1604- 'Criminal' document

Hi Anne,

I will create a transcription and translation later. Nicolas was found guilty of adultery, as he was the father of a child with a woman other than his wife; this child and his mistress had recently died. He was sentenced to a fine of 100 guilders and was also banished from the provinces Holland and Zeeland for 10 years, effective immediatel: he had to leave the city as well as the jurisdiction of Delft before sundown the same day and had to leave the provinces of Holland and Zeeland within the next 3 days. Returning before the 10 years had passes would be sanctioned with flogging.

O’h dear Rene, that doesn’t sound good. 

But thanks for working on it. Quite fascinating to see how ‘crime and punishment ‘ worked in early 1600’s in Delft. 

very best wishes. 
Anne

My apologies, two corrections: this did not take place in Delft, but in Leiden. The provinces he was banished from were Holland and West-Friesland, and not Zeeland.

Niclaes van Straten
Alsoe Niclaes van Straten, saeywercker, van Wetteren, gelegen ontrent Belle
in Vlaenderen, jegenwoordich gevangen, buiten pijne ende bande van ijser be-
kent heeft dat hij geleden in julio toecomende vier jare, hebbende een echte vrouwe,
genaemt Maertynten Raeckx, wesende binnen Leyden van den anderen ge-
scheyden ofte gegaen, hem zedert binnen Leyden voorss. begeven heeft
bij eene Franchyntgen Buysers, van Bulscamp bij Deurne in Vlaenderen
gebooren, mette welcke hij terstondt binnen deser stadt gecomen
ende met haer in huishoudinge ende gemeen bedde geleeft heeft totdat sij
in januario lestleden gestorven es naedat het kindt twelck hij bij haer
geteelt hadde tien dagen te vooren gestorven was, alle twelck sijnde
gequalificeert overspel andere ten exemple niet ongestraft
en behoordt te blijven, soe es dat mijnen heeren schepenen den voorss.
Niclaes van Straten gevangen verclaren achtervolgende de politycke
Ordonnante van Hollandt ende Westvrieslant als eerloos ende menedich
incapabel om eenige staet ofte officie binnen de voorss. landen te mogen
bedienen, ende condempneren hem in een mulcte van hondert gulden. Condemneerende
hem noch voorts gebannen te sijn ende bannen hem uut den lande van Hollandt
ende Westvrieslandt een tijt van X jaren, te gaen binnen sdaechs
sonneschijn uut deser stadt ende vrijheyt vandien ende binnen drie dagen uut de
voorss. landen ende daer niet weder inne te comen geduirende de
voorss. tijt van X jaren op peine van gegeselt te werden. Condempneren
hem voorts in de coste van sijn gevanckenisse ende mise van justitie.
Ende alsoe de gevangen geen middel en heeft om de costen ofte de
boete te betalen, soe hebben mijnen heeren schepenen den officier
belast deselve te brengen tot laste van den graefflicheyt. Actum
den XIXen mey anno XVIc ende vier. Ende is gevang den XVIIen mey
anno voorss.
---
Niclaes van Straten
As Niclaes van Straten, a weaver of worsted, originally from the town of Wetteren, situated near the town of Belle
in Flanders, nowadays being captive, has confessed without being tortured or kept in chains,
that in July 4 years ago, while he had a real wife,
named Maertynten Raeckx, when he was in Leyden has parted from the other [i.e. his wife],
and since then within the aformentioned city of Leyden went to
a certain Franchyntgen Buysers, born at Bulscamp near Deurne in Flanders,
with whom he immediately after arriving in this city
was living together and sharing a bed just until
she died last January after the child he conceived
had died ten days earlier, this all being
qualified as adultery, which, as an example to others, should not be
unpunished, the aldermen have declared the aforementioned
Niclaes van Straten to be kept captive in accordance with the Political
Ordinance of the provices of Holland and West-Friesland as a man without honour and of perjury,
hence not entitled to have any position within the aforemetioned provinces,
and to condemn him to a fine of one hundred guilders. Furthermore condemning him
to be banished, banishing him from the provices of Holland
and West-Friesland for a period of ten years, having to leave
this town and its jurisdiction before sundown and having
to leave the aforementioned provinces within the next three days
and not to return to these areas within the aforementioned
period of ten years at the sanction of being flogged. Furthermore
condemning him to pay the costs of his imprisonment and the legal costs.
hem voorts in de coste van sijn gevanckenisse en#de mise van justitie.
And since the captive has no means to pay the costs or the
fine, the aldermen have ordered the officer in charge
to charge these costs to the county. Done
on the 19th of May 1604. And has been taken captive on the 17th of May
of the aforementioned year.

Dear Rene

Many thanks for the additional information which is really helpful.

I think I can safely say this is not the Claus (Nicholas) van Straeten, the father of Jannetge Clausdr van Straten who later went on to run the Moorhead pottery in Delft (her father Claus owned and ran the Lamptken Pottery in Delft too).

However the extra details provided in your transcription and translation make chilling reading "confessed without being tortured or kept in chains".....

warmest best wishes

Anne

Hi Anne,

It seems chilling (and sometimes it was...) but this formula relates to the judicial procedures back then. For a conviction, one needed to have a confession of the convict. Sometimes torture and chains were needed to obtain this confession from the convict, but the confession needed to be repeated by the convict without external pressure through torture.

Rene

Yet another fascinating insight into 17th century Holland.

I wonder where such a person would go?

Do you remember Philips van der Bilt and his wife Heyltge van Straten who were exiled from Delft in 1663? I discovered Heyltge died in 1675 and was buried in Delft. It was noted that she lived in Den Hague. I guess as 10 years had passed since the couple were exiled it was allowed for her to be brought back for burial. I found that very interesting.

very best wishes

Anne