During the 17th century the Dutch used the term ‘sewant’ or sometimes ‘zeewant’ to describe wampum. Janny Venema has been translating Dutch documents and here are images and the respective translations of a few pages from around 1664 that mention ‘sewant’. In bold are the transactions that used ‘sewant’.
Disbursements of the deaconry by Jan van Aken 1664 January
4 Jan. bought a deer for sewant 20.-
of which a quarter deer was used by de Vries,
a quarter by Caarsten Noorman, a quarter by
Jan Michielsz and a quarter by Crawaet
13 ditto paid to Jacob de brouwer’s wife because
of Arent Isacksz’s child in sewant 120 120.-
13 ditto for half a pound of pyt 6.-
14 ditto to Maritie Claes one schepel of corn 5.-
17 ditto Ysbrant half a barrel of soap and a
schepel of corn 22.-
17 ditto Gerrit van Campen 10.-
17 ditto to oude capiteyn 2.-
17 ditto bought a deer from Goosen Gerritsz 18.-
of which a quarter was used by Carsten
Noorman, and a quarter by Jan Michielsz, and
a quarter by Ysbrant and a quarter Jan Bruen
21 ditto Jan Cornelis Bruyn a pair of shoes 12.-
21 ditto Carsten Noorman one schepel of corn
25 ditto Crawaet one schepel of corn
27 ditto Claes Teunisz three shirts 30.-
the same two pairs of stockings 12.-
also two ells of dosijnties 20.-
also three ells and a quarter of duffel 26.-
28 ditto in sewant 6.-
Ysbrant one and a half schepel of corn
29 ditto paid to Hubert two months’ house rent
for Capiteyn 20.-
29 ditto Claes Teunisz a blanket for 27.-
356.-
Receipts of the deaconry by Jan van Aken 1664 January
1 ditto received in church in sewant 24. 3
2 ditto received in church 37.10
6 ditto received in church 37. 7
9 ditto received in church 4.-
13 ditto received in church 43. 8
15 ditto received by Jan Verbeeck on account of Jurriaen Teunisz 18.-
16 ditto received in church 6.-
20 ditto received in church 35.11
23 ditto received in church 5. 8
27 ditto received in church 39. 4
30 ditto received in church 5. 2
255.13
Ady Beverwijck anno 1657 Receipts of the deaconry
January
1 ditto collected in church 21. 2
7 ditto collected in church on Sunday 37. 3
11 received from the previous account of 1656,
and there is still on hand 447.-
14 ditto collected in church on Sunday 28.12
16 ditto collected out of the boxes 75. 2
21 ditto collected in church on Sunday 29. 6
28 ditto collected in church on Sunday 37.13
ditto received from Rutgert Jacupsz the last
money of his promissory note regarding the
sewant he bought in 1656. Paid in sewant and
in bills to Rut, including 6 beavers 315.16
991.14
February
4 ditto collected in church on Sunday 31.-
11 ditto collected in church on Sunday 27.-
14 ditto collected in church on Sunday 38.15
18 ditto collected in church on Wednesday 6. 2
20 ditto collected in church on Sunday 35. 8
ditto collected in church on Wednesday 5. 8
received 4.19
148.12
Ady in Beverwijck anno 1657 Disbursements of the deaconry
January
16 advanced to the magistrates 10.-
ditto paid to Rutger Jackupsen for the scales and
the weights that come with them 60.-
ditto Rutgert Jacupsen was paid for the magistrates
what they commonly had advanced as it shows in
the account 168.-
20 ditto paid to Carsten de booshacker for cutting
the gutters for the poor house 1.10
ditto given to Iersman de Hyer, who was begging,
as alms 12.-
ditto given to the orphan boy who lives at Joriyen
Glasemacker’s, [Wout?] a pair of stockings 2.-
253.10
February
4 ditto paid to Goort and Jan Barentsen for making
the chair for the honorable consistory, and a
table and two benches for the use of the Holy
Communion 41. 2
10 ditto bought two pairs of hinges and 50 nails
for the poor house 3.16
11 ditto paid to Goort and Jan Barntsen for making
the gutters on the poor house 21. 4
28 ditto given to Jan van Bremen’s wife in money 6.-
ditto paid to Andries Harberts for half a beaver
which he had advanced to the poor 5.-
ditto paid to Andries Harberts for a bolster [or
straw mattress] which, by order of the
consistory, he gave to a ransomed Frenchman 10.-
87. 2
Done in Beverswijck anno 1658 May
The receipts of the deaconry
5 ditto collected in the poor bag 47. 1
5 ditto received from Pieter Jacobsen for the
pall 2.-
12 ditto collected in the poor bag 38.10
14 ditto received from Daniel de backer for the
poor 26.-
15 ditto received from Pieter Jacobsen for the
pall 4.-
16 ditto received for the pall 4.-
19 ditto collected in the poor bag 42.15
26 ditto collected in the poor bag 37. 4
30 ditto collected in the poor bag 17. 5
218.15
Done in Beverwijck Anno 1658 in June
The receipts of the deaconry
2 ditto collected in the poor bag 43.13
9 ditto collected in the poor bag 53.10
10 ditto collected in the poor bag 23.-
16 ditto collected in the poor bag 31.-
23 ditto collected in the poor bag 37. 9
30 ditto collected in the poor bag 45.10
234. 2
Done in Beverwijck anno 1658 in May
The disbursements of the poor money
8 ditto to Marytie Claesen boarding money for
the child kept by her 25.-
15 ditto to Lammert van Valckenborgh [65], on
which he promises to pay the interest 65.-
16 ditto paid to the carpenters for building the
baptistry 52.-
ditto for making the floor in the baptistry 10.-
ditto for nails for the baptistry 2.12
ditto for a pint of oil to polish the pillars 1. 5
ditto for 200 nails for the floor in the choir,
double and single and lasijsers 3. 8
159. 5
Done in Beverswijck anno 1658 in June
The disbursements of the deaconry
15 ditto paid to Kesie Wouters for two days’ work
in the poor house 6.-
18 ditto paid to Evert Noldingh for brandy and
beer drunk by the carpenters while building
the baptistry 11.12
29 ditto to the matres wages for stringing the
sewant of the poor 40.-
57.15
Done in Beverwijck anno 1658
Janny Venema: “The grand total of all entries on this page is 355 guilders and 4 stivers. Then, at the end, Catrijna Martense is given another 105 guilders in sewant. I don’t think that is included in the total (just try to calculate (20 stivers in one guilder) So Catrijna and Annetije (read, or pronounce: Annetje) are given these amounts of money in the form of sewant.”