A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 84

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 84

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So far as the township was concerned the modern advance in population commenced in 1830, but little of that advance was felt in Newtown village. In fact it steadily began, almost with the opening of the last century,

is seldom used as very few of that denomina- tion are to be found in this vicinity. It is sup- posed to be about 100 years old, but there is some reason to believe that it is even more ancient." But whatever its age it has long since disappeared altogether and so have most of the country homes of the merchants and others of New York which in the early part of the nineteenth century made it the best known

CLINTON HOMESTEAD.

to lose its primal place in the story of the township and to become quite a subordinate village.

Even Maspeth in time surpassed it. That early English settlement, almost as early as Newtown village itself, has had a most curious history. For years it was a stronghold of the Quakers, but that body abandoned it long ago. Writing in 1845 Dr. Prime said: "The only public edifice is an ancient Friends' meeting house which is now very much in decay, and

village in the township. Here De Witt Clinton had his country seat to which he was glad to retire at frequent intervals to think out his many schemes for the upbuilding of New York and to escape from the worry and wiles of the politicians, and one is almost inclined to think that the local statesmen were more numerous, more irrepressible, more zealous in their plans for emptying the public treasury either by way of salaries or appropriations than now. The old house is still standing,

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NEWTOWN.

seemingly in as good condition as when it was its name from its geographical situation, being inhabited by Walter Franklin, Clinton's father- midway on the old turnpike between Williams- in-law, whose New York house was Washing- ' burg and Jamaica. In it was built in 1785 the ton's residence when he became President of the United States and whose name is still kept alive in Franklin Square, on which the Presi- dential dwelling stood. Many modern villas and cottages, even little settlements, have arisen in Maspeth since De Witt Clinton's day, but it still retains much of its rural aspect ex- cept in the spots where manufacturing has sprung up.

To-day it would really be termed a mantı- facturing village, and has been such since 1842 when John Murch began the manufacture of cord and twine, and that business is now carried on in several establishments, the indus- try giving employment to several hundred hands. In 1852 Cord Meyer started a factory for producing animal carbon. Oil cloth mak- ing was another industry, established in 1863, and since then a number of other establish- ments of various kinds have given employment to a population estimated to-day at 2,500. During the past few years the building up process going on so unceasingly in New York and Brooklyn has added what may be called a new industry to Maspeth in the opening up of picnic grounds and athletic grounds which at- tract at intervals large crowds of visitors each stimmer. It is well supplied with churches and can now be so easily reached that there is no doubt its popularity as a site for homes and factories will steadily increase.

Middle Village is another old settlement, but it is mainly given over in these later days to cemetery purposes, although it supports a living population of some 1,300. It received

first Methodist church on Long Island, but that structure has long since disappeared. The late Joseph Wesley Harper, of the famous New York publishing house, had his home in Middle Village from the time he reached man- hood until his death in 1871, and did much to improve the amenity of the village as a place of residence. The Harper family originally hailed from Newtown, where the father of the founders "J. & J. Harper" was long a farmer. Corona lias lately come into prominence as a manufacturing village and home site, having been much favored by the land boomers, and as much may be said of Laurel Hill, full of memories of the old Alsop and Rapalye fam- ilies and which began to be laid out for "im- provement" in 1853. About the same time Woodside became known as a desirable place for residential purposes and several elegant villas were erected. It dates from 1850, when the late J. A. F. Kelly came north from South Carolina and sought retirement from active life amid its beautiful surroundings. It still continues to be a village of homes and its busi- ness interests are mainly confined to florictil- ture and market gardening. East Williams- burgh, Charlotteville, Glendale, New Suffolk and several other settlements are among those likely to become soon prominent through the impetus which rapid transit and consolidation have even already brought about. What may be called the old part of Newtown township has an interesting history in the past, but its future promises to surpass it in incident, in importance and in real achievement.

CHAPTER XLVI.

JAMAICA.

THE LITTLE REPUBLIC OF RUSDORP-MINISTERIAL TROUBLES-MR. POYER'S TRIALS- THE REVOLUTION-EDUCATIONAL AND BUSINESS PROGRESS.

O Governor Stuyvesant must be award- ed the credit of bringing this town into existence, the old village of which is destined to become in the near future one of the great railroad centres with the usual accompaniments of trade, busi- ness and industries of all sorts, of this part of the continent. Stuyvesant issued his first war- rant for settlement March 21, 1656, and a more ample and more imposing document in 1660. When Gov. Nicolls sent Stuyvesant to enjoy the comforts of his Bouwerie, he con- firmed all the rights and privileges which had been granted Jamaica by a deed dated Feb. 15, 1666, and Governor Dongan twenty years later gave it another charter mainly for the sake of the fee involved. On March 7, 1788, it was re- organized as a town by the state government and so it remained until it was swallowed up in the Greater New York.

Such in brief is what might be called the municipal history of Jamaica from beginning to end. There is much doubt about the origin of its name, but it is generally accepted as be- ing a modernized rendering of the old Indian name Jameco-the name of a small tribe lo- cated on Jamaica Bay. How or when this name was first applied is not clear. The Dutch authorities called it Rusdorp-town in the country ; and this was long its official designa- tion. Some of the settlers called it Canorasset, others. Crawford, but Jamaica, by whoever in-

troduced, kept to the front and remained. Very likely it was called Jameco before the white man came along. But there have been all sorts of surmises and speculations over the name and the etymologists as usual have given their fancy free reins over it with wonderful re- sults : even so staid a personage as the late Dr. O'Callaghan, the famous local historian, formulated a theory that the word was de- rived from the Indian name for beaver as translated by the French "Amique."

Where the first settlers came from is a point that has not been exactly determined, but there is little doubt that they came over from Connecticut with the view of establishing a re- ligious colony, or rather a colony where relig- ious tolerance might be enjoyed. Those who signed the request to Stuyvesant, therein de- scribed themselves as "inhabitants of the town of Hempstead and subjects of this province," so it is very likely that some of them had been for a time residing in Hempstead and spying the land. They told the Governor that they wanted "a place to improve our labors upon ; for some of us are destitute of either habita- tion or possession, others, though inhabited, find that in the place they are they cannot com- fortably subsist by their labours and exer- tions." So they asked for the Governor's con- sent to settle on a tract of land "called Conor- asset and lyes from a river which divideth it from Conarie see to the bounds of heemstead,

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JAMAICA.

and may contain about twenty families." This tract they had already "bought" from the In- dians for "two guns, a coat and a certain quan- tity of powder and lead." Stuyvesant had to be petitioned three times before he consented, but when he did confirm the request he did it in a most handsome manner, giving them per- mission to elect magistrates and conduct their affairs on the same lines as Brooklyn, Mid- wout and other Dutch towns. The names of the petitioners were Robert Jackson, Nich- olas Tanner, Nathaniel Denton, Richard Ev- erit, Rodger Linas, Daniel Denton, John Eazar, Abraham Smith, Thomas Ireland, Thomas Carle, Edward Spray, John Rhoades, Andrew Messenger and Samuel Matthews. These fourteen may therefore be regarded as the first citizens of Jamaica. By 1660, when Stuyvesant gave the town a regular charter and the name of Rusdorp, there were some forty additional freeholders in the town. It was a little repub- lic in itself; its town meeting regularly settled all its affairs and even regulated who should and who should not be admitted to citizenship. One Benjamin Hubbard, for instance, in 1649 had bought a house lot without having first obtained the sanction of the town meeting, so it required him to give assurance of his good behavior. Of course with such additions to the population more land had to be secured from the local Indians from time to time, and we find several records of purchases made in exchange for such articles as soldiers' coats, kettles, "bottles of licker," powder, lead, guns, blankets and the like. The value of the Don- gan patent of 1686 was that it clearly defined the limits of the township and showed that several of the original patentees were still prominent in the town. The names given in this patent were, Nicolas Everit, Nathaniel Denton, Nehemiah Smith, Daniel Denton, John Oldfields, William Creed, Bryant New- ton, Benjamin Coe, Jonas Wood, William Fos- ter, John Everit, Edward Higbie, Daniel Whitehead, John Carpenter, Jolın Furman, Samuel Smith, Richard Rhodes, Thomas Lam- berson, Joseph Smith, George Woolsey, John

Baylis, Thomas Smith, Wait Smith and Sam- uel Mills. The town government seems to have gone at once into operation on receiving Stuyvesant's first permit (it should hardly be called a charter, although in effect it was one). The town meeting, as has been said, deter- mined everything, subject, of course, to the Governor's veto, but Stuyvesant seems to have given the English settlements much more lib- erty than he did the Dutch, and so practically the town meeting of Jamaica was supreme within its bounds. Attendance at these meet- ings was compulsory and absence without cause was the subject of a fine. A keeper was hired in 1661 to look after the cows and calves of the lieges, thus saving a lot of individual time and worriment, and they gathered in their crops in squadrons under appointed officers for mutual protection against any overt effort on the part of Indians. It must be said, however, that the settlers did all they could, according to their light, to deal justly with the red man, and held frequent conferences with his repre- sentatives while the conclusions seem to have been mutually satisfactory. In 1662 they hired Abraham Smith, one of the original patentees, to beat the drum on Sundays and on the days of public meetings. They laid aside a lot ten rods square as a burying place and this, in 1668, they had reverently enclosed with a wooden fence.

The glimpses we get of the community show it to have been prosperous from the first and steadily advancing in material wealth, re- minding us in many respects of the English settlements on the eastern half of the island. The population steadily increased, although as early as 1664 the adventurous, roving spirit of some of the early settlers asserted itself and Daniel Denton, John Baylis and Luke Watson headed a new migration which passed over into New Jersey and there commenced the set- tlement of Elizabethtown. Denton, however, seems to have returned within a few years to Jamaica and resumed his original holding there. It is worthy of notice that in the peti- tion to Gov. Nicolls for a tract of land on

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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

which to settle in New Jersey, Denton and his associates dated the document "from Jamaica. commonly so called." From this paper, in which they speak of the "deceas of the Dutch interest" in the Province, we see how thor- oughly English at heart were the pioneer set- tlers at Jamaica. They had fled from New England intolerance and from nothing else and built up right under the official dictatorial re- gime of Stuyvesant as complete a little repub- lic as was any of the communities in Massa- chusetts which sent representatives to the Gen- eral Court. In all essential matters they were masters of their own municipal destinies-and so continued for many years.

While not a professedly religious com- munity like Gravesend, or enrolled under cler- ical leadership like 'Scuthold, there is no doubt that from its inception Jamaica was a theo- cratic society-one in which the affairs of the little commonwealth were regulated by the teachings of the Scriptures rather than the statutes of their High Mightinesses. The life of the community revolved around its church and the recognized fathers of the church were the natural leaders of the people, so that for a long time after the settlement was begun the story of its religious development is really the entire story there is to tell. Stuyvesant's permission for settlement was dated March 21, 1656, and it was not until 1662 that a town meeting decided to erect a house of worship, a meeting house, and united in a call to the Rev. Zachariah Walker to join with them and be- come the first minister of Jamaica, which he ac- cepted. It is not to be imagined, however, that during the four or five years which elapsed be- fore this preacher that the community was without any regular religious services. Un- doubtedly one or more of their number was quite capable of conducting public worship and fulfilling all the duties which could be per- formed by a lay preacher. Services would be held in any convenient barn or in the winter time in any hospitable kitchen. With the erec- tion of the meeting house, however, the people had a place where they could worship God or

discuss affairs of state or assemble for any pur- pose, religious or secular, as they saw fit. The little frame edifice (20 feet square) was at once the church and the Town Hall. About the same time a house was built for the pros- pective minister and a lot laid aside for his use. It would seem that an effort was made to try the experiment of listening to one of Stuyves- ant's ministers before finally calling one from New England and accordingly in answer to a petition Stuyvesant sent there the Rev. Sam- uel Drisins, who was able to preach in English and who, on Jan. 8, 1661, delivered two ser- mons and baptized eight children and two wo- men. Probably all this was done to please the irascible Governor and to pave the way to the peaceable settlement of the minister of their choice. Mr. Walker seems to have won the affections of his people, although one would think from the records that he was as much a farmer as a clergyman. He received, how- ever, much "encouragement" in the way of having his stipend increased and the like, but he decided on trying another sphere of opera- tions and in 1668 removed to Connecticut. The Rev. John Prudden, a Harvard graduate. then became Jamaica's minister at a salary cf £40 and the use of the minister's house and land. He was a Congregationalist and the majority of the citizens were Presbyterians. and they seem to have been unable to agree, although what the real difference was between the two, considering the time and circumstan- ces, it is difficult to realize. It is not so stated, but probably the people did not want any con- nection with the Congregational churches in Connecticut, while Mr. Prudden at that time regarded New England as the hub of the entire religious system. The Jamaica citizens seemed to have appreciated his services and were desirous of retaining him, but he retired in 1674. His successor, the Rev. William Woodruff, whose salary was fixed at £60, did not seem to please the people. Mr. Prudden, on full reflection, thought he might go further and fare worse, so in 1676 Mr. Woodruff seems to have been released and Mr. Prudden

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JAMAICA.

once more presided over the table in the meet- ing house. It was an amicable arrangement on both sides. Mr. Prudden became a Pres- byterian and his salary was to be £40 a year. Besides, he had the use of forty acres of mead- ow land and 19 of the brethren agreed each to bring him a load of firewood each year. Then he was housed in the minister's home and to encourage him it was agreed that if he re- mained as minister for ten years the house and lot which had been set apart for the use of the minister should become his own property. Under him the congregation prospered. In 1690 a new and more commodious meeting house was erected-60 feet long and 30 feet wide, and a year later the minister's salary was raised to £6o with all firewood and other priv- ileges. In the following year, however, he ac- cepted a call to Newark, N. J. His ministry had extended six years beyond the ten which made the minister's house and lot his personal property, but before leaving he transferred the holding to the congregation, receiving in re- turn land elsewhere. Jamaica seems to have been invariably liberal in its treatment of its ministers and to Mr. Prudden's immediate successor, the Rev. George Phillips, the prom- ise was made that if he should remain in charge until the close of his life his annual sal- ary of foo would be continued to his widow. The minister's salary being paid mainly in produce, or as a result of sales of produce, sometimes a little difficulty arose in connection with the collection, owing to the dilatoriness of human nature, but such details were to be ex- pected.

In 1699 a stone meeting-house was built . partly by subscription among the people, and when that source failed by a rate passed by the trustees. By that time, it should be noted, several of the ratepayers were opposed to the Presbyterian form of worship and refused to pay the rate, but payment was finally made compulsory. It was a small square structure. forty feet square, surmounted with a belfry. Its interior was plainly fitted up with high- backed, uncomfortable pews, and a high pul-

pit, high enough to bring the preacher on a level with the gallery, on the south side, had the usual huge sounding board, an arrange- ment which good Dr. Prime used to think was an arrangement of the devil. Much of the history of Jamaica centered around the church until it was demolished in 1813.

Its historic interest began immediately on its completion. The Rev. John Hubbard, who had been ministering to the people for some time, was formally called to the charge in January, 1702, and was duly installed and given possession of the minister's house and lot. He had hardly more than got accustomed to his new dignity when he was dispossessed of both church and manse in the summary procedures already recorded în ja previous chapter of this work.

By that time, it should be remembered, the Presbyterians were no longer the sole dicta- tccs of Jamaica. The growth of population had long overstepped the old necessity of sub- mitting a certificate of character on the part of prospective settlers to the town meeting. and people had become citizens to whom Cal- vinismi was a thing abhorred.

As early as 1657 we find Robert Hodgson. a preacher of the Quaker persuasion, visited Jamaica and was lodged in the house of Henry Townsend (one of the first petitioners to Stuyvesant for settlement privileges), who for his hospitality was promptly fined eight Flem- ish pounds. A few months later Townsend, who seems to have adopted the views of the Society of Friends, repeated his offense by housing another preacher, and was again fined. this time at a higher figure. But Townsend never failed in his hospitality, and welcomed each wanderer and gathered a congregation to listen to the preaching of the new doctrine until Stuyvesant, tired of hearing such con- tumacy, sent down to Jamaica a squad of so !- ciers to see that his edicts were respected, and then Townsend and several others re- moved to Oyster Bay and so placed themselves beyond Stuyvesant's jurisdiction. But in spite of soldiers and local opposition the number

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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

of Friends grew. They stubbornly held their views in spite of opposition, declined to pay the rate imposed for the support of the "priest of Jamaica." and had their goods distrained as a result. but held their ground. As a result their serviees were more numerously attended year after year, and Jamaica was declared in 1686 a place for holding quarterly meetings, although it was not until 1706 that they erect- ed a meeting-house.

About 1702 a Dutch Reformed congrega- tion seems to have been organized, meeting in the stone church, which, as has already been pointed out, was never intended, even by the Presbyterians themselves, for their sole use. It was not until 1716, that the Reformed Duteli people erected a little tabernacle of their own.

The year 1702 also marks the formal intro- duction of the Episcopalian body, when, ac- cording to the authorities of that denomination, Jamaica, Newtown and Flushing were spirit- tally united under one rector. After the forci- ble ejection of Mr. Hubbard the Rev. William Urquhart continued, in spite of strong oppo- sition on the part of those he styled "noncon- formists" and sometimes amid much and sometimes bitter controversy, to hold the church and the minister's house until his death, in 1709. Mr. Hubbard died in 1705. and was succeeded by the Rev. Francis Goodhue. We do not find wheth- er he was elected to the pastorate by the peo- ple or was simply set down among them by the rascal who then represented Queen Anne. But he must have been a rather weak-kneed brother or he would never have accepted such a document as the following prior to entering on his duties :

By his Excellency Edward Viscount Corn- bury Captn Genl & Govr in Chiefe of ye Provinces of N York. New Jersey & of all The Territories & Tracts of Land Depending thereon in America & Vice Admiral of the same &c.

To Mr FRANCIS GOODHUE, Greeting.

I do hereby Licence & Tollerate you to be Ministr of the Presbyterian Congregation at

Jamaica in Queens county on the island Nas- saw in the sd Province of New Yorke & to have & Exereise the ffree Liberty & use of yor Religion pursuant to Her Matys pleasure therein signified to me In her Royal Instruc- tions & during so Long Time as to me shall seem meet & all Ministrs & others are here- by Required to Take notice hereof Given undr my hand & seale at ffort Anne in New York this day of this Instant January in the ffourth year of Her Matys Reign Annoq : Dni 1705.6.

CORNBURY.

By His Excys Command

WILLIAM ANDERSON D secy

Goodhue only lasted about a year and then went home to New England to die. With his departure the Presbyterian flock had no shep- herd until in 1710 the Rev. George McNish entered upon the work of the ministry among tlren1. In July of the same year the Rev. Thomas Poyer was appointed Rector of Ja- maica, Newtown and Flushing under the Episcopalian banner. Then the battle royal between the two forces was on. Both of these men were of marked ability and of earn- est devotion to their work. Perhaps McNish was the brainiest of the two, the most brilliant of the two, but Poyer was one of those dili- gent. plodding individuals whose dogged per- severance makes up, in the way of actual ac- complishment, for genius. It is not certain whether Mr. McNish was born in Scotland or in the north of Ireland, but his name de- monstrates clearly that he was of the Scottish race. Mr. Poyer was a Welshman and came direct from the Mother Country to at once enter upon his duties here. Mr. McNish came to America in 1705, in company with the sainted Mackemsie, and with him assisted in the formation of the Presbytery of Philadel- phia-the first in North America, and to hint is generally awarded the credit of bringing about the first Presbytery on Long Island, in 1717. However, he remained a member of the Presbytery of Philadelphia until his death, in 1722.

McNish seems to have been a natural lead-

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JAMAICA.

er, and if Poyer lacked that essential quality to success in public or professional life, he had at least the backing and support of the representatives of the Royal Government, the authorities of the church and the powerful society in London . which was then engaged in sending out men like him as missionaries to "propagate" the Gospel in foreign parts. Such were the two men who were destined to oppose each other in support of their respective standards in Jamaica for several years. The echoes of the battle rolled over Newtown and Flushing, over all of Queens County, in fact, but Jamaica was the battle ground; there the leaders resided and there was the centre of attack, the prize for the victor, the little stone church.

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A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 84

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