Roger Eastman

Today, the tenth of May, anno sixteen hundred and twenty-two, there appeared before me, Adriaen Paets, notary public, admitted by the Court of Holland upon the nomination of the city of Leiden, together with the witnesses named hereafter, Sr. Thomas Breuwer of the one part, and Rogier Estman together with Sara Willeth — formerly the widow of Willem Minter, who was her first husband — assisted by her aforesaid present husband, of the other part.

And the appearers acknowledged and declared that they had agreed, come to terms and settled with one another, through the mediation and in the presence of Jan Kebel and Willem Jepsen, both of the English nation within this city of Leiden, in the manner and form following, namely:

That the aforesaid Sr. Thomas Breuwer shall be bound, and promises hereby, to pay out and satisfy to the aforesaid Rogier Estman and Sara Willeth yearly the sum of one hundred and twenty guilders, for the benefit and maintenance of the child which the aforesaid Willem Minter begot by the aforesaid Sara Willeth, and in payment and satisfaction of the interest on the sum of nineteen hundred guilders at forty groats the piece, which the aforesaid Sr. Thomas Breuwer, for certain reasons moving him thereto, has promised — as he does promise hereby — to acknowledge as his own debt, which he hereby makes and undertakes for himself and his heirs and successors, and to pay, satisfy and discharge when the child shall have reached the age of twenty-one years, and not before.

And the aforesaid Rogier Estman and Sara Willeth shall be bound to apply the aforesaid yearly interest and income from the aforesaid principal sum of nineteen hundred guilders to the maintenance and upbringing of the same child, and to do for the said child in all things what good parents are bound and ought to do, both in sickness and in health.

And should they in any way treat the child ill, and not raise, govern and guide it properly in the fear of the Lord, as is reasonable and fitting, then the aforesaid Sr. Breuwer, Jan Kebel and Willem Jepsen shall be entitled to take the said child from them and place it out wherever they think fit, and during that time to enjoy and retain the aforesaid one hundred and twenty guilders yearly for that purpose; so that the same Rogier Estman and Sara Willeth shall in that case be deprived of the said annuity, and this agreement shall be wholly void and of no effect, and the aforesaid Sr. Thomas Breuwer discharged therefrom, just as they shall likewise be deprived of the aforesaid annuity and shall in no way be entitled to draw or enjoy it, should Rogier and Sara his wife molest or trouble the aforesaid Sr. Thomas Breuwer, or anyone else whom they might know or suspect to have knowledge of the aforesaid moneys, directly or indirectly, during the life of the aforesaid child, in order to find out where or with whom the aforesaid 1900 guilders are held, or should they, through anyone else, cause the said Sr. Breuwer or others the least trouble, by word or deed, whatsoever it might be, concerning the aforesaid moneys or full knowledge thereof.

Furthermore, the said Rogier Estman and his aforesaid wife shall in no way molest or trouble the aforesaid Sr. Thomas Breuwer by word or deed, for the payment of the aforesaid sum of nineteen hundred guilders, before the said child shall have reached the aforesaid age of 21 years. And should the child happen to die before that time, it shall be free to the same Rogier Estman and Sara Willeth to pursue such action and claim as they shall understand and maintain to be due to them concerning the aforesaid sum of 1900 guilders, their action and claim remaining thereby entirely intact, and they may accordingly then institute the same wherever and however they see fit.

But should the aforesaid child live to reach the age of 21 years, Sr. Thomas Breuwer shall then have to pay and discharge the said sum of 1900 guilders, and shall thereby be freed and released from the payment of the aforesaid one hundred and twenty guilders yearly; and the first year's interest on the aforesaid one hundred and twenty guilders shall fall due and become payable on the tenth of May, anno sixteen hundred and twenty-three, and so forth yearly until the aforesaid time, which the aforesaid Sr. Thomas Breuwer promises to pay yearly, free of charge and without any deduction, within Leiden, at the house where he presently lives, called 'the Green House', standing opposite the bell-tower of St. Peter's Church.

It is furthermore stipulated that, should the aforesaid Jan Kebel or Willem Jepsen happen to die or depart from here, they may, with the knowledge and foreknowledge of the said Sr. Thomas Breuwer, together with Rogier Estman and his wife, appoint and commission another in their place, to have oversight of the aforesaid child and the performance hereof.

The aforesaid contracting parties bind, each for his own part, to the maintenance, performance and assurance of what is stated above and every point thereof, their respective persons and goods, movable and immovable, actions and credits, none excepted, and submit to the compulsion of all the sovereign's rights and courts; and the aforesaid Sr. Thomas Breuwer shall also be bound, and promises hereby, at the request of the aforesaid Jan Kebel and Willem Jepsen, to further secure the aforesaid sum of 1900 guilders to their full satisfaction.

And the appearers requested that one or more deeds in proper form be drawn up and delivered to them by me, the notary, in this matter. Thus done and enacted, all in good faith and without deceit or guile, and passed and executed by the appearers on the day, month and year aforesaid, within Leiden, at the house of Sr. Thomas Breuwer, in the presence of the aforesaid Jan Kebel and Willem Jepsen, residents of this city, as trustworthy witnesses called upon for this purpose together with me, the notary.

[Signed:] Roger Eastman. Thomas Brewer. This is Sara Willeth's mark. John Kebble. William Jepson. A. Paedts, notary public. 1622.

Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection, from the Dutch transcription supplied by Erfgoed Leiden.

Today, the first of December, in the year sixteen hundred and twenty-three, there appeared before me, notary public, and before the witnesses named hereafter, Thomas Naes, aged sixty years, and Willem Jepsen, carpenter, aged about thirty-nine years, both of the English nation, residing within this city of Leiden.

And at the request and instance of Rogier Esdman, likewise an Englishman residing within this city, they testified and declared, on their respective word of honour in place of an oath, that this is true: that they have had, and for many years have had, very good acquaintance with the aforesaid Rogier Esdman and Sara Willeth, his wife, who for some time has been employed here as a midwife (of which the deponents declared they have good knowledge); that they have likewise had and maintained, at various times, honest conversation and association with the said requester and his wife within this city; and that they accordingly know very well that the aforesaid requester and his wife are honest and upright people, who have conducted themselves in their dealings and behaviour as befits people of honour, whereby they are held and recognised by all who know them as honest and upright people, standing in good repute and reputation.

The deponents further declared that they had never heard nor understood that the requester or his wife were reputed or suspected of any evil deeds, misconduct or offences, still less that they should ever have been caught out or convicted of any such thing. So that the said requester and his wife are recognised and reputed as honest and upright people. The deponents gave as the reason for their knowledge that the requester and his wife are their countrymen, and that they have accordingly at times associated and kept company with them within this city; declaring nothing further, but offering, should it be required, to confirm the foregoing more fully under oath.

And [the original is damaged here] since the requester intended to remove himself, together with his wife and children, from here to take up residence elsewhere, he had asked the aforesaid deponents for their testimony concerning himself and his wife, the appearers; whereupon they — [text illegible] being bound and obliged to bear witness to the truth — willingly granted him the same.

Thus done and executed on the day, month and year aforesaid, at the house and office of me, the notary, in the presence of Abraham Claeszoon van Imerseel and Pieter Cornelisz van Bruijnwijc, clerks and residents of this city, as trustworthy witnesses hereto [text illegible] requested by me, the notary. Thomas Nashe. Pieter Corneliszoon van Bruynswijc. William Jepson. A. van Immerseel. Paets.

Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection, from the Dutch transcription supplied by Erfgoed Leiden.