This list of orphans (and the letter) are in: Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York Vols. 1-11 translated and edited by E. B. O'Callaghan, Vols. 12- 15 translated and edited by Berthold Fernow; 1856-1887 vol. 14, pp. 325 - 326.

LETTER FROM THE BURGOMASTERS OF AMSTERDAM TO STUYVESANT: BOYS AND GIRLS FROM THE ALMSHOUSES SENT TO NEW NETHERLAND.

Noble, Honorable, Wise, Prudent, Very Discreet Sir. Whereas with the consent of their Honors, the Directors of the W. I. Company, we have resolved to send over some boys and girls, specified in the enclosed memorandum, in the Company's ships, thereby taking a burden from the Almshouse of this city. and helping to increase the population of New-Netherland; we desire hereby to request and recommend to your Honor to receive these children and youths kindly and to take care, that they may be employed according to their abilities for the best advantage of the Company and a proper advancement of themselves.

Herewith etc ere this 27th of May 1655. To the Noble, Honorable Wise, Prudent, Your Honor's good friends Very Discreet Sir, Petrus Stuyvesant, The Burgomasters and

Director-General of New Netherland or Regents of the City of in his absence, to his deputy in New Amsterdam. Amsterdam, in N. N. By Order N. NICOLAI.

^F1 From research of Howard Swain: The following are all from volume 14 of: Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York Vols. 1-11 translated and edited by E. B. O'Callaghan, Vols. 12- 15 translated and edited by Berthold Fernow; 1856-1887

This is from a letter from the Directors to Peter Stuyvesant dated 26 April 1655

"We have now chartered for this purpose [to proceed against the Swedish colony] from the Burgomasters and Council of this city one of their four largest and best ships, called the "Waegh," armed with 36 pieces, which is now being made ready for sea and will sail from here with about 200 men in 12 or 14 days." -- p. 317

Here is another letter from the Directors to Stuyvesant dated May 26th, 1655. and "Received by the man-of-war "de Waegh" Aug. 13th."

"The written conditions, sent over, have told us of the rules made and the care taken there of the children from the Almshouses, which have our approval; we hope, that the Burgo-masters and Almshouse authorities have also been pleased; they are again sending by this ship a party of boys and girls as per enclosed list. We recommend them as before to your care and although among them some may be found of tenderer age than you require, we think it does not matter, for it can be amended and corrected by one or two years' longer service, which is of little importance to the boys." -- p. 322

So, that seems pretty clear that the orphans came on the ship Waegh with the soldiers.

Also, from the same letter:

"If Captain Frederick de Coninck (who is to obey your orders implicitly pursuant to the extract of our resolutions here enclosed under No. 6), and Lieutenant Ysvoort, both coming as such in the ship "De Waegh," should desire to remain there as freemen and not in the service and pay of the Company, you may keep them there." -- p. 323

A later letter from the Directors to Stuyvesant dated The 25th of September 1655 begins:

"Honorable, Pious, Dear, Faithful. Our last general letter to you was dated the 26th of May last past and was sent by the ship "Waegh van Amsterdam" which sailed from here on the 7th of June following." -- p. 332

So, now we know that the Waegh sailed on 7 June 1655 and arrived on 13 Aug 1655 with Frederick de Coninck as Captain.

^F2 From research of Lorine McGinnis Schulze: According to O'Callaghan in Calendar of Historic Manuscripts (Part 1, Dutch Manuscripts 1630-1664), on 23 March 1655 a certificate was issued "That a certain balance is due to Immetje Cornelis, matron of the orphan children sent out from Amsterdam"

Mention is again made of orphans on 4 Jan 1656: "Order for the punishment of a boy and girl (orphans from Amsterdam) in the service of Pieter van Couwenhoven, for dishonesty"

And one final mention occurs on 4 April 1652 but no details are included. The notation states that a letter of that date from the Directors to the commonalty at the Manathans [sic] mentioned orphans as well as other items.

^F3 From research of Cor Snabel: In order to conquer the Swedish colony, Peter Stuyvesant asked the managers of the WIC to sent him soldiers and because it was impossible to let the "Groote Christoffel" leave in time, they chartered a private ship, "de Waegh" with captain Frederick de Coninck and he arrived in New Amsterdam in August 1655. Immediately after its arrival Peter Stuyvesant took action and conquered the colony.

In 1654 about 27 or 28 children arrived on the "Peereboom". Only one name is known: the sixteen year old Hendrick Claesz. was assigned to Lodewijck Jongh on 16 Nov. 1654. In 1655 another group arrived of 9 girls between 13 and 23 years old and 7 boys at the age of 12 to 17. In 1659 another group followed of 6 children.

They came from the Amsterdam Almshouse; the Amsterdam City Council was cutting down expenses on the almshouses and Peter Stuyvesants' request for "new blood" gave them the idea to select from these orphans of non citizens. The children were volunteers, but it is unknown what the authorities told them. They were selected on health, not on skills and education. Later on the orphans were also recruited in Holland to serve as contract laborers in New Amsterdam.