Joel Munsell’s “Annals of Albany” was a ten-volume opus published during the 1850s that was a magnificent mixture of history, biography, and just plain copying of things that happened in Albany’s history. It’s the copying that’s of interest this week, as he took it upon himself to set down, verbatim, a number of records from the Court of Assize. Most of these were orders of the colonial governors, and in 1670 that was Francis Lovelace. These orders were of infinite variety: gubernatorial pardons, establishing schoolmasters, naming midwives, granting a license to butcher.
- A Pardon graunted to Jan Roeloffs — In 1665, Jan Roeloffs “by an unhappy accident in shooting of a Gunne at unawares in one of the streets of the Towne of Albany” shot Gerritt Verbeeck, who later died of his wound. Before dying, Verbeeck forgave and acquitted Roeloffs of any malicious intent, and an inquiry found the two “had not any private Grudg or former difference upon any occasion between them as also that the Gunne was not known by the said Jan Roeloffs to be loaden when he shott it of.” Therefore Roeloffs was pardoned.
- The Governor’s License, granted unto John Shutte, for teaching of the English Tongue at Albany. English was still very much a second language in Albany in 1665. This was signed by Lovelace’s predecessor, Richard Nicolls.
- An Order for Trentie Melgers to be a profest sworne Midwife at Albany. She had already been in practice 14 years when Governor Lovelace named her as a one of the “profest sworne midwives.”
- An Order for Dirck Theunissen to have ye priviledg of Cutting and gelding of horses. I’m not entirely sure I’d call that a privilege.
- William Hoffmeyer appointed Corne Meeter at Albany. It was thought convenient and very necessary that some person should be employed as a “sworne Corne Meeter at Albany to measure all manner of Graine or Corne” that was moving down the river. Today we’d spell it “meter,” but the idea’s the same. It was his job to measure all corn being loaded on boats and sloops at Albany.
- An Order for John Povey & Juriaen Jansen to be Pablique Butchers at Albanye. It was thought convenient that someone should be licensed as “publique” butchers to “slaughter & kill such beasts & cattle for the use of the Towne as are Etable and in good condition.” Povey and Jansen were said to have good knowledge of the trade of butchers, and therefore were given the privilege to “slaughter & kill any sorte of beasts & cattle in good condition fitt to be killed & usually vendible. . . .” By the same token, no one else could act as a public butcher.