History of Delaware : 1609-1888, Part 10

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards
Number of Pages: 776

USA > Delaware > History of Delaware : 1609-1888 > Part 10

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The charter fully set forth the objects of the corporation ; provided that it should be open to all countries, cities and individuals, and that those of them who should bring one hundred thousand thalers should be entitled to appoint a director; guaranteed national protection; assured a erown subscription of four hundred thousand thalers; fixed numerous other details and preseribed a form of government for the company.

That the services of Usselinx were neither ig- nored nor inadequately estimated is apparent from the thirty-third article, in which he is most favor- ably spoken of and a plan established for his peeu- niary recompense, viz :-

" Whereas William I'sselinx, born in Antwerp, Brabant, has spent the most of his time in investigating the condition of the above-named

" Although the honor of projecting the first Swedish settlement in America belongs to the distinguished founder of the Dutch West Julia Company, William Iss lins, the credit of devising the details of the scheme, and of successfully executing it, is due to the former Duetter of New Netherlands and first Governor of New Sweden, Peter Mitant In a letter addresed to Peter Sparing, June 15, But, of the eve of his departure from Holland for sweden, which appears to have been land Infore the Royal Commeil on september 27, Don, he makes the formal etter of his services for the four trung of the colony of New Sorden anew first -u-calle di, as well as a specific statement of what was regarded as Trewny for the equipment of the first >wedish exjoshtin to the Delaware This letter hasbeen translated from the original Dutch by Professor4. B Keen, a very ble and non-trans Pensylvania write, and is patchished in the Panaglomer Mage por, Vol. V.I. p. Fix Sammel Blommaert, who was assisted with Minut and Ischen in their -chemie to colonize Delaware, was a men hant of Amsterdam, distin- gnishest hasselt in Long win the service of the Butch East India Com- pany, and was row flashy a partner in the Patch West lidt Company In Broad cas heus heets staden slows for re, le borse a partner in the colote of Renesthe newyork, and in a gestroomshop which established a settlement . ilted Swaanendael, near the site of the present town of Lowes, Poli- ware, the following veat. He was appointed Luminisstimer tor the Swedish enterpriseat Ansterdam, and hold that other until the lan- ning of ItHI, In I he was a Comam-money in the Board of Accounts of the Dutch West Inlar Company, and was Accountant-General at the time of his death, which occurred about 1.

HISTORY OF DELAWARE.

Countries, (the West Indies and Amterical, and, according to the trati- mony of the States General ot the United Provinces, the late Prince Maurice of Orange, and several historians, that he is the first proger for and beginner of the establishout West linha Company in Holland, and has given the Lords state-General good instructions, so he has also given us, by his good advice and information, great satisfaction,-he has obligated him-elf to remain in out setvier and co amnoteat. faithfully and candidly everything that came to his knowledge of the salget through long experience and statustry, -there fore have we, for has just and future promiseit services, trouble, labor and expenses, allowed han to receive from the company our ont ul i vety thessusb int forits of all the goods and merchatalso which shall be bought, traded, or soll. as long as trade continnes to the rimfire . mentioned in this charter. Thus the said comferny shall be obliged to pay one out of a thousand (floritis) to Usselius, Jus attorney in Jours."1

The King was a profound. far-seeing statesman and liberal thinker; and he therefore proposed that freedom of conscience and speech should prevail in any colony founded under the Swedish agis and that to it should be welcomed all exiles from the battle-torn fields of the old worhl. No slaves should tread its soil " for," he said, " slaves cost a great deal, labor with reluctance and soon perish from hard usage. But the Swedish nation is in- dustrious and intelligent, and hereby we shall gain more by a free people with wives and children."

The projeet thus warmly endorsed by Gustavus Adolphus was received with enthusiasm by his subjects. "It is not to be described," says one writer,? "how much all these new schemes de- lighted the Senators, particularly that relative to the establishment of the West Indies tas America was then ealled ), to which all people subscribed readily and generously, in conformity to the ex- ample set them by the king." Ships were made ready and according to some authorities actually sailed for America, 'but fell into the hands of the Spaniards, and then the Thirty Years War being re- newed and Sweden needing all her men and money at home, all further efforts towards colonization were for the time abandoned. During the period which followed there was little respite in the war and the consequent political turmoil, and the un- divided attention which the successful maturing of the scheme demanded could not be bestowed upon it by those in authority. Finally came a serious blow alike to the country and the prospects of the company in the death of the brave and high- minded King, who fell in the battle of Lutzen, November 6, 1632 Alnost his last aet in eivil affairs had been his extension of the charter to in- clude Germany in the privilege of the company and his authorization to Uselinx to travel in that

country to appoint assistants to collect subseriber- In this document dated October 16, 1632 (sign .. and sealed by Chancellor Oxenstierna) the Kin_ styles Usselinx, "Our now authorized Over Di rector of the New South Company, our dear and faithful William Uselinx." After the King'. death, on June 26, 1633, Oxenstierna in a public letter confirming his appointment as agent for Germany ealls him " the first projector of tin South Company, now appointed Over Director, the honorable, our particularly beloved William Usselinx."+ The disastrous engagement with Germany in regard to the company was entirely broken off by the defeat of the Swedish army at the battle of Nordlingen, August 27, 1634, and Usselinx then endeavored, though ineffectually, tu interest the French Government in the scheme.

And now in 1635, after nine years of, for the most part, well-directed but intermittent and pro- ductive labor, and too, amid the very same disad- vantages which had defeated the original projeet, there was begun what was, in many essential re- speets, a new movment for the colonization of New Sweden. and one which culminated in success Concerning the affairs of this period in which the Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, Peter Minnit, Sam- nel Blommaert and Peter Spiring were the chief actors, a Swedish investigator' has in very recent years discovered interesting data.

The King, a short time before his death, had freshly urged public attention to the trading and colonization scheme, and Oxenstierna, to where wise guardianship, he had entrusted his little daughter, Christina, the future Queen of Sweden, officially reiterated his well-known desires Ile also stated that the work was almost carried to completion, but was delayed by the absence of the King in the crusades, in Prussia and Germany and from other causes. Fully realizing the im- portance of the project which had been left hin as a political legacy and trust, the Chancellor in the spring of 1635, while sojomning at the Hague and Amsterdam, made the acquaintance of Sam- uel Blommaert, the commercially ambitious Hol- lander, whose land investments on the Delaware

I Documents Relating to the Colonial History of New York Vol. XII. Elited by B. Frthrows, p 1;, also Mu kley's puangilet, Hazard's Register, and Vincent's History of Delaware, page 11".

" Huttes lite of truthsom Wohlthat-

for America, but that " the spanishis, dustrived, deste routeis enough, for justine, who adels that the stage field Town stequed lin the spaans th order to all the Polsceel the lingstar of selling, and further her- rates that Alogina was wiele und p filed by the sunday in the height of Firstavis, But the authorities autor, in the city boston, that the settle- ment was toole hold it. I Ht wine weigh, and that it any swedes were vidual, who adventured with the Put. h.

+ U'sseliux, afterwards, went into France to induce that emvernment to engage in the sweden South & ampany. In 11. 20 he attempted to form an albance between sweden, France and England, as a sveunity against parte, and in logo he ridesvoted to interest the Hate Town- in the sans atlar, but he was nostressful in all these schemes. In It'd be was appointed swedish agent in Holland .- Joseph J. Malley's Automat of Usseltus and Minut.

5 4. T. AThuiet . " Kolonien Nya sveriges Grundlagging, 15-1612 Ilist. Bibliotek. My Girl [ .; 197-227 stockholm, Isph). This work translated by Prof to. B Krets, for the Ransgranne Magazin of History and Rappraphy af pears modet the title " The Founding of New Sweden, in Vol. 111. pro 1-2-Fand :6-112. Put. Odbiti's contribution throw- new light upon the expedition to the Delaware and enables us to wittert the story sato white la most waiters have fallen the following to close Is the writers of Companies and Metelius, who were rather not in fa- Session of the saures of stalormations has trsealed, or valuing them to lightly, need them carelessly The Besthet is notutilely ef Collects atul the latter, though accurate as taras be gone, dad But examine the per- only in Sweden a- dearly as he did those of the swedish churches in America.

NEW SWEDEN ON THE DELAWARE.

have already been referred to, and after his depart- ure, kept up a correspondence with him, which had the effect of giving a new impetus to Swedish- American affairs. One of the first of Blommaert's letters made inquiry as to the prospects of a Swedish expedition to Guinea, to which country and Brazil the attention of the Dutchman seems then to have been principally devoted, and sub- -quent letters dealt largely with a description of the commercial and maritime enterprises of Hol- land. In the following year Oxenstierna received a visit in Wismer from another Dutchman who was, however, engaged in the Swedish service and stood high in the esteem of the government. This was Peter Spiring, who was now sent to Holland on a commission to gain subsidies for Sweden from the States General and also " to observe whether it might not be possible in this conjuncture to obtain some service in affairs of commerce or manufactures." He wrote the Chancellor, in May 1636, that he had held several conversations with Blommaert concerning the trade with Guinea, and had sought to interest in it him and other Dutch men of business. He also heard from Blommaert of the person best qualified to impart information on these subjects, riz., Peter Minuit, the leader of the first Swedish expedition to the Delaware.1

Minuit, whom it will be borne in mind, was Director of the Council, or President of the Board of the Holland West India Company, and Gov- ernor of Netherlands, resident on the Island of Manhattan, from May 4, 1626 to 1632, was a native of Wesel, in the war-torn Cleves in the Rhine provinces of Germany. He was probably compelled to relinquish his position, in 1632, by the intrigue of a powerful faction of the company, and thereafter seems to have led a retired life, in Holland, until 1626, when he was brought into notice by Spiring. It was proposed that Minuit should journey to Sweden in the summer of 1636, " to aid the authorities with his eounsel and super- for information," but he was unable to do so, and sent a written communication (dated June 15) in which he said :

1 Prof Ihner (translation) in Pennsylvania Historical and Biographi- cal Magazine. Vol III , p. 274.

/ Concerning Mineit's services for the Dutch and the severance of his relations with the West India Company, Mu kley in his little monograph eu Fechux and Mannt say -. "He remained in other until 1632, when a dispute arose between the West India Company and the patroons, in which Manoit was suspected of being in favor of the latter, in conse- quence of which he either resigned or was dismissed. This is thet quite clear. Minuit left New Amsterdam in the shop .. Eendracht " (Concord) in the same year, lust, with a carga of five thousand braver skins. After his arrival at Portsmouth he was detained, with the ship and cargo, by command of the English government, under pertence that the coun- try where he traded to belogged to hajland He was however, with after released, and finally arrived safe in Amsterdam, with hus valuatie cargo, in May, 2032 No pmithe records have as yet lern tound, either in New York or Holland, relating to that period of time th which Mitit was dares for at New Amsterdam, excepting a deel or warrant for Bored to Goods it & Komment, who ho land is situated on the east side of the Delaware those Paper Mash. This is dated Manhattan, July 13, 1430; signed by P. Miunit and others."

" As West India has been gradually menpued by the English, French and Netherlands, so it appears to me that the Swedish government should not remam inactive Thus in order to spread its name in fagrign counting, have I, the undersigned, then destrous to after this services to the swedish government, -to login on a small scale, which, though the blessing of God, may in a short time result in something great In The thet joace I have freqneed to Peter Sparing to make a voyage to Virginia . Now Netherlands and other parts adjusting, - sale planes, well known to nie, with a good climate, -which should be named Jura

He suggested that the Swedish Government might grant a charter to secure the trade from Terra Nova (Newfoundland) to Florida, and also grant power to capture Spanish and Portuguese vessels, and that the goods of the company should be made free from duty, both in and out, for a period of ten years. He thought that the con- pany ought to " try to get there the sooner the bet- ter, and procure friendly terms with the wild in- habitants, so as to induce them to collect beaver- skins during the winter ; trade with them for tour to five thousand skins. Thus, with a small begin- ning, increase the capital, so as to take more in hand afterwards." Such an expedition as Minuit contemplated required a ship of from sixty to one hundred lästers,' with a cargo worth ten thou- sand to twelve thousand gulden,' and a company of twenty or twenty five men, with provisions for a year and a dozen soldiers to serve as a garri- son for the colony which should be located, besides a smaller vessel to remain at the settlement. This proposition of Minuit's or one based upon it was read in the Swedish Rad, September 27, 1636, and seems to have been favorably regarded by that body as well as by Oxenstierna, Spiring, Blom- maert and other interested individuals.

In the fall of 1636, Spiring was again sent to Holland, but this time as Swedish resident and "Counsellor of the Finances, ennobled under the name of Silfvereron till Norshalm (with which he coupled his own name, usually writing it Peter Spieringk Silvereroen of Norshalm). He immed- iately resumed negotiations with Minuit, and Blommaert, (the latter of whom was now made Swedish Commissary' at Amsterdam), the final result of which was that the expedition to Guinea was given up, because regarded as ultimately in- volving too great expense and the coterie resolved to form a Swedish-Dutch Company, for the pur- pose of carrying on trade with and establishing colonies upon those portions of the American coast not already occupied by the Dutch and English. It was estimated that the cost of the first expedi- tion would be about twenty-four thousand Dutch florins," half of which was to be contributed by Blommaert, Minuit and their friends and the remaining half to be subscribed in Sweden.

3 From 720 to 1200 tous.

4 Not far from Şuakito Stex in cold.

> Cpivalent to L'on-ul Grnem.

6 Two and a half Dutch forins were equal to alemnt one Swedish riks- daler and the above sum was equal to nine thousand six hundred riks- dalers or seven thousand two hundred dollars gold.

IHISTORY OF DELAWARE.

Spiring was desirous of taking into their confi- denee other business men, but their companions protested against it and urged secrecy as the only safeguard against the frustration of their scheme by the Dutch West India Company. This affords a somewhat canstie commentary upon the methods by which the first Swedish colonies were planted upon the Delaware and explains why so little was known of the early movements towards that object by cotemporary historians. Blommaert was a member of the Dutch company, but no less zealous fer the welfare of the Swedish enterprise on that score, and indeed he had been engaged in contention with the company, which, doubtless had its effect in making him a party to the new project, but it is, nevertheless, a notable thet that he was not taken into the confidence of his associates.

Minuit, when these preliminaries had been arranged, in February, 1637, went to Sweden and began preparations for the expedition of which it was agreed he was to be commander. The money required from Sweden was contribu- ted by Axel Oxenstierna and two of his relatives, Peter Spiring and Clas Fleming, who was prae- tically the chief of the Swedish Admiralty and secretary of the Swedish company. It was he who obtained the commission to fit out the ships, and he carried out the details of equipment with Minuit and Blommaert. The latter procured the crews of experienced men. in Holland, and also bought there the articles for the cargees for trad- ing purposes. Both men and goods were sent over to Gottenburg, whence the expedition was to sail in the spring, but owing to Miunit's being serious- August, the Admiralty issued passports for the ships " Kalmar Nyckel" ( Key of Kalmar) and " Vogel Gripen "1 (the Griffin, or Bird Griffin ), the former a large man of-war, the latter a sloop, to sail from Stockholm, and they did not leave Gottenburg until late in the fall. ' Even after sailing from this port, the vessels were delayed by adverse winds and stormy weather, and as late as December had to put into the Dutch harbor of

14 :. B Keen, in a note to las translation of Flower, Pourdranin May- ucie of History, Vol. 111, p. 97) -458, " The pines crafted were to Capt Anders Nilsson Kinder, of the . kalmar Sacked un Dutch Is Kodmers leutels, and . Vogel Grip' batch, In Bangrega, commanded by Lieut. Jacob Bagben. The Key of Kalmar' ned after a city of Sweden, on the Baltic coast of Gothland, of the start of Bland, and fmons as being the place where the union of Detbirk. Swerden am Norway was consummated in BAG, under the anjanau- guver Margaret of Denmark, called the . Semiramis ut the North'i was e regular man- of war of quite good capacity. The 'thatfin' for ' Bad Griffin was a sloop or yacht for shallow water. The cost of the exposition, through delays, ran up above thirty-six thousand florins, causing; the Dutch saber rider's to grumble The only person, se for as known, who ente to new Sweden on the 'Gripen' and renaned with the colony was din marian inder angeler, 'a Moor or Angla man,' a negro named Anthony, a bought slave the first on the Delawany who served for- erpor Printe at Tinny um in 1641 ('making hay for the cattle and accompanying the Givenor in his pleasure-yacht i Just was spill having in 1648.'

Mondemibiik to repair damages and procure pro- visions. The thraty Dutch partners were sorely worried by all of the-e vexations hindrances and Cirquent es pauditores, for already the expense- of the expedition had been calculated at thirty. six thousand florins, or half again as much a- the sam which had at the outset been deemed efficient and they were fearful that they would realize no profit from their venture. Minuit pro- mised, however, upon his return, to induce the Swedish government to assume the extra expen- diture ami finally their minds were, in a measure, comforted by the departure of the " Key of Kal- mar " and " Grithin " just as the year, 1637, drew to a close .:

Of that old-time venturesome voyage across the ceean which resulted in placing the first perma- uent settlement on the shores of the Delaware River, within the boundaries of the State named tor it, nothing definite is known. The passage was doubtless by the circuitous southern route, along the coast of Portugal and by the way of the Azores and Canaries to the West India Islands and thenee northward, along the American shore, to the entrance of the Delaware Bay. What may have been the thought of the few persons on the two vessels, thus breasting the waves, day after day. in their progress towards a practically un- known land, may be partly conjectured. What vague hopes and vaguer fears filled some of those breasts may be imagined. They had heard misty and fabulous stories of the wealth, and salubrity. and luxuriance of the country to which the winds of heaven were bearing them and they heard, too, tales of the cruelty and blood-thirstiness of the

ly sick, a long delay ensued. On the 9th of strange race who dwelt there Some of them

must have had knowledge of outrages committed in the country, and those who knew the actual destination of the ships were not, improbably, aware, also, of the awful fate of the Zwaanendael colonists Some of the sailors had, very likely, visited these shores before, in the Dutch service, and they and the commander Minuit knew some- thing of the condition of the country, but the rest were in almost absolute ignorance of the situation and circumstances that awaited them. The mind of Minuit was, doubtless, filled with dreams of personal renown and of the future glory and eu- richment of the company he represented. A few may, perhaps, have been piously praying and planning for the Christian enlightenment of the savages, (but this is doubtful, for the first clergy- man was yet to come to the Delaware), and it i- not probable that there were many religiously melined persons among the emigrants, each and

" Blommaert vent news of the departure to the Chancellor in a letter dated Jammary &, Bis.

Reogus Toskillus, the tust Swedish clergyman on the Delaware, was not with this experiments as has been started by Ferris, Vincent and others, but came in the second rxpehtion, in 1639,

NEW SWEDEN ON THE DELAWARE.

every mind, of that small but mixed assemblage, had its own thoughts of the half mysterion- country to which they were bound and mingled with these misty musings were the distinet, ahust photographically vivid, memories of the Father- land. thousands of miles away.

Whatever the incidents of the voyage, the ad- venturers were blessed with a safe, and, for the times, a speedy passage. The winds that filled the sails of the stately " Key of Kalmar" and the httle sloop " Griffin " were more propitious than those which wafted the early voyagers, for it is certain that they came across the Atlantic in a period not greatly exceeding three months, and five months was not an unusual time for a voyage to America in the ships of that dis- tant day.' The actual sailing of the expedition had occurred about the close of December, 1687, or the beginning of January, following, and the ships were upon the Delaware by the close of March, 1638 .:

" When Radian and Burch, the Swedish musstomates, were sent to thus country under the authority and by order of Chatles XI, of sweden, in 1997, their shop was ame weeks and six days on her passage from Stockholtu to London and ten weeks on her way thence to the count of Virginia. It is also said, that, when sandel, the Swedish mi- sonary, was appointed to come over and take charge of the church at Whats, "He left Sweden on the 21st of August, Hol, and alter sothe detention, in England, and the usuar tedious passage across the Atlantic. anived in the Delaware, on the 12th of March following, "it in twenty- mne weeks. In the very interesting account of Ins voyage from Sweden to the Delaware, by the elder Campanin-, we are informed that he wolrd from Stockholm, August 1b, It44, and arrived at Christiana, February 15, 1043. In explanation of his passage, Conganas gives the following narrative of hi- voyage :

"1642, .August Ioth .- stiled from Stockholm.

" August 17th .- Arrived at Dableham.

+ September 30 .- Left the same.

" September 6th .- Arrived at Copenhagen.

" &ptember 8th. - Landed at Helsinger.

" September 12th .- Came to Gottenburg.

"Nurember Ist .- Left Gottenburg Castle.

" November 14th .- In the Spanish Sea, tsupposed of the coast of Spam.

" November 21st .- sailing along the coast of Portugal.

"Neember with -Of the Bulary coast.

" November 28th .- South of the Canary Islands.

" Dreember 20th .- Arrived at Antigua.

" 1643. Junmary 3d .- Sathed by St Christopher's atl other small island .. "January 21th .- Sounding off the crust of Smith.l.

"January 25th. - Saw land near the C'apes of Delaware.

" Jaunary 20th. - off Lewistown.

" Ehruary loth .- Arrived at Christiana. Passage just five months or 1'0 days

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Delaware : 1609-1888, Part 10

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards Number of Pages: 776

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards
Number of Pages: 776