Important General Considerations

Spelling Standards

– ij is expressed as y
– Name endings ss, sz., or sen have been standardized to sz
– When searching, consider orthographic variations such as ae/aa and ck/k

Date Format

Dates follow the Gregorian calendar.

NA

Represents missing data. Useful for sorting in some programs.

Voyage ID / Voyage Leg ID

– Each voyage has a permanent number (not chronological)
– A voyage is a round-trip journey from homeport to homeport
– Legs are segments between stops (e.g., Amsterdam to New Netherland)
– Legs are denoted with extensions like 140_1, 140_2

Ship Name

– Standardized to most common spelling
– Some ships have the same name and are numbered (e.g., Liefde (1), Liefde (2))
– Some ships were renamed (e.g., Gulden Hay/Dolphyn/Diemen)

Other Names Noted

Ships appear under varied spellings, nicknames, or translations (e.g., Bontecoe, Spotted Cow).

Departure and Arrival Date Details

– Specific dates known for few voyages
– Dates often deduced from court records, letters, attestations
– “WIC Account Book” dates often reflect when debt was recorded, not departure
– Amsterdam and Texel departures may differ by weeks

Departure and Arrival Year

– Check adjacent years when searching
– Voyages often overlapped years
– Winter departures may appear as different years depending on exact timing

Departure and Arrival Place

– Default departure is Amsterdam unless Texel is specified
– More ships likely stopped in Curaçao than recorded
– “Wrecked” or “Taken” = did not arrive
– Some voyages include Caribbean legs not documented

Ship Type

“Yacht” refers to smaller transatlantic or local vessels.

Ship Size

Measured in tons (cargo capacity). Two tons ≈ one Dutch last.

Owner or Charterer

– Refers to the financier of the voyage
– Could be WIC or private merchants
– “Private” means identity unknown

Skipper, Crews, and Supercargoes

Assumed aboard for all voyage legs unless noted otherwise.

Soldiers

Often transferred ships via Curaçao or Brazil en route to New Netherland.

Passengers Recorded

– Info is always partial or incomplete
– WIC “account books” = debt, not passenger lists
– Name endings standardized to sz
– Try variant spellings (ae/aa, t/d)
– Not all passengers immigrated; some returned on same ship

Enslaved Africans

– Mentions of enslaved people are recorded when found
– Identities and points of origin are mostly unknown
– See slavevoyages.org for more

Cargoes Noted

– Often partial lists
– Vocabulary standardized:
  – pelts = furs, skins, beavers
  – dyewood = Brasilwood
  – duffles = duffle cloth

Animals

Frequently under-recorded; may appear under cargoes.

Voyage Notes

Additional information or explanation about the voyage.

Source Notes

– Sources are abbreviated (see list below)
– Some apply across legs or voyages
– Amsterdam Archive sources may reference full notarial documents
– Please verify all data through primary sources
– Contact: jlsvandenhout@gmail.com