Be it known and made manifest to all by the contents of this present instrument that in the year after the birth of our Lord and only Saviour Jesus Christ one thousand six hundred and eighteen, on the thirteenth day of the month of March, in the afternoon at four o'clock, in the reign of the most illustrious and victorious prince and lord, lord Matthias, by the providence of God the first of that name elected Roman Emperor, in the sixth year of his Majesty's election, before me, Jacob Janszoon Verwey, notary public admitted by the Court of Holland, residing at Leiden, and the witnesses named below, there appeared and came the worthy Niclaes Houcke and the honourable Cathalina Springers, married persons, presently living at Boskoop, well known to me the notary; the aforesaid Niclaes Houcke being sound and healthy of body, able to go about and stand, and Cathalina Springers lying sick in bed, yet both of them, to all outward appearance, in full possession and use of their reason, memory and understanding.
Who declared that, considering the frailty of human nature, the certainty of death, and the uncertainty of the time and hour thereof, they had found it good and resolved to dispose of their temporal goods while they were still (by God's grace) able to do so, and that they did this of their own free mind and will, without any inducement or deception by anyone; commending, before proceeding further, their immortal souls to the mercy of God their heavenly Father, and their dead bodies to an honest burial, and thereupon, coming to their disposition, they declared that they hereby revoked, annulled and made void beforehand any and all testaments, codicils and other dispositions which might be found to have been made or passed by them, jointly or individually, at any time before this, wishing that the same should not be valid or have any effect, holding each and all of them for null, void and of no force, and disposing anew.
They declared that they had begotten together, and still had living, four children, namely: master Isaac Houcke, Cathelina Houcke, Claes Houcke the younger, and Christiaen Houcke, of whom master Isaac and Cathelina Houcke are married, and Claes and Christiaen Houcke are as yet unmarried and under age; and that the aforesaid Cathelina Springers further had a son from a previous marriage, named Pieter Engelraven, presently a minister of the Word of God at Boskoop, whom she had by her late first husband Pieter Engelraven, likewise married to her before.
And that they, wishing accordingly to place the aforesaid stepson of Cathalina Springers on an equal footing in every respect with the appearers' four children aforesaid, as if they were all of one bed, hereby, upon the decease of the first of them the appearers to die, institute, appoint and nominate as heirs to all the goods, rights of action and credits which the first of them to die shall leave behind at death, share and share alike, head for head, their said four children together with the aforesaid Pieter Engelraven, the aforementioned stepson of Cathalina Springers; provided always, and it being understood, that the survivor of the two spouses shall remain and be left in the full possession, enjoyment and use of the entire estate, without, however, being permitted to diminish the principal goods thereof without the knowledge, will and consent of the aforesaid instituted heirs of the first to die, for as long as he or she, the survivor, shall live; on condition, however, that the said survivor shall be bound to maintain and raise the two minor and unmarried children in food, drink, clothing and other bodily necessities, keeping them at school and having them taught some good trade or other art or science, until they shall have come to the state of marriage, or respectively to the age of twenty-five years, at which time the said survivor shall provide for their establishment according to his or her discretion.
Furthermore, the appearers wished and desired that, upon the death of the last of them, the said minor children shall first withdraw and receive from the most readily available goods of the joint estate, each of them, a sum of one hundred and four guilders apiece, at forty groats the guilder, which sum they hereby bequeath to them as a prior legacy, in equalization of what their other, married children have already received.
They further ordained and appointed as guardian or guardianess over the persons and goods of their aforesaid minor children, the survivor of the two appearers alone, to whom alone they entrusted the governance and administration thereof, excluding the authority, interference and concern of all others, and consequently also of all orphan-masters, orphan-wardens and other authorities, all of whom they hereby declare to be fully discharged, excused and exempted therefrom; all of which the appearers declared, in the hands of me the notary, lawfully stipulating the same as a public person, to be their respective testament and last will.
Desiring that this shall take effect, proceed and be executed, whether as a solemn testament, codicil, or gift on account of death, and in whatever way it may be found best able to stand, notwithstanding any defects or omissions. Requesting that one or more public instruments be drawn up and issued hereof by me the notary, in the best form.
Thus done and passed by the appearers after a full and complete reading aloud, within the aforesaid city of Leiden, at the dwelling house of their son master Isaac Houcke, situated there on the Rapenburch near the Nonnenbrugge, opposite the University, in the presence of and witnessed by Govert Basson, printer, and Pieter van Gemen, bookbinder, within the said city, as credible witnesses summoned and especially requested hereto together with me the notary, in the year, month, day, hour and imperial reign as above.
[Signed:] G. Basson. In witness whereof, I, Claeis Houck. By me, Catelijnne Sprynghers. P. v. Gemen, 1618. In witness of me, Jacob J. Verwey, substitute notary, 13.3.1618.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection, from the Dutch transcription supplied by Erfgoed Leiden.
