Francis (Francoijs) Rombouts, Mayor 1679-80: Rombouts (1631 – 1691) owned a significant portion of what is today’s Dutchess County. He was a merchant who engaged in trade with Dover and London in goods and agricultural products.[1] He served in the Dutch government as a schepen (official who was an alderman and judge) in 1674 when they retook the colony from 1673 to 1674. 

In 1692, the enslaved people “a Negro man called Jacob” and “an Indian woman called Diana” are listed in an inventory of his estate, both worth £25:

Inventory [22 and 23 Jan, 1691/2] taken by Jacobus Kip, Johannis Outman, Theunis de Key and Rip Van Dam and exhibited on 17 Feb, 1691/2 by Helena Rombouts, Amount of estate was £1,131/10/8 and 3/4, Among items listed were a waistcoat with silver buttons, 2 pictures, a Negro man called Jacob [£25] and an Indian woman called Diana [£25], a picture, a Bible and a Psalm-Book [£1/16/-], a silver tankard, 2 silver beakers, 2 silver salt-cellars and 3 silver tumblers, wt, 61/4oz, 6dwt, [£20/17/-] and 3/4 of the ship Katharine now in Europe.[2]

In his May 1691 will, Rombouts outlined a condition for Diana to be sold:

…and Touching his Slave Diana Expressed in the [?] Conditions and kept without Commonage , is his Will and Desire , that the same by Title of Prelegate and before all Divisions shall bemaine in full Right , to his said Daughter Catharina , but with this Express Condition and Stipulation , in case my said wife after my decease will pay fifty Pounds currant money here to the Benefitt of his said Daughter , then she may Take her for it , and keep as her own , but otherwise and to the Contrary then the Sd Slave Diana is Presently to be sold , after his Decease , and the money accruing by her to come and to Remains to the benefitt of said Catharina Rombouts. [3]

On February 19, 1707, Rombouts wife, Helena, sold Diana and two other enslaved people—Alida and Sam—to Henry Tamball. From conveyance records:

Know all men by these presents that I Helena Rombouts of the City of New York Widow for and in consideration of one hundred pounds Current money of New York to me in hand paid by Henry Tamball of the same place Merchant the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge and myself therewith fully satisfied , Have bargained sold and delivered and by these presents in due form of law do bargain sell and deliver unto the said Henry Tamball one Indian woman called Diana one other Indian Woman called Alida one Negro boy called Sam five tables three pictures one old Dutch Bible one looking glass one cupboard four white linnen curtains a large Bean seales and weights eighteen old pewter plates two pewter dishes one large marble table three brass ketles one Jack and weights and two Spits all and singular which said premises hereby bargained and sold and now at the time of the sealing and delivery of these presents in my possession and in the house I now dwell in scituate in the broad way in the City of New York.[4]

[1] Merchants & Empire, p.79

[2] “Prices of Enslaved Persons in New York and New Jersey.” Douma, Michael, Journal of Slavery and Data Preservation 4, no. 5 (2023): 67-75; Description from New York State Estate Inventory Abstracts, 1666 – 1825, NY Geneological and Biographical Society, link

[3] New York County Record of Wills 1684–1687, Vol. III & IV, viewer page 175, FamilySearch

[4] New York City Conveyance Records 1698–1701, 1701–1705, 1705–1712, image p.475, FamilySearch

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