Jan Everts Bout

Who was Jan Everts Bout?

Jan Evertsz Bout, was an early and prominent Dutch settler in the 17th century colonial province of New Netherland.

In 1634 one of the first "bouweries", or homesteads, in the colony of New Netherland was built at Communipaw on the west bank of the North River as part of Pavonia, a patroonship of Amsterdam businessman Micheal Pauw.Bout was the second of three superintendents for the patroonship. The spit of land on which the house was built was called Jan de Lacher's Hoeck. or Jan the Laugher's Point, apparently in reference to his boisterous character. It was at Bout's homestead that the Tappan and Wecquaesgeek had taken refuge, and was where they were attacked in 1643 in the incident known as the Pavonia Massacre which led to Kieft's War.

Bout was member of the Council of Eight Men, a citizens advisory board for the Commonality of New Amsterdam that was instrumental in the removal of William Kieft as the Director of New Netherland, the Twelve Men and the Nine Men. He accompanied Adriaen van der Donck to the Netherlands to present grievances to the States-General of the Netherlands about mismanagement by the Dutch West India Company.