Complete English translationToday, the 8th of January in the year 1619, there appeared before me, notary public, and before the witnesses named hereafter, Henrick Gallant and Aeltgen Tamssen, his lawful wife, who had previously been the widow of Jan Houck, of the one part, and Ysaack Aellerton, tailor, of the other part.
The said Henrick Gallant and Aeltgen Tamssen acknowledged and declared that they had hereby placed, and the said Aellerton had accepted from them, the little son of the said Gallant and his wife, begotten by her with her first husband, named Jan de Houck, presently about twelve years old — and this with the consent and agreement of the said Jan de Houck himself, as he, appearing before me the notary and the witnesses, likewise declared — for the term of twelve consecutive years, to begin on Vrouwelichtmis day 1619 next coming.
This was agreed so that the said Aellerton should, during the said term of twelve years, provide for, feed and raise the said Jan de Houck with all proper necessities, whether of food, drink, clothing, linen and wool, shoes and all else, as is proper, reasonable and fitting, both in sickness and in health, indeed in the same manner as his own children; and during the said term also to teach and instruct him in the trade and craft of tailoring, together with all that pertains thereto, so far as he knows it himself, without keeping anything back from the said Jan de Houck in this respect; likewise to guide and instruct him in the fear of the Lord, and to have him taught to read and write so far as he may thereby help himself; and further also to keep good watch and oversight over the said Jan de Houck, as a father is bound to do over his child.
For his part, the said Jan de Houck shall be bound, during the said term of twelve years, to serve the said Ysaack Aellerton with all diligence, industry and fidelity, and to allow himself to be employed by him, both in his craft and otherwise as is proper, and likewise to allow himself to be instructed, taught and guided accordingly; and likewise to obey and be obedient to the said Aellerton, his master, in all things proper and reasonable, as a good servant is bound and ought to do; item, also diligently and carefully to attend to, perform and practise his craft, to the greatest profit and advantage of his master; and generally, in all things that are proper, to conduct and behave himself such that his said master shall have no lawful and sufficient reason to complain of him or to dismiss him.
To this end the said Jan de Houck shall not, during the said term of twelve years, be permitted to depart or leave his said service, nor to enter into the service of anyone else, nor to hire or bind himself, whether within this city or elsewhere, wherever that might be, but shall be obliged to serve out his said bound term of twelve years, or else, in default thereof, be held to compensate, pay and satisfy his said master, immediately and without delay, for the damage and loss which he might thereby come to suffer, to the latter's satisfaction — for which his goods are likewise expressly declared hereby to be bound and liable to be proceeded against. And in case all such damage from inconvenience, loss of service and everything else which he, Aellerton, might thereby come to suffer, could not be recovered from the goods of the said Jan Houck, the said parents of the same Jan de Houck shall be bound to give the said Aellerton satisfaction thereof out of their own goods, as is proper.
The said parents shall likewise be bound to see to it that their said son and stepson respectively shall serve out and complete his said bound term of twelve years, without allowing him to withdraw or depart from the said service before the term is completed, it being further agreed that they shall in every way be obliged to work towards and use all diligence that the said term be completed. And should the said Jan de Houck nevertheless run away or wish to bind himself to another, they, as his parents, shall be obliged to prevent and forestall this, if it be possible, since they have made the said placement for the benefit, use and profit of their said child; and if it cannot be prevented, they shall be obliged to compensate, pay and satisfy the said Aellerton for the damage, loss and interest which he shall thereby come to suffer, as is proper.
It is furthermore stipulated that the said Ysaack Aellerton shall likewise be bound, during the said Jan de Houck's term of service, to keep him properly clothed in linen and wool, with a set of everyday clothes and a set of holiday clothes, and at the end of the said term to have a new set of clothes made for him together with a new woollen cloak, and to let him have and take away the same, together with his other clothes of linen and wool, without exception.
The said contracting parties bound themselves, each on their own part, to the observance, firmness and fulfilment of the foregoing and each article thereof, their persons and generally all their goods, movable and immovable, present and future, none excepted, to the compulsion and execution of all the Lord's laws and judges; declaring further that the appearing parties do hereby expressly renounce, waive and abandon all exceptions, graces, privileges and benefits whatsoever, none excepted, which might be advantageous to one of the contracting parties in breach and contravention hereof and prejudicial and damaging to the other, promising also that the appearing parties shall not avail themselves of any subtle devices to the prejudice thereof, all without fraud or deceit.
And the appearing parties requested of me the notary two identical instruments hereof in due form, namely that each be issued and delivered one. Thus done, executed and passed on the day, month and year aforesaid, at the office of me the notary, in the presence of Jan Carver, likewise an Englishman, who assisted in the making of the said agreement, and Pieter Pietersz. van Velsen, clerk, as trustworthy witnesses required hereto together with me the notary.
This is Henrick Gallant's mark. This is Aeltgen Tamssen's mark. This is Jan de Houck's mark. Isaac Alerton. John Carver. P. van Velsen. A.C. Paedts, notary public, subscribed, 1619.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection, from the Dutch transcription supplied by Erfgoed Leiden.
