History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II, Part 64

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 64
USA > New Jersey > Essex County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II > Part 64

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"Apja llaut acknowledges having rashly rem vul as 1 h gs with ut tunsent, thinking they wore his own, requests therefore to be ex uneal, etc. .

"I„ vernor-General and t'onn .if having heard parties, aud examil -1 and investigated the papers and documents produced on beth andes, de- Hare the appellant in the case not guilty of the wu phe on of theft. yt finding that he 1 ith gone too far in the inconsiderate rom val of the hogy, without having previously obtained content In that effe t, and modifying the judgment of the above named Court, condemn the app 1- lant herrin in a fine of one hundred gullders light umney with restitu- tion of the removed hogy, att valuation of aringrature, unless I will within sim. be able to prov that they were his own hoge, and may the costa herein incurred '

The English Again in Possession of New Netherland .- AAlthough the victory of the Pitch in the recapture of New Netherland was as bloalles as was that of its capture by the English, yet it was one in which they felt a national as well as individual pride. They merely took possession of that which by right belonged to them, and again set up the Dutch standard. However, this was not to continue at length, for on the 9th of February, 1674, pence was established between England and lolland, and, by the sixth article of the treaty of Westminster, New Netherland was restored to the English,5 and they continued in undisturbed pos- session from November following until the war which secured the independence of the I'nited states of America.

On the conclusion of peace, in order to remove all grounds for objection to his title on account of the recapture by the Dutch and subsequent re- linquishment to the crown, the Duke of York obtained from the King a new patent, similar to the first, dated June 29, 1674, and on July Ist Ed- mund Andros was appointed Governor under it .?

I Mr Hopkins was the secretary of all the towns, which answers very well to the office of county clerk. MI John Ogden was at the same time w.hunt of the mme towns.

& John Barry removed, it in august, from Connect ut in New Jersey in 1660, when he and his seurlates obtained a front of land near Ness- ark, aml he was appointed a magistrate of the court of Bergen and Deputy-Governor of the province in July, 1672, on the departure of thos- ernor t'artaret for England. He administered the government until the arrival of the Dutch, in 1673. After the return of Cartaret, in 1674, he

was apminted one of the Council, and so continued under the various administrations until 1092, when his name is nuittel, probably in conce- rence of his previous death. - H'Auchea

IN Y Col. M.s., vol. i. p 576

Officers were nominated for Aluminium, Bergen and the oil & towns on the Achter Cill a Inte as August, 1674. Allmany Records, Ivil., pp. 441, 477.

· Dooglas" "Summary," il. p. 223.

1 Grants and Concessions, p. 11 . N Y Coll Doc , fil. p 2.

930

HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Chalmers, in his " Annals," seems to imply that , by which East Jersey had been transferred to others the duke was glad to avail himself of the plea af- and a Governor was appointed for it, he did not pre- forded him by the change in the government of , sume at first to assert his authority over the province hi- territories to regain possession of New Jersey. further than to empower William Dyre, collector of the duke's revenue in New York, to collect also in New Jersey the customs which his highness had thought proper to establish throughout his territories, thus imposing upon the inhabitants of a province which he had transferred to others in a full and ample manner, as it had been obtained by him, exactions which his own people of New York con- sidered exceedingly burdensome, if not illegal, when imposed upon them. the loss of which Governor Nicolls had so deeply deplored.1 It may be that this was his intention for a brief period, so far as related to the govern- ment of the province, from the fact that Andros was directed to take possession of the province of New York and "its dependencies,' which, in the words of his commission, included "all the land from the west side of the Connectieut River to the east side of Delaware Bay,"2 although it does not appear that these directions were complied with by Philip Carteret had remained in England during the occupancy of the Dutch and subsequent negotia- tions ; but on Sir George's obtaining a new grant for East Jersey, he was commissioned as Governor, July 31, 1674, and returned to the province, bringing with him a confirmation of the alterations made in the "Concessions " on Dec. 6, 1672, and also such further regulations relative to laying out the lands, payment of quit-rents, and the obligations of the settlers, as the situation of the province required .? Andros on his arrival at New York, Oct. 31, 1674, 80 tar as New Jersey was concerned. But on November 9th he issued a proclamation in which he expressly declared that all former grants, privileges or con- cessions heretofore granted, and all estates legally possessed by any under his royal highness before the late Dutch government, were thereby confirmed, and the possessors, by virtue thereof, to remain in quiet possession of their rights.3

Whatever hesitation the duke may have felt about restoring New Jersey is said to have been removed solely by his affection for Carteret, which influ- enced him to grant what was considered to militate against his own interest and the prosperity of New York. The pleasure of his royal brother may have had some weight with him, as it was well known that C'arteret was a favorite of the King. A proof of thi-, given at this time, is found in a letter from Charles, bearing date the 13th of June, 1674 (before the new patent to the duke was given), confirming again the title and power of Carteret in East Jersey.4

On the 28th and 29th days of July, 1674, Sir George Carteret received his renewed titles from the duke, equally full as to rights and privileges,5 but which gave to him, individually, all the province north of a line drawn from a certain "Creek called Barnegat, to a certain creek in Delaware River next adjoining to and below a certain creck in Delaware River called Renkokus Kill," a stream south of Bur- lington.º

Governor Andros and his Council were vested with all the functions of government within the limits that have been specified, and the former's charac- teristic tyranny and subserviency well fitted him to exercise the power thus conferred to its full extent, to gratify his master's views of policy and interest. Conversant as he was, however, with the transactions in England subsequent to the date of his commission

1 Chalmers. p. 16. Permite 6.

2 N Y. Coll. Doc, iji. p. 215

* Chalmers, p. 617.

* Grants and Concessions, p 19.

· Grante alal Concessions, p. 16.

" The original document is in the library of the New Jermy Historical Society

Bergen once the Capital of East Jersey .- The unsettled state of affairs appears to have led the peo- ple of East Jersey to regard with satisfaction the return of their Governor. He published the commission and the other documents with which he was furnished, at Bergen, Nov. 6, 1674, in the presence of his Council, which was composed of Capt. John Berry, Capt. William Sandford, John Pike, Lawrence Andress, John Bishop, Sr .. Robert Vanquillen and James Bol- len, secretary, " and commissioners from all the towns except Shrewsbury, and the internal peace of the province was in a great measure restored.

Assembly Meetings .- AAfter the return of Governor C'arteret the Assemblies met with considerable regu- Jarity each year,-the first at Elizabethtown, Nov. 5, 1675, until the 12th, and again from November 29th to December 9th, and the subsequent meetings either there or at Woodbridge, save one at Middletown in 1769. The members of the Assembly that met at Elizabeth- town, Nov. 5, 1675, were Henry Lyon and Benjamin Price from Elizabethtown, Hans Dedrick and Elias Miehelsen for Bergen, Thomas Johnston and Lieut. John Ward for Niew Worke (Newark), Samuel Davis and Thomas Bloomfield, Jr., for Woodbridge, John Gillman and Hopewell Hull for New Piscataqua, Capt. John Bound and John Throgmorten for Mid- dletown, John Slocum and William Shattuck for Shrewsbury. Unity seems to have prevailed suffi- ciently for some years among the different branches of government for legislation to be had upon all sub- jects which the advancement of the province in popu- lation rendered requisite.

Cornelis Evertsen was the oldest son of the

7 Grants and Concessions, p. 50.

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931

OLD BERGEN TOWN AND TOWNSHIP.

renowned Admiral Cornelis Evertsen, who was killed in the fight against the English, June II, 1666. Being a captain in the navy, on the death of his father, the States of Zealand recommended that he he put in command of a ship-of-war, and on Dec. 15. 1072, he was promoted to the rack of commander of a squadron of fifteen ships of the line, with which he proceeded to the West Indies, where he captured seven and burnt five vessels and obtained a consid- crable booty. He afterwards destroyed sixty-five French Newfoundland traders, and sailed to Marti- nico, where he met C'apt. Jacob Benekes, in command of four men-of-war. Having joined forces, they visited all the English and French islands, and took a ship bound to Galway. After inflicting much damage on the enemy in these islands, he sailed in 1458 to New York, then in possession of the English, which he reduced, and changed the name of the city to New Orange. By this time he had with him about twenty English prizes, captured in Virginia and else- where, and many prisoners. In December, 1673, he returned to Cadiz, after destroying more than eighty English and French ships and capturing New York and St. Eustatius. In 1675 he was appointed rear- admiral, in 1679 vice-admiral, in 1688 admiral, in which last capacity he commanded a squadron which accompanied William Ill. to England. At the engagement with the French feet off' Beachy Head, through the treachery of Admiral Torrington, who commanded the English portion of the allied fleet, he was forced to retreat to Rye Bay. Torrington was committed to the Tower, and the Dutch admiral received the thanks of the King. Atter a life of great activity, in which he covered himself with glory. Admiral Evertsen died in November, 1706, and was buried at Middleburgh, in St. Peter's Church.1

Jacob Benckes, after the reduction of New York, returned to Europe, and obtained considerable repu- tation in the war between France and Holland, in which he commanded a squadron of thirteen ships. With these he set sail on March 16, 1676, against the French possessions in the West Indies, and arrived before the island of Cayenne on the 4th of May, attacked the place with great fury, and reduced it in a short time, after which he captured St. Martin's, and proceeded to the island of Tobago, then in the possession of the Dutch, whither he was followed, in February, 1677, by Count d'Estrees, the French admiral, who demanded the surrender of the fort. This being refused, the place was stormed and the Dutch Heet attacked. After an engagement which lasted from the break of day until night, the French were obliged to retire with considerable loss, leaving the victory to the Dutch, and M. d'Estrees returned to France, whence he was again dispatched in Crtober and arrived in December following, with sixteen sail of the line, before Tobago. Here he landed fifteen hun-

dred men with suitable artillery and summoned Com- nunder Benckes, why refused to surrender. The place was soon after invested and the cannonading began on both sides. Towards noon Commander Benckes, Capt de Montigny of the marines and other officers were about sitting down to dinner. Unfortunately, the dining-room was directly over the magazine or store where the ammunition was kept. Along the pathway leading from this store to the battery much powder was strewed by those supplying the gunners, and one of the enemy's tire-balls falling in this path, set the train on tire, and in a moment the magazine exploded, instantly killing Vice-Admiral Benckes and most of his offic .rs.2

Thus perished, Dec. 12, 1677, in the height of a brilliant career, this brave seaman, who identified himself with our history by the reduction of New York, thus vin licating the honor of the Fatherland.

CHAPTER X.

OLD BERGEN TOWN AND TOWNSHIP.

Old Bergen Township embraced all the territory lying between the Hudson River on the east, the Hackensack River and Newark Bay on the west and the Kill Von Kuhl U'reek on the south, and extended from the said creek to the north boundary line of what is now Hudson County.

Pioneer Indian Deed .- July 12, 1630, the above territory was purchased from the Indians by the di- rector-general and Council of New Netherland for Michael Paauw, burgomaster of Amsterdam and Lord of Achtienhoven, near Utrecht. The deed from the Indians reads as follows :

"We, Director and Council of Now Netherland, residing on the I land of Manhatas and the Fort Amsterdam, under the authority of their High Mightiness the Lords States-General of the United Netherlands, and the in- orporate West India Company, at their ('ha sher at Amsterdam, do h roby witness and declare that on this day, the date hereaf underwritten. before u" in their pr per person appeared un ! showed theniselves, Lo wit : 100- www. Tekwapp und sark wameck, inhabitants and joint owners of the landa called II lewan3 Hackingh, lying wr against the aforumsid Island Manbatus, who both for themselves and rate covern, for the remaining joint owners of the same land, declared that for and in consideration of a certain quantity of merchandise which they acknowledged to have re- crived into their own hands, power and preweselen before the padng of two prow nta, in a right, true and free ownership, have anld, transporteur!, coded, conveyed and made over, and by three premente they du transport, certo and convoy to and for the lahoof of Mr Michael Paw, aleent, and for whom we, es ufficio, er eft under suitable stipulations, vin .; the aforr said lands by us named Hobocan Ha kingh, extemling on the south si.lo, Abaslinus, east ward, the river Muritiun, and on the west shle sur- rounded ly a valley and moram through which the boundaries of mud Innl can be reco with sufficient clearnew and be distinguished , And that,

" K +k, +1. 662 "History of the Buccaneer," 3d edition, London, 177-140).

Hoboran is an Indian name signifying toharen pipe. "Hackingh," aflivet to it in this deed, means land of place, thus giving us land or plan of the turco pipe, from the stone obtained here out of which the Indians carved pigme [ Winfield = " list. Hud l'o ," 15).

1 Kok, xiv., . 4

932

HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

with all the jurisdu u n, right and . pity to them, the grantors in their quality aforesaid belonging: Constituting and potting in their places and steal the already mentioned Mr. Pauw in the real and actual posses- siva thereof, and at the same time giving full and irrevocable power, au- thority and special ommand t. the said Mr. Pauw peaceably to enjoy, uci upy, cultivate, have and hold the aforesaid land tanquam actor et pro- curator in rem suam ac propriam ; and also to do with and dispose of the Rime as he might do with his own lands to which he has a good and law- ful title : without them, the grautors, in their quality aforesaid, saving or reserving any part, right, action or authority thereunto in the least, either of ownership or jurisdiction ; but altogether to the behoof us afore- suid, henerforth, forever, wholly and finally desisting, renouncing aud quit-clamung . promising hereby, moreover not only to keep, maintam and fulfill this their grant, and whatever shall be done by virtue thereof, invi Jable and irrevocable forever, but also keep and maintain the same land against all persons free from any claim, challenge or inrumbrance to be made thereon by any person ; as also to cause this sale and grant to be approved of and held valid by the remaining joint ow ners as they are hy right obligated to do all in good faith without fraud or deceit.

" In withers whereof these presents are confirmed with our usual sig- natures and with our sen! thereto affixed.

" Done at the aforeraid Maubatas, in Fort Amsterdam, this 12th July, 1630."

Pavonia .- Ang. 10, 1630, this same Mr. Pauw ob- tained a deed from the Indians for the whole of Staten Island.

Nov. 22, 1630, Mr. Pauw also obtained another deed from the Indians1 for the west shore of the Hudson, all the way from Communipaw to Wee- hawken. This purchase he gave the name of Pavo- nia. It is now covered by the towns of Jersey City and Hphoken. By the terms of the third article of the " Freedom and Exemption," he was to plant a colony of fifty souls on this tract within four years.

Pioneer Settler .- Just who that worthy gentle- man was is still a mystery that two hundred and fifty years' time and diligent inquiry has been unable to solve. It is generally believed, however, that there was some kind of a trading post here cotemporary with or immediately succeeding the Dutch settlement, on Manhattan, about 1618. There might possi- bly have been a white man foolhardy enough to isolate himself on this then wild and almost barren point of land, but it is not very proba- ble, at least at that early date. The carliest known white resident of what is now Hudson County was Michael Paulusen, or Paulaz. He was here in 1633, as DeVries visited him that year, and made the following entry in his journal: "Coming to the boat on Long Island, night came on, and the tide began to turn, so that we rowed to Pavonia. We were there received by Michael Poulaz. an officer in the service of the company." The West India Company appears at this time to have had an agent there in the inter- ests of the proprietor or patroon.

Of the MEr. Bout above mentioned, the N. Y. Coll. MISS., vol. i. p. 432, says of him,-

" Jan Evertsen Bout, formerly in the company's service, went over the last time in the year 1634, in the ship " Eendracht," in the employ- ment of llonde Michael Pauw ; resided at Pavoma until the year 1643, and prospered somewhat, and as the Houble Company purchased Mr. Panw's property, the suid Jan Evertsen got on right well in its service, it having acquired Mr. Pauw's interest. And as his house and barn at Pavonia were burnt in the war, which he seems to make a pretext for his complaints, 'tis proper to observe here that the Honble Company having paid A26, 000 for Mr l'auw's colonie, made a free gift to the mid Jan Evert- sen long after the house was burnt, of the land whereon his honse stood and of the bouwerie, which produced good wheat. Michael Jansen, that farm and a poor unfinished house, with soure few cattle for flamm."

Pioneer Entertainment in Pavonia .- Cornelis Van Vorst, spoken of as living in one of the new houses at Ahasimus, must have arrived in New Netherland in 1636, probably in the employ of Mr. Pauw. No sooner had Mr. Van Vorst become settled in his new home than the dignitaries of New Amsterdam, representing both church and state, re- solved to pay him a visit, as well to assure him of their distinguished consideration as to sample his newly-arrived Bordeaux.

On June 25, 1636, Wouter Van Twiller, who had been director-general for three years, and who was always " glad to taste good wine," but on whose shoul- ders rested the weighty cares of the New Netherland State, and Dominie Evrardus Bogardis, the old Dutch preacher, and husband of Aneke Jans, accompanied by C'apt. De Vries, came over to Pavonia. Van Vorst entertained them with princely hospitality from his newly-filled wine cellar. As time passed on aud the sampling of the wine was completed, the Dominie and the Governor grew warm and disputations, if not angry, with their host. The modest entry in De Vries' journal that they "had some words with the patron's commissary" plainly means that they quar- reled with him. The subject of the dispute was a murder that had recently been committed in Pavonia. Although the discussion ran high, and bad blood for a while threatened the peace of the occasion, yet another bumper or two was like oil on the troubled waters, for " they eventually parted good friends." Leaving their host and his good Vrouwtjie, they entered their boats and started for New Amsterdam. Van Vorst, like a good old Dutchman, determined to deepen their im- pression of his good will to. them, and how royally the patroon's representative could entertain such dis- tinguished guests, fired a salute from a swivel? mounted on a pile in front of his house. Ilow the reverberations of that primal salute must have rolled over the hills of Ahasimus! And what a brilliant illumination followed, to light the way of the departing guests ! A spark from the gun unfortunately flew upon the

Pioneer Dwellings .- In the latter part of 1633 the company ordered the erection of two houses in Pavonia. One of them was built at Communipaw, | roof of the house, which was thatched with reeds, set and was afterwards owned by Jan Evertsen Bout ; the | it on fire, and in half an hour the house was a mass other was erected at Ahasimus, and was subsequently of ruins.3 owned by Cornelius Van Vorst.

I Sog Chapter is " General Ilatory of Undrou County '

: Steen Stark, a stutto gun.

3 Broadhead, i 213; N. 1. Hist. Soc., N. S., 1. 250 ; Winfield, 21.

933

OLD BERGEN TOWN AND TOWNSHIP.

Indian Troubles-Pavonia Destroyed .- The rol- ony of Pavoma, although it had increased in popula- tion and wealth, did not prosper. Difficulties arose between the Patroon Fauw and the directory of the company, when the latter purchased Pavonia for twenty-six thousand florins. That part of it known as Ahasimus soon became known as the West India Company's farm, which they leused to Jan Evertson Bout.

During the rockle - and arbitrary policy of Director- General Kirtt, from 1638 to 1646, the Indians began to be troublesome and to threaten the extermination of the colony. Traders, disregarding the exclusive privilege of the company, and actuated by a desire for gain, had unlawfully furnished the savages with arms and ammunition, which, upon the first serious provocation, became instruments for destruction in their hands, far more effective than their aboriginal bows and arrows To hasten the impending conflict, Kieft, in 1639, resolved to exact of the Indians a tribute of maize, fire and wampum. In 1643 the storm broke out which ended in the destruction of the settlements. "Pavonia and the adjoining district suffered more than any other section of New Nether- land. So thoroughly was the destruction of the settle- ments accomplished, that from Tappan to the High- lands of the Nevesink the country was once more in the possession of its original masters." A report in the States-General says, " Every place almost is aban- doned. We, wretched people, must skulk with our wives and little ones that still are left, in poverty

" Whereu", Saul experience hath from time to time prised that, if c n- sequence of the separate dwellings of the country people located on the Flathurut in divers hook . and places, in complete ogquestion to Order and good intention of the Honble Company and its government her , mary munters of people, killing and destruction of C'attle, and burning of together, by and around the fort on Manhattes, where I Houses, have been committed and pery trated by the Indians, natives of we are not one hour safe."

These troubles kept the country in an almost dis- organized condition till the close of the Indian war in the spring of 1645, when a number of tribes con- cluded a treaty of peace with the authorities at New Amsterdam. The war had been carried on for eighteen months, with but slight intermission, and on the return of peace the owners and tenants of farms to the west side of the Hudson River returned and rebuilt their desolated homes.

Petrus Stuyvesant arrived at Manhattan, May 11, 1647, and assumed command as director-general, and although pursuing a just and conciliatory policy towards the Indians, trouble soon broke out afresh. The shooting of an Indian girl by Hendrick Van Dyck while she was in the act of stealing fruit from his orchard in the vicinity of Fort Amsterdam was the immediate occasion or pretense for the outbreak. Sept. 15, 1647, the work of destruction ngain com- menced, when sixty-four canoes, carrying five hun- dred warriors, landed, without warning, at New Am- sterdam, and scattered themselves throughout the streets. Pur-ning Van Dyck to the house of a neigh- bor, Vandiegrist, they wounded the former with an arrow, and ent down the latter with a tomahawk. " The town was aroused ; the guard attacked the say- ages and drove them to their cannes. The Indians then

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History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II, Part 64

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