History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II, Part 56

Author: Shaw, William H
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [United States :]
Number of Pages: 830

USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II > Part 56
USA > New Jersey > Essex County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II > Part 56

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900

HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

of 1614. To accommodate himself and his compan- ions during their cheerless solitude, a few huts were now first erected near the southern end of Manhattan Island, near what is now "The Battery," and in the absence of all succor from Holland, the friendly natives supplied the Dutch through a dreary winter with food and all kinds of necessaries.1

Adriaen Block, when he had completed his yacht, appropriately named it the "Onrust," or " Restless." With this small vessel, about sixteen tons burthen, and the first ever constructed by Europeans at Manhat- tan,2 Block proceeded to explore the bays and rivers to the eastward, into which the larger ships of the Dutch traders had not yet ventured. With his little craft he sailed boldly through the then dangerous straits of the Hell Gate into the " Great Bay," or Long Island Sound, at what is now the town of Stratford, whence he visited the "River of Roodenberg," or Red Hills, now known as the Housatonic, which he described as about a bow-shot wide, and in the neigh- borhood of which dwelt the indolent tribe of Quisipey Indians.

He next explores Connecticut River, by the natives called "Counittecock " or "Quonehtacut." From the mouth of this river he came to the "River of the Siecanamos," afterwards by the English called the Pe- quod or Thames River. From there, stretching "over across the Sound," he visited the "Visscher's Loeck," or "Cape de Baye," now known as Montauk Point, which he discovered to be the eastern extremity of "Sewan-hackey," or Long Island, on which the " Ma- touwacks " had their abode. A little to the northeast of Montauk Point he discovered a large island, to which the Dutch immediately gave the name of " Block's Island," in honor of their countryman, and which still bears his name, though it was first dis- covered by Verrazzano, and by him named " Claudia," in honor of the mother of King Francis I.

1 Ile Laust, brook iii. cap. x. ; De Vries, 1X] ; " Breeden Raedt aen de Vereinglude Nederlandsche Provintien," etc., pp. 14. 15. This latter very rare tract (raid Brodhead, I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Camp- bell, the deputy librarian at the Hague) is now for the first time quoted in our history. The statement in the " Breeden Raedt" of the Indians themselves is that " when our people (the Dutch had Ins! a certain ship there, and were building another new ship, they (the savages) us- sisted our people with food and all kinds of beerenrice, and provided them through tice winters until the ship was finished." In Last, in his later editions of 1633 and 1640 (book inl. cap. vii. ), says that to carry on trade with the natives "our people remained during the winter." De Vries, p. Is1, repeats the same statement The account in the " Breeden Raeatt," that Block built his yacht during the winter, seems thus lo tre fully confirmed. That the vrawlwas built during the winter of 1613, aud was huished and used in the spring of 1614, seems also certain from Hol. Dor. i. 17, 33.

" The "Beallowed" was forty-four and a half feet long, chosen and a half feet wide, and alant right lista, or sixteen tons, burden. (De Lavt, Iwwk iii, rap. x. , Hol. Der., i. 33.) Mr. ('oper, in his " Navul History" (I. p. 41), speaks of Block's yacht as " the first decked vowel built within the old I'nited States. ' But the honor of precedence in American naval architecture must fairly be yielded to Paphami' unfortunate colony on the Kennebeck The " Virginla " of Sagadalun was the first European- built sexual within the original thirteen States, if Maine be considered a part of Massachusetts. The "Berthing ' of Manhattan, was the plotter craft of New York.

Thence, following the track of Verrazzano, he ex- plored Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island and visited what is now Martha's Vineyard. South of this Block observed another small island, which he im- mediately named " Hendrick Christiansen's Island," in compliment to his early comrade.

This island, which Goswold had discovered and named Martha's Vineyard, is now called " No Man's Land."

Sailing onward through the " Zuyder Zee " to the north of the island of "Vlieland," or Nantucket, Block passed near the "Vlacke Hoeck," or Cape Malebarre, and ran along the shore of Cape Cod until he reached its northern point, which he named "Cape Bevechice." Thence he coasted along the "Fuyck " or "Wyck Bay," or "Staten Bay," which names the Dutch gave to the waters now known as Cape Cod Bay, and explored the shore of Massachu- setts as far north as "Pye Bay, as it is called by some of our navigators, in lat. 42° 30', to which the limits of New Netherland extend."

We have thus followed Block in his exploration< to the eastern or northeastern bounds of New Neth- erland, of which Hudson County is nearly the cen- tral point along the coast, and now turn to the re- sults of reports made by Block upon his return to Amsterdam, soon after leaving Pye Bay.

Amsterdam Trading Company Formed .- lipon his return to Amsterdam with the details of the Dutch explorations on the coast of America, the merchants of North Holland, whose enterprise had been ro- warded by such interesting results, hastened to ap- propriate to themselves the advantageous trade opened to them there, and to exclude all other rivalry.

Uniting themselves into a company, they took the necessary steps to obtain the special privilege which had been promised in a general ordinance of March 27. 1614. The associates then deputed some of their number to go to the Hague, and lay before the States- General an account of their discoveries in America, and to obtain the desired special and exclusive license to trade to those regions.

The deputies, probably accompanied by Block, ac- cordingly proceeded to the capital. Unlike other Dutch cities, the Hague owed its importance not to commerce or manufactures, but to having early been made the seat of government of the United Provinces, and to the constant presence of the officers of state and the foreign ministers accredited to the republic.

For four centuries the abode of the courts of llol- land, it derives its name from the " Haeg " or hedge encircling the magnificent park which formed their ancient hunting-ground, and the majestic trees in which at this day attract the admiration of Europe.

New Netherland Formally Named and Char- ter Granted .- To the Hague came the deputies of the Amsterdam Company to tell their story of ad- venture and discovery, and to ask the reward prom- ised to their successful enterprise. Around the oval

9/11

PREPARATIONS FOR COLONIZING AMERICA.

council table sat twelve "high mighty lords" of the States-tieneral. One of the assembly was John van Olden Barnevelt, the advocate of Holland. Spread- ing upon the council bonrd the "figurative map" (made no doubt under the supervision of Adriaen Block) of their transatlantic discoveries, the petitioners related to the statesmen of Holland the adventures of their agents in the New World, and detailing the heavy expense and damages they had suffered during the current year from the loss of ships and other great risks, they asked a special and exclusive license to trade to the region which they had explored. The assembled statesmen listened to the narrative with interest and favor. The Dutch commercial enter- prise had now achieved the exploration of unknown and extensive regions in North America, which might soon become of great political importance to the re- public. No Europeans but the Dutch were in pos- session of any part of the territory. Why should not the Amsterdam Company now receive their promised charter ?

The States-General promptly comphed with the prayer of their countrymen, and the grellier, Cornelius | Jenssen, at once drew up the minute of a special trading license or charter, the original of which yet records, in almost illegible characters, the first ap- pearance of the term " New Netherland" in the annals of the world.

The formal instrument, bearing date Oct. 11, 1614, was immediately afterward duly sealed and at- tested ; ' and thus the government of the United Prov- inces, by its solemn act officially designated the unoccupied regions of America lying between Vir- ginia and Canada by a name which they continued to bear for half a century, until, in the fullness of time, right gave way to power, and the Dutch colony of New Netherland became the English province of New York .?

The special charter thus granted by the States-Gen- eral licensed the memorialists " exclusively to visit and navigate to the aforesaid newly discovered lands lying in America, between New France and Virginia, the sea-coasts whereof extend from the fortieth to the forty-fifth degree of latitude, now named NEW NETH- ERLAND (as is to be seen on the figurative map pre- pared by them), for four voyages within the period of three years, commencing on the first day of January 1615, next ensuing, or sooner ; " and it expressly in- terdieted all other persons, directly or indirectly, from sailing out of the United Provinces to the newly discovered regions, and from frequenting the same within the three years reserved, under pain of confis- cation of vessels and cargoes, and a fine of fifty thon- sand Netherland ducats, to the benefit of the grantees of the charter.3

1 Hol. Doc., 1. 42, 47.

" Tu ix found In full in O'Callaghan's " Hist. of New Netherland, ' p. 74. etc., vol. 1.

" The charter set forth the names of the grantees, and of their venus

CHAPTER IV

Preparations for Colouring America - Pioneer take my First Ihre for . ( the Colony French Intruder Drive Away Fromsich Tuket, for West India Company First European Chall Born in New Nether- land Mey In talled in Director Thatusestie Animals Intr. luce into Now Netherland- Sacend Clony, 12 -Verhuist Succeed Mey as Dire tor-General Treaty Between English and Out h Pob Minuit Sor eede Verhulst Pun har ( Manhattan Hand Minuit He allel Minuit's Administration of New Netherland- San Twiller Succombe ! the Threat mohly First House at l'avons- Van Twiller de ce Bal by Kieft.

AT length, after two years of preliminary prepara- tion, and the obtaining of their charter in June, 1623, the West India Company began to prosecute with energy the objects of its incorporation. The same month three pioncer ships (the "Orange Tree." the " Eagle" and the "Love") were dispatched to the West Indies " to maintain the course of trathe, and in hope of realizing their first returns."

The colonization of New Netherland, however, became the first care of the company. That sOnN'- what indefinite territory was formally erected into a pr wince, and "honored" by the States-General with a grant of the armorial distinction of a count $

As soon as the stock of the company was secured, and the several boards of directors were chosen, the College of the XIX. assigned the particular manage- ment of the affairs of the province to the Chamber at Amsterdam. Among the prominent members of the Chamber were Jonas Witsen" (one of the grantees of the original trading charter of 1614), Hendrick Hamel, Samuel Godyn, Samuel Blommaert, John de Lact (the historian), Killizen van Rensselaer, Michael Pauw and Peter Evertsen IFulft, whose names are identified with the first European possessions of the five States of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.7

The Pioneer Colony, - The spring of the year 1623 was the era of the first permanent agricultural colonization of New Netherland, under the authority of the West India Company. Anxious to commence

and captains, as follows : "I arrit Jacobsen Withers, former borgomanter of the City of Amsterdam, Jonas Witsen, and Simon M rimm, owner of the ship the ' Little Fox,' Captain Jan, de Witt Have Henger. Paulus Pelgrim and Lambrecht van Tweenhuyen, owner of the tworhijn name the Tiger and the > Fortune,' where Captains are Adrinem Ninh all Hendrick Christlenen , Arnaudt van Lybergen, Wowel & hetek, Haha V'lassen nud Barent Sweetsen, ow ners of the ship named the . Nightingale, when Captain In Thys Volckertron, merchant of the aforeand city of Ansterdam ; and Pieter Clementon Brouwer. Jan (lommen hus sul Cornelis Volkertron, au rchants if the city of Houth, owner of the plup " Fortune,' wbrew Captain in Certelu Jo dran Mey . Hul. In. . . Inghan's " New Netherland, " i 25 )

4 De Laet, " Juerlyck Verharl . " Hazard, 1. 174-1"> , Wase.mmaar. 1 91. $11.1 Ihm 1 39. The provincial real of New Netherland was a shield bearing a braver, projet, marinounteil by a count's moet and encircled by the words "Sigillum Nous Bilgil."

. Jonas Witten died at Amsterdam in chedar, luft . Garret Jo leen Witsen died in January of the sunie your

: Manitou, 309; De Imet, ' Jaerlyck Verhael.

HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

their colony with willing and active emigrants, the Amsterdam Chamber equipped the "New Nether- land." a ship of two hundred and sixty tons burthen, and embarked on board it a company of thirty families. The greater part of these colonists were Walloons, who, disappointed in their first application to Carleton, now emigrated to America under the auspices of the West India Company.

First Director of the Colony .- The superintend- ence of the expedition was intrusted to the experi- enced Cornelis Jacobsen Mey, of Hoorn, who was to remain in New Netherland as the first director of the colony, while Adriaen Joris went out as second in command.1

The "New Netherland " sailed from the Texel in the beginning of March, and shaping her course by the Canary Islands and the coast of thuiana, arrived safely in the beginning of May at the North River.

French Vessel Driven Away .- At the mouth of the river a French vessel was found lying at anchor, whose captain wished to set up the arms of the King of France, and take possession in the name of his sovereign. But "the Hollanders," faithful to the States-General and to the directors of the West India Company, whose designs they were unwilling to see frustrated, " would not let him do it." The yacht " Mackerel," having just then returned from up the North River where she had been trading with the In- dians, was armed at once with a couple of pieces of cannon, and under her convoy the Frenchman was forced out to sea.

Take Possession for West India Company .-- This affair having been satisfactorily accomplished, eight men were left at Manhattan to take possession for the West India Company. Several families and a number of sailors were detailed for a like service to the eastward of Manhattan, while others-about eighteen families were sent up the river to what is now called Albany, N. Y., then called Fort Orange.

Whether any of this colony located in what is now Hudson County is not definitely ascertained; how- ever, these colonists forthwith "put the spade in the carth," and began farming operations so vigorously that before the yacht " Mackerel" returned to Holland their corn " was nearly as high as a man, so that they were getting along bravely."

Another portion of this first colony settled at a " boght" or small bay, on the west side of Long Island, nearly opposite to "Nechtonek," or Corlaer's Hook. This settlement, which was just north of " Marcchkawieck," or Brooklyn,? before long became

familiarly known as the "Waal-boght," or Walloon's Cove.

First European Child Born in New Nether- land .- The colonists throve apace, and other emi- grants soon followed the first adventurers from flol- land; and here, in the month of June, 1625, Sarah Repelje was born,-the first ascertained offspring of European parentage in the province of New Nether- land.

Mey Installed as Director .- Cornelis Jacobsen Mey was by this time formally installed in his office as the first director of New Netherland, under the Dutch West India Company ; his administration lasted, however, but one year. During his brief direc- torship Fort Orange was completed on the North River and Fort Nassau on the South River. The fur trade was systematically prosecuted, and the West India Company was soon gladdened with the favor- able intelligence which reached them from their infant colony. On his return to Amsterdam, Joris reported that "all was in good condition" in New Netherland, where the colonists "were getting bravely along " and cultivating friendly relations with the savages. The Dutch received very favorable re- ports aside from those from their chosen repre- sentatives. De Laet published a glowing sketch of the "New World," while Wassenaar issued his " Historical Relation," or "Historische Verhael," all of which tended to create enthusiasm in the hearts of the Dutch merchants, ship-owners and others, and it was not long before other ships were seen bearing away towards the shores of this newly discovered Eldorado.

Domestic Animals Introduced into New Neth- erland .- The capacity of New Netherland for. culti- vation and production being now favorably known to the publie, the West India Company determined to prosecute vigorously the work of colonization. The yacht " Mackerel" was again dispatched to Manhat- tan with a cargo of necessaries for the use of the colo- nists already there. But when only two days out from the Texel the vessel was captured in a fog by some of the enemy's privateers, and carried a prize into Dunkirk.3 This mischance was, however, soon repaired. Peter Evertsen Hultt, one of the directors of the Amsterdam Chamber, promptly undertook to convey to the colony, at his own risk, such necessary articles as might be provided. Two ships, each of two hundred and eighty tons burthen, were ac- cordingly fitted out in the same spring (1625), and loaded with one hundred and three head of cattle, among which were stallions and mares, bulls and cows for breeding, as well as swine and sheep.4 The animals were carefully provided for on shipboard, al- most as well as on shore. "Each beast," says the exact Wassenaar, "had its own separate stall," ar-

1 Wassenaar, vit. 11, 12; Doc. Hist. N Y., Hi. 35, 36 ; Moulton, 336-33x . Mirkle's Rem., 3 , S. Hazard's " Au. Pa., " 13.

? The name of this beautiful and prosperous city isa corruption of its original Dutch appellation, "Branchelen," which was derived from that of the pretty village about eighteen miles from Amsterdam, on the roast . Utrecht The Walloon derived their name from their " Wal- she, of French origin.

3 Wassenaar, ix. 37 ; V. Y. H. S Coll., H. 361.

4 Brondhend, 158.

905

SECOND COLONY. 1625.

ranged upon a Hooring of sand three feet deep, which was laid upon a deck specially constructed in the vessel. Uuder this deck each ship carried three hun- dred tuns of fresh water, for the use of the rattle. llay and straw were provided in abundance for the voyage, and all kinds of seeds and plows and wagons and other farming implements were sent on board for the use of the colony.

The voyage was entirely successful; only two of the beasts died at sea. On their arrival they were first landed at "Nutten," now Governor's Island; but that place not furnishing sufficient pasture, they wer taken away a day or two afterwards, by shallops and barges, to Manhattan.1 There they throve at once on the rich grass, "as beautiful and long as one could wish," which abounded in the valleys. But being at first allowed to run wild, about twenty in all died from eating some poisonous herbage which covered the fallow soil with its rank luxuriance.

Second Colony, 1625 .- Ilulft also added a third ship to the expedition, " that there should be no fail- ure in carrying out the enterprise he had undertaken." Along with these three vessels went a fast-sailing yacht or "Huyt," fitted out by the directors of the company on their own account. These vessels carried out six entire families, besides several free emigrants ("vrye persoonen"), so that forty-five new settlers were thus added to the population of New Netherland.

Strengthened by this last arrival, the growing colony now numbered over two hundred souls.

Cornelis Jacobsen Mey, who had for one year been so faithful to his duties and administered the simple government of the colony with such signal ability, was succeeded in 1625 by William Verhulst, who became the second director of New Netherland. His ad- ministration lasted, however, but one year. During that year he visited the South, or Delaware River, and examined into the state of affairs there. ITis name was for a long time commemorated by "Ver- hulsten's Island," near the bend of the Delaware ut Trenton. Here the West India Company had a trad- ing-house for a while, and here also settled three or four families of Walloons, who remained on this then lonely frontier but a year or two.

During Verhulst's brief administration several no- table events transpired in Europe. King James I. lied March 27, 1625, which caused the accession to the throne of Charles 1. April 23d, Maurice, Prince of Orange, the " Fabius of the Netherlands," died at the Hague. Upon the death of Maurice, the States-Gen- · eral conferred the vacant offices of captain and ad- miral-general on his brother, Frederick Henry, who succeeded him as Prince of Orange, and who was soon afterward created stadtholder by a majority of the provinces.

Treaty Between the English and Dutch. During this year, also, Charles I. concluded, at sosthampton, a treaty with the States-tieneral, by which he entered into an offensive and defensive alliance with the Dutch, to continue as long as the King of Spain should prosecute his designs "against the liberty and rights of the United Provinces," and occupy the Palatinate with his troops.2 The allies bound themselves in equip tlects for the purpose of destroying the Spanish commerce in the East and West Indies, and the treaty expressly stipulated that the ports of the two countries should be reciprocally open to the war and merchant vessels of both parties. The King, however, accom- panied his ratification of the treaty of Southampton with a protest that it should not prevent his demand- ing proper satisfaction for the injuries which the Dutch were alleged to have done the English at Amboyna the year before.

Peter Minuit succeeds Verhulst as Director .- Great Britain and the United Provinces were now allies : a circumstance which favorably affected the rising fortunes of New Netherlands. The West India Company, presuming that the same causes that had induced Charles to open his ports to their vessels and postpone retaliation for the alleged barbarities at Amboyna, would prevent his interfering with their design to found a stable colony in America, immedi- ately commissioned Peter Minuit, of Wasel, to suc- cord William Verhulst in the chief command in New Netherlands, as its director-general. Minuit left Amsterdam toward the end of December in the ship

Verhulst succeeds Mey as Director-General .- ; "Sea-Jew," Capt. Adriaen Jori- The ship sailed from the Texel on the 9th of January 1626, and arrived at Manhattan on the 4th of the following May.

During Minuit's direction of affairs his Council consisted of Peter Byvelt, Jacob Elbert-en Wissinck, Jan Janssen Brouwer, Simon Dircksen Pos, and Rey - nest lIarmenssen.

Purchase of Manhattan Island .- Up to this period (1626) the Dutch had possessed Manhattan Island only by right of discovery and occupation. But it was now determined to superadd a higher title, by purchase from the aborigines. As soon as Minuit was installed in his government he opened negotiations with the savages, and a mutually satis- factory treaty was promptly concluded, by which the entire island of Manhattan, then estimated to contain about twenty-two thousand acres of land, was ceded by the native proprietors to the Dutch West India Company, " for the value of sixty guild- en," or about twenty-four dollars of our present currency.3

The island of Manhattan having now become by

1 Broadhead's " Bist. of N. Y., " 168.

Jorge. Plp., v. 2. 458, 478 ; Clarendon Stato Papers, 1. 41, is, Aitrema, 1. 691, 1226; Lund. Doc., 36 ; [lal. Doc., [x. 202; ). Y Coll. M., Ili. 13.

# 11ul. Doc., 1. 155.

904

HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

purchase the private property of the West India Company, no time was lost in providing for its per- manent security. This was done by building a large fort " with four angles " on the southern point of the island.'

Minuit Recalled."-While the patroons were vigor- ously commencing agricultural colonization on the North River, they determined, under a liberal con- struction of the Charter of Freedoms and Exemptions, to participate in the reserved traffic with the Indians. Pleading that the Amsterdam Chamber "had no fac- tories " at certain points, the patroons assumed that they had the right to engage in the peltry trade, which the company had certainly intended to retain in its own hands. But the directors, already jealous of their colleagues, who had secured such ample estates, could not quietly permit their darling mo- nopoly to be thus invaded. Articles were soon pre- pared limiting the fur trade to an extent which excited their bitter complaints; the Charter of Free- doms and Exemptions itself was attacked, and "drawn into dispute," and feeling ran so strongly against all who were supposed to favor the pretensions of the new colonial proprietors that Minuit, with whose knowledge and approbation these large appropria- tions of territory had been secured, was recalled from his directorship. But no successor was immediately appointed, and the post of director remained vacant for more than a year. Lampo, the schout at Manhat- tan, was, however, superseded at once by the appoint- ment of Conrad Notelman, who sailed for New Neth- erland late in the summer, in the ship "Eendragt," bearing with him Minuit's letters of recall.

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History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II, Part 56

Author: Shaw, William H Publication date: 1884 Publisher: [United States :] Number of Pages: 830

Author: Shaw, William H
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [United States :]
Number of Pages: 830