USA > New York > A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 23
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Be it remembered, this twentieth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, I, Jacob M. Hicks, of Brooklyn, in Kings County and State of New York, owner of a female slave named Gin or Jane, do in con- formity to the benevolent act of the Legisla- ture of this State, passed the twenty-ninth day of March, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine, manumit and set free the said female slave named Gin or Jane, and do hereby relinquish all right, title, claim and demand to her person and her services. In witness
whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and date first written.
JACOB M. HICKS, [L. S.] JOHN M. HICKS, [L. S.]
In the presence of JOHN COLE, WILLIAM FOSTER.
WVe, the subscribers, overseers of the poor for the town of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, have examined the said Jane or Gin, and find her under fifty years of age and of sufficient ability to gain a livelihood, and we do approve of said manumission, and do allow the same to be recorded.
Brooklyn, 28 May, 18II.
ANDREW MERCEIN, WILLIAM HENRY.
Subjoined is a list of some of the persons who liberated slaves owned by them, in com- pliance with the law above quoted, with the date and the witnesses who attested the act. It by no means includes all who had been held and who then manumitted slaves, but it will be found to contain very many representa- tives of the leading families of the city, and some of the signers of these grants of Eman- cipation are yet living among us. Under the. provisions of the act, as carried out without any apparent reluctance on the part of the citizens interested, the institution gradually and almost imperceptibly disappeared. The following is the list :
On the 4th of September, 1820, Anna Van- derbilt manumits and sets free her female slave named Margaret, aged about 16 years. Wit- nesses, John Spader, John Sutphine.
On the 24th of March, 1821, John Ryerson, Jun'r., Tunis Johnson and Isaac Cornell, Jun'r, Ex'rs. of Leffert Ryerson, deceased, manumits and sets free a colored male slave of the late Leffert Ryerson named Samuel, aged about 25 years.
On the 10th of May, 1821, Agnes Rap- pelyea manumits and sets free her colored male slave named Anthony, aged about 30 years. Witness, Chas. F. Rappelyea.
On the 28th of May, 1821, Leffert Lefferts manumits and sets free his colored male slave Henry, aged 33 years. Witness, Marie Lefferts.
On the 7th of July, 1821, Adriance Van Brunt manumits and sets free his female slave
9
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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
named Sude, aged about 35 years. Wit- nesses, Teunis S. Barkelow, Gabriel Leverich.
On the 7th of July, 1821, Adriance Van Brunt also manumits and sets free his male slave named Jack, aged about 44 years. Wit- nesses, Teunis S. Barkeloo, Gabriel Leverich.
On the 12th of September, 1821, Jacob Ryerson manumits and sets free his male slave named William, aged about 33 years. Wit- nesses, James Degraw, Teunis S. Barkeloo.
On the 22d of March, 1820, John Ryerson, Jun'r., manumits and sets free his slave Fran- cis Thompson, aged under fifty years. Wit- ness, Clarence Sackett.
On the 30th of June, 1820, Jeremiah Rem- sen manumits and sets free his female slave named Nancy, aged about 31 years. Wit- nesses, Wm. R. Dean, Fulkert Bennet.
On the Ist of August, 1820, Selah S. Woodhull manumits and sets free his female slave named Fanny, aged about 28 years. Wit- nesses, Sarah Maria Van Brunt, Mary Herry.
On the 29th of August, 1820, Garreta Pol- hemus, single woman, manumits and sets free her female slave named Betsey, aged about 24 years. Witnesses, Joseph Dean, Henry Dean.
On the 9th of August, 1820, Theodorus Polhemus manumits and sets free his female slave named Hannah, aged about 40 years. Witnesses, William R. Dean, Henry Dean.
On the 14th of May, 1820, Jacob M. Hicks manumits and sets free his female slave named Hannah, aged about 23 years. Witnesses, Henrietta Hicks, John Dean.
On the 30th day of June, 1820, Jeremiah Remsen manumits and sets free his colored female slave named Nancy, aged about 31 years. Witnesses, Wm. R. Dean, Fulkert Bennet.
On the Ist of May, 1818, Jeremiah A. Remsen manumits and sets free his slave named Susan Dean, agd about 24 years. Wit- nesses, Clarence D. Sacket, Grenville A. Sacket.
On the 13th of April, 1819, Richard Berry manumits and sets free his slave named Peter Cornelison, under forty-five years of age. Wit- ness, Clarence D. Sacket.
On the 30th of April, 1819, Margaretta Duffield manumits and sets free a slave named Hamilton Smith, aged under 40 years. Wit- ness, William Wager.
On the 2d of July, 1819, Thorne Carpen- ter manumits and sets free his slave Phillis Simmons, aged under 45 years. Witness, F. C. Tucker.
On the 16thi of May, 1820, Cornelia Cornell manumits and sets free her slave named Harry, aged about 36 years. Witnesses, Catherin A. Cluser, Samuel P. Dunbar.
On the 16th of May, 1820, John C. Freeke manumits and sets free his slave named Titus, aged about 21 years. Witnesses, William R. Dean, Jolın Dean.
On the 21st of May, 1819, George Towers · Junior manumits and sets free his female slave named Abigail Porter, aged under 45 years. Witnesses, John Lawrence, Grenville A. Sacket.
On the 22d of September, 1817, Jacob Cow- enhoven manumits and sets free his female slave Elizabeth Anderson, aged about 28 years. Witnesses, Clarence D. Sacket, Grenville A. Sacket.
On the 20th of December, 1817, Leffert Lefferts manumits and sets free his female . slave named Mary McDennis, aged under 45 years. Witnesses, James Foster, Jacob Smith.
On the 13th of January, 1818, Hezekiah B. Pierpont manumits and sets free his slave named John Lubin, aged about 21 years. Wit- ness, Richard Lyon.
On the 16th of April, 1818, Jacob M. Hicks manumits and sets free his slave named Harry, aged 21 years. Witness, Alexd'r. Birkbeck.
On the 18th of April, 1818, John Doughty manumits and sets free his slave named James, aged about 25 years. Witness, Thomas J. Bartow.
On the Ist of May, 1818, Selah Strong manumits and sets free his slave named Su- sannah, aged about 31 years, and her daugh- ters Susan, about 4 years old, and Louisa, one and one-half years old. Witness, James Strong.
On the Ist of February, 1817, John Bedell manumits and sets free his negro man slave named Harry, aged about 21 years. Witness, Wm. W. Barre.
On the 24th of March, 1817, Nicholas Lu- queer manumits and sets free his female slave named Mary, aged about 22 years. Witness, Wm. W. Barre.
On the 9th of April, 1817, Christopher Codwise manumits and sets free his negro man named John Moore, aged about 38 years. Wit- nesses, James B. Clarke, Aimi J. Barbarin.
On the 6th of May, 1817, William Berry manumits and sets free his negro man named Anthony, aged about 23 years. Witness, Clar- ence D. Sackett.
On the 17th of July, 1817, John Cowen-
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SLAVERY ON LONG ISLAND.
hoven manumits and sets free his male slave Fortune, aged about 25 years. Witness, Clar- ence D. Sackett.
On the 15th of July, 1817, Teunis J. John- son manumits and sets free his negro slave named Andrew Hicks, aged about 34 years. Witness, Clarence D. Sackett.
On the 9th of September, 1817, Phebe Fox manumits and sets free her female slave named Betsey Phillips, about 18 years old. Witnesses, Stephen S. Voris and Erastus Washington.
On the 20th of May, 1814, James Thomp- son mnanumits and sets free his slave named Betsey, about 35 years old. Witness, P. H. Dickenson.
On the 2d day of July, 1814. Phebe Fox manumits and sets free her slave George Ben- son, aged about 20 years.
On the 15th of December, 1815, Theod's. Polhemus, Ex'r., manumits and sets free a black slave of John B. Johnson, deceased, about 40 years of age, named Harry. Witness, Charles J. Doughty.
On the 3d of September, 1816, John M. Hicks manumits and sets free his black slave named Phillis, aged about 26 years. Witness, John Duer.
On the Ist of February, 1817, Nich's. Lu- queer manumits and sets free his black slave named Samuel, aged about 30 years. WVit- ness, J. Harmer.
On the 4th of March, 1817, Garret Bergen manumits and sets free his black man named Briss, aged about 40 years. Witness, William R. Dean.
On the Ioth of February, 1817, Jacob Hicks manumits and sets free his male slave named Benjamin Mott, aged about 27 years. Witness, William R. Dean.
On the Ioth of September, 1813, Gideon Kemberly manumits and sets free his slave named Hannah Davis, aged about 25 years. Witness, John Garrison.
On the 20th of October, 1813, Phoebe Fox manumits and sets free her slave named Abra- ham Benson, aged about 21 years. Witnesses, Itheill Imrad, James B. V. Winkle.
On the 2d of April, 1814, Nehemiah Den- ton manumits and sets free his male slave named Townsend Cornelison, aged about 26 years. Witness, Elizabeth H. Sackett.
On the 13th of April, 1814, Teunis Tiebout manumits and sets free his slave named Han- ah Bristoll, aged about 44 years. Witnesses, Teunis T. Johnson, Maria Cowenhoven.
On the 23d of April, 1814, Elizabeth Field
manumits and sets free her slave named Simon Hicks, aged 29 years. Witness, Ann Osborn.
On the 25th of April, 1814, John Jackson manumits and sets free his slave named Joseph Smith, aged about 34 years. Witness, James B. Clarke.
On the 27th of April, 1814, John Jackson manumits and sets free his slave named Sarah Miller, aged about 30 years. Witness, James B. Clarke.
On the 25th of May, 1812, Jacob Cowen- hoven manumits and sets free his slave named Hager Hendrickson. Witness, Peter Coven- hoven.
On the 6th of June, 1812, Nicholas Luqueer manumits and sets free his slave named Han- nah Titus. Witnesses, R. Barber, G. A. Cheeseman.
On the 10th of May, 1812, Margaret Els- worth manumits and sets free her slave named Betsey, aged 24 years. Witness, John Doughty.
On the 6th of August, 1812, Henry Hew- lett manumits and sets free his slave named Jarvis Jackson, aged about 24 years. WVit- ness, John Doughty.
On the IIth of July, 1812, Joseph Fox mianumits and sets free his slave named Phittis Benson, aged about 39 years. Witness, Ste- phen S. Voris.
On the 12th of April, 1813, Nich's. Boerum manumits and sets free his slave named Diannu Orange, aged about 40 years. Witness, Will- iam Furman.
On the 13th of April, 1813, Andrew Mer- cier manumits and sets free his slave named Cornelia Brown, aged about 30 years. Wit- ness, John Cole.
On the 30th of June, 1806, Benj'n. Bird- sall also liberates and sets free his female slaves named Cornelia and Jane. Witness, Robert Rhoads.
On the 14th of April, 1807, John Middagh manumits and sets free his male slave named Harry. Witness, John Doughty.
On the 29th of October, -, James B. Clarke manumits and sets free his female slave named Bett. Witness, Daniel Rhoads.
On the 27th of January, 1810, Nicholas R. Cowenhoven manumits and sets free his negro man named Nero; his negro woman named Susannah, his negro boys Harry and James, and his negro girl named Sarah. Witness, Mathew Wendell.
On the 9th of October, 1809, Peter Clarke manumits and sets free his servant woman
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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
named Hannah, ten years thereafter, on con- dition of her faithful services to himself and family during that time.
On the 20th of May, 1811, Jacob M. Hicks manumits and sets free his female slave named Gin or Jane. Witnesses, John Cole, William Foster. .
On the 20th of July, 1802, Joseph Fox manunits and sets free his negro man named Jack. Witnesses, John Harmer, John Hicks.
On the 20th of March, 1806, John Wilson manumits and sets free his negro girl Hannah, aged 12 years, at the expiration of 14 years from the Ist of May next. Witness, John Doughty.
On the 22d of July, 1805, Samuel Bouton manumits and sets free his slave named Sam- uel Estell. Witness, John Doughty.
On the 27th of July, 1805, George Bennett manumits and sets free his slave named Jacob Lucas. Witness. John Doughty.
On the 3d of May, 1806, Cornelius Van- brunt manumits and sets free his slave named Henry Hendrickson. Witnesses, Nichl's Lu- queer, Wm. Cornwell.
On the 13th of June, 1806, Benj'n Birdsall manumits and sets free his female slave named Sarah. Witnesses, Adrian Van Brunt, John Doughty.
On the Ist of August, 1799, Charles Doughty manumits and sets free his man slave named Nicholas Doughty. Witness, John Doughty, Clerk.
On the same day Charles Doughty also liberates and sets free his female slave named Lucrecia Doughty. Witness, John Doughty, Clerk.
On the 18th of April, 1808, Joshua Sands manunits and sets free his servant girl called Bet, aged 18 years.
On the 28th of September, 1808, Benjamin Carpenter manumits and sets free his negro woman named Isabella Dimand. Witness, John Doughty.
On the 20th of October, 1808, John Lef- ferts manumits and sets free his negro man Esop. Witness, John Doughty, Clerk.
On the 5th of December, 1808, Lewis Sands manumits and sets free his negro man named Ceasar. Witness, John Doughty.
On the Ist of January, 1802, Gilbert Van Mater manumits and sets free his negro wo- man named Dinah. Witness, John Van D. Water.
On the 4th of March, 1797, John Doughty
manumits and sets free his colored slave named Ceasar Foster, aged about 23 years.
On the 9th of January, 1798, Robert Hodge manumits and sets free his negro boy named Robert Hodge, aged about 16 years.
On the 3d of March, 1798, Jacob Hicks manumits and sets free his negro man named William, aged about 37 years.
On the 28th of February, 1799, Major John Cowenhoven manumits and sets free his negro man named Jacob, aged about 40 years.
On the Ioth of April, 1799, John Van Nos- trand manumits his negro woman named Syl- via, aged about 27 years.
On the 30th of September, 1799, John Jackson manumits and sets free forever his slave Titus.
On the same day John Jackson also lib- erates and sets free forever his slave Rachell.
On the 27th of July, 1882, Jacob W. Ben- net manumits and sets free his colored male slave named Sharpe Miller, aged about 44 years. Witnesses, George Carpenter and David Carpenter.
On the 26th day of April, 1822, Ann Smith Robert Groman, aged 38 years. Witnesses, John J. Albirt, Teunis Barkeloo ..
On the 21st of September, 1822, Jeremiah Johnson manumits and sets free his colored female slave Betty, aged 26 years. Witnesses, Peter Stockholm, Teunis Barkeloo.
On the IIth of April, 1822, Peter Wyckoff manumits and sets free his colored man named Henry Hendrickson, aged about 28 years. Wit- nesses, Burdet Stryker, Teunis Barkeloo.
On the Ist of February, 1817, John Bedell manumits and sets free his negro man named Harry, now aged about 21 years. Witness, William W. Barre.
On the 4th day of September, 1823, Martin Schenck, Jr., manumits and sets free his col- ored man Amos Thompson, who was thirty- one years of age. The witnesses to the inden- ture of manumission are John Garrison and George Smith, Jun'r.
On the 15th of May, 1824, Henry Pope manumits and sets free his colored female slave Isabella Dennis, aged about 30 years. Wit- ness, Richard Cornwell.
On the 19th of September, 1823, Samuel Ellis manumits and sets free his colored male slave Peter Franklin, aged about 30 years. Witnesses, A. B. Sclover, Mary Brower.
· On the 31st of August, 1822, Richard V. W. Thorne manumits and sets free his colored
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SLAVERY ON LONG ISLAND.
female slave Hannah, aged about 34 years. Witnesses, John Van Dyke, Teunis Barkeloo.
On the 28th day of December. 1821, John Ryerson, Jr., manumits and sets free his col- ored female slave named Bet, aged about 33 years. Witnesses, Teunis Barkeloo, Peter Stockholm.
On the 12th of September, 1821. Jacob Ryerson also manumits and sets free his male slave named Thomas, aged about 36 years. Witnesses, James DeGraw, Teunis S. Bar- keloo.
On the 22d of September, 1821, Jacobus Lott manumits and sets free his male slave named Sam Johnson, aged about 32 years. Witnesses, Stephen S. Vooris, Teunis S. Bar- keloo.
On the 28th of July, 1821, Jacob Cowen- loven manumits and sets free his female slave Mary Hendricksen, aged about 29 years. Wit- nesses, Peter Conover, W. W. Jackson.
On the 28th of December, 1821, John Ryer- son manumits and sets free his female slave named Bet, aged about 33 years. Witnesses, Teunis Barkeloo, Peter Stockholm.
On the 30th of January, 1822. Abraham D. Bevois manumits and sets free his colored female slave named Nell, aged about 30 years. Witnesses, Jeromus R. Cropey, Joshua Tal- ford.
The foregoing manumissions-and there were no doubt many others, the records of which are lost-removed the last traces of the institution from the City of Brooklyn.
While there is no doubt that slaves were bought and sold in the open market in Brook- lyn in the early times, in the eighteenth cen-
tury the traffic in human chattels was so gen- erally transacted in private that public sales, and especially sales at auction, became of such seldom occurrence as to be matters of com- ment. The last of these auction sales, so far as known, was that of four negroes belong- ing to the estate of the widow Haltje Rap- pelje of the Wallabout. The first of the re- corded manumissions, before the passage of the act of 1799, was that of Cæsar Foster, a slave belonging to John Doughty. The deed was signed March 4, 1797, when Cæsar was twenty-eight years of age. Doughty was a member of the Society of Friends and in early life was associated with his father as a butcher in the Fly Market. In 1785 he helped to or- ganize a fire company in Brooklyn and through that, like so many local "statesmen" after- ward, seems to have made his entree into local politics. In 1790 he was one of the as- sessors of the town and six years later be- came town clerk, retaining that position for thirty-four years. In 1816, when the village of Brooklyn was incorporated, Doughty was named one of the trustees, and he continued to hold public office of one sort or another up to his death, May 16, 1832. He was a faithful and honest public servant, and it is said that while he was town clerk he recorded more manumissions than any other official. He lived to see the nefarious institution become completely a thing of the past in his home city.
CHAPTER XI.
EARLY CONGREGATIONAL AND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.
HE early Dutch colonists may be said to have brought their church with them when they settled in New Neth- erland. To these good, pious wan- derers a place of worship was as necessary as a house; and we never find any settlement without also discovering some arrangement there for divine services, either the setting aside of a sufficient amount for a clergyman's ministrations or for the employment of a teach- er and reader, or at least for securing the services of an authorized visitor to the sick, whose duty it also was to read the Scriptures to the people on Sundays.
The first church in the New Netherland was built in the fort at New Amsterdam by Governor Van Twiller in 1633. The credit of building the first church and also the second church on Long Island, however, belongs not to the Dutch but to the English settlers : not to the west end but to the east.
It is difficult with the evidence before us to determine beyond question whether the honor of building the first structure on the island for the worship of God belongs to Southold or Southampton. In a measure both these congregations were actually formed be- fore their members left New England, and in their migration they simply brought with them their church organization and set it up, with their homes, as soon as they found an abiding place. Both towns were settled in 1640, both had a clergyman as a leader, both churcli buildings were authorized to be built in the same year. Southampton seems to have had its edifice completed first. But the organiza-
tion of the congregation at Southold can be dated a little further back and was apparently maintained intact during the migration. As the late Dr. John Hall, of New York, used to declare, a Presbyterian (or Congregational) church could meet equally in a garret as in a cathedral, could conduct its services with equal solemnity at the roadside or in a kitchen as in the grandest house made with human hand. This being true, the credit of primacy might be given to Southold. But it is a delicate question at the best, one which has exhausted the research, acumen and ingenuity of the local antiquaries and historians; and we may be pardoned from indicating any decided pref- erence in this place. The subject will again be referred to in more detail in treating of the local story of these two ancient settlements. The ventilation of such knotty points in a general Instory is never conclusive, or satis- fying, or profitable, and had best always be left as a pleasant theme for local discussion.
On October 21, 1640, the Rev. John Youngs organized a congregation at New Haven and at once with his flock passed over to Long Island, settling in Southold. Very likely Mr. Youngs had previously visited Long Island and made a selection of the territory on which his little colony was to locate. It was to be a patriarchial community, a little State ruled by the Church, for the voice of the Church was to be pre-eminent in all things and the Bible was to rule over civil as over spiritual affairs. No one was to be admitted to full citizenship, if admitted even to resi- dential privileges, who was not a member "of
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EARLY CONGREGATIONAL AND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.
somne one or other of the approved churches in New England." It was also thus decided at a General Court in 1643: "Nor shall any power or trust in the ordering of any civil affairs be at any time put into the hands of any other than such church members, though as free planters all have right to their in- heritance and to commerce according to such grants, orders and laws as shall be made con- cerning same."
The first church was built upon a corner of an acre lot in the north end of the present Southold cemetery. We have no description of it, and doubtless it was a plain frame struc- ture, with seats on either side of a central aisle for men and women, with cross seats at the rear for those who might wander that way, for those, in short, who had not attained the dignity of membership. The floor would be the natural soil, and the pulpit a box-like ar- rangement placed at the further end in the centre. The clerk or precentor had his seat at the bottom of the pulpit structure and in front was a long table around which sat the elders and from which the communion was dispensed. The building was not heated, even in the dead of winter,-at first, at all events ; and from the nature of the town's constitution it was at once a town hall, and possibly a school-house, as well as sanctuary. There was apparently nothing fanciful or pretty about the architecture, or the internal ar- rangements, nothing in the way of interior or exterior decoration ; but everything about it was substantial and honest as befitted its pur- pose, and the settlers put into it the very best material they had. We read that its four windows were made of cedar, an expensive and highly prized wood in those days, and which, when in course of time they were to be removed, were sold for no less than £3. In 1684 the primitive meeting-house was aban- doned and a structure erected close by. The old church was not torn down, but at an ap- praised valuation of £30 (minus the cedar- wood windows) was turned over to the town and altered to the extent of having a sub-
terranean cell dug out in its centre. Very likely the entire internal fittings of the old meeting-house were transferred to the new. In 1699 the population of the town had so increased that it was necessary to furnish more seating capacity in the church, and the internal arrangements were altered somewhat so as to permit the erection of a gallery which would be devoted mainly to the occupancy of hired help, negro servants and children. The erec- tion of this gallery cost the good people £17 IOS 9d. As an evidence of the method and economy of those days it may be stated that when the work was completed the church au- thorities received from Samuel Clark, the con- tractor, four shillings for nails and lumber provided for him and which he had not found it necessary to use!
The second church was pulled down in 1761, and a larger and more commodious structure was erected on its site and fitted up in such a way internally that the various social distinctions of wealth and official position might be fully preserved in the arrangement of its pews,-rather a queer proceeding ac- cording to our modern notions for a church organization founded on Christian and demo- cratic lines, but perfectly in keeping with the practice of all churches at the time, not only in old communities, but in those which had survived the first struggle with the wilderness and were introducing into their dwellings and their surroundings some of the features of "modern civilization." The fourth church was erected in 1803.
The Rev. John Youngs, the founder of this religious community, and during the last thirty years of his life its real head and most influ- ential member, was a native of England. He was born about 1602 and is believed to have been a native of Norfolkshire and to have been engaged as a preacher in Hingham, in that county, where he married and six of his eight children were born. Being a noncomformist, he felt the effects of the religious intolerance of his time and made up his mind to emigrate to the shores of New England, then the hope
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