USA > Delaware > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 31
USA > New Jersey > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 31
USA > Pennsylvania > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 31
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
'Cf. this Description, chaps. IX., XI., XIII., XVII.
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ever I almost always show my love with a piece of bread and a drink of beer, whereby an answering affection is awakened in them and they commonly call me "Teutschmann," also "Carissimo" (that is, brother). N. B. Their language is . manly and in my opinion is little inferior to the Italian in gravity, etc. As to their manners and nature, one must so to speak sub-distinguish them into those who have associated for some time with the so-called Christians and those who are just beginning to come forth out of their burrows. For the former are crafty and deceitful, which they owe to the above- mentioned nominal Christians. Semper enim aliquid hæret.1 Such an one lately pledged me his strap? as security that he would bring me a turkey, but in its place he brought an eagle and wished to persuade me that it was a turkey. When however I showed him that I had seen many eagles he acknowl- edged to a Swede who stood by that he had done it out of de- ception, in the belief that because we had lately come into the land I should not know such birds so accurately. Another at my fireside tested the brandy thus: he stuck his finger into it and then put the latter into the fire to see whether water had been mingled with the liquor. Those of the second class, on the contrary, are of a reasonable spirit, injure nobody, and we have nothing whatever to fear from them. One thing lately struck deeply into my heart when I pondered the sincere ad- monition of our Saviour, that we His disciples should take no thought for the morrow, because thus do the Gentiles. Ah, thought I to myself, how entirely has all been now perverted! When we Christians are not provided for a month and more how displeased are we, while these heathen in so wonderful a spirit of resignation refer their sustenance to God. Just at that time I saw four of them eating together. The earth was at once their table and their bench. A pumpkin, cooked in plain water, without butter or spice, was all their food. Their spoons were mussel-shells, with which they supped the warm water. Their plates were oak leaves, which they had no need to clean after the meal, nor, when they needed others, to give themselves much trouble about them. Now, dear friend, let us not hesitate to learn contentment from these people, that
1 "For always something adheres." ' By which things are carried. 8 Cf. the same story in the Description, chap. XI., ante, p. 384.
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they may not hereafter shame us before the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ.
Of those persons who came hither with me a half dozen are already dead. I and mine, however, have throughout the whole time found ourselves in good condition and good appe- tite, except that Isaac Dilbeck has for a week been somewhat indisposed, and Jacob Schumacher' on the first of October cut his foot severely with an axe and was for a week unable to labor. Of the Crefelders, no one has died thus far except Her- man op de Graef's' decrepit mother, who, soon after her arrival, wearied of the vanities of the world, departed to enjoy the de- lights of heaven. The wife of Abraham Tunesen,8 our farm- tenant, has now lain for more than two months in my cottage very weak, and was for some time quite unconscious but now bids fair to get well.
Now as to the purchased land. It is divided into three kinds." First, 15000 acres lying together in one piece, on a navigable stream. Secondly, 300 acres within the city liber- ties, which is the stretch of land between the Delaware and the Schuylkill. Thirdly, three lots in the town, on which to build houses. When after my arrival I applied to William Penn for warrants, to measure off these three parts, and to obtain pos- session of them, his first answer respecting this was:
1 Jacob Shoemaker (died 1722), one of the servants of the Frankfort Com- pany, brought by Pastorius from Mainz, in Germany, was a turner by trade. In 1693 he was sheriff of Germantown.
2 Herman op den Graeff, linen weaver, from Crefeld, son of Isaac, with his mother and his two brothers, Dirck and Abraham and sister Margaret, as pur- chasers of 2000 acres of land from Telner, arrived with the first German company of Crefelders on the Concord, in 1683. "My mother died in Philadelphia on the nineteenth of November, [1683], and was buried in that very place. My brother's wife was delivered of a daughter here in Germantown, which was the first born here." Thus wrote one of the brothers, evidently Herman, in the earliest known description of conditions in that initial German settlement, in a letter, a copy of which is in the Konneken manuscript at Lübeck, published by J. F. Sachse in Letters relating to the Settlement of Germantown. Herman was one of the first four burgesses of Germantown. His brothers were signers to the first public protest against slavery in America, at Germantown in 1688. About 1701 he re- moved to Kent County, Delaware, and died there about 1704.
* Abraham Tunes, one of the first Crefeld company, was a burgess in Ger- mantown in 1694.
'Cf. the Description, chap. III., ante, p. 375.
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I .. The three lots in the city, and the three hundred acres in its liberties, could not rightly go to the [Frankforters]1 because they were bought after he, William Penn, had already left England and the books at London had been closed. After I had represented to him, however, that you were the fore- runners of all Germans, and therefore to be regarded with more consideration, he caused three lots to be measured off for me at the beginning of the town, one after another, out of his younger son's' share.
etc. 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The double lines represent the Delaware River, on which the town is situated. The numbers, however, represent the following houses and farms: 1. Schwan, the Swede;' 2. the Lutheran Church;" 3. the pastor's house;' 4. an Englishman; 5. Andres, the Swede;" 6. William Penn's youngest son;"
1 So given in the copy of the manuscript in the Konneken manuscripts at Lübeck.
2 William Penn, jr. (1680-1720); the elder brother was Springett Penn (1675- 1696). William's lot, after the cutting off of the northernmost part for the German Company of Frankfort, was on the northwest corner of Front and Cedar (now South) streets.
· Sven Svensson, or Swanson (d. 1696), a native of Sweden, husbandman, living south of the town at Wicaco (now about Front Street and Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, centring at the old Swedes' Church built in 1700) evidently is meant. He was a son of Sven Gunnarsson, or Gonderson, who was a culti- vator of tobacco at Fort Christina, in 1644, and who with his three sons, Sven, Olave, and Andrew, all of Wicaco, held title to a large part of the site of Phila- delphia under surveys from the Duke of York in 1664 and 1681. Penn effected a surrender of their claims by an exchange for land on the west side of the Schuylkill.
'The Lutheran Church (Gloria Dei) of the Swedes at Wicaco, built as a block-house in 1669, was made a place of worship in 1675. Its present site is occupied by the quaint Old Swedes' Church, built of brick in 1700, the oldest house of worship in the present city. The Episcopal service is now held there.
" Of the Swedish Church at Wicaco.
. Andrew Svensson, or Swanson, of Wicaco, brother of Sven above.
" Simply the lot without buildings, apparently; William Penn, jr., was then (1684) only three years of age
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7. the [Frankforters]; 8. Philip Fort;1 9. the Society and its trading-house;2 10. the Blue Anchor Inn;" 11. James Claypoole ;. 12., etc. There are other houses, to name which is needless here. Thus in front lies the Delaware; then comes a broad street,‘ upon which falls our first allotment, a hundred feet broad and four hundred long. At the end of this" comes a lane;" then our second allotment, of the same breadth and length; then comes another lane," and finally our third allot- ment. Upon each lot two houses in front and two behind can suitably be built side by side, consequently upon the three lots twelve houses with their appurtenant buildings; and yet all these give upon the streets. Necessarily, however, if we do not wish to lose these lots we must within two years build three houses, that is, one house upon each lot. Upon the front lot I have, with our man-servant, built already a small house, half under the ground and half above, which indeed is only thirty feet long and fifteen feet broad, yet, when the Crefelders were lodging here with me, could harbor twenty persons. On the oiled-paper window over the door I wrote: Parva domus sed amica bonis, procul este prophani." This William Penn lately read, and was pleased.' Also I have a cellar" seven feet
1 Philip Ford never came over.
" The Free Society of Traders, the trading-house being on the west side of - Front Street, below Dock Creek.
" The Blue Anchor Inn, the first hostelry in Philadelphia, at this time (1684) was in the middle of Front Street, the main thoroughfare of the little town, on the high bank of the Delaware, and was about 146 feet north of Dock Creek, now Dock Street. The inn was opened as early as 1682, its owner being Captain William Dare. He sold the property on January 18, 1683, to Colonel Edward Hill, of Shirley, on James River, Virginia. Colonel Hill in the same year, 1683, sold to Griffith Owen, of Philadelphia, who was the owner at the time of Pas- torius's writing. In 1686, Jones sold to George Bartholomew, who soon moved the inn off the street to his lot in the rear, to the westward.
" Front Street, the main street.
"I. e., of the first lot, where Pastorius's house was built on the west side of Front Street, north of the lot of William Penn, jr., at the northwest corner of Front and Cedar streets.
" Second Street.
7 Third Street.
& "A little house, but a friend to the good; remain at a distance, ye profane." Cf. Vergil's Aeneid, VI. 258.
. Cf. the Description, chap. VIII., ante, p. 381.
" Probably the cave in the bank of Front Street described in his reminiscences in after years, as follows:
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deep and twelve broad and twenty long, dug on the banks of the Delaware, and am now occupied with building a stable. All three lots are cleared of the trees, and I shall immediately fence them and plant them with Indian corn. N. B. It is especially difficult and expensive to fence all the land, yet on account of the horses, cattle, and swine running at large we cannot dispense with doing it. Also one cannot, the first year, plant either rye or wheat in such new land, but only Indian (or as you call it, Turkish) corn, which however does not taste nor satisfy so well.
II. As to the three hundred acres in the city liberties, I have made various applications to William Penn in respect to them, and have especially urged that B. Fürly' had promised them in the sale, etc. He however for a long time would not agree to this, the reason being that not more had been reserved for city liberties than that for which buyers of five thousand had been found while he was yet in England; and among these the [Frankforters] were not comprised. Finally a few days ago, when I again delivered to him a memorial, he gave me the pleasing answer that he out of particular regard for you would allow me the said three hundred acres additional, but would give no more to any man who had bought after the
"The caves of that time were only holes digged in the Ground, Covered with Earth, a matter of 5. or 6. feet deep, 10. or 12. wide and about 20. long; whereof neither the Sides nor the Floors have been plank'd. Herein we lived more Contentedly than many nowadays in their painted and wainscotted Palaces, as I without the least hyperbole may call them in Comparison of the aforesaid Sub- terraneous Catatumbs or Dens. Vide Hebr. 11: 38. I myself purchased one of the old Tho. Miller for 5£ then Currt. Silver Money of Pennsylvania in the midst of the Front-street at Philada., whereas the Servants, I had along with me, could have made a far better in less than two days, had they but known how to handle the spade."-Learned, Pastorius, p. 212.
1 Benjamin Furly (1636-1714), a leading shipping merchant of Rotterdam, an English Quaker and the chief agent of William Penn on the Continent for the sale of lands, the issuing of descriptive pamphlets, and the general promotion of the colonization of Pennsylvania. Beginning his career as a merchant in his native town, Colchester, England, by 1660 he had removed to Amsterdam, thence to Rotterdam. He was a prolific writer in English, German, Dutch, and French, and gathered a remarkable collection of manuscripts and rare books. As a patron of learning, his home became the rendezvous of Leclerc, Limborch, Al- gernon Sidney, and Locke. Quaker meetings were held at his house, Fox, Penn, Keith, and other leaders of the Society resorting there. Although a Quaker, he was buried in the central aisle of the Groote Kerk, the chief church of Rotterdam.
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closing of the books, no matter who he might be. It is accordingly my intention, as soon as the Indian corn here is in the ground, to make a beginning upon these three hundred acres (which will not be more than a half-hour dis- tant from this town), in order that I may better keep the cows and swine, may raise more produce, and thereby help those who come after me.
III. Concerning the fifteen thousand acres, two chief diffi- culties arose, namely, that William Penn did not wish to give them all together in one piece in order that so very large a space in the land might not lie uncultivated and empty, nor on the Delaware River, where indeed everything had already been taken up by others. But after I had repeatedly rep- resented to him both orally and in writing that it would be very prejudicial to us and our German successors to be so completely wedged in among the English, and likewise that B. Fürly had communicated to the [Frankforters] his, William Penn's, letter in which he had promised otherwise to our nation, etc., he finally gave me a warrant, to have our land in one tract, pro- vided that we within a year would settle thirty families upon the fifteen thousand acres, namely, three townships, each of. ten households, among which might be reckoned the three which are already here (but in case thirty families do not come he will not be bound to give the land in one piece). I for my small part could indeed wish that we might have a small separate province, and so might the better protect ourselves against all oppression. Now if one of you could be free to come hither and bring that number of families your own best interests would be incomparably furthered thereby, for he, William Penn, only the day before yesterday told me that in that case he would give you the preference over all the English who though they had bought earlier had not yet arrived here, and would give you certain privileges in our new Francken- land (for so he called the tract of land destined for us). If, however, it is too difficult for you to transport so many fam- ilies in so short a time, it would in my opinion, which of course is not binding, be well that the friends of [Frankforters] should take from you a few thousand acres and, out of the abundance with which they have been blessed, send certain households hither, in order that the fifteen thousand acres may come to us
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undivided and without English neighbors intervening; es- pecially as he will give these lands not too far away from this town, namely, on the Scollkill above the falls, where he him- self intends to build a house and to lay out a small manse for himself. The land near the river is quite hilly, and not ill- suited to the cultivation of the vine. Farther in, however, it is level and fertile. The worst of it is, however, that one cannot go in a boat over the falls and the ledges, except when it has rained heavily and even then not without danger. Now since I could not know what you might conclude to do in these circumstances, and yet it was very important, and since more- over these often-mentioned fifteen thousand acres would cost 28 pounds sterling to survey, namely, 5 shillings of the local money for every hundred acres, which money however I did not have in hand, I was obliged to let the matter stand until I had received your decision, in order not to step over the limits of a faithful agent. In order, however, that I might settle the three families who had arrived upon their six hun- dred acres I have, in conjunction with the Crefelders (who have bought eighteen thousand acres, and though all here present cannot obtain the whole in one piece) taken up six thousand acres for a township, of which they have three thousand and we three thousand. This town I laid out on October 24, and called it Germantown. It lies only two hours' walk from here, on fertile soil, and near pleasant springs, which I have mentioned above. This I was obliged to do because William Penn will not give any man his portion separately but all must dwell together in townships or towns, and this not without weighty reasons.] Among these the chief is that in that way the chil- dren can be kept at school and much more conveniently brought up) well. Neighbors also can better offer each other loving and helpful hands and with united mouths can in public assemblies praise and extol the goodness of God.7 N. B. You might ac- cordingly assign only a hundred acres to the families that you bring over here in the future and yet obtain almost as large an estate.
As for my domestic establishment, I very much wished to arrange it in the good High German manner and Jacob Schue- macher and the old Swiss' are very serviceable to me toward 1 George Wertmüller.
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this purpose. But the Hollanders whom I have with me adapt themselves but ill to this, especially the maid,' who cannot get on well with the English one,2 so that I, to preserve the peace, must send the latter away because the former with her two children' cannot so easily remove or attach herself to another master. I greatly desire to obtain as soon as possible a High German maid whom I can trust better than, I am sorry to say, I now can do. If you wish not to be deceived in your hopes, send only Germans, for the Hollanders, as troublesome ex- perience teaches me, are not so pleasant, which in this new land is a highly necessary quality. I have no carpenter among my servants, so a few ought to be sent over hither for the building of houses. In the making of the contract with them it may serve for your information that their daily wages are now much diminished, and beyond their board they receive not more than [two] ' shillings a day, though most of them for this reason do not work and are preferring to leave the country. N. B. A fixed price is set for all hand-workers, also not more than fifty per cent. gain must be made on merchant wares, though indeed perhaps three or four years from now there will be little profit to be made on these, as the Society is sufficiently aware. For (1) every newcomer brings so much clothing and provisions with him that he for some years needs nothing. (2) There is very little money here, although the desire for it is in the case of many persons so much the greater. On No- vember 16 occurred the annual fair in our Philadelphia, where however I hardly took in a few pounds sterling. (3) One can not yet obtain from this land any return-goods to send to England. William Penn, to be sure, intends to establish weav- ing and wine-making and for this reason on several opportuni- ties sends us good vines on whose prospering one can count. Also [send] all sorts of field and garden seeds, especially of lentils, millet, etc. Also, N. B., some great iron cooking-pots and nests of kettles." Also an iron stove, because the winter
1 Marieke, wife of Isaac Dilbeck. ? Frances Simson.
* Abraham and Jacob Dilbeck.
" "The wages are one-half rix-dollar per diem, including their keep." Op den Graeff's letter, dated Germantown, February 12, 1684.
" "Let him, now, who has an earnest resolve to come over, and is ready and fixed in this purpose, make use of this information: that he take with him butter,
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here is usually as cold as with you and the rough north winds much harsher. Also some coverlets or mattresses, because I did not bring more with me than I immediately needed yet have already got an additional manservant. Finally, if you would also send me some pieces of fustian and Osnabrück,1 linen cloth, it can be sold to good advantage.
A tanner can undertake his work with great profit, since here and in the neighboring lands we can obtain hides enough and indeed two raw for one dressed. Also the very best for a pair of shoes. But a certain capital must be employed for this, but since these sums of money thus expended would in a short time bring a rich revenue, I leave the matter to your riper reflection. The two most necessary things are: (1) upon the lots in this town to build suitable houses, which are expensive to rent and from which twelve per cent. per annum can be obtained; (2) to establish a brick-kiln, for which William Penn has promised to give us an excellent place, for so long as we make no bricks our house-building is only of wood. Other artisans may well wait at home a few years yet.
To the four questions I give this succinct reply: (1) William Penn has laid a good foundation for a righteous government and from time to time he publishes useful laws. (2) He main- tains neighborly friendship with all the adjoining governors and hopes that the still-continuing contest with Baldimor' may soon be settled and removed by royal sentence. (3) William Penn is much loved and praised by all people, inso- much that even the old vicious inhabitants have to acknowledge that they have never before seen so wise a ruler. Ah, what impressive and penetrating sighs this dear man sent forth the first day of the new year to the heavenly heights and the throne of our Immanuel, because true "Philadelphia" and brotherly love is not yet so abundantly to be found in this our Philadelphia as he for his part desired and for whose advancement he has so earnestly busied himself as a true father of the land. (4) The Indians, of whose nature a little something has been said in a previous passage, grow less nu-
cheese, sugar, wine, brandy, spice, olive oil, brain-sausage (Cerbalar-Würst), millet, rice, rolled barley, all kinds of field and garden seeds, iron pots, kettles, flint-guns, to shoot game, etc." (In the abstract in the book.)
1 Osnaburg, a coarse linen.
" Lord Baltimore.
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merous here daily, retiring some hundred miles1 farther into the country.
Now you might perhaps ask whether I with a pure and undisturbed conscience could advise one and another of you to come over to this place. I answer with good. deliberation that I would be heartily glad of your dear presence; yet unless you (1) find in yourselves freedom of conscience to go, (2) can submit to the difficulties and dangers of the long journey, and (3) can resolve to go without most of the comforts to which you have been accustomed in Germany, such as stone houses, luxurious food and drink, for a year or two, then follow my advice and stay where you are for some time yet. But if the things I have mentioned do not come too hard for you, depart the sooner the better from the European Sodom, and remember Lot's wife, who indeed went forth with her feet but left her heart and inclinations there. Ah, dear friends, I could well wish that with this eagle's quill I could express the love I bear you and could convince you indeed that it is not a mere lip- love but one that desires more good for you than for myself. My heart is bound to yours by the bonds of love. Then let us now grow up together as trees which the right hand of God has planted by streams of water, that we may bring forth not only leaves but fruit in good season: fruits of repentance, fruits of peace, fruits of righteousness. For what profits such a useless tree, though the gardener spares it yet for some years, digs about it with all diligence and cultivates it, yet finally, no improvement following, cuts it down and casts it into the oven? Forgive me this comparison, dear friend; we here en- counter such unfruitful trees, hew them down and use them for firewood. It is at least a good-hearted warning, that can do no harm. I commend you all to the divine influence, without which our fruitfulness is incomplete. May the Lord who has given the desire give also the fulfillment! Amen.
Herewith I send a specimen of the Indian money used here, of which six of the white and three of the black make an English farthing; and these Indians will not sell anything more for silver money but will be paid with their own money,' since for the most part they wish to quit this land and to withdraw some hundred miles farther into the woods. For they have
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