Fur Traders - 1660


The year 1660 marked a cresting or high point for the Fur Trade in the Hudson-Mohawk region. It also marked the appearance in the historical record of competitiveness between two groups of would-be traders.

That spirit is revealed in two petitions sent to the court of Fort Orange/Beverwyck in May 1660. These documents were signed by a total of seventy-nine individuals and constitutes the earliest, base list of Beverwyck fur traders.

The first petition (dated May 25) came from a group of twenty-five traders who expressed concern that the "general decline and utter ruination" of the community would occur if "Christians" were allowed to "run into the woods" and use "surreptitious and improper ways to get the trade entirely into their hands." They asked that trading be confined to "this community and its inhabitants." This petition represented the more well-established (principal) fur traders - several of whom would serve as magistrates.


PRINCIPAL TRADERS
Volkert Jansz
Jacob Schermerhooren
Philip Pietersen
Leendert Philipsen
the mark of Jan van Aken
Jan Thoomasz
Aernout Cornelissen
Gerrit Slechtenhorst
Jan Mangelsen
Pieter van Alen
Mathias Jansen
Dirck Jansen Croon
Gysbert Jansen
Abraham Staets
Lambert Albersen
Hans Hendricksen
Theunis Cornelissen
Willem Teller
Adriaen Gerritsen
Carsten Frederiksen
Baerent Meyndersen
Willem Brouwer
Baerent Jansen
Lourens van Alen
David Schuyler


Two days later (May 27, 1660), another group of Beverwyck inhabitants petitioned the court that "the Dutch may be allowed to go into the woods as brokers, which, although of dangerous consequence, cannot be prevented without causing greater mischief." This larger group of eighty, less well-established would-be traders further observed that "some of the petitioners" have said that they would trade in the wooks whether it was permitted or not!

SMALL TRADERS

Jan Dircksen van Breemenn
Arent Jansen van Hoeck
Jan Harmsen
Rem Jansen
Jacob Thijsen van der Heyden
Cornelis Theunesen Bosch
Daniel Verveelen
Jacob Jansen
the mark of Lambert van Valkenburch
Pieter Loockermans
Jan Jansen van Ekelen
the mark of Meyndert Fredricksen
Thoomas Pouw[elsen]
the mark of Jan Fransen
the mark of Sijmon Volkerts
the mark of Theunes Cornelissen
the mark of Willem Fredricksen
the mark of Jan Harmsen
the mark of Mattheus Abrahamsen
the mark of Jan Cornelissen [ perhaps Jan C. Viselaer - but see below ]
Pieter Loockermans de Jonge
the mark of Jochem Ketteleyn
Jacob Loockermans
Willem Jansen Schut
the mark of Reynier Albertsen
Jan Vinhagel
Hendrick Anderiesen
Anderies de Vosch
Jan Schekel
Pieter Winnen
Jan Cornelissen Leyden [ but see ]
Jan Michaelsen
Jochem Wessel
Jurrian Theunesen
Daniel Rinckhout
Pieter Bronck
Harmen Bastiaensen
Jacob Van Laer
Cornelus Bogardus
Pieter Adriaensenn
Claes Marrechael
Philip Hendricksen
Adriaen Appel
Sijmon Sijmonsen
Barent Meyndersen
the mark of Wouter Albertsen
Gilles Pietersen
Hendrick Roseboom
Clees Jacobsen
Cornelis Vosch
Willem Jansen Stol
Wijnandt Gerritsen vande Poel
Lambert van Neck

notes

Although neither definitive nor comprehensive, these lists do provide a useful roster of those involved in the trade for furs. The trade and these traders are the subjects of an article by Thomas E. Burke, Jr. entitled "The New Netherland Fur Trade, 1657-1661: Response to Crisis," A Beautiful and Fruitful Place, pp. 283-91.

Petitions and lists of names printed in Court Minutes of Beverwyck 2:255-56.



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first posted 1/02; last updated 6/16/12