New Paltz Town Meeting Minutes 1712

              We, all the residents of New Paltz 
gathered on the 23rd of February of the year 1712 in order to
rule on all of our fences (12) both around cultivated land 
and pasture, by a plurality of votes following the order
of the warrant that the constable has received. 
First, we will start at the river (13)
near the property of salomon du bois to the east, and then 
the fence will go up to Abraham duboiss marker and then the said fence will come along 
the said river to the pasture of Louis 
Bevier, and it has three rails and is fifty-three 
inches high, and then the said Bevier will be required
to build and maintain [the fence] along his pasture to 
abraham du bois and that will be a good and sufficient fence 
on the east side.  And then after, jacob hasbroucq
will also maintain a good and sufficient fence of the 
same height as above to the pasture of 
daniel du bois near the tower, and then the 
gate will be placed at the designated point and
then the village will do it together from jacob hasbroucks to the aforesaid gate 
 

Then we will begin the fence from the vasma
querland to the river near the boat landing to 
to the farmyard (14) of  Jean hasbrouck and then each one 
will do his part with six rails like it is and then 
those who have their masure on the side of the said 
vasmaquerlant (15) will build and maintain a good and 
sufficient fence to the house of hugue fraire
and likewise on the two sides of the street and also 
between the cottages each one will also build a good 
sufficient and tight fence.

 

Notes >br>


12  Hainin means the fence in Dutch.  In this document and others, 
the word is spelled in several ways, for example hennein and ennin.


13  Riviere in French can refer to many kinds of watercourses:  
small rivers, streams, creeks.... 
 
14  Masure, which in modern French refers to a modest house or to 
the ruins of a building, is erf in the parallel English text.  Erf is archaic in English, but among other things, it marks a farmyard.  
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, in South Africa an erf is a garden plot, usually containing about half-an-acre.  The Littri 
dictionary says that En Normandie, masure signifie la basse-cour, le verger 
qui entoure la maison de ferme. 
  
15  While I am unable to find this word in Dutch, French or English 
dictionaries, the parallel English-language document noted in the previous 
footnote uses the same word, preceded by a P.