1662-Deed, unknown subject

p2/3

Final page- with her signature Jannetgen Claesz

Notwithstanding the fact that I am against violence, such testimonies are a treasure trove for historians...

On 9 March 1662, before notary Dirck Rees, appeared Jannetgen Claas, aged about 36, wife of Jacob Wemmersz Hoppesteijn, as well as Dirck Dirxsz, aged about 40, and Claas Maarlandt, aged about, all thee living within Delft. They appeared at the request of Wemmer Jacobsz Hoppesteijn and declared and testified that the following was the full truth.

Jannetgen stated that she had a quarrel with Pieter Wouters Katersvelt about 6 weeks ago. Back then, Pieter Wouters that the mother of Jannetgen Claas had done a bad thing the day before by calling Benedictus van Houten a 'straatschender' [street offender] before the majors of Delft. Jannetgen then replied that her mother had every right to call him that, because Benedictus had stated that the brother had been scraping his knife before Benedictus door (which, according to Jannetgen, could not have been the case as she had been enjoying a meal with her brother, after which he had left his knife on the table) and threatened that he would like to cleave the head of Jannetgens' father with an axe and had challenged one of his sons to a duel. Pieter Wouters had responded by saying that Jannetgen also had a son that had embassled money from the poor, of which Jannetgen also had had her profit.

Dirck Dircx and Claas Maarlant stated that at the aforementioned moment (i.e. about 6 weeks ago) they had been with Pieter Wemmersz Hoppesteijn inside and in fornt of the house of Pieter Wouters Katersvelt. According to their statement, Pieter Wemmersz then asked two women present in that house where their father was, as he would have accused him of scraping his knife in front of his house and then had called him a street offender, and that he wanted to get this over with. The women, among whom, according to Dirck Dirxz, the wife of Pieter Wouters Katersvelt, then pushed Pieter Wemmersz out of the house, saying: 'Away, away, hottentot, we do not want to deal with you'.

Dirck Dircx, Claas Maarlant and Pieter Wemmersz then went to the home of Benedictus van Houten and asked whether Benedictus was at home. The wife of Benedictus then replied that Benedictus was not at home. At the same moment, Jacob Wemmersz and his wife arrived at the scene, stating that they would keep Pieter Wemmersz calm. Pieter Wemmersz replied that he did not want to fight and then handed over his knife to his sister to prove this; additionally he stated that he would return to 'Het Half Vaatgen', the shop he worked in as store clerk (knecht).

As he had returned there, Adriaen van Houten and another person had ridiculed Pieter Wemmersz; Pieter Wemmersz, being angered again, then asked Benedictus van Houten to make sure that his son Adriaan would stop ridiculing him. Benedictus however replied that he would rather tear Pieter Wemmersz apart. Pieter Wemmmersz then replied that Benedictus was as bad as his son, as he always wanted to tear people apart. Benedictus then wanted to attack Pieter Wemmersz, but failed to do so, as the doors were kept shut; some women however gpot into a fight and were trampled, because of the darkness the identity of these women however remained unknown.

While Dirck Dircx and Claas Maarlant were separating the fighting women, Pieter Woutersz Katersvelt returned with a stick, shouting 'Where are they now?' and then adding some verbal abuse. Dirck Dircx then succeeded in taking the stick from Pieter Woutersz, but because the stick had a sharp point and was waved around during this struggle, the wife of Pieter Woutersz was stuck in her face. Once Dirck Dircx had got possession of the stick, he immediately broke the stick in order to avoid any other casualties.

Dirck Dircxz additionally reprimanded Pieter Woutersz for his actions, stating that this was beneath his dignity, especially taking into account his age (he should know better at his age).

stuck in her face = struck in her face