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.
