USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > History of the county of Hudson, New Jersey : from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 26
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' Tantaqua, known also as Jasper, lived at Hackensack, and was a great friend of the whites. Once, in a time of scarcity of food, he fished for and re- lieved the necessities of the Dutch. When asked why he was so kind to the whites, he replied : "1 have always been inclined from my youth up to do good. I took the fish to them because Manito said to me, 'You must take fish to these people,' whispering ever in my ear, ' You must take fish to them.' I had to do it, or Manito would have killed me." Long Ix. Ilist. Soe., i., 149.
301
HARRISON TOWNSHIP.
Tamak, Anaren, Hanyaham, H. Gosque and Ws. Kenarenawack. representatives of the Indians claiming an interest in the same tract, all their right and title. In this deed the tract is described as lying between the " Hackensack and Pasawack " rivers, be- ginning at the mouth of the said two rivers, then "to goe up Northward into the countrey about seaven Miles till it comes to a certain Brook or Spring now called Sanford's Spring." For their interest he paid to the Indians " 170 fathoms of Black wampum, 200 fathoms White wampum, 19 black Coates, 16 Guns, 60 double hands of powder, 10 paire of Breetches. 60 knives, 67 Barrs of Lead, one Anker of Brandy, three half Fats of Beer, Eleven Blankets, 30 Axes, 20 Howes, and two cookes of dozens."1
From this time until the division of the province into coun- ties New Barbadoes Neck was under the jurisdiction of New- ark? From the latter date until the 21st of January, 1710. it was within the county of Essex." Shortly after this Arent Schuyler purchased a plantation opposite Belleville, and in 1719. through a negro slave, discovered the copper mine. This mine was not worked much in the days of Arent Schuyler, but his son, Colonel John, worked it profitably. The ore was sent to England. In 1753 the first steam engine brought to this con- try was set up at this mine, at a cost of £3.000 sterling. It was capable of throwing about eighty hogsheads of water per min-
1 Probably "coats of duffels." Proc. N. J. Hist. Soc., ri., 6. Duffels was a coarse cloth.
" Whitehead's Eust Jersey, 93.
3 In 1682 East Jersey was divided into four counties for the " better govern- ing and settling courts in the same." Bergen County contained " all the Set tlements between Hudson's River and Hackensack River, beginning at Constu- bles Hook, and so to extend to the uppermost bound of the Province Northward between the said Rivers." Leaming and Spicer, 229. The territory between the Hackensack and Passaic rivers was included in the county of Essex.
In 1693 the counties were divided into townships. The township of Hacken- sack included all the land in the county of Bergen north of the bounds of the corporation of Bergen. Barbadoes Neck was included in the township of Aquickanick and New Barbadoes in the county of Essex. Leaming and Spicer. 329. The bounds of Bergen county were extended on the 21st of January, 1710. so as to include New Barbadoes Neck.
302
HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY.
ute.1 It was destroyed by fire about 1772, and lay in ruins dur- ing the Revolution.
The farm opposite Newark owned by Colonel Peter Schuyler was known as Petersborough. It was afterward owned by Archibald Kennedy, who had married Colonel Schuyler's only child. In 1768 he had it in a flourishing condition. It contained 906 acres, 265 of which were covered with timber, 393 under cultivation ; the rest was salt meadow. On it was a two-story brick dwelling house, a green house seventy feet long, coach house, stables, barn, overseer's house, cider house, ice and root house, an excellent garden, an orchard capable of yielding two hundred barrels of cider, a large quantity of cedar timber and a shad fishery .?
This farm was also graced with a deer park. In 1800 the orchard produced three hundred barrels of cider. There were on the place two dwelling houses, a green house containing a large number of orange, lemon, lime and other West India fruit trees. In the early part of 1802 the land was laid out into ninety building lots of at least one aere each, and advertised as a New Town.
At the close of the celebration of the Fourth of July, 1815, the people of the place resolved that they " would henceforth . distinguish the small district of country formerly known as Ken- nedy's Farm, and to the extent of one mile north of the north- erly bounds thereof, by the name of 'The Village of Lodi.'"
In the early part of 1776 a company of continental troops was formed on New Barbadoes Neck ; Jacobus Jerolamon, Cap- tain ; Peter Sanford, First Lieutenant ; Elijah Sanford, Second Lieutenant : John Jerolamon, Ensign.
THE TOWNSHIP OF VAN VORST
Was set off from the township of Bergen March 11, 1841. Its
! Whitehead's Eust Jersey, x., 27. Joseph C. Hornblower, father of the late Chief Justice, came with it as engineer.
N Wood's Newark Gazette, Derember 28, 1796.
303
VAN VORST TOWNSHIP.
territory included nearly the whole of what was at one time known as Ahasimus. Its name was in honor of the family, which had been so closely identified with its history since 1636. The West India Company's Farm, Van Vorst's patent and a few small patents comprised the whole district. The farm, after tak-
TOOLS.
JOHN
K MOORE
CORNER OF NEWARK AVENUE AND GROVE STREET.
ing out the private grants, included three hundred and eighty- three aeres. As this farm has a peculiarly interesting history, some particularity of detail will be pardoned.
In 1636 Cornelis Van Vorst lived here near the water, between Fourth and Fifth streets, in a frame house thatched with reeds.
304
ILISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY.
This house was burned on the 25th of June.in that year. After the Company had purchased the interest of Pauw in Pavonia, Ahasimus was reserved for their own use. Van Vorst remained in possession of it until his death, before which event he had put up another house. On the 31st of March, 1639, his widow took a lease of the " Company's bouwerie at Ahasimus " for twenty years, agreeing to build a new frame house and keep those already built in repair.1 She married Jacob Stoffelsen shortly afterward, and, dying in 1641, left him in possession. He held it as tenant of the Company until February 19, 1647, when he took a lease of it until the 1st of May, 1661. During the war of 1643 he was driven from his home, his buildings burned and the farm laid waste. Shortly before the expiration of his lease he appeared before the Director and Conneil and said " that he two times had been expelled from there by the savages, all his property burned," and asked for an extension of his lease. This was granted for five years, at a rent of one quarter of the pro- duee ; house and buildings at the expiration of his lease to belong to the Company.2
In 1655 the buildings were again burned by the Indians and the bouwerie laid waste. In consideration of this fact the farm was granted to him on the 21st of December, 1656, without rent for one year.3 In the latter part of 1658 a new house was built on the place.4 In 1661 he obtained a lease for a year,5 which was renewed in February, 1662." Next door to him lived his step-son, Ide Van Vorst, in a house built shortly after the war of 1655. Van Vorst returned to his home sooner than most of his neighbors, and probably without the sanction of the Govern- ment, which now did all in their power to discourage isolated settlements. His position placed him in great risk from the savages, who prowled about watching for an opportunity to strike a blow .?
Jacob Stoffelsen, who had married Tryntje, the widow of
1.V. Y. Col. MSS., i., 92.
" Albany Records, rir .. 90.
BN. Y. Col. MSS., riii., 313.
+I bid, riii., 1044.
5 Ibid, i.c., 572.
Ner Amst. Rec., ir., 68.
"Ibid, x., part i., 40.
THE VAN VORST HOMESTEAD AT AHASIMUS. (Henderson and Fourth streets, Jersey City.)
THE DUKE'S FARM. 305
Jacob Walingen Van Hoorn, on the 17th of August, 1657, was in possession of the bouwerie when the country was surrendered to the English in 1664. He remained in possession as the tenant of the West India Company, whose property the farm remained by virtue of the first of the " Articles of Capitulation : " " We consent that the States-General, or West India Company, shall freely injoy all farms and honses (except such as are in the forts), &c."1 Stoffelsen, being in possession, moved to improve the farm. This being in derogation of the rights of the Lords Proprietors, they served him with the following notice :
" Whereas I am informed that Jacob Stoffelsen Is about the fencing and taking In a Certaine parcell of Land In and about hassemus to the great prejudice of the other Inhabitants there and wthout any order or Authority from me, these are therefore to Require the said Stoffelsen to forbare the fencing and Manur- ing of the said Land till farther Order. Given undr my hand the 5th March, 1665. Pu. CARTERETT."
This notice was not served. It was burned at the house of Samuel Edsall, and renewed July 18, 1672.
War between England and Holland having been declared. Governor Nicolls, by proclamation in New York on the 15th of June, 1665, " at the ringing of the bell," declared the real and personal property of the Company confiscated to the King .? From this time the Duke's governors in New York claimed the same for their master, and leased it in his name. By the treaty of Breda, July 1, 1667, each power was to keep the territory then held. This confirmed New Netherlands to the English. At the time of the surrender only the Van Vorst family, viz .. Stoffelsen and wife, Ide Van Vorst and his brother-in-law. Claes Jansen Van Purmerendt, were living at Ahasimus. On the 1st of March, 1667, " in consideration of the Great Paines & Chariges in building as well as clearing and manuring a Good part of the land belonging to the said ffarme," Stoffelsen and wife received from Governor Nicolls a lease of " the bouwerie or ffarme aforesaid wth the Dwelling House, Barnes, Stables, Stalls,"
' O'Cal., V. V., ii., 532.
2 New Amst. Rec.
20
306
HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY.
etc., from the first day of January, 1667, " during all the terme or termes of ye Naturall life or lives of the said Jacob Stoffel and Trintje his wife or the longest liver of them, Yielding & Paying therefore Yearly and every Yeare duering the said Terme the Sume of two hundred & fifty Guilders sewant, or one & forty Schepels of winter Wheate or the Vallne in other Goods Pay to the Governor of this his Royall Highness his Col- ony or his Order."' Stoffelsen died before the expiration of the year, leaving his wife in possession. She married Michael Tades June 17, 1668. Tades died shortly afterward, leaving his widow still in possession. She then married Caspar Steinmets, and with him retained possession of the farm. Acting upon the terms of Governor Nicolls' lease to Stoffelsen and wife, and claiming that it included all the " Land wch he, the said Jacob Stoffells, hath cleared, or which he and Trientje his wife or either of them shall cause to be cleared," Steinnets enclosed some of the land adjoin- ing. In 1671 Governor Carteret ordered him to take down his fence and abandon these lands. With this order he complied. When the Dutch re-established their authority in the country, Ide Van Vorst and his brother-in-law, Claes Jansen Van Purmerendt, protested against Steinmets having any greater privileges than he had under Governor Stuyvesant.2 Steinmets then asked for a confirmation of the lease of the bouwerie granted to his wife and her former husband by the English government. This was granted, and he obtained a lease on the 12th of April, 1674.3 This stirred up Van Vorst and Van Purmerendt. They laid their grievances before the authorities in New Orange, charging that the lessee of " the public Bouwerie situate at Ahasymmus " was appropriating too large a share of the " valleys and pasture lands." Steinmets was, however, permitted "to fence in all the ungranted valley appertaining to Ahasymus," and Van Vorst and Van Purmerendt to fence in "all the tillage and valley lands belonging to them in lawful property."4 It will be observed that all the nngranted land at Ahasymus was held to belong to the public bouwerie or West India Company's farm.
Book of Patents (Albany), ii., 177.
"I bid ii., 704.
"Col. Hist. of N. Y., ii., 598.
4 Ibid, ii., 716.
307
THE DUKE'S FARM.
When the English returned, Steinmets was yet in possession. Shortly after Governor Carteret had reorganized the government, he ordered the prosecution of Steinmets, before the court at Bergen, for the rent which he claimed to be due to the Proprie- tors. This body laid claim to the farm, on the ground that the tract did not pass to the Freeholders of Bergen by the charter of 1668. The people of Bergen insisted that it did so pass, and hence belonged to them, while the Governor of New York claimed it for the Duke on the ground that, by the terms of the surrender to the English, this farm remained the property of the West India Company, and as the same was not confiscated until after the grant to Berkley and Carteret, it could not have passed by that grant. Under this claim for the Duke, Governor Andross, on the 6th of March, 1675, sent George Cook to Bergen to defend the suit which Governor Carteret had instituted against Steinmets.1 What became of this suit is not known. On the 17th of August, 1678, Governor Andross, " in regard of the long possession of the sd Bowery or ffarme by the sd Jacob Stoffells " and wife, " together with the good deportment of Casper Sty- metts the Survivor," leased to Steinmets the " Certaine Bowery or ffarme at Hassems near Communipon," except what had been granted ont of the same by the " Authority of the sª Company unto Ide Cornelissen, Claes Jansen, &c.," " for and During the Terme and Time of his Naturall Life and one Entire Yeare after," " Fielding and paying therefore yearly and every Yeare the sume of ffoure hundred Guild's Sewant " to the Governor of New York.2 This lease was repudiated by the authorities in New Jersey, and Steinmets was, on the 25th of October, 1678, again summoned to appear before the court in Bergen, at its next sitting, and show his authority for occupying the farm, and was commanded to pay no more rent in the mean time. He did not obey the summons until the 23d of November, when he gave as an excuse for not appearing sooner, that he could not read the summons, and did not know what it was until the constable told him. On the same day he was directed by Governor Andross
1 General Entries (Albany), ir., 177.
" Book of Patents (Albany), iv., 144
.
308
HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY.
to continue in possession.1 It is not known that Governor Car- teret exercised himself any further about the farm, but in 1683 Samuel Groom, one of the East Jersey Proprietors, demanded rent from Steinmets. Governor Dongan of New York sent him a threatening letter, which effectually silenced this new enemy of the Duke's lessee.
While the Proprietors were thus seeking an acknowledgment of their claim, the people of Bergen were a continuing source of trouble to the Governor of New York, by annoying his tenant and preventing the collection of rent. To avoid further trouble with the " farm at East Jersey belonging to his Majesty," Don- gan gave to Judge John Palmer? a lease of the reversion for ninety-nine years, " from the feast of St. Michael the Archangel next ensuing after the determination of the estate " of Stein- mets. This lease was dated August 13, 1685, and was upon condition that Judge Palmer should pay " as a fine the summ of Sixty pounds to the King, in case hee should not think fit to for- give it, and the rent of twenty shillings pr annuum and to defend the title."3
Steinmets was now getting old, and his two sons, John and Garret, managed the farm. On the 5th of February, 1686, they bought of Judge Palmer his lease for £50. After the death of their father, in 1702, they divided the farm between them, John taking the southerly half and Garret the northerly half. On the 24th of February, 1708, John Steinmets conveyed all of his property to his wife for life, and, after her death, to the children of his sister Hannah Prior, his nephew, Jacob Prior, to have his interest in the farm. After the death of John Steinmets, his widow married Peter Van Wooglem. These two, with Jacob Prior and Lea, his wife, assigned to David Hnion, alias Daniel- son, the remainder of the term under the Palmer lease for £675. Danielson entered into possession of the southerly half of the farm about 1715, and remained there during the nine years fol-
1 General Entries (Albany), xxxii., 78.
2 Palmer was a member of the Council in East Jersey for several years. Whitehead's East Jersey, 96. He was a man of influence.
3 Book of Entries (Albany), rii., 170; Col. Hist. of N. Y., iii., 411, 494.
309
THE DUKE'S FARM.
lowing. At this time the only buildings in Harsimus were the house, barn and brewhouse of Danielson ; the house, barn and cow-house of Hendrick Claes Kuyper ; the house and barn of Ide Van Vorst, and the house, barn and an old house (built in 1658), of Garret Steinmets. All these were quite close together along the shore, now the line of Henderson street, between Sec- ond and Fifth streets.
In the early part of the year 1724, Archibald Kennedy, the King's Receiver-General in New York, fixed his eye on the Duke's farm. The title came to him as follows : Robert West, on the 1st and 2d of April, 1684, conveyed his interest in East Jersey to Thomas Cox. Cox conveyed to Sir Eugenius Cameron of Lochiel +3 of his interest of 4 on the 2d and 3d of April, 1685. Sir Eugenius conveyed to Donald Cameron, July 30, 1716, who conveyed to Evan Drummond1 on the 17th of Novem- ber. 1721. Drummond conveyed one-half of the unappropriated land of said 13 to James Alexander on the 17th and 18th of July, 1722, and the remaining half on the 5th and 6th of April, 1723. Alexander reconveyed to Drummond 383 acres of unappropriated lands on the 22d and 23d of February, 1725. On the 26th of the same month this amount of land was surveyed to Drummond by the Surveyor-General, " upon a traet of land formerly called the West India Company's Farm." This survey was endorsed with the approval of 36 of the Proprietors. The money for the purchase of the land and the cost of the location was furnished by Kennedy. On the 13th of February, 1724, Drummond exe- ented a declaration of trust? that he held the land for the benefit and use of Kennedy. In 1725 Drummond filed a bill in Chan- cery against Danielson for the possession of that part of the farm ocenpied by him. Governor Burnet made a decree, according to the prayer in the bill, August 17, 1727. On the 18th of the following month Danielson accepted from Kennedy a lease of the southerly half of the farm until the 1st of the following May.3 On the 10th of October, 1727, Garret Steinmets, who
' Drummond was appointed High Sheriff of Middlesex County in September, 1729.
Liber F2 (Amboy), 509.
" Liber HI 2 (Amboy). 76.
310
HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY.
held the northerly half of the farm under the Palmer lease, sur- rendered to Kennedy and accepted a lease for life at the rent of one ear of Indian corn when demanded, and a proper propor- tion of the Quit Rents reserved to the Proprietors.1 His interest in this lease he assigned to Mattys De Mott. February 20, 1729.
On the expiration of Danielson's lease, Kennedy took possession of the southerly half of the farm and began to improve and stock it. In a letter of James Alexander to Governor Hunter. dated May 20, 1731, is the following notice of this farm : " Though there be no place near Inians Ferry,2 fit for a settle- ment, to be purchased, yet I beg leave to mention one much better situated and that is the place called Horsamus, over against New York, where you used to meet the Jersey Council.3 It contains about 400 acres, but out of this there's two small pieces, one of 20 acres and another of 6 acres. belonging to other persons. It has on it a pretty good country house and barn. about 500 apple trees : there's of stock, 27 black cattle, 72 sheep, some horses, hogs and other country stock. all belonging to Mr. Kennedy, which lands, stock and all together he would sell now for £3,000, which is a moderate price when it is considered that the lands thereabouts sell very commonly for £20 per acre."
Garret Steinmets died in 1733. This gave Kennedy posses- sion of the northerly half of the farm. Drummond's will was dated December 13. 1736.4 Andrew Johnson, his surviving executor. transferred the title to Kennedy, April 24, 1747.5 Thus his possession was complete, and his title as perfect as the pro- prietors could make it.6
The residents at ITarsimus feeling that the farm belonged to the freeholders of the township in common, and that they were kept out of their rights by power rather than justice, gave them- selves up to the annoyance of its possessor. Mattys De Mott was especially active. When he was obliged to give up posses-
Liber H2 (Amboy), T.
" Now New Brunswick.
3 The Council met here April 17, 1714. It had been arranged to hold this meeting at Communipaw, but was changed to " Horsimus " by the Governor.
4 Book C of Wills (Amboy), 140.
Liber F2 (.1mboy), 522.
6 Winfield's Land Titles, 132.
311
THE DUKE'S FARM.
sion in 1733, according to the terms of the lease under which he held, he pulled up seventy-one young apple trees. On another occasion, six of Kennedy's best apple trees were girdled ; a fine bull, worth £10, was pushed into his well : a stallion, worth $40, pushed into a salt hole and killed, and a steer had a pitchfork stuck into him. De Mott used to threaten to knock out the brains of Kennedy's servants, and Van Vorst would beat his negroes, and on one occasion knocked over Black Peter with a stone, for driving Van Vorst's cows out of Kennedy's cabbage
SALT MEADOWS
ROAD TO BERGEN
PART
OF.
CAPT - KENNEDY
NEW JERSEY
1
PAULUS HOOK
WILLM BAYARD ESD
5
5
5
C
6
HOBOCKEN
HUDSON
RIVER
garden. In 1733 Van Vorst committed a trespass upon the farm, that he might be prosecuted, and so have the question of title settled. Kennedy did bring suit, but did not press it to trial. In 1744 the trespass was repeated for a like object, but no suit followed. In 1753 he repeated the experiment. Self respect now forced Kennedy to sue him for trespass. The case was tried at the bar of the Supreme Court at Amboy, in August, 1753. Van Vorst set up his right to enter as a freeholder of
312
HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY.
the corporation of Bergen. A verdict was rendered in his favor. Things now looked serions for Kennedy. On the 12th of December following, he filed a bill in chancery to restrain Van Vorst from further proceedings, and threatened to appeal to England in case of failure. This threat had more restraining influence on Van Vorst than the injunction. The plain people of Bergen could not think of contending with a erown officer in English courts, and they remained quiet until a successful rebel- lion destroyed an appeal to the courts of the mother country. Then they renewed the controversy.
In 1776, by permission of the Earl of Casselis (son of Archi- bald Kennedy, who died June 14, 1763), Thomas MeDonald built a small cottage on the farm, and occupied it, with a quarter of an aere of ground adjoining, until his death in 1779. Jacob Brill, as tenant, lived on the farm in 1776. When the conti- mental forces gathered at Paulus Hoeck, they destroyed certain property, for which a claim was rendered as follows :
Ten acres of corn, and three bushels sowing of Buckwheat, €36 0 0
Six empty hogsheads and one empty pipe, 1 80
Sixteen hogs, large and small, 10 0 0
During the Revolution, the British destroyed all the fences and buildings except McDonald's cottage. In 1779 Kennedy1 re-
Archibald Kennedy (2d) became a captain in the Royal Navy, April 4, 1753. In 1760 he was in command of the Flamborough at Lisbon, where he attacked and defeated a French frigate. For this gallant behavior he was put in com- mand of a frigate of thirty-six guns. N. Y. Mereury, October 20, 1760. He was afterward in command of the Blonde. When the Revolution broke out he was in command of the Corentry, lying in New York harbor. To save his extensive estates which he had received by his first wife, he took up a residence on his farm at Petersborough, at present East Newark. But his friendliness to the colonies was suspected. He was arrested and brought before the Council of Safety, January 13, 1778. He was permitted to return home, to appear again in fourteen days. At that time the Council concluded that his residence at East Newark was dangerous to the State, and Ordered, " That he remove within eight days from the date hereof, into the county of Sussex, and there remain within one mile of the Court House at Newton till the further orders of the Board respecting him." On May 7, 1778, the Council released him on his parole
313
THE DUKE'S FARM.
moved from New Jersey, leaving John and Jacob Byre, his tenants, in possession. under the care of Robert Watts, his attorney and brother-in-law. Shortly afterward, William Gray became tenant. and held until 1783. Then came Philip Dowers as tenant for one year, and he was succeeded by one Reid. On the 1st of April, 1784, the Trustees of the corporation of Bergen, desiring to get possession of the farm, induced the widow of McDonald, who was then a tenant upon charity, to remove from the cottage built by her husband. No sooner had she done this than the trustees put Barnt Everson into the cottage as their tenant. This act was followed by a notice published in the New York Gazetteer and Country Journal, warning all persons not to purchase or hire any portion of the farm. Watts being in- formed of these facts, on the 15th of May, 1784, got together materials to build a honse on the farm, and was putting up the frame, when the trustees, at the head of a multitude, swooped down upon him, demolished the frame, and carried off the ma- terials in triumph. They then procured about thirty teams, ploughed np a part of the farm and sowed it with buckwheat. For the part he bore in this coup d'etat, Daniel Van Ripen was indicted for foreible entry and detainer. He was tried at Haek- ensack, Chief Justice Brearly presiding, in the October term, 1784. and convicted. The case was taken into the Supreme Court, the verdict set aside, and the indictment quashed in Sep- tember, 1785. Kennedy also sued Van Ripen and John Dey for the frame and building materials carried off. They justified in the name of the corporation of Bergen. The trustees now opened a cross fire by instituting suits in ejectment against Kennedy's tenants. Kennedy replied by bill for injunction and
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