In 1609, Hendrick Hudson discovered the river which now bears his name, and introduced the Dutch to North America. As early as 1614, the area was known as New Netherland. Serious colonization by the Dutch began in 1623. By 1626, the Dutch had bought Manhattan Island from the resident Indians and described themselves as prosperous. In April of 1628, Dom. Jonas Michaelius organized, and presided over, the first church. This collection of marriage records gives: the names of the bride and groom, the date of marriage (day, month and year), and the place of marriage. The list is in Dutch with some words, phrases and abbreviations translated into English. A description of Dutch marriage laws and customs, particularly those of the Reformed Dutch Church, is included in the introduction. Also of interest is a list of ministers of the church and the dates they served. This work was originally published in the Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Volume 1. A full name index augments the text.