Transcriptions » Recently created summaries of historical documents

Users of Open Archives can have a summary made of the transcriptions created using handwriting recognition.
Both artificial intelligence tasks are not perfect, but often more than sufficient to make the historical document understandable. In the transcripts, names are underlined in green and clickable (to search the personal entries on Open Archives for the name in question), the recognized dates have a light gray background and recognized place names have a light purple background.


View transcript 


A request was made for further approval regarding certain matters on 22 December 1777. The authorities asked to provide a monthly allowance of 20 dollars in cash, plus rice, beans, oil, salt, pepper and firewood to Radeen agoe, widow of Pangerang Praboe, and her followers who had returned from Banda to Batavia before sending them to Ceylon. The plan was to have the Javanese rulers pay for these costs. However, the rulers were not currently paying such expenses, and previous support given to this family in Banda had already been written off as expenses of the government in Java. The authorities requested further guidance on this matter. They expressed thanks for goods received via the ship Kroonenburg, including rifles, flint stones, sea charts, and items requested by the Emperor in exchange for payment. They wished for blessings in the coming new year for the persons addressed and for the Company's important interests. On 22 December 1777, another letter was received. The Resident of Rembang was instructed to arrange for the King of Bantam to collect pepper using 12 boats similar to Javanese Pantjallangs, measuring 50 feet long and 16½ feet wide. The fiscal officer and the warehouse masters were ordered to ensure that boxes containing bird nests for the Company would be wrapped with cross bands and sealed with the Company's seal. Permission was given to private individuals to transport rice by freight to Banda for 10 dollars and 100 pounds of spillage per koyang for the Company. They could also bring rice and other provisions for their own account, return with sea cucumbers and other permitted goods, and sail directly from Banda back to Java. Notice of this permission would be given everywhere. As many jati seeds as available would be sent to Amboina, along with the citizen Anthonij Adams who had arrived at Baccalongang that day with a respected letter dated 2 December.
View transcript 


On 28 December 1777, a report was sent regarding the arrival of eastern ships. The officials stated they would follow orders concerning the validation of spillage (goods allowed to be traded privately by ship officers). Since the petitioner had always given the required satisfaction as bookkeeper, they asked for favorable consideration of both requests.

The ships 't Huijs te Bijweg and Kroonenburg, destined for Banda and Amboina respectively, had arrived at Paccalongang and Samarang. In response to the letter of 10th of the month, the officials reported they would send to Amboina with Kroonenburg the full woolen request, and to Banda 700 coiangs of rice instead of the originally requested 1,000. They would send as many of the other goods as the ships 't Huis te Bijwegen and Oostcapelle could transport. Each of these 3 ships would receive 40,000 pounds of rice and 8,000 cadjang (roofing material) as rations for the crew for the round trip, calculated at 8 months.

In validating spillage for ship officers bringing goods from Batavia, they would follow article 2 of the regulation reprinted on 15 August 1764 (dated 22 December 1777), concerning the writing off of shortages and deficiencies. They would therefore validate only half of the otherwise permitted spillage. They thanked the authorities both for this ruling and for permission to write off war and transport costs in Balemboang and in the expedition against Noessa, which occurred in fiscal year 1776/7, totaling 37,049 guilders, 3 stuivers, and 8 penningen.

The authorities' satisfaction with the favorable state of this coast and the recorded profit of 105,227 guilders and 3 stuivers in fiscal year 1776/7 gave them much satisfaction. The confidence placed in them served as a strong motivation to meet expectations that the profits from prosperous Java at the end of the current fiscal year would exceed those of many previous years by a considerable amount, and that outstanding debts would be reduced.

They respectfully noted the granted permission to the Ternate citizens to call at Java on their journey to Batavia, provided they had proper passes, and to sell their cargo there either wholly or in part.

View transcript 


On 22 December 1777, a report was sent regarding military matters on Java. Five people who had claimed to be free persons were sent to the authorities, but it later turned out they were actually slaves. The costs made for them were requested to be charged back to Java. The military strength report from the end of November showed that 88 soldiers were missing from the required number in the best garrisons, and together with 52 common soldiers stationed on Noessa, there was a shortage of 140 soldiers in total. The writer requested that when sending replacement troops, as few junior officers and orphans as possible should be sent, because there were already enough of them. The old soldiers became frustrated because they could not get promoted, which often made them push for their release, setting a bad example for others. Thanks were expressed on behalf of several employees who had been promoted or had their salaries increased: It was reported that chief merchant and Head Administrator Johan Michiel van Panhuis had undertaken his permitted trip overland on 13 August, and bookkeeper Christoffel Weijdeman was expected to come serve on Java. Two petitions were presented:
  1. One from junior merchant and Resident at Joana Rutgert Reinier Keijzer, requesting permission to make a trip to Batavia
  2. One from citizen of Sourabaija Pieter Loeshouwer, requesting to be taken back into the Company's service in his previous position
View transcript 


On 22 December 1777, several administrative matters were discussed. Brewing of arak was forbidden for His Excellency. This task was assigned to the clerk and the director, the resident of Pacalong. A separate letter was offered from the Grissee resident Fockens. Following an order from 11 November, the local prosecutor was again contacted about the prohibition against brewing arak. The heads of other offices were also written to, instructing them to watch carefully against the brewing of arak. They were also told to follow rules about brewing tjieuw at sugar mills and elsewhere in the highlands, according to regulations from 22 April 1768 and 6 October, as far as this was practically possible. Regarding the supply of provisions, the usual provisions of rice and poultry for His Excellency, the current governor-general and the highly respected director-general Alting, would from now on be supplied only in rice according to previous arrangements. The resident of Pacalong, Bruistens, was already instructed to take care of the missing last 3 months of this year at the first good opportunity. The merchant and Grissee resident Barend Willem Fockens was required to explain the reasons why the people of Rottinee would see it as half a torture when a minister visited them. The 600 pairs of good quality men's shoes that were requested - specifically 400 pairs with flat toes and 200 pairs with round toes - were already being made and would be sent by sea at the first opportunity. Regarding certain people transported to the main place on the ship De Behemot according to a submission from 1 June, a report from prosecutor Nicolaas Alexander Zeliveld showed that only the following were known to be escaped slaves: The report also mentioned:
View transcript 


The Dutch East India Company dealt with two financial accounts. The state of the Larvenier Proveniershuis (a charitable institution) had a capital of ultimo February 1716 of 424:19 guilders. According to a resolution from 21 March, the account showed more expenses than income. Expenses included a major repair in 1775 that cost 467:12 guilders. By ultimo February 1777, the account stood at 1802:23 guilders. The account would be further affected by income from: The city treasury stood at 639:1 guilders on ultimo February 1776. According to the resolution of 21 March, despite various extra expenses, the account improved by 2:17:8 guilders. On ultimo February 1777, it closed with a favorable balance of 641:18:8 guilders. This treasury was funded by income from wagon lease payments and half a month's house rent. At the session of 21 March and 22 December 1777, the upper street masters were authorized to have pebbles and sand supplied for maintaining roads within the city. The Equipage Master was to be paid from the city treasury: 1¼ guilders for a large boat of coarse sand and 1½ guilders for pebbles. At the session of 11 October, the Mandadoor of the chain gang workers, who were employed to do city work, was allocated 2 ducatons per month for housing, since neither the company nor the city provided a place for them to stay. Regarding the arrack distillery, the company decided by letter of 6 October to maintain its decision to break up the arrack distillery. The distilling of the drink was stopped directly and the distillery itself was demolished, as confirmed by a report from judicial commissioners who conducted an on-site inspection.
View transcript 


On 22 December 1777, a regulation was sent to all lower-ranking offices with necessary remarks for the leaders themselves. This included a recommendation to encourage the community to be generous toward the poor, but this had little effect so far, as could be seen from earlier church matters that were noted down.

Meanwhile, former estate administrators and administrators of orphan and church deacon funds had investigated and reported back, as requested, about which of the mortgages under their management were sufficient and which debtors had good guarantors or not. On 11 October of the previous year, each administrator was told through a resolution to ensure without delay that money owed on expired or over-valued mortgages would be collected and paid. Where guarantors had died or were insufficient, new ones should be appointed or the capital itself should be demanded. They were to submit a written report by the end of the month so that collected money that was lying idle could be invested more securely. This authority was given by a letter dated 10 June of that year.

The church treasury, which had stood at 1,619 rijksdaalders and 27 stuivers at the end of February 1776, had decreased because regular expenses and repairs to the church and minister's house had exceeded income of only 516 rijksdaalders, 18 stuivers, and 4 penningen by 68 rijksdaalders, 41 stuivers, and 12 penningen. By the end of February 1777, according to the account inserted in the resolution of 21 March, the treasury held only 1,550 rijksdaalders, 33 stuivers, and 4 penningen. By the middle of that month, it had decreased further to only 583 rijksdaalders, 21 stuivers, and 8 penningen.

This was because payment had been made for repair, improvement, and enlargement of the organ. A committee consisting of merchant Nicolaas Alexander Leliveld and junior merchant Martinus Leonardus Gaaswijck had inspected the organ and carefully examined everything. In their report they confirmed that the 1,116 rijksdaalders charged by the maker were well deserved. At the meeting on 11 November, senior merchant and chief administrator Johan Michiel van Panhuis, serving as church warden, was authorized to pay that amount.

View transcript 


On 22 December 1777, there was nothing to note. The Council of Justice of this Government had nothing at that moment that required the high attention of their High Honors, so they moved on to a brief report on the state of the other boards and charitable institutions in this place. The capital of the orphan masters on 1 February 1776 had been 71,032 reichsdalers, 18 stuivers. According to the financial statement received at the meeting of 21 March of the previous year, due to more money paid out than received (3,024 reichsdalers, 27 stuivers, 3 penningen), the capital on ultimo February 1777 remained 68,078 reichsdalers, 38 stuivers, 13 penningen. The surplus interest of 121 reichsdalers, 40 stuivers, 15 penningen had also increased through more expenses than income to 19 reichsdalers, 32 stuivers, 15 penningen. However, since that Board had about 62,175 reichsdalers outstanding on mortgages and otherwise, the account would apparently have increased again by the next calculation. The capital of the estate administrators on ultimo February 1776 had been 12,156 reichsdalers, 46 stuivers. According to the financial statement included in the Resolution of 21 March of the previous year, also through more expenses than income (1,011 reichsdalers, 44 stuivers), it was reduced on ultimo February 1777 to 11,145 reichsdalers, 2 stuivers. Of this amount, 7,400 reichsdalers were actually outstanding on various mortgages. The capital of the deacons for the poor on ultimo February 1776 had increased to 15,996 reichsdalers. According to the financial statement inserted in the resolution of 14 April, because the income exceeded the expenses by 38 reichsdalers, 5 stuivers, it increased on ultimo February 1777 to 16,034 reichsdalers, 5 stuivers. However, on ultimo November just past, it was only 14,903 reichsdalers, 4 stuivers, 8 penningen (of which 12,840 reichsdalers were outstanding). This reduction occurred because the ordinary donations and collections decreased while expenses continued to increase. This had also been noticeable in the previous year. Therefore, the administrators of the poor relief, at the request of the Governor, prepared a report of the ordinary donations collected at all offices from 1 March 1776 to ultimo February 1777. According to this report, during the 12-month period: Since then, copies of that report had been sent for consideration.
View transcript 


View transcript 


On 22 December 1777, Sustman would have buildings completed in Cheribon. The construction of the lodges at the Courts was progressing.

Rice amounts were recorded from several places:

This did not include rice transported on the Company's ships for permitted loads of the authorities or other purposes, nor a large quantity of other local crops that this coast exported. They trusted that Batavia would be sufficiently supplied with Javanese products and that Your High Honors would be satisfied.

Lieutenant Engineer Fredrik Sustman would be provided with further requirements when he returned from the island of Noessa and from the eastern corner. They would answer Your High Honors' further inquiries about the fort and the buildings in Cheribon.

Two reports from the Residents at Souracarta and Djokjocarta were offered, showing how far the lodges being built by the susuhunan and the Sultan respectively at their Courts had progressed.

Building work completed on the coastal trading posts included:

They hoped for approval for writing off both repair amounts in the account books of those trading posts.

View transcript 


On 22 December 1777, a report was made about shipping traffic to and from the north coast of Java. Compared to the previous year, all arriving vessels were properly inspected. As a result of another successful harvest of all local products in general, and especially of rice, the shipping and trade on this coast in this year was just as favorable as in the previous 3 fertile years. The following vessels traveled to and from the north coast: These were barges, sloops, pantjallangs and smaller vessels. In comparison, in 1776, 274 vessels had arrived and 422 had departed. So in 1777, 21 fewer vessels arrived directly, but 76 more departed. The small ships that arrived directly at Samarang from the north coast were all inspected by appointed judicial officials. According to reports noted in resolutions of this year, no smuggled goods were brought in. Vessels departing from Samarang, Sourabaija and Grissee transported, according to their travel documents and among other local products, 4,073.5 coyangs of rice. From Grissee, 67 vessels arrived and 151 departed. The rice was transported to the following destinations: Additionally, private traders transported rice to Batavia according to records: The total transported was 1,978.25 coyangs.
View transcript 


On 22 December 1777, the authorities requested permission to sell 5 iron blunderbusses (of which 1 was unusable), 16 rifles of various sorts, 3 Balinese rifles, 4 pairs of pistols (all unusable), and 31 pikes with staffs (unusable), along with 50 items without identification. Following their decision from 11 November, they had the usable goods registered with the Artillery and weapons storage, while the unusable items were marked as such in the books. Although the following items were judged to be in working condition, they were of no use or service to the company: They requested permission to sell these items publicly for the benefit of the Company to company subordinates who could still use them for defense of their vessels. On 22 December 1777 in Banda, there were no interested buyers. Regarding private free trade and commerce, they reported as a follow-up to their previous submission of 22 November that no interested parties had been found in Samarang, in the eastern corner, or at any of the residencies to transport rice to Banda on behalf of the company for 10 rijksdaalders plus 100 pounds spillage per coyang. They did not expect that Javanese traders would step forward for this, nor to transport rice to Banda or other eastern governments on their own account, despite all possible efforts to encourage them. They had announced everywhere that although the company would not buy the rice in Banda for 50 rijksdaalders per coyang, the selling price was set at 40 rijksdaalders per coyang for servants, planters, and citizens, and 50 rijksdaalders per coyang for foreigners, free of tolls on import and export. They regretted that they could not better fulfill the intentions and supply unfortunate Banda abundantly with rice.
View transcript 


The executors were ordered to carry out the orders. Nothing further needed to be noted about pirates, except what had already been mentioned. The profits from goods recovered from a certain shipwreck were distributed according to the orders on 22 December 1777, which gave great satisfaction, and proper thanks were expressed. The Surabaya officials were informed about matters concerning Surabaya, and they were ordered to carry out the orders. The originally agreed lease period for that district was to remain in effect for the benefit of the Company. The regent named Sumanap was ordered not only to make the tenant pay back the income that he had wrongfully taken, but also to pay a fine of 1,000 Spanish reals for the benefit of the Deacons' Poor Relief and the Almshouse.

During this year, no foreign Europeans were reported along Java except for the English two-masted bark The Naneij at Japara, which had been mentioned in the submission of 3 June. Regarding pirates and raids, nothing more needed to be said beyond what had been noted earlier in response to the letter extract from Patria dated 30 October 1776. Concerning the salvaged goods from the vessel or wreck that ran aground between Touban and Passum, which was believed to have belonged to pirates (last mentioned in the submission of the end of August), it was reported that after the Council of Justice declared the goods forfeited, the net proceeds (after deducting all costs) amounted to 1,946 rixdollars and 24 stuivers. Following the instructions given in the letter of 10 June, the money was divided as follows: one-third to the finder, one-third to the prosecutor, and one-third transferred to the Company's treasury in favor of the account for patrol vessels. However, this was all done with the condition that restitution would be made if rightful owners ever appeared. They hoped this would be approved.

The goods captured during the conquest of the island of Noessa and sent by the Surabaya officials consisted of:

View transcript 


View transcript 


View transcript 


On 22 December 1770, officials reported on their examination of trading books. A tax rule was confirmed: when goods were sold to foreigners, a 10 percent tax would apply, but when sold to employees of the Company, only a 5 percent tax (the twentieth penny) would be charged. The trading books from the coast for the years 1767 had been sent to headquarters on the ship Landskroon on 3 November. Two commissioners, chief merchant and head administrator Johan Michiel van Panhuis and junior merchant and payroll bookkeeper Lodewijk Reaal de Bas, examined and compared these books according to proper procedures. They submitted their report with decisions made at the session of 1 December, which they requested be approved. Specific approval was requested for two matters: These differences and other errors found by the commissioners showed that the orders from 11 August 1775 were not being followed at any of the timber residencies. Those orders required that Regents be debited for the number of beams they were obligated to deliver and credited for those they actually delivered. Similarly, the accounting practice at several offices wrongly failed to debit and credit Regents with the number of koyangs of rice they delivered for payment.
View transcript 


On 22 December 1717, a request was made to forgive the debt for the Regents of Paccabongang and Batang concerning wooden beams. Light timber work was offered. A list of prices for products from the coast was also submitted, with a request for approval or changes. The request asked to forgive 300 to 350 beams that the Regents of Paccalongang and Batang together would still owe according to calculations. They would pay the shipping price for these beams, calculated for beams of 25 feet at the required current price. A detailed price list for timber work, including planks and light beams that would be bought outside the fixed quotas, was provided as requested in a letter from 11 June. The Governor had also prepared a document listing the prices and taxes for products and goods from the coast. This document was submitted for approval or changes, so that a regulation could be created ensuring all trading posts would follow the same procedures. Orders against excessive transport of timber by private individuals and the cutting down of too much young wood were approved and would be strictly observed and enforced. From the Regents of Paccalongang and Batang, as well as from others, no curved planks and stave lumber would be accepted for the quotas. The instructions from the letter of 11 June regarding forest inspections would be followed. The communities were informed through notices that from now on, without special permission, no ships larger than 10 loads could be built by private individuals anywhere along the coast. It was also announced that following a decision from 6 October, the 10 percent tax on newly built ships introduced in 1774 was withdrawn. In the future, only the traditional fees for keel-laying, stem-setting, and launching would be charged, but the Lord's fees would have to be paid for all ships.
View transcript 


View transcript 


On 22 December 1797, the governing body stated that when van der Beke, who was a member of their assembly, raised unavoidable obstacles or impossibilities as they arose, they asked him to fulfill his initial promise and provide his considerations before they proceeded further. He sent these considerations in a letter dated 21 November, but the letter only contained untimely objections against the planned arrangements and did not suggest any solutions for preventing problems or eliminating the arbitrary behavior and abuses that had developed, nor did it explain how to secure better and lasting enjoyment of the forests for the Company. At their session on 1 December, they decided to: The governor reserved the right to refute van der Beke's objections in the coming spring when there would be more time and better opportunity. Meanwhile, in their circular letter of 1 December, they responded with 2 points:
  1. Their observation that in matters where more than just their master had an interest, people often used the excuse that the native population was averse to changes
  2. That insofar as his objections had not already been addressed by their resolution of 14 April of that year (which had been approved by the High Lords), these objections could very easily be resolved with good supervision and willing, unselfish management if everyone did as the first signatory had done in the year 1776 to promote indigo manufacturing in Japara, when even the regents raised objections against relocating the factory and van der Beke requested support to order those regents to stop making difficulties and to designate the villages he had selected for planting fields where rice and other crops grew with the indigo plant, and additionally to order the village heads to command the common people
View transcript 


View transcript 


On 22 December 1777, extracts from letters dated 5, 14 and 21 November showed that the sugar from this year's harvest had mostly been transported away or sold in small-scale trade. The suppliers under the area of Joana withdrew, claiming they were outside the jurisdiction of Japara. If the suppliers in general were not instructed from higher authority that the Company demanded first-grade sugar, it would be impossible to prevent the increasing fraud in the falsification of quality. However, this seemed to contradict an earlier statement that delivery to the Company on the old terms would revive the declining factories and the declining Javanese colonists in this respect. The Javanese sugar manufacturers, since the refusal of their sugar, had profitable export to Malacca and could often make 40 to 50 percent more for their sugar in domestic trade than the Company paid on Java. Help was requested in these matters to remain beyond reproach. On 22 December 1747, the Resident expected to bring together 250 to 300 chests under Japara and Coedus in the spring. Further approval was requested regarding this demand. To better fulfill the high intention, 2 lieutenants from the Chinese community had not only warned the sugar manufacturers under Japara and Coedus, as well as under Pattij and Joana, about the demand and against mixing or falsifying the first grade, but had also investigated and recorded how much good and deliverable sugar could still be found at mills in the mentioned districts. The Chinese van der Beke calculated that according to their information, the officers found no more than 91 chests or approximately 275 picols of first-grade sugar at all the mills. Notice was given of this, and approval was requested regarding the sugar demand, along with a permanent determination for always, or as long as the export of sugar along this coast was leased on the current basis, about how much lease should be paid to the leaseholder for the sugar that the Company collected and exported. According to a submission from the end of August, in the past month of November, the regents and chiefs who had teak forests in their districts and had to deliver wood to the Company were contacted.
View transcript 


View transcript 


On 22 December 1777, officials reported that they had shipped 21,717 pounds more yarn than the fixed delivery quota of 284 picols required. This was achieved by combining what was collected in the prince's lands with purchases made in Samarang. Although the yarn from Souracarta had been excused from the official Dutch requirements for returns from the Indies for the year 1777 due to its poor quality, the officials decided not to stop collecting it without special orders from their superiors. Instead, they would try to improve its quality to meet the required standards, which they believed had already been happening for the past 2 years. Regarding indigo production, which had been somewhat more favorable this year, they shipped 664 pounds more of the first grade than in 1776. In response to a request from 8 November, the Japara Resident Mister Willem van der Beeke was asked to provide a detailed report about indigo processing in his district. Van der Beeke agreed to provide this information but requested some time so he could first speak with the village leaders and regents of the indigo villages during the spring season to gather complete information. Concerning previous requests made by van der Beeke (mentioned in a letter of 31 July): Van der Beeke thanked his superiors for their trust in him. He noted that the regents of Japara, who alone were responsible for managing the timber forests according to a secret resolution of 11 March 1762, had fulfilled their 5-year backlog of 1,069 timber pieces by delivering 233 pieces before van der Beeke's departure and during his absence.
View transcript 


On 22 December 1778, orders were issued everywhere again. Regarding coconut trees, the governors and residents, together with the leaders of the rice-giving districts, were urged again through circular letters dated 1 November of that year. They were told to encourage the common people in time to work and prepare the rice fields with everything needed for that purpose. They also had to report from time to time what harvest could be expected. Concerning coconut oil, this year the price was extremely high. Everything that comes from the coconut tree, which is essential for the natives themselves, was becoming scarcer and more expensive over time. This happened because old trees were dying, and through the punishable neglect of many regents and the carelessness of the common people, few young trees had been planted in recent years. The first signatory had made an attempt to encourage the natives around Samarang to plant and cultivate young coconut trees. This was successful, so through the same circular letters of 1 November, all regents and leaders along the Javanese coasts were ordered to instruct their subjects to plant trees in their villages or near their homes under certain arrangements: Older and younger people were left free to follow their own choice. The regents then had to report how many coconut trees were planted in each district. Meanwhile, to encourage the common people more, they were told and promised that everyone would be allowed to keep freely the fruits they would harvest from their coconut trees in time. These orders were accepted willingly by all regents. Some even considered them beneficial for land and people and also as a way to make the common people stay in their permanent residence. Therefore, they did not doubt that the result would meet the goal and satisfy Your High Nobleness. The cotton yarn that the regents of Japara and Coedus still owed from the previous year's old debts of 9 guilders had since been delivered, and the quotas had come in everywhere.
View transcript 


The document lists various goods and their quantities that were collected and shipped from different locations. The items included: The goods were shipped to various destinations with the following values in guilders: The total value amounted to 504,027 guilders, 15 stuivers. On 22 December 1778, goods were collected at Hembang. The document noted that the Company had delivered more than it received from Java's Northeast Coast in 1777, resulting in a deficit of 94,825 guilders, 16 stuivers. The writer explained that the collection and shipment would have been greater if more ships or vessels had been available for transport. The governor had continued to work on these matters with good success, as had been done for several years.
View transcript 



Previous pageNext page

Find your ancestors and publish your family tree on Genealogy Online via https://www.genealogieonline.nl/en/