Messengers

Delft employed several messengers (boden). Their major function was to carry messages between the officials in the Stadhuis and the people of Delft. One of them was a traveling messenger (reisende bode), who would travel from Delft to other cities. They were also paid for their services helping the city inspectors, especially those for beer, wine, and milling, at the Waag behind the Stadhuis. Since these inspectors were often camerbewaarders, the four court messengers were probably subordinate to them in the Stadhuis, too. They also were authorized to collect fines, for example, the four court messengers, referred to as the gentlemen's servants ('s heeren dienaars), for violations of the trash collection ordinances noted by the supervisors (crebbemeesters).

The Dutch bode became the word for postal carriers.

In 1660, the year Leeuwenhoek began his long career as camerbewaarder of the magistrates' chamber, Andries van der Goes was treasurer. In that year's Rekeningen van de thesaurier, his account books (cover on the right; click to enlarge), the messengers are listed with the camerbewaarders after the city managers, doctors, and surgeons, but before the clergymen and other church workers such as the organists.

OAD 678.54 page 121 OAD 678.54 page 121v

The heading on page 121 (upper left; click to enlarge) reads: The Camerbewaarders, Messengers, and officers of the court Joost van Moerkercken, messenger for the treasurer, got 80 guilders. Guilliame Palamedis, messenger for the receiver of property taxes, got 25 guilders. Then came the camerbewaarders for the orphans chamber, the council chamber (Leeuwenhoek), and on page 121v (lower left; click to enlarge) the mayor's chamber, who got salaries of more than a hundred guilders each. The final three entries are for the other messengers. The four messengers for the courts (gerechtsboden), Willem van Setten, Benjamijn Mager, Lucas Keerschap, and Claes van Schie, together got 90 guilders, out of which they had to buy their uniforms (stede cledinge). Gerrit den Appel, the traveling messenger (reisende bode), received 156 guilders, out of which he had to take his uniform. The treasurer's expense books show that the traveling messenger frequently submitted reciepts for reimbursement. The final entry is for the four officers of the court (heeren dienaers), who were paid according to a ordinance referenced here.