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Archiver > Dutch-Colonies > 2002-09 > 1031533859


From: "James Brady" <>
Subject: [D-Col] Dirrick Bensick (Bensing, Benson?)
Date: Sun, 8 Sep 2002 21:15:47 -0400


Hi all,

Is anyone following the Dirrick Bensick mentioned below. I'm curious about
the relationship to Frans Pieterse Klau. Could the two of them have come to
New York from the Caribbean? I'm wondering where Frans might have been
before he starts turning up in New York records.

Paraphrased from Early Records of Albany Vol. 1, p. 3. On October 21, 1656,
Dirrick Bensick appeared before Johannes De la Montagne, deputy at Fort
Orange, to ask that a power of attorney be issued on his behalf to Johannes
Withart, merchant, at present dwelling in Amsterdam, New Netherland. He
explained that certain monies were due him from the estate of "Jurriaen
Baxban, late provost at St. Casteel De Mina, in Guinea, and from one
Nicholas Twie, soldier deceased in the year 1648, on the ship Thoff of
Zeeland." A power of attorney had been issued to Roeloff Gerritse, crane
master at Groeningen, to pursue the matters and another power of attorney
had been issued to his mother-in-law, Tryntie Van Rechteren, to demand an
accounting from Roeloff Gerritse. His mother-in-law died before she could
explain to Dirrick Bensick what had transpired. Bensick then "gave another
warrant to Frans Pieterse Klau, carpenter, to demand of the above named
Roeloff Gerritse a restitution of the moneys, and an accounting for the
remainder, in case he had received such moneys, or if not, to demand and
receive said moneys from the Directors of the Privileged West India Company
at the chamber of Groeningen; but since the aforesaid Frans Pieterse Klau,
of this country, has fallen sick, and not knowing the event of his sickness:
for the greater security in his case, and in the event of his disease
[death]..." From here the account goes on to mention Johannes Withart,
merchant, and the terms of the power of attorney he shall have, including
the new task of looking after Bensick's mother-in-law's estate affairs,
which will not be repeated here in all of their complexity.
This record suggests that Frans Pieterse Klau and Dirrick Bensick had an
already established trusting relationship considering how much trouble
Bensick had already been through trying to collect his money. It also seems
to indicate that Frans had some prior plans to travel to Netherland that
were cancelled due to this unspecified illness.

Jim Brady


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