1664 Letter From Amsterdam To Saint Christopher, Who Can Read It ?

Good day to all

I bought this cover traveled in 1664 from Amsterdam to Saint Christopher but I need a person that is able to read the text.
Is there here someone that can help me ?
If not, can I have the name of a dutch forum where to ask or the name of an expert person out from this forum ?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Massimiliano

Hello Massimiliano, welcome to SCF.

The letter is in very old Dutch. It is very difficult to read, very few people can read it fluently.(unfortunately I am ot one of them)

I did try, and it looks to be a letter between 2 merchants. A discription of material send and dates.

Part of line 5 reads: verzonden met schipper: Jan ....(name)
Translated. good shipped by captain: Jan.....(name)

The St Christoffel most probably is not a place but a day.

Coopman means merchant.

The rest is to difficult to read, only singled out words I can read.

Hope I was of some help.

Kind regards, Johan.

hi Massimiliano
perhaps I can help but a more blown up picture would help a lot, is that possible?

if I blow it up myself it get blurry and unreadable.

what I think I am seeing is a west German dialect, but would need a clear blow up to confirm

St. Christopher is most likely the island now known as St. Kitts. I do recognize several words in the letter, but I agree with the man from Holland ( Dutch etc ) that most of it is too small to read


Peter

This is the maximum I can do with the limit of 200 Kb, otherwise I can send it by email with a resolution of 1,7 Mb

I confirm that St Christopher is the old name of St Kitts in Carribbean sea

Massimiliano

just send you my e mail address by PM, lets see if we can get this translated

Hi Massimiliano,

As Johan wrote, it is a letter between merchants. It is very hard to read, but here is a partial transcription. I will wait until fresh eyes have corrected it before offering a translation:

The address reads:

Eersaemen diseereebt(?)
Hr(?) Wilhelmus teschemaker
W: S Coopman
tot
St. Christoffel

And the contents:

In Amsterdam 4: octob 1664:

Eersaemen disereebt Hr Smallutt v:l aengeneemen
uijt Madera in Funekel van 8/18 Maij neffens het
Carsii met Ce..mebeur: op 8 Aug: onbt en soo
volgens onder Citto op genoemde 8 Aug: het Carsie
op hamb: versonden met schipper: Jan herman tessen
aen Hr Melcher Spijcker v:l aeng: van
27 Julij uit St: Christoffel Meede ont(?) en v:l
ouer gesondene Advijsen Sijn voortganck gegeven
waer van oock Jugeslooten(?) Een advijes ??weerom
sende van v:l vader Hr Wilhelm teschemaker
kan ick van voordens Eenige aeng: dijensten doen
gelijeff tegebijeden gott kevavllig in haest

v:l: eijenaer
Euert Steenmog

I hope someone can correct my errors in transcription.

Jan

Jan, for the moment I thank you very much !!!

Massimiliano

There were very few people on St. Kitts in 1664 other than some British and French settlers and militaries that were constantly fighting to control the island. Unless there is some evidence in the text of this letter that it was to the Caribbean island of this name, my initial thought is that a Dutch merchant may not have been doing business there and that perhaps it could be more likely to be some other place. Perhaps the Sint Christoffel in Koekelare, Belgium? Or perhaps Johan is correct in that St. Christoffel is not referring to a place but rather a day. There were many days of the year named after the saints and the prayer books of the day included a calendar of saints days that were celebrated by feasts and church ceremonies. It was not uncommon to refer to specific days by the name of the saint that was being honored for that day. For example, Sint Christoffel day is July 25 every year.

Kimo, near to St. Kitts, the new name of St. Christopher, there are Netherlands Antilles and they were populated by dutch. It's not strange that a merchant buys goods from a nearby island or that he establishes a plantation in a nearby island.

Another thing: this letter was a part of a collection letters of St. Kitts sold by Spink in January therefore I have not doubts about the destination, however the translation of the text can help to understand.

Massimiliano

Dear All

On the forum there is the limit of 200 Kb and I can't upload images with high resolution, but if you send me a private message I answer you attaching them

Massimiliano

Massimiliano
Note: for security reasons the forum message system is limited to members to have at least 50 posts.
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Don

Thank you Don, you are right, I didn't remember this limit.
If it's not a problem I have created a new email address where the persons can send me the request of images with high resolution
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Massimiliano

High resolution images posted for vanical





Don

I know this has been dormant but I am researching early St Christopher postal history and would like to ask if you did have a good translation finally? This is one of two incoming letters from this time.
Best regards