A note with this vellum covered bound volume identifies the book as "Killaen Van Rensselaer's diary, First Lord of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck." Entries are written in Dutch, and later English. The note also indicates "Kept 1675 and later used on Shelter Island for accounts with indians." It is not entirely clear which Killaen would have started this book. Killaen Van Rensselaer, son of Hendrick Van Rensselaer and Maria Pafraet, was born in Hasselt, Province of Overyssel, in the Netherlands, about 1580, and died in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1644. He was the First Patroon, and the founder of the Colony of Rensselaerswyck. Colonel Jeremias Killaen Van Rensselaer, son of Killaen Van Rensselaer and Anna Van Wely, was born in Amsterdam, Holland in 1632, and was the Third Patroon. He died in Rensselaerswyck, October 12, 1674. As he was the first patroon who resided in the colony, he was often considered the First Lord of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck. Nevertheless, his death also places him before the projected date of the diary. However, his death places him before the diary was kept, and he never came to America, so the note about the book being kept by the "First Lord of the Manor"is probably incorrect. Colonel Jeremias Killaen Van Rensselaer did have a son and a nephew, both named Killaen. However, it is more likely that his nephew Killaen, who married Jeremias's daughter Anna Van Rensselaer, was the Killaen identified as the author of this book, because of the Shelter Island connection. After Anna's first husband Killaen died, she married Colonel William Nicoll, of Islip and Shelter Island. Colonel Nicoll was involved in helping Giles Sylvester manage Sylvester Manor, which would necessitate having workers "bring over" materials. The English language entries throughout the volume are accounts with individuals identified with names like "Jeremiah Indian" and "Peter Indian," recording goods they "brought over." Which suggests this records expenses and labor that Native Americans performed. A few entries reference accounts with English settlers, like "Peregrine Stanborough" and "Mehitable Edwards" for household chores like "pulling wool." Entries of the English accounts in the book appear to continue until at least the 1750s, suggesting another family member may have continued using the book after the deaths of William Nicoll and Anna Van Rensselaer Nicoll.