Acknowledgement of paternity of Maria Truax's child by a man other than her husband (1642, New Amsterdam)

2 November 1995                490                        C5606.1

Maria Truax

Maria Truax was the daughter of Philippe du Trieux (de Truy) and his first wife Jacquemyne Noirett. She was baptized in Leyden, Holland, on 5 April 1617, and emigrated with her family to New Amsterdam in 1624. She married firstly Cornelis Volckertsen Viele, possibly before 1640, and definitely by January 1642, when the following adoption paper mentions her husband. This paper constitutes an acknowledgment of the paternity of her daughter Aeltjem, by Pieter Wolphersen van Couwenhoven.

I, the undersigned Pieter Wolphersen, hereby acknowledge for myself, my heirs and successors that this day, date underwritten, I have adopted, as I do hereby adopt, Aeltjem Pieters van Couwenhoven, my own daughter, whom I have begotten and procreated by Maria de Truy, promising therefore that from this date I shall do by the above-named, my daughter, as a god fearing father is bound and ought to do by his own legitimate daughter; therefore, I hereby discharge and release Cornelis Volckersen, husband and guardian of the aforesaid Maria de Truy, from all charges and responsibilities incidental to the bringing up of a child till she becomes of age; I, Pieter Wolphersen, promising to look after the child, to let her learn to read and to bring her up according to my means. Furthermore, if I do not beget any children by my present wife, the above named child shall be my rightful heiress and inheritrix, as if she were duly begotten in lawful wedlock, and if it happen that children be begotten by me and my wife, the above named Aeltjen Pieters shall receive, like the legitimate children on my side, a just child's portion of all such goods, means and effects as it shall please the Lord God Almighty to bestow on me. Requesting that this may have effect before all courts, I have signed this without fraud in the presence of the subscribing witnesses hereto invited. Done, the 7th day of January 1642.

                        This is  x  the mark of Pieter Wolphersen
Jacob Couwenhoven
Philippe du Trieux
                    Acknowledged before me,
                     Cornelis van Tienhoven, Secretary

Maria Truax was constantly in trouble with the authorities, and was finally banished from New Amsterdam in 1664, for shady business dealings and keeping a disorderly tavern.