A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 120

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188

USA > New York > A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 120

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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

favorite place of resort for sea-bathing. Here is a large and well-kept public house, with a lawn in front, beautifully shaded by trees, where the luxury of the ocean breezes may be enjoyed in their fullest extent during the heat of the stimmer. It is the nearest watering-place to New York, and new accommodations have re- cently been erected within a short distance of the beach, which commands a most charm- ing prospect of the ocean. It was near this de- lightful spot that the British army commanded bv Sir William Howe, protected by the gins of their fleet, landed on the 22d of August, 1776, and followed, a few days after, by the disastrous battle of Long Island. South of the hills the surface of the town is perfectly smooth and level ; but along the shore of the Narrows it is rough and uneven. The woody ridge that borders the town is the western termination of the range which extends to the eastern part of Southold, and is denomi- nated the ridge of a spine of Long Island. The shad-fishery of the town is one of the most im- portant and valuable in this part of the coun- try, in which many of the inhabitants engage at the proper season, and find it a profitable employment. It is affirmed that ten thousand of these fish have been caught here at a single draught. On digging a few feet below the surface, some years ago, at the Narrows, more than a wagon load of Indian stone arrow-heads were discovered lving together, under circum- stances calculated to induce a belief that a large manufactory of that indispensable article of Indian warfare must once have existed at that place. They were of all sizes, and from one to six inches in length: some perfect. others partly finished; together with blocks of the like kind of stone in the same condition as when brought from the quarry. They had the appearance of, and were nearly as hard as, ordinary flint, from which not only arrow heads were formed, but axes and other articles of domestic utility. It must ever remain a matter of astonishment how these native arti- ficers, destitute, as they were, of the knowledge or possession of tools of iron, could form and polish with such exquisite art so many various instruments from so hard a material.

In the year 1663 one of the clergy of this town was accused before the court of sessions of having performed the ceremony of his own marriage, and that, too, while he had another wife living. The reverend gentleman pleaded his own cause, and alleged, by way of excuse for so novel a procedure, that his first wife

had eloped from him without cause, and being minded to take another, he conceived he had as good a right to execute the ceremony for himself as for any other person. This mode of reasoning did not, it seems, satisfy the court. The marriage was declared void, and the delinquent was fined in two hundred guilders, forty beaver skins, and also forty guilders more for his insolence and imperti- nence to the court. In addition to the patents before mentioned, another was granted by Governor Dongan on the 13th of May, 1686, of which the following is an extract :

"THOMAS DONGAN, Lieut. Governor and Vice Admiral of New-Yorke and its dependen- cies under his Majesty James the II, by the Grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the faith, &c. Supreame Lord and proprietor of the Colony and Province of New-Yorke and its Dependen- cies in America, &c. To all whome this shall come, sendeth greeting. Whereas there is a certain Towne in King's County on Long- Island, commonly called and knowne by the name of New-Utrecht, Beginning at the North-East corner of the Land appurtaining to Mr. Paulus Vanderbeeck called Goanuts to the Bounds of Flattbush Pattent and soe along the said bounds of the said Pattent, and stretching from thence South-East and by South till they meete the Limitts of Flatt- lands, Gravesend, and the said Utrecht, and from thence along Gravesend Bounds to the Bay of the North River and soe along the said Bay and River till it meets the Land of the said Paulus Vanderbeeke as according to severall agreements and writeings and the pat- tent from Governor Richard Nicolls, dated in the year 1666. And whereas applicacon hath to mee been made by persons deputed from the aforesaid Towne of New-Utrecht for a con- firmation of the aforesaid Tract of Land and premises ; now Knowe Yee, that by Virtue of &c. I have Given, Granted, Ratified and Con- firmed, and by these presents doe Give, Grant, Ratify and Confirme unto Jacknes Corteljour, Ruth Joosten, John Verkerke, Hendrick Ma- thyse, Jolm Kiersen, John Vandyck, Guisbert Thyson, Carel Van Dyck, Jan Van Cleef, Cryn Jensen, Meyndert Coerten, John Hansen, Barent Joosten, Tennis Van Pelt, Hendrick Van Pelt, Lawrence Janse, Gerrit Cornelisson, Dirk Van Stutphen, Thomas Tierkson, Gerrit Stoffelson, Peter Thyson, Anthony Van Pelt, Anthony Duchaine, Jan Vandeventer, and Cor-

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NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

nelis Wynhart, on Behalf of themselves and their associates, the present Freeholders and Inhabitants of the said Towne of New Utrecht, their Heirs, Successors and Assigns; All and singular, &c. To have and to hold the said Tract and parcell of Land with their and every of their appurtenances to them the said Jackues Corteljour, &c .- To bee holden of his said Majesty, his Heires and Successors in free and common Soccage, according to the Tenure of East Greenwich in the County of Kent in his Majestyes Kingdome of England ; Yielding Rendering, and paying therefor, Yearly and every year, on every five and twentyeth Day of March, forever, six bushels of good Winter merchantable Wheate att thee Citty of New- Yorke, &c. Given under my hand, and sealed with the seale of the Province att Fortt James, in New Yorke, the 13th day of May, 1686, and in the 2nd yeare of his Majestyes Reigne. "THOMAS DONGAN."

"May it please your Honor,

"The Atturney Generall hath perused this Pattent, and finds nothing contained there- in prejudiciall to his Majestyes Interest. "JA. GRAHAM."

In 1706 the negroes, who had become 1111- merous both in the city of New York and the adjoining country, were at times so disorderly and dangerous to the peace and safety of the people, that the government was compelled to take measures for restraining their depreda- tions upon the community. A proclamation was issued by the governor for this purpose in the words following :

"Whereas I am informed that several ne- groes in King's County have assembled them- selves in a riotous manner, which, if not pre- vented, may prove of ill consequence; You, the Justices of the peace in the said county, are hereby required and commanded to take all proper methods for the seizing and appre- hending all such negroes as shall be found to be assembled in such manner as aforesaid, or have run away or absconded from their mas- ters or owners, whereby there may be reason to suspect them of ill practices or designs ; and to secure them in safe custody ; and if any of them refuse to submit, then to fire upon them, kill or destroy them, if they cannot otherwise be taken; and for so doing this shall be your sufficient warrant. Given under my hand, at Fort Anne, the 22nd day of July, 1706.

"CORNBURY."

In the clerk's office is the copy of a proclamation issued on the 16th of June, 1780, by James Robinson, a British officer, styling himself captain-general and governor-in-chief in and over the province of New York, by which the inhabitants of Long Island are peremptorily required to furnish a sufficiency of wood for the barrack-yard in New York ; that Kings county. shall get fifteen hundred cords, Queens county four thousand five hun- dred, and the western part of Suffolk county, including Huntington, Islip, Smithtown and Brookhaven, three thousand cords; all to be cut and carted to the landing by the 15th of August next ensuing. And the inhabitants of Southold, Southampton and Easthampton were specially required to cut upon the wood- lands of William Smith and William Floyd (notorious rebels), in those parts nearest to the landing by Mastic-Neck, three thousand cords, to be ready by the Ist of September ; and for which they were to receive at the rate of ten shillings p r cord. This requisition it was made highly penal to neglect, and those who did so were severely punished, instances of which were not uncommon.

On the 26th of May, 1836, an act of the Legislature was passed to incorporate the New Utrecht Dock and Steamboat Company, but as yet, it is believed, nothing has been done to carry this very desirable measure into opera- tion.

Town of Flatbush.

This town, called by the Dutch Midwout, or Middle Woods, is bounded north by Brook- lyn and Bushwick, and a small part of Queens county ; east by Jamaica; south by Jamaica Bay, Flatlands and Gravesend; and west by Gravesend ; being of an irregular shape, con- taining an area of about seven thousand acres, most of which is under cultivation. The set- tlement of this town was begun in 1651, and the next year a patent or ground-brief was ob- tained from Governor Stuyvesant, authorizing the inhabitants to erect a town or plantation, with the usual privileges of other towns under the Dutch jurisdiction ; and under which the settlers managed their public concerns during the remainder of his administration. In Octo- ber, 1667, application was made to Governor Nicolls for a patent of confirmation and assur- ance of their lands and boundaries; and on the IIth day of the same month one was issued unto Mr. Johannes Megapolensis, one of the ministers of the city of New York; Mr. Cor-

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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

nelius Van Ruyven, one of the justices of the peace; Adrian Hegeman, Jan Snedeger, Jan Stryker, Frans Barents (Pastor), Jacob Stry- ker, and Cornelius Janse Bougaert, as patentees for and on behalf of themselves and associates, the freeholders and inhabitants of the said town, their heirs, successors, and assigns, for the premises described therein, as follows :

"All yt tract wt ye severall parcells of land wh already have or hereafter shall be purchased or procured for and on ye be- half of ye sd town; whether from ye na- tive Indian proprietors or others, wt in the bounds and limits hereafter set forth and expresst; That is to say, bounded to ye south by ye hills, and to the north by ye fence lately sett between them and the town of Ams- fort, alias Flatlands, beginning at a certain tree standing upon ye Little-Flats, marked by ye order and determination of severall arbitra- tors appointed by me, to view and issue ye dif- ference between ye two towns concerning the same, wh accordingly they did upon the 17th of October, 1666 and to ye east and west by the common woodlands, including two tracts heretofore called by ye names of Curler's and Twillers flatts wh lye to ye East of ye town ; As also a parcell of meadow ground or valley on ye East-north-east side of Canaresse plant- ing land, and having to ye South ye meadow ground belonging to Amsfort als Flatbush, ac- cording to ye division made by an East line running half a point northerly between them without variation of ye Compass, and so to go to ye mouth of ye creek or Kill, which said meadows were on ye 20th of April last by com- mon consent staked out and by my approba- tion allowed of."

On the 12th of November, 1685, a further confirmatory patent was executed by Governor Thomas Dongan to the following persons named therein as patentees : Corneleus Vander- wick, Jolın Okie, Joseph Hegeman, Art Jansen Vanderbilt, Lafford Peterson. William Guil- iamson, Hendrick Williams, Peter Guilliams, Arien Ryers, Peter Stryker, John Stryker, Jolın Ramsden, Jacob Hendricks, Direck Van- derfleet, Hendrick Rick, Peter Lott, Daniel Polhemus, Cornelius Vanderveere, Direck Johnson, Hooglant Denise, John Johnson, Pet- imus Lewis, Okie Johnson, Jan. Jansen, Will- iam Jacobs, Hendrick Hegeman, Jan Stryker, Garret Lubberts. Hans Bogaert.

The premises are in this patent described, as "A certain town in Kings County known by

the name of Middwout, alias Flatbush, the bounds whereof begin att the mouth of ye fress Kill, and soe along by a certain ditch which lyes betwixt Armsford and Flatbush meadows, and soe running alongst the ditch and fence to a certain white oake markt tree; and from thence uppon a straight line to the westernmosť point of a small island of woodland lying be- fore John Striker's bridge; and from thence with a straight line to the northwest hooke or corner of the ditch of John Okie's meadow; and from thence alongst the said ditch and fence to the swanıp of the Fresh-Kill, and soe alongst the swamp and hollow of the aforesaid Kill to the land of Krewler's hooke; then alongst the same to a marked white oak tree; from thence with a straight line to a black-oake markt tree standing uppon the north-east side of Twilder's Flatts, having a small snip of flatts upon the south-east side of the line, and soe from thence to a white-oak tree standing to the west side of Mustahole upon a small island, leaving a snip of flatts in the Flattlands bounds; and from thence to a certain markt tree or stump standing by the highway which goes to Flattlands upon the Little Flatts, about twenty rod from Flattbush Lotts, and soe alongst the fence six hundred Dutch rodd to the corner of Flattbush fence, and soe alongst by the rear of the Lotts to a sassafras stump standing in Cornelius Jansen's Bowery lott of land; and from thence ·with straight line to a certain old marked tree or stump standing by the rush-pond under the hills, and so along upon the south side of the hill till it comes to the west end of the long hill, and soe along upon the south side of the said hill till itt comes to the east end of the long hill ; and then with a straight line from the east end of the said long hill to a mark'd white-oake tree standing to the west side of the roade near the place called the gale or porte of hills, and so from the east side of the porte or gale along upon the south side of the maine hills as far as Browklin pattent doth extend, and soe along the said hills to the bounds of Jamaica pattent; and from thence with a southerly line to the Kill or creeke by the east of the Plunder's Neck, and soe alongst the said Kill to the sea, as according to the several deeds or purchases from the Indian owners, the patent from Governor Nicolls, and the award between Browkline and the town of Flattbush, as by reference thereto will fully and at large appear."

On the 17th of December, 1654, Governor

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Stuyvesant, who seems to have exercised entire authority as well in ecclesiastical as in civil and military affairs, gave orders that a house of public worship should be erected in this town, "sixty feet long, thirty-eight wide, and four- teen feet in height below the beams." And on the 9th of February, 1655, he issued his com- mands that the people of Brooklyn and Amers- fort should assist the people of Midwout or Flatbush in getting timber for the house. In September, 1660, those who had the charge of the building reported that it had cost four thousand six hundred and thirty-seven guild- ers; of which sum three thousand four hun- dred and thirty-seven had been collected in New Amsterdam, Fort Orange and on Long Island. Upon which the Governor contributed out of the public funds four hundred guilders, leaving a balance of eight hundred against the church. In June, 1656, the Governor directed the inhabitants of Brooklyn, Flatbush and Flat- lands, to enclose a place in each of them with palisades for the common defense. In 1660 the Rev. Mr. Polhemus petitioned the Gov- ernor to have a window placed in the church, which request was granted; and it being re- ported that the church was indebted to the amount of six hundred and twenty-four guild- ers, it was ordered to be satisfied out of the treasury as soon as funds should be received. Complaint being made that the minister was inattentive to his calling, attending only once a fortnight, and then only for a quarter of an hour, giving the people a prayer instead of a sermon, the Governor gave orders "that he should attend more diligently to his work." October 1, 1673, an ordinance of the Governor and Council was published, enjoining it upon the Sheriff and Constables to take care that the reformed religion be maintained, to the ex- clusion of all other sects. It is supposed that the first Dutch church erected in this country was one built in the city of New Amsterdam in 1642, although a society had been organized as early as 1629. And the inhabitants of Kings county attended religious worship in the city until the church was built in Flatbush as above mentioned. The Rev. Everardus Bogardus was the first minister, and officiated in the city from 1638 to 1647; and was succeeded by the Rev. Johannis Megapolensis, who continued till the conquest in 1664. The latter gentleman, with John Snedicor and John Stryker, were the persons appointed to superintend the erec- tion of the church here, which stood nearly on

the site of the present Dutch Church. It was directed to be in the form of a cross; and the rear part of the building was reserved and fitted up for the accommodation of the minister and his family. The original subscription list of this church is still preserved among its rec- ords, and shows the names of the inhabitants of the Dutch towns at that time. A church was ordered to be built at Flatlands in 1662, and completed the next year; another was erected in Brooklyn in 1666, which, with the one in Flatbush, being associate churches, con- stituted but a single congregation, and were under the pastoral care of the same minister. The Rev. Johannis Polhemus was employed to preach soon after the erection of the church at Flatbushı, with a salary of one thousand and forty guilders (about four hundred and six- teen dollars ) a year, raised by assessment upon the towns in which he officiated. He was re- quired by the Governor, in March, 1656, to preach every Sunday morning at Midwout; and in the afternoon, alternately at Amersfort and Brooklyn. In 1660 the Rev. Henericus Selwyn was installed at Brooklyn by order of the Governor, at a salary of six hundred guild- ers a year, one-half to be paid by the people, and the other half by Fatherland or Holland. He resided in New Amsterdam; and in 1662 the inhabitants of Brooklyn petitioned the Gov- crnor that he should be required to reside among them. The Governor agreed to pay a part of his salary, provided he should preach at the Bowery every Sunday evening. At the conquest he returned to Holland. Mr. Polhe- mus died June 9, 1666. In 1667 the churches engaged the Rev. Casperus Van Zuren, who remained about the period of ten years, when he returned again to Europe. The Rev. James Clark was the next minister, who remained till 1695; and was followed by the Rev. Will- iam Lupardus, who died in 1702. The Rev. Vicentius Antonides was settled in1 1706, and continued till his death, in 1714. His succes- sor was the Rev. Bernardus Freeman, who re- mained till the close of life, in 1741. In 1742 the church engaged the services of the Rev. Johannes Arondius, but who, in 1747, removed to New Jersey. The Rev. Anthony Curtenius was settled as an associate minister in 1730, and remained till his death, in 1750. The Rev. Ulpianus Van Sinderen was employed in 1747, about which period much controversy arose in the churches touching the necessity of foreign ordination ; the opinion being enter-

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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

tained by great numbers, both clergy and laity, that ministers should be ordained in Holland. This unhappy schism continued for several years to agitate the churches, to interrupt their peace, and retard their prosperity. These dis- sensions having much abated, the Rev. John Caspar Rubel was in 1760 employed as a col- league of Mr. Van Sinderen, but was, for some reason, deposed from the ministry in 1784. The death of Mr. Van Sinderen took place in 1796. The Rev. Martinus Schoonma- ker was settled in 1785, and continued till his death, at an advanced age, in 1824, and with him terminated the practice of preaching occa- sionally in the Dutch language. The Rev. Peter Lowe became an associate minister of the churches in 1787, where he remained to the end of his life, in 1818.

The church built here in 1663 stood, with occasional repairs, till 1717, when it was suc- ceeded by another, built of stone. This build- ing fronting the east, had a large double-arched doorway in the center; a steep quadrangular roof, with a small steeple rising from the mid- dle. It was sixty-five by fifty feet, the pulpit being in the west side. It was repaired and altered in 1775, at an expense of more than seven hundred dollars ; but in 1794 it was taken down, and the present large and commodious edifice erected, which cost about twelve thou- sand dollars. It was completed in December, 1796, with a fine bell, imported from Holland, and presented to the church by John Vander- bilt, Esq. In 1818 the churches of Flatbush and Flatlands united in settling the Rev. Wal- ter Monteith, who removed in a short time thereafter ; and in 1822 was settled their pres- ent highly respected clergyman, the Rev. Thomas M. Strong. In 1824 a new congrega- tion was organized, and a church erected in the eastern part of the town, called New Lotts, from the circumstance of the land having been divided or allotted among the inhabitants at a later period than some other sections of the town. The soil is generally of a good quality, and by careful cultivation is made highly pro- ductive. The village of Flatbush, situated about four miles from the City Hall of New York, is hardly excelled by any other as a place of residence. The spirit of improvement has reached this delightful spot, and several splen- did private edifices have been erected, bearing all the insignia of taste and opulence. A softer or more agreeable landscape than is here pre- sented is seldom met with. Its surface is an

inclined plane, elevated about fifty feet above the ocean, toward which the descent is regular and gradual. The court house of the county was erected here in 1685, and the courts con- tinued to be held therein till it was destroyed by fire in 1832. St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the village was built in 1836, mainly by the liberality and munificence of one of its citizens, Matthew Clarkson, Esq., and is a neat and handsome edifice. Erasmus Hall, a noble aca- demical institution here, was incorporated No- vember 20, 1787, being the second in point of time upon Long Island. It has always main- tained a high reputation as a place of educa- tion, and its pupils are diffused over almost every part of the United States. The building is not only spacious and airy, but replete with every convenience, having sufficient grounds about it, filled with ornamental trees and shrub- bery. A little north of the village is an eleva- tion, called Prospect Hill, which is estimated to be one hundred feet above the surrounding country, and from whose summit the view is sublime and beautiful beyond description.

The Poor House of the county of Kings is located a short distance from the village. The farm contains sixty acres of excellent land. which cost three thousand dollars. The main building is forty-four feet square, with two wings, each sixty by thirty-five feet. The whole is two stories in height. There is also a building detached from these, appropriated for patients laboring under infectious diseases ; and likewise another for deranged persons, where these unfortunate individuals are treated with the attention which humanity requires. Surely this benign establishment does honor to the county, and deserves the imitation of every other in the State. The soil of this town is inferior to none other, and improved in the highest degree, furnishing to the markets of Brooklyn and New York a large quantity of produce. Many of the farmers are wealthy, and there is an appearance of independence and opulence seldom witnessed in many other places.

Town of Brooklyn.

This town, the whole of which is now in- cluded within the corporation of the city of Brooklyn, lies upon the extreme western part of Long Island, opposite the southern portion of the city of New York, and separated there- from by the East River, which is here about

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three-quarters of a mile in width. The length from northeast to southwest is six miles, and its greatest breadth four miles ; giving an area of nine thousand two hundred acres, most of which has been apportioned into city lots. The surface is high, broken and stony; and the more elevated points afford beautiful and ro- mantic sites, many of which have been built upon, and are not excelled in elegance by any others in the country. The soil, in common with the whole county, was originally claimed by the Canarsee Indians, a numerous tribe, in- habiting chiefly the more scuthern parts of the county, and from whom the title to the lands was procured by the Dutch government. The situation of this tribe rendered them peculiarly obnoxious to invasion from their savage neigh- bors of the north, and it has been supposed that they were once tributary to the Mohawks, and obliged to conciliate their forbearance by yearly contributions of dried clams and wam- pum. At the first settlement of the white peo- ple, the Indians were persuaded to withhold the accustomed tribute, being promised protec- tion from these unjust exactions of their ene- mies ; in consequence of which they were un- expectedly assailed by a hostile force, and num- bers of them destroyed or taken captive.

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A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 120

Author: Ross, Peter. cn Publication date: 1902 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1188

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188