudson street .- Not. Pap, I, 204.


1662, 20 Aug., he conveyed to Surgeon Jacob D'Hinsse a house and lot on the Rutten kil patented to him 25 Oct., 1653 .- Albany Co. Rec., 308.


1664, Sept. 15, he had a house and lot opposite Thomas Powell's .- lbid, 360.


1668-9, Jan. 7, he bought of Ackes Cornelise Van Slyck a house and lot in the Colonie .- Ibid, 453.


1668-9, Jan. 12, he sold the last mentioned lot to Barent Pieterse [Coeymans] .- Ibid, 454.


1669, Sept. 17, he sold a lot next south of the court house to P. J. Borsboom .- Ibid, 459. Lands bought and sold at Schenectady.


1669, Sept. 17, he bought of P. J. Borsboom his first lot at Schenectady .- lbid, 460. 1670, Nov. 21, he bought a lot in Schenectady of Bastiaen De Winter .- Ibid, 474.


* Deeds, Iv, 34, 298. + Deeds, II, 759. į Deeds, II, 788.


-


127


Adult Freeholders.


Pieter Jacobse Borsboom by said Labatie .* This lot commenced on the north side of Front street 114 feet Eng., east from North street, and extended easterly therefrom 395.6 feet Eng., comprising about five morgens or ten acres. Subsequently it became the property of Maritie Damens, mother of Jan Van Eps.t


BENJAMIN LENYN (LINNE, LA NOY).


He was from Picardy, and settled first in the Woestyne,t on the south side of the Mohawk river, but subsequently removed farther west into the Maquaas country, where he was living as late as 1736.§


On the 20th April, 1708, the patentees of Schenectady granted to him " a " certain parcel of land about three miles down the Schenectady river, and " on the south side thereof, - one part thereof joins on the north-east side of " the creek, that which parts this and ye woodland of Claas and Tjerk Fran- " sen [Vande Bogart], and lays between said river and the hill called Calle- "bergh,| containing ten morgens or twenty acres ; as also three morgens of " woodland, situate on the said hill, called ye Callebergh, together with five " morgens more situate about 50 yds. north from ye said three morgens, - " altogether 18 morgens or 36 acres." ** This parcel is now included in the farm of Mr. George G. Maxon.


JAN LENS ( LENSH ).


He was in Schenectady as early as 1684, and a resident here as late as 1706.


· In 1684, the patentees of Schenectady conveyed to him a parcel of land in the Woestyne behind the flat of Daniel Janse Van Antwerpen ; after holding this farm 20 years, he reconveyed it to the patentees of the town, Feb. 1, 1703, and soon after probably left the township. The patentees sold this land Dec. 31, 1705, to Jan Danielse Van Antwerpen.tt


* Patents, 758, see also, Glen and Borsboom.


+ O'Callaghan Hist. N. N., I.


# [ Woestyne == Wilderness .- M'M.]


§ Dutch Church records; John Dunbar's will.


I [ Calleburgh - a bare hill .- M'M.]


** Dutch Church Papers.


tt Deeds, IV, 293; Groote Schult boek.


128


History of the Schenectady Patent.


PIETER MANGELSE.


He was probably a son of Jan Mangelse of Albany; his wife was Jannetie Du Scheen. They had two children baptized in the church at Schenectady in 1700 and 1702, but were not afterwards mentioned in the records .*


DAVID MARINUS.


He married Rachel Hanse and had several children baptized in the church.


On the 4th[Nov., 1676, the magistrates of Schenectady ; - Sander Glen, Sweer Teunise Van Velsen, Jan Van Eps, Daniel Janse Van Antwerpen and Teunis Cornelise Swart - conveyed to him a piece of woodland at the end of the valley by the "Stone flats," in Glenville.t


In 1740 David Marinus (perhaps son of the above) bought of the town 36 morgens of land at Poopendaal [Beukendaal ].]


MARTEN MAURITS.


He was owner of one-half of "Van Slyck's island" lying immediately west of Schenectady. He died in the fall of 1662, and his brother Jacques Cornelise Van Slyck inherited his property.


The island was at first called "Marten's island " and was owned by Marten Maurits and Jan Barentse Wemp in common.§


GERRIT MARSELIS.


He was a son of Marselis Janse of Albany and early settled here ;- in the massacre of 1690 he was slain with his wife and one child. His village lot was on the north side of State street, having a front of 55 feet Amsterdam measure. This lot comprising numbers 139 to 143 now belongs to the estate of the late William McCamus.


* Church Records.


+ Deeds, v, 75. In 1664 one David Maries [perhaps Marinus] was in Beverwyck .- Albany Co. Rec., 64.


Į Groote Schult boek.


§ Notarial Papers, 1, 48, 74; see also Van Slyck and J B. Wemp; patent of this island of date Nov. 12, 1662, in Union College Library.


129


Adult Freeholders.


On the 6th April, 1708, the trustees of Schenectady,- Johannes Sanderse Glen, Adam Vrooman, Jan Mebie and Arent Vedder conveyed the above mentioned lot to Gysbert Marselis brother of Gerrit ;- in the deed they say, " whereas to our knowledge Gerrit Marselis late of Schenectady deceased, " when Schenectady was destroyed by the French, was in quiet possession " of a lot in said town on the north side of the street called Martelaers' " straat, of rack,* having to the east the lot of Purmerent [Van der Volgen], "on the west the lot of Douwe Aukes, to the north the pasture of Gysbert " Gerritse [Van Brakel], and as the writing is lost, or destroyed," etc., his brother Gysbert Marselis of Albany, asked for a conveyance which said trustees granted. And on the first day of April, 1709, Gysbert Marselis shoemaker of Albany, quit claimed this same lot to Myndert, son of Gerrit Marselis, deceased, late of Schenectady.t


In 1716 it was owned by Daniel Danielse Van Antwerpen.


AHASUERUS MARSELIS.


He was a son of Marselis Janse, from Bommel, in Guilderland, Holland, who early settled in Albany. Ahasuerus removed to Schenectady about 1698.1


By trade he was a shoemaker and had his shop on the south corner of Mill lane and State street. On the 20th April, 1708, Johannes Sanderse Glen, Adam Vrooman, Gysbert Marselis, Jan Mebie and Arent Vedder, , trustees of Schenectady, for £5 [$1250] conveyed to Ahasuerus Marselis two lots on the south side of said town under the hill ; - "one lying opposite the " house of Gysbert Van Brakel [Col. Robert Furman's corner], 28 feet square, " the other on the north-east side of the mill dam adjoining thereto, near the " south side of the mill path [Mill Lane] - in length on the west and east " sides 64 ft., - in breadth on the north and south sides 34 ft."§


The first above described lot subsequently became the property of Pieter Fonda ; and the second lot in the rear, near Mill creek, was used jointly by Marselis Fonda and Robert Yates, all shoemakers, for their tan vats. ·


On the 4th May, 1753, Ahasuerus Marselis, cordwainer, quit claimed his interest in the tanyard above described, to Abraham Yates, merchant. to wit, one sixth of the tan pits and land as described below -:


* [Martelaers' straat, of rack - Martyr's street (State street) or to the highway .- M'M.]


+ Deeds, v, 114.


¿ Annals of Albany, VII, 57; III, 143-5; VI, 292. § Dutch Church Papers.


17


130


History of the Schenectady Patent.


" Whereas Johannes Sanderse Glen, Folkert Symonse [Veeder] and Symon " Swits trustees for sundry parcels of land belonging to the Nether Dutch " Reformed Church of Schenectady, together with Jacobus Van Dyck and " Gerrit Symonse [Veeder] elders, Arnout De Graaf, Harmen Van Slyck "Gysbert Van Brakel, deacons of said church did ? * 8th Dec. 1725 " quit claim to said Ahasuerus Marselis and Robert Yates a certain piece " of ground with the tan pits * * lying to the eastward of said Church's "mill and to the south of the house and lot of John Myndertse [now " Abraham Doty's], and on the west of a road that is to be left to the west "of the fence of Capt. Johannes Bleecker 16 feet wide, for a passage [now "Ferry street extended] to the pasture ground of said Church mill, con- " taining in length along the said road 90 feet to a small run of water, thence " along said run of water to the said road 65 feet, all Amsterdam wood " measure " etc. In 1747, Robert Yates by his will, left his interest in this tan yard to his sons Joseph and Abraham and in 1768 Abraham Yates of the " Mohawk country " quit claimed the same to Joseph R. Yates for ten shillings .*


In 1723-7, Marselis had a house and lot on the south side of State street, 60 feet front, next east of the present Dunlap store and lot now occu- pied by the canal. It was subsequently divided into two lots of 30 feet each and occupied by the Van Sices.t


DANIEL MASCRAFT ( MATHERCRAFT ).


He and Jonathan Stevens leased Lysbet Brouwer's farm at the Hoek in 1697 ;- he soon disappeared and was not again mentioned in the records.


JAN PIETERSE MEBIE.


Jan Pieterse, of the woestyne, married Anna, daughter of Pieter Jacobse Borsboom. His home lot in the village was on the east side of Church street, to the north of the Dutch church, and had a breadth in front and rear of 108 feet, and depth of 206 feet.


He was in possession of this lot before 1690, having purchased it, prob- ably, from the administrators of Jan Janse Jonckers.į His son Abraham inherited it after him. On the 6th April, 1708, the trustees of Schenectady, to wit, Johannes Sanderse Glen, Adam Vrooman, Gysbert Marselis and


* Henry Yates Papers.


t Toll. Papers.


Į Deeds, v, 80.


-


131


Adult Freeholders.


Arent Vedder, gave a new conveyance to Jan Mebie, in the following words :- "Whereas Jan Mebie to our knowledge was in quiet possession of " a lot in Schenectady at the destruction of the town in February 1688 "lying on the street called Cross street [Church], having to the north the " heirs of Hendrick Brouwer deceased, on ye south ye town lott [Dutch "Church lot], on the east the lot of the heirs of Jan Pootman deceased " containing in breadth at ye street 108 feet and behind 107 feet, in length "on ye north and south sides 206 feet wood measure," " and since " the writings are lost or consumed in the destruction of said town, said " trustees confirm said lot to said Mebie."


This lot is now divided into two lots and owned by Mrs. Washington and Mrs. Benjamin.


His farm was on the Third flat on the south side of the river about eight miles above the village. The whole flat, consisting of 127 acres of lowland, was patented in 1680, to Daniel Janse Van Antwerpen by Governor Andros, and in 1706 Daniel Janse sold the westerly half, comprising 63 acres, 79 rods, to Jan Pieterse,* who, by his will made in 1725, bequeathed it to his son Jacob. It was then described as lying between lands of Jacobus Peek on the east, and of Pieter Vrooman on the west.t The descendants of Jan Pieterse still occupy this farm.t


* Deeds, v, 79; VI, 215; Will in Court of Appeal's office.


+ Subsequently he removed and settled to the eastward of Daniel Janse.


#[The Mebee house is doubtless the oldest house in the Mohawk valley, if not in the State of New York.


It was in existence in 1706, the year that Jan Mebce purchased a portion of the Third flat from Daniel Janse Van Antwerpen. Its walls are of heavy stones, drawn from the neighboring mountain side, laid up without mortar but with joints pointed on outside and plastered inside. The roof is in the pointed gable style so easy to build and so com- mon in the early settlements in New Netherlands. The principal door is at the east end. It is ancient as the heavy iron hinges and latch and its construction indicate. It is in two parts common to old Dutch doors which were said to let the light in while the pigs were kept out.


The window frames are heavy timbers and the sashes are of the strong hand-made kind with very heavy sash bars holding quite small glass.


The interior consists of a first and second floor and attic space in the peak of the roof, being floored on the " hammer beams." This attic having doubtless been in fre- quent use as a spy loft during the Indian wars which the old house has seen.


The ceiling of the lower story is former. by the planed under side of the second floor - this and the heavy joints are discolore by age but are polished by careful rubbing for nearly two centuries.


132


History of the Schenectady Patent.


In 1697, Rodè, a Mohawk sachem, called by the christians, Dirk, with consent of all the other Indians, granted a parcel of land on both sides of Tionnondorogoes [Schoharie] creek, commonly known by the name of Kadaroda, to Jan Pieterse in consideration that his wife "is something related to the christian castle."*


His wife likewise inherited from her father (Borsboom) a quarter part of bouwery No. 7 of the hindmost allotment on the Bouwland, and a portion of Borsboom's lots on the southerly and easterly corners of Front and Washington streets.t


The house is situated on a bluff at the edge of the Mohawk and at the concave side of a bend commanding a view of the river for a considerable distance in'either direction.


It is the writer's belief that this house, at least its stone walls, date from 1670-80 when Daniel Janse Van Antwerp occupied and receive l a patent for the land in the centre of which it stands.


Other buildings have been added near to it (within a few yards) to suit present needs and there have been rumors that the old house is to give place to a more modern and convenient structure. In view of the fact that a brick or stone wing across the end would connect the detached brick building and afford increased space with all modern conveniences and yet preserve unaltered this old hofstede to the Mebee family, and a time honored land mark in the Mohawk valley-its destruction would be regretted .- M'M.]


* Patents, 1579; Deeds, VI, 215. t See Borsboom.


133


Adult Freeholders.


Mebie also owned the easterly half of the Fifth or Wolf flat, lying opposite to his farm on the north side of the river, which by his will made April 3, 1725, he devised to his eldest son Pieter. This flat, separated from the Fourth flat by Jan Mebie's or Fifth flat kil, consisted of 25 to 30 (acres ?) morgens of land. It was conveyed to Jan Mebie, 23 May, 1716, by the patentees of Schenectady for £300, and a reserved rent of 15 skipples of wheat, which was paid by all successive owners until 1854, when it was commuted .*


On the 3d Feb., 1715, Cornelis Teunise, eldest son and heir of Teunis Swart, conveyed to Jan Mebie " a pasture bounded west [east] by land of " late belonging to Gerrit Bancker deceased, now unto Willem Abrahamse " [Tietsoort ] of Dutchess county, east [west] by lands lately belonging to " Barent Janse [Van Ditmars] deceased now unto Harmanus Vedder, length " 92 rods,- breadth by the river 15 rods and by the highway 17 rods by " virtue of a patent granted by Governor Lovelace to said Teunis Cornelise " [Swart] dated Sept. 10, 1670."+ Jan Mebie also received conveyance of another parcel of pasture ground on the north side of Front street, Feb. 12, 171§, " having to the west the lot of Johannes Teller, east the lot of Har- " manus Vedder, south the highway [Front street], north the Mohawk river," by virtue of a conveyance from Jan Van Eps and Evert Bancker, 15th Aug., 1698. This conveyance was from Marten Cregier and Jannetie his wife, heirs of Maritie Damens. This lot commenced 114 feet Eng., east of North street and had a front on Front street of 395 feet. In 1714, the west half of this pasture was in occupation of Marten Van Benthuysen brother- in-law of Jan Mebie, who sold the easterly half to Willem Claase Van Cop- pernol.}


Besides the bequests above mentioned to his sons Jacob and Pieter, he left to his youngest son Abraham, his house and lot on Church street, one of his pasture lots on Front street and his quarter of bouwery No. 7,-to his daughter the half of his land at Kadoritha for life, afterwards to his sons Pieter and Jacob ;- the three sons to pay to their seven sisters, £650.§


* Col. MSS., XXVIII ; Toll Papers; Will, Court of Appeals ; Deeds, XVII, 312.


+ Toll Papers.


# Deeds, v, 232.


§ Will of Jan Pieterse Mebie.


134


History of the Schenectady Patent.


JOHANNES MYNDERTSE.


He was son of Myndert Frederickse,* of Beverwyck and came to Schenec- tady about 1700; by trade, a smith, he was armorer of the Fort and like most other inhabitants of the village an Indian trader.


By the ordinances of the common council of Albany, the inhabitants of Schenectady were forbidden to trade with the natives under heavy penal- ties; and frequent searches and seizures were made of Indian goods by the sheriff. In 1723, Myndertse was arrested by the sheriff for having, contrary to the ordinances, received into and harbored in his house, Indians with beavers and other peltry. He was brought before the council at Albany and fined £10, and in default of payment the sheriff was ordered to keep him safe in the common jail. Shortly thereafter he escaped, and to punish the sheriff for his negligence or connivance, the common council resolved that he should pay the culprit's fine.




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