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On April 23, 1668, several sailors appeared before notary Jacob de Winter in Amsterdam to register their debts before sailing:
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View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 1510893 / 59 In the years 1669 to 1674, various merchants and traders conducted financial transactions across northern European cities. Notable entries include:
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 605104 / 340 This legal document from February 14, 1663 in Amsterdam involves several cases:
In the first case, Christoffel Pietersz, living in Bergen, Norway, gave power of attorney to his wife Anna Jans to handle his legal affairs, particularly regarding a dispute with Jan Jansz, a baker. Witnesses were Abraham Huijlman and Jacob Klijdenbergh.
In the second case, Carel Frick, a 37-year-old merchant in Amsterdam, testified about a bill of exchange worth 1600 guilders. The bill was drawn by Johan Heijdeman from Copenhagen and was due on January 26. Nanning vander Min came to collect the payment on January 29.
In the third case, Cornelis Carelsz (38 years old) from Langesont, Norway, and Thijs Poulus (24 years old) from Copenhagen, both sailors, testified about events from 5 years ago. They served as boatsmen under Captain Bogaart in Copenhagen. They testified about Roeloff Roelofsz, a miller from Copenhagen, who was shot and killed while defending the walls when the King of Sweden attacked the city. His widow, Magdalena Michiels, now lives in the Egelentiers street in Amsterdam.
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 607551 / 61 In 1669, there was a legal matter in Amsterdam concerning inheritance from Geertruijd Pieters from Haarlem. Hermina Snouck sent a witness to Pieter Molensteen, a surgeon in the Molensteeg. Molensteen repeatedly asked if the witness had visited, and Snouck kept urging the witness to go. The witness eventually spoke with the notary, Snell. Pieter Molensteen advised the witness that it would be better to side with him and his friends rather than with their father and brother in the legal process. He offered to have them sign a document, but the witness wanted to discuss it with their husband first. Molensteen promised them:
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 607596 / 120 At a notary's house in Amsterdam, on December 3, 1671, a woman made her last will. She requested that her burial plot in the Nieuwe Kerk, marked by a blue horse and the name of Harmen Gerritsz Langesont, should not be sold or encumbered for 40 years.
She named Daniel, Abraham, and Maria as heirs and executors. They had to obey their mother and the executors regarding marriage decisions. Any heir who disobeyed would lose their inheritance.
Later, on November 5, 1671, Tobias van Heijst, a merchant living in the Warmoesstraat in Amsterdam, appeared before notary Jacob van Loosdrecht. He confirmed and expanded his earlier will from May 7, 1670. He specified that:
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View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 1937048 / 285 On November 13, 1660, a legal agreement was made in Amsterdam before notary Jan Hendricksz Leuven. Initially, Cornelis Roelofsz van Langesant, who was about to sail on the ship "De Vergulde Fortuijn" under captain Jan Cornelisen Buijsman to the Strait, acknowledged owing 40 guilders to his lodging hosts Teunis Andriesz and Elsie Pieters.
Later that same day, two more sailors, Hans Carstens van Langesont and Jonas Andriesz van Waerber, who were also about to sail on the same ship, acknowledged their debts to the same hosts. Hans Carstens owed 34 guilders and Jonas Andriesz owed 30 guilders.
All three sailors agreed to pay their debts by transferring their rights to their first month's wages and prize money from this and any future voyages to Teunis Andriesz and Elsie Pieters. The ship's owners were authorized to pay these amounts directly to the hosts. The agreement was witnessed by Gerrit Croon and Andres.
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 1937029 / 306 On May 5, 1663, a shipping contract was made in Amsterdam between Sir William Davidson, Knight and Baronet, a gentleman of His Majesty's Chamber, and Jan Vlasblom. The ship, named "Juffrouw Geertruijt", measured 126½ feet in length and 26 feet in width. The captain was Frederick Werps from Amsterdam.
The agreement stated that the ship would sail from the Netherlands to Langesund in Norway. There, it would be loaded with:
After loading, the ship would sail to Tangier in the Strait of Gibraltar. The cargo would be unloaded there. The payment was set at 23 Dutch guilders per last (a unit of cargo), calculated for up to 240 lasts. This measurement was certified on April 26 by Jacob Lambrechtsen and Leendert Witten. James Wood was named as the secretary handling these arrangements.
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 1937111 / 363 On May 5, 1630, a shipping contract was made in Amsterdam between merchant Pieter Allen and ship captain Rieuwert Jacobse van Worcom. The captain's ship, named "Fortune," could carry about 120 loads.
The captain agreed to sail from the Netherlands to Langesund in Norway, near Porsgrunn, where he would load the ship with goods chosen by the merchant. From there, he would sail to Plymouth in England, where he would deliver the cargo to Ritzert Hemmeris. The goods had to be unloaded within 14 working days. For this journey, the captain would receive 1,675 Carolus guilders, with 2 sterling shillings counted as 1 guilder.
The contract also included terms for a second voyage from the Netherlands to Vyborg in Finland. The captain would wait there for one month while goods were unloaded and new cargo loaded. He would then return to Amsterdam to deliver the goods. For this second journey, the payment would be 1,550 Carolus guilders. The merchant promised an extra 10 Carolus guilders for a new hat upon completion of the journey.
The contract was witnessed by notary Jacob Meerhout in Amsterdam and also signed by Sijbrens Besseel Becken.
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View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 565662 / 153 This appears to be a personnel list from Dutch maritime records, showing sailors and their assignments in the years between 1655 and 1668. The entries include crew members from various cities including Amsterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, and Copenhagen. Notable entries include:
Most of the men served as regular sailors (boatswains), with some specialized positions like carpenters, surgeons, and quartermasters. The records show they served on various ships including the Hollandia, Spreeuw, Oijevaer, and Beurs.
View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 1266 / 2114 On June 30, 1657, Cristiaen Jansz van Hoesum and Pieter Cornelisz van Langesont requested to be granted freedom in Cape. Since the Company could not provide them with oxen due to shortages, they were allowed to work as hunters. They were granted this freedom under special conditions:
The Company faced challenges with digging work due to a shortage of shovels and spades, as many broke on the rough land. They needed these tools for the Company's gardens. While waiting for more tools, workers from incoming ships would be used to retrieve beams from the forest for ongoing construction work, as started by Mr. van Goens.
The Company no longer needed the 6 requested plow wheels as they could now make plates themselves. They found that wheel plows worked as well as or better than foot plows based on daily testing. They still welcomed 6 plowshares and coulters weighing 20-25 pounds.
Plans for an equipment warehouse for storing ropes and ship supplies were reconsidered after Mr. van Goens suggested it wasn't necessary for heavy cables, as ships returning to the homeland from Batavia were already well-equipped.
View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 3992 / 0035 On May 29, 1665, Van Wassenaer reported from the ship "Eendracht" near Texel. They spotted several ships which the crew initially thought were English. Upon closer inspection, it was an English royal ship with 34 guns escorting 9 Hamburg merchant vessels bound for London and Dunkirk. These ships carried various goods including rope, iron, pitch, tar, ship supplies, hemp, and copper wire. The captured vessels were distributed as follows:
View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.01.02 / 11133 / 0477 On March 27, 1621, Jacob Moerhout was asked by merchant Henrick Beeckman from Amsterdam, representing Jan Sanchelle, a merchant from Middelburg, to collect payment on a bill of exchange. The bill was directed to Germijn Poulle, but when visiting his home, only his daughter was present. She claimed no knowledge of the matter.
The bill of exchange, dated January 12, 1621 in Middelburg, was for £187.8 Flemish groats, to be paid to Pieter Sanselles twelve weeks after the date, drawn by Joos Plasschert on behalf of Johan de Meij. The bill was accepted by Poulle and later transferred to Henderick Beeckman by Jacques Schocksever on March 22, 1621 in Middelburg.
A separate contract was made between Siere, a merchant from London, and I. Claasz Clastdrager from Hoorn, who was the captain of a ship called "de last drager" with a capacity of about 100 loads. The captain agreed to sail from the Netherlands to Langesont, Norway, where the merchant's representative would fully load the ship with timber and other merchandise.
The document was witnessed by:
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 1510374 / 193 In October 18, 1692, two groups met in front of notary Simon van Sevenhoven in Amsterdam. The first group consisted of merchants Wiggert Allerts and Andries Allerts from Hinloopen. The second party was ship captain Carel Fransz van Elbink, who commanded a vessel called "The Castle" that was 86 feet long, 22½ feet wide, with an 11-foot hold and 4-foot upper deck.
They agreed that the captain would sail to Langesund in Norway. There, the merchants' representatives would load the ship with timber. The captain and crew would help load the cargo as full as possible from the front to the cargo hatch. The captain agreed to move the deck beams up to make more space.
After loading, the ship would sail directly back to Amsterdam without waiting for escort ships. Upon delivery of the cargo, the merchants would pay:
Any damage and pilot fees would be handled according to maritime customs. The agreement was witnessed by Joannes van Swanenburg and Pieter Six.
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 1510891 / 52 On July 30, 1642, Egbert Jansz Schaep from Campen appeared before notary Henrick Schaeff. Schaep had sailed on the ship Salmander in 1634 as quartermaster and recently arrived injured in Amsterdam on the ship Amsterdam. He appointed his wife Trijntgen Barentsdr to collect wages from the West India Company for:
On July 31, 1642, three sailors appeared before the same notary:
They had arrived in Texel on July 8 on the ship Amsterdam. They testified for Jonas Evertsz, an innkeeper in Gothenburg, that they and other sailors worked as stevedores for two days on the ship Amsterdam. Some sailors donated their stevedore wages to a blind child, while others sold their wages to the innkeeper.
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 605089 / 123 In Amsterdam on March 16 and 17, 1655, several sworn brokers including Coenraad Bex, Guilliaan van Kessel, and Abraham de Klerck made declarations about hides from Cape Verde that arrived on the ship House of Breda. They testified that while unloading cargo from different lighters at the West India Company warehouse, they found 656 hides damaged by wetness. These damaged hides were sorted into 4 different lots to be sold.
Several workers at the warehouse, including Even Willemsz, Jan Lauisz, and Hendrick Jansz, confirmed this account. They had helped unload the hides from the lighters at the Company warehouse on Rapenburg.
In a separate declaration on March 19, 1655, Magnus Hendricxsz, age 46, testified that as a ship captain on the New Rotterdam, he had transported some linen, painted cloth, and a sealed letter from the East Indies for Hendrik vander Linne, an under-merchant. The items were later collected by Stijntje Jonis, who identified herself as the wife of Jan Dircxsz and sister of Hendrik vander Linne.
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 607549 / 158 On July 25, 1642, Carsten Lourens, a sailor who had arrived from Brazil on the ship "Amstm", appeared before notary Henrick Schaeff in Amsterdam. As heir to Pieter Paulsz (a quartermaster who had died during the return voyage), he transferred his inheritance rights to Sijmon Poulsz and Sijmon Pietersz, who were relatives of the deceased.
On July 26, 1642, Jan Schutt from Nijenhuijs, who had recently returned from Brazil on the ship "Salmander" as a sergeant for the West India Company, appeared before the same notary. He transferred his right to 250 guilders, which the Company had granted him for the loss of his right eye, to his innkeeper Henrick Jansz Bocxemaker. The witnesses were Hans Jurgen from Spiers (who had sailed on the ship "de Liefde" in 1633) and Joost Heijn from the county of Nassau, who had sailed on the ship "den dolsijn" from Hoorn.
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 565654 / 51 The text describes several administrative decisions in the Netherlands. The royal trumpet players requested payment for their duties when the city of Grave was taken. Johan van Offenbergh, the Prince of Orange's postmaster, who brought news about the capture of Naarden, Bonn, and Grave, was awarded 20 silver ducatons. There was a dispute about the Prince Willem's Polder (also called Schoondijke) involving claims made by the abbott of St. Peter's near Ghent. In Axel, there was a matter concerning Claes Soute's position as deputy bailiff, which was resolved by maintaining old customs. The document also mentions maritime matters:
The text ends with a legal dispute between Gillis Damman (married to Cornelia van Borselen van der Hooghe) and lawyer Johannes Michiels (married to Anna van Gorcum) from Middelburg.
View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.01.02 / 275 / 0179 On Saturday, August 4, 1657, a court case was held at Fort de Goede Hoope. Present were Commander Jan van Riebeecq, Bookkeeper Roeloff de Man, citizen Steven Jansz, Sergeant Jan van Harwarden, and Christiaen Jansz van Hoesum. The case involved Jan van Passel, a freeman working for citizen Jan Reyniersz, who was accused of illegal hunting.
The prosecutors claimed that Abraham Gabbema and others ignored the conditions set by Commissioner van Goens, the Commander, and the Council. They were caught slaughtering calves and sheep without prior notification to the Commander. The accused was also said to have been lying in wait in hunting huts with a loaded gun to shoot birds, which was against the regulations.
The defendant denied ever being in their hunting huts but admitted saying that if they had caught him in their huts, he would have been in trouble. He requested dismissal of the case with costs. The Council dismissed the prosecutors' case due to lack of evidence and ordered both parties to share the costs.
The document concludes with a list of dates and destinations for various shipments between Batavia, Nantes, London, Angola, Guinea, and Bantam throughout 1660s.
View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 3992 / 0739 In June 1690, several sailors gave sworn statements about their experiences on the ship S. Franciscus, commanded by Captain Jan Goulet. The ship had sailed from Marseille to Alicante about three months earlier. At Alicante, they loaded cargo, and there were rumors they would go to a French port. When they reached Malaga, Captain Goulet, sitting in a small boat, told his crew they were all "King's prisoners."
The testimonies were witnessed by various officials including:
The sailors who gave testimony included:
The statements were taken while the ships were anchored in the Bay of Cadix on June 17, 1690.
View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.01.02 / 11191 / 0396 In Sunderslottholm, Eyler Wrne had ordered ship ropes from Cornelis Pieters Melepier, a boatman from Enkhuizen, for a warship serving the King of Denmark. The three largest anchor ropes were seized by the admiralty in the northern quarter.
The Count of Oldenburg requested permission to export 70 or 80 units of gunpowder. The Council of State advised against this on June 16, as the army needed the powder in two locations and the enemy was known to be short of gunpowder.
The report discussed Admiral Dorp's commission on June 18 regarding frigates to protect Ameland city and Terschelling island. Due to different opinions, further discussions were needed with the trade company directors.
Captain Pieter Luyten's yacht, which was supposed to be decommissioned due to lack of funds, was kept in service to patrol the Flanders coast. Two frigates were reassigned to guard the Ameland passage during the summer season.
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View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 1937113 / 68 In 1663-1665, several sailors were registered on various Dutch ships, with their debts and payments recorded:
View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 921525 / 92 Find your ancestors and publish your family tree on Genealogy Online via https://www.genealogieonline.nl/en/