New Netherland papers / Bontemantel Collection
Item
Country
US
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street
Third Floor, Room 328, New York, NY 10018
Third Floor, Room 328, New York, NY 10018
Contact information: phone number
001 212 930 0801
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
manuscripts@nypl.org
Reference number
MssCol 2131
Type of reference number
Call number
Title (official language of the state)
New Netherland papers / Bontemantel Collection
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
Hans Bontemantel
Date(s)
1630/1660
Language(s)
eng
Extent
1.2 linear meters (3 boxes and 1 microfilm reel)
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The New Netherland Papers are part of the Bontemantel Collection, which the New York Public Library holds. It comprises letters of governors, petitions, extracts of letters, and other papers received in the colony of New Netherland. Given the importance of the Sephardic community in trade and commerce around different parts of colonial territories, some documents refer to members of the community, namely:
No. 506: extract of a private letter of Peter Stuyvesant to the West India Company, dated October 28, 1655, from Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, in which he opposes Jewish liberty, arguing that it could be “very detrimental, because the Christians cannot compete against them, and in case they receive liberty the Lutherans and papists cannot be refused.”
No. 520: extract of a missive of Director and Councillors in New Netherland dated June 10, 1656, with information on the Jews settled there: “concerning the Jewish nation as far as trade is concerned, they are not hindered, but trade there with the same privileges and liberties as other inhabitants. They have many times petitioned us for the free and public exercise of their abominable religion. Time will teach what they can obtain from Your Honors.”
Nos. 1016/1017: Nicasius de Sille’s New Amsterdam house census on July 10, 1660, reveals that the Jews of the city did not live separately from the rest of the society in any ghetto, despite some efforts by local authorities and groups to have them segregated.
No. 506: extract of a private letter of Peter Stuyvesant to the West India Company, dated October 28, 1655, from Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, in which he opposes Jewish liberty, arguing that it could be “very detrimental, because the Christians cannot compete against them, and in case they receive liberty the Lutherans and papists cannot be refused.”
No. 520: extract of a missive of Director and Councillors in New Netherland dated June 10, 1656, with information on the Jews settled there: “concerning the Jewish nation as far as trade is concerned, they are not hindered, but trade there with the same privileges and liberties as other inhabitants. They have many times petitioned us for the free and public exercise of their abominable religion. Time will teach what they can obtain from Your Honors.”
Nos. 1016/1017: Nicasius de Sille’s New Amsterdam house census on July 10, 1660, reveals that the Jews of the city did not live separately from the rest of the society in any ghetto, despite some efforts by local authorities and groups to have them segregated.
Archival history
This collection resulted from Hans Bontemantel's role as director of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company. The directors of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company kept close and constant correspondence with the New Netherland's colonial council to ensure that it followed the requirements for civil society and hearing and determining the council's requests and concerns. As a consequence, many of the papers of this collection are Bontemantel's extracts from the originals, including letters from either Director-General Peter Stuyvesant, writing privately, or Stuyvesant and the council, writing as the colony's ruling body, as well as from other villages in the colony and the occasional individual. There is also correspondence from the Amsterdam Chamber to the council on various subjects.
The New York Public Library acquired the collection from George H. Moore in 1894.
The New York Public Library acquired the collection from George H. Moore in 1894.
Administrative / Biographical history
Hans Bontemantel (1613–1688) was a "schepen" (magistrate) of the city of Amsterdam from 1655-1672 and a director of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company.
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is divided into manuscripts that refer to different types of documents (coats of arms, petitions, and letters). Each should preserve its original order, being organised presumably in chronological order.
Access, restrictions
The entire collection is microfilmed. Readers must use microfilm instead of originals.
The collection is also available online:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2023
Bibliography
Published primary sources
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| New York Public Library - Manuscripts and Archives Division | Collections (official language of the state) |