— Vingboons, View on New Amsterdam (1664) Click on pic for closer view (courtesy Henry Hudson 400)
“By proclaimation of February 2, 1653, Director General Peter Stuyvesant informed the inhabitants of New Amsterdam that henceforth the Island of Manhattan would constitute the City of New Amsterdam and that the City would be ruled by two Burgo-masters* and five Schepens** appointed by him.”
— from the Annual report of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation …, Volume 22 By American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society
“Stuyvestant inaugerated the municipal system in New Amsterdam by the appointment of Arendt van Hatten and Martin Krigier as burgomasters, Paulus Leendertsen van der Grist, Maximilian van Gheel, Allard Anthony, William Beeckman*** and Peter Wolfertsen van Couwenhoven as schepens…”
— from The Story of New Amsterdam
* A burgomaster is a city magistrate and would have been Stuyvesant’s right-hand men
** A schepen is something akin to a city alderman or councilman
***And yes, he’s THAT Beeckman, name altered to Beekman of today’s Beekman Place fame