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New Amsterdam - Notable Citizens

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Mayor Pieter Jansen Slot (c.1639 - 1688)
Son of Jan Pietersen Slot & Aeltje Jans, his 1st wife.===biography===From The Slot's from Wall Street to Pompton BY TOWNSEND, RICHARDPieter Jansen Slot was born in Amsterdam, Holland, and immigrated wi...
Rev. Francis Doughty of Maspeth (1605 - 1682)
and References at above URLReverend Francis Doughty was born on Nov. 4, 1605 in Oldsburg, Gloucester Co., England. He married Bridget Stone there in 1624. Francis was formerly the rector of Sudbury, Gl...
Bastiaen Jansz Krol (1595 - 1674)
Jansz Krol (also Sebastia(e)n; Jans(s)en; Crol[1] or Crull) (1595, Harlingen – 14 March 1674), was Director-General of New Netherland from 1632 to 1633.When he was 10, Krol's family moved from Frieslan...
Adriaen Hendricks Hegeman (1624 - 1672)
New Amsterdam - Immigrants Adriaen was born in Elburg, Gelderland in 1624 [1], the son of Hendrick Hegeman, a minister of the Dutch Church at Vorchten. His 2 brothers were ministers of the Dutch churc...
Van Ceulen Coat of Arms — Courtesy http://www.angelfire.com/id/vancuren/home.html

Mathijs Jansen van Keulen (bef.1602 - 1648)
Mathijs (Matthys) Jansen Van Keulen (Ceulen) was born during a family trip to London and was baptized on 2 Feb 1601/02 in the Austin Friars Dutch Reformed Church in London, England. His parents were bo...

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This chapter includes...

Governors of New Netherland
Great Burghers (1657-1668)
Notable Citizens...

Governors of Nieuw-Nederland (New Netherland)

1621-1624 : Adriaen Jorissen Thienpont ~• in wikipedia
1624-1625 : Cornelis May ~• in wikipedia
1625-1626 : Willem Verhulst ~• in wikipedia
1626-1631 : Peter Minuit
1632-1633 : Bastiaen Janssen Crol ~• aka Sebastian Janszen Krol ~• in wikipedia
1633-1638 : Wouter van Twiller
1638-1647 : Willem Kieft
1647-1664 : Peter Stuyvesant
1664-1673 - English occupation, 1664-1668 : Richard Nicolls, 1668-1673 : Francis Lovelace
1673-1673 : Cornelis Evertsen de Jongste and Jacob Binckes
1673-1674 : Anthony Colve

Great Burghers

Between 1657-1668, New Amsterdam ran a system of citizenship, meant to protect the interests of the citizens against the commercial competition of non-resident traders. The system recognized 'great burghers' and 'small burghers'.

This, in effect, created a certain 'aristocracy' as it confirmed the positions of the most powerful families in the colony. Besides the fact that the title of 'great burgher' was hereditary, one of its privileges was access to the highest public positions in the colony.

Nevertheless, the system had fundamentally democratic principles, because everyone could become a citizen of both types - depending on a few rules and the payment of a fee. Per 1657, twenty citizens were privileged as 'great burghers', whilst a further 216 became 'small burghers'. More citizens acquired the status throughout the existence of the system.

The 'great burghers' in 1657 were:

Jan de la Montagne, Jr
Jan Gillesen van Brugh
Hendrick Hendricksen Kip
Hendrick Hendricksen Kip, Jr
Isaac Kip
Peter Stuyvesant
Johannes Theodorus Polhemus a.k.a. Joannes Megapolensis
Jacob Gerritsen Stryker
Jan Vigne
The wife of Cornelis Van Tienhoven
Hendrick Van Dyck
Marten Cregier
Carel van Brugh
Jacob Wolfertse van Couwenhoven
Laurens Cornelissen van der Wel
Johannes Pietersen van Brugh
Cornelius Jacobsz van Steenwyck
Willem Bogardus
Daniel Litschoe (Acceptance into the project pending.)
Pieter Van Couwenhoven

Notable Citizens in the New Netherland settlements and towns

Currently being researched:

Mayors (in Dutch: burgemeesters)
Aldermen (in Dutch: schepenen)
Bailiffs (in Dutch: schouten, or baljuws)
Schoolmasters
Clergymen
Original Slaves ~• see project for African Immigrants of New Amsterdam

Multi-document resource on Roots Web

Early Governance

Though New Netherland was a province of Holland, the colony was run in its early days by the Dutch West India Company. The early governors of the colony were also called 'Directors', and they ran the colony as a business. Though all major decisions about the colony were taken by the WIC in Amsterdam, the governors appointed their own council for the management of practical affairs in the colony.

Council of the Province of New Netherland http://media.geni.com/p13/76/11/f0/98/5344483eda73e5a4/council_of_new_netherland_original.jpg?hash=868349e33cd1a2315e2be3ceb617c93f9eefd04b13890bb74df32529d7b35d9b.1696316399

Minuit's Council - 1626-1632

Peter Bylevelt
Jacob Elbertsen Wissinck
Jan Jansen Brouwer
Symon Dirckssen Post
Reynert Harmensen
Isaac de Rasières, secretary

Twiller's Council - 1633-1638

Jacques Bentyn
Reynert Harmensen
Andries Hudde
Martin Gerritsen van Bergen
Jacobus van Curler
Lubertuse van Dincklage
Claes van Elslant

The New Amsterdam Council

Before the incorporation of New Amsterdam as a city, in 1653, the affairs of the settlement were run by the governor, assisted by a council of elected men (a first form of direct representation of the citizens). The council is identified by their number upon election. Below, we list all recorded members.

Twelve Men (elected August 29, 1641, abolished February 18, 1642)