USA > New York > Kings County > Williamsburgh > A history of the town of Bushwick, Kings county, N.Y. and of the town, village and city of Williamsburgh, Kings county, N.Y > Part 2
USA > New York > Kings County > Bushwick > A history of the town of Bushwick, Kings county, N.Y. and of the town, village and city of Williamsburgh, Kings county, N.Y > Part 2
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Greenpoint .- The greater part of the present 17th ward of the City of Brooklyn was known, from its earliest settlement, as Greenpoint, being, in fact, a neck of land embraced between Maspeth kill,now New- town creek, and Norman's Kill, now Bushwick creek. It was originally granted, in 1645, to DIRCK VOLCKERT- SEN, surnamed the Norman, who was a ship-carpenter. He lived on the northerly side of Bushwick creek, near the East River, in an old stone house, which was de- molished some years since, and on the site, Messrs. Samuel Sneeden and Jabez Williams built large and fine dwellings. Volkertsen, in old documents, is fre- quently called Direk the Norman ; and thus, from his lands and dwelling in that vicinity, Bushwick creek derived its ancient name of Normun's kill.
May 1st, 1670, Governor Lovelace granted a confir- matory patent to Daniel Jochems, who had become possessed of a part of this land by marriage with the widow Jacob Hey, to whom, in 1653, Volckertsen had conveyed it.
By inheritance and purchase, Captain Peter Praa, of Newtown, who had become the second husband of Maria Hey, daughter of Christina Cappoens by her first husband, subsequently became the owner of the land conveyed by the Volckertsen patent. Captain Praa, of Newtown, was the son of Peter Praa, a highly respecta- ble Huguenot exile from Dieppe, in France, who came to this country with his family in 1659, and died in Crip- plebush, March 6, 1663. Captain Praa, who was born at Leyden, in 1655, during his parent's temporary stay at that place, was a man of much enterprise and public spirit. After his marriage he spent the greater portion of his life at Bushwick, where he commanded the militia, and was especially distinguished for his supe- rior skill in horsemanship. Captain Praa subsequently purchased the balance, in 1719, from Dirck, Philip and Nicholas Volckertsen, sons of the original patentee. He also acquired large tracts in various places, among which may be mentioned Dominies hook, in Newtown, purchased from the heirs of Anneke Jans, of Trinity Church notoriety. He lived in an old stone dwelling- house upon the farm, since of David Provoost, near the meadow on the east side of Greenpoint. This house and farm came into the possession of his daughter, Christina, wife of David Provoost, and was occupied by her during the summer months, she being a resident of the city of New York, until her death, about 1795. It was destroyed by fire in 1832 or '33, after which David Provoost, her great grandchild, and
7
GREENPOINT-CIVIL HISTORY, 1660-1708.
the father of Hon. Andrew J. Provoost, built the house now occupied by his son-in-law, J. W. Valentine, on its site.
Capt. Peter Praa died in 1740, and, by will, divided his property to his children; Catharine ; Maria, who married Wynant Van Zandt, and died before her father, leaving two sons, Peter Praa and Johannes Van Zandt ; Elizabeth, who married Jan Meserole (and to whom was devised all the tract purchased from Direk Volkertsen) ; Anna, who married 1, William Bennett; 2d, Daniel Bordet, and received all the Dominies hook property in Newtown ; and Christina, who married 1, David Provoost; 2d, Rev. John Aronda, and who re- ceived property in the city of New York.
Two of Jan Meserole's sons, Jacob and Abraham, after the sale of the Keikout farm, removed to Green- point, where they settled on land which their father had purchased from Peter Praa. Jacob devised his share, by will, dated July 18, 1782, to his wife, for life, with remainder in fee to his sons, Peter and John ; who, in 1791, made a division, Peter occupying the northerly half and John the southerly. Abraham, who died in 1801, was the father of John A. Meserole, who inherited the property on which he lived for many years, and died intestate, in 1833. One of his daughters, Mary, married Neziah Bliss, who resided upon this very property, to the time of his death, and in the old Meserole mansion, on the banks of the East River, which house has been recently eularged and modernized. Thus by purchase, and through their mother, the greater part of the Praa estate came into possession of the Meserole family.
That portion granted by Praa to his daughter, Anne- tie Bodet, descended to her son, William Bennet, who died in possession, in 1805. It was by him devised to his sons, Tunis and Richard; and, in 1813, was sold at auction under foreclosure of mortgage, and purchased by Ammon T. Griffing. After his death, in 1814, it remained in possession of his heirs, until 1834, when it passed to Gen. Jeremiah Johnson, who, in 1835, eou- veyed it to Mr. Neziah Bliss, and he in 1835 and '42 transferred it to Eliphalett Nott, President of Union College.
Of the more modern history and progress of Green- point, the reader will be fully informed in a subsequent chapter.
" There were," says Mr. STEARNS in an article on this sub- jeet, " considerable tracts of land, to which neither patent nor possessory titles were acquired for many years after the settlement of the place. These lands were known as com- mons, and embraced several pieces of meadow on Newtown creek, and a space of land by Ninth street and North First and Second streets, in Williamsburgh, said to have been left open for the convenience of watering the cattle of the neigh- borhood, as it embraced a pond of fresh water that emanated from springs. This common embraced hetween one and two acres of land, and is mentioned in old deeds before the year 1700. A legal controversy concerning the title to this
common may be noticed hereafter. Besides, the meadow lands and the commons referred to, the town of Bushwick in the rights of all its several freeholders assumed to own the tract of land known as New Bushwick, embracing most of that part of the town south-east of the Cross roads, or the present Brooklyn and Newtowu turnpike road.
" These New Bushwick lands were probably reservations for woodland, to supply the people with fuel, as old wills are found devising the right to cut and carry away fuel to burn, but not to sell, from parts of those lands claimed by the testators. The salt meadows that became, in separate parcels, appurtenances of the different homesteads in the town, were distributed at a much earlier date. Many of them were vested by the original patents, and all that were capa- ble of use and improvement were made the meaus of sus- taining the cattle of the earliest settlers through the severe winters of those times, before artificial grasses were culti- vated on the uplands. Some portion of those meadows, how- ever, were too sunken to be of use, being below the ordinary tides, and hence remained without a claimant, till they were sold by the towns of Williamsburgh and Bushwick."
Civil History, 1660-1708 .- The scattered agricul- tural inhabitants of the territory now comprised in the eastern district of the city of Brooklyn, seem to have made no attempt towards a regular settlement, or the organization of a town government, for a period of over twenty years from the date of its purchase from the na- tives, by the West India Company. In February, 1660, the troublous times led to the enforcement, by the gov- ernment, of stringent precautionary measures for the protection and safety of the established towns upon the western end of Long Island. " Outside residents, who dwell distant from each other," were directed also to " remove and concentrate themselves within the neigh- boring towns, and dwell in the same ;" because, says the order, " we have war with the Indians, who have slain several of our Netherland people." A village and block-house was accordingly erected by the Waal-boght residents during the month of March, 1660, on the high point of land (Keikout) on the East River, near the foot of the present South Fourth street, before referred to.
Simultaneously, almost, the first steps were taken to- wards the establishment of a settlement in another and more remote portion of the territory. On the 16th of February, according to the record, " as fourteen Freneh- men, with a Dutchman, named Peter Janse Wit, their interpreter, have arrived here ; and, as they do not un- derstand the Dutch language, they have been with the Director-General and requested him to cause a town plot to be laid out at a proper place ; whereupon his honor fixed upon the 19th instant to visit the place and fix upon a site."
Accordingly, three days after, on "February 19th, the Director-General, with the Fiscal, Nicasius de Sille and his Honor Secretary Van Ruyven with the sworn surveyor, Jaques Corteleau, came to Mispat [Mespath] and have fixed upon a place between Mispat kill [New- town Creek] and Norman's kill [Bushwick Creek], to establish a village ; and have laid out, by survey, twenty- two house lots, on which dwelling-houses are to be built."
8
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BUSHWICK.
March 7th, according to the record, "Evert Hede- man, having erected the first house, between William Traphagen and Knoet Mouris, near the pond, came to dwell in the same." Other houses were erected during the same year.
A year later, " March 14th, 1661, the Director-General visited the new village, when the inhabitants requested his honor to give the place a name ; whereupon," taking his inspiration, no doubt, from its immediate surround- ings, " he named the town Boswijck, i. e., the Town of Woods.
Application was then made and granted for certain town privileges. This application was signed by twen- ty-three men, viz .: Peter Janse Wit; Evert Hedeman; Jan Willemse Yselstyn; Jan Tilje; Ryck Leydecker; Hendrik Willemsen; Barent Gerritsen; Jan Hendrick- sen; Jan Cornelisen Zeeuw; Barent Joosten; Francois de Puij; Johannes Casperse; Francisco de Neger; Pieter Lamot; Carel Fontyn; Henry -; Jan Catjouw; Jan Mailjaert; Hendrick Janse Grever; Gysbert Thonissen; Joost Casperse; Willem Traphagen; Direk Volkertse.
The Governor also took occasion to call the attention of those living outside of the village to the great dan- ger to which they were exposed, and to recommend their instant removal to the greater security now offered them by the erection of a number of neighboring dwel- lings. He, furthermore, commanded the villagers to nominate six of their number, from whom he would select three as magistrates for the town of Boswyck. The people, therefore, nominated six of the most prom- inent of their number, viz .: Gysbert Theunis, Jan Cat- jouw, Ryek Leydecker, Peter Janse Wit, Jan Cornelis Zeeuw and Jan Tilje, of whom the last three were se- lected by the Governor and confirmed as magistrates of Boswyck.
Boswyck, like New Utrecht, having no schout of its own, was subject to the jurisdiction of Hegeman, the schout of Breuckelen, Amersfoort and Midwout, and the district became thenceforth known as the Five Dutch Towns.
The village seems to have had a rapid accession of new settlers, for in May, 1661, we find the magistrates preferring a request for the grant of new lots and the establishment of roads.
On the 28th of December, following (1662), " the magis- trates of the village of Boswyck, appeared before the council, representing that they in their village, were in great need of a person who would act as clerk and schoolmaster to instruct the youth ; and, that, as one had been proposed to them, viz .: Boudewyn Manout, from Crimpen op de Lecq [a village in Holland] they had agreed with him, that he should officiate as voorleser or clerk, and keep school for the instruction of the youth. For his [services] as clerk he was to receive 400 guilders in [wampum] annually ; and, as schoolmaster, free house rent and firewood. They therefore solicited, that their action in the matter might meet the approval of the Director General and Council in Nieuw Netherland, and that the Council would also contribute something annually to facili- tate the payment of the said salary."
The Council assented, and promised, that, after he had been duly examined and approved by the reverend ministers of the city, they would lighten the annual burden of the village by contributing annually f 25, heavy money.
Manout was afterwards appointed court clerk, upon which office he entered January 5, 1663. We present here a fac-simile, taken from the old Bushwick records,
fromout.
real Secrète
12 3
of Manout's signature, curions for its combination of the date with the name.
It is noteworthy that, in December of this year, the Director and Council, hearing that Hendrick Barent Smith, " in contempt of the published and recently re- newed orders," continued to reside " on his separated plantation in the neghborhood of Boswyck, to the det- riment and injury of said village," ordered him to break up his building within twenty-four hours ; and in case of his default, the magistrates were empowered to de- molish it.
It appears from records that during the third year of the existence of the village, its prosperity was on the increase ; for, on the 8th of February, 1663, the magis- trates requested the Council to compel Jean Mailjeart, a Frenchman, to part with a few of his lots for the ac- commodation of new comers.
After a full hearing of the case, Jan Mailjaert, "as the welfare of the village of Boswyck requires it," was ordered to give up sufficient land for six lots, each lot being six rods broad, and five and a half rods long, on payment by the new comers of 25 guilders in seawant for each lot.
Amid the numerous evidences of increasing prosper- ity among the settlers of Boswyck, we must chroniele the gratifying and creditable fact that they voluntarily subscribed, March 30, 1662, the sum of forty-seven guilders, " to ransom Tunis Craeyen's son Jacob, then a prisoner among the Turks."
On page 28 of the old Bushwick record, is the follow- ing muster-roll of officers and soldiers of the town in 1663 : Captain, Ryck Lydecker (Schout) ; Ensign, Jan Tilje Casperse; Secretary, Boudwyn Manout; Sergeant, Evert Hedeman; Corporals, Pieter Jans Wit, Jan Hen- dricks, Alexander Conquerare ; Privates, Gysbert Tu- nissen (Schepen), Barent Joost (Schepen), David Joch- emsen, Hendrick Grever, Jan Mailjaert, Andries Ba- rentse, Jan Parys, Evert Mauritz, Charles Fountain, Jan Cornel Zeieuw, Corn. Janse Zeieuw, Joost Caspersen, Johannes Caspersen, Melle Caspersen, Francois de Puj, Jan Williams Essellstein, William Traphagen, Barent Gerretse ; (Drummer), Direk Volkertse, Volkert
-
9
CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTICAL EVENTS.
Dirckse, Jan Botzer, Wessel Gerrits, Nicolaes .Jones, Tunis Martin, Carel Carelsen, Claes Wolf, Wouter Gysbertsen, Jacob Gysbertsen, Cæsar Barentse, Carel Reyckwyl, Francois d'Meyer, Antoin d'Meyer.
Thus quietly engaged in agricultural pursuits, the little community of Boswyck maintained the even tenor of its way, until disturbed, in 1663 and 1664, by the political excitements which preceded the conquest of New Netherland, by the English. Throughout those times, Boswyck remained loyal to the States-General.
At a meeting of the magistrates of most of the Dutch towns in the province, convened on the Ist of Novem- ber, 1663, to discuss the condition and affairs of the country, Boswyck was represented by Ryck Lydecker and Gysbert Teunissen.
January, 1664. The Council received a petition from Abraham Jansen, carpenter, requesting permission to erect a mill near the village of Boswyek. He was re- quired to appear, together with the magistrates of that village, before the Council, and explain as to the pro- posed location. They did so, on Ist of February, and the magistrates of the town, on being interrogated, ex- presssd a cordial wish to have the water-mill erected on Mispat Kill, which was accordingly granted.
In February, 1664, William Traphagen, for insulting one of the magistrates of Bushwiek, by calling him a false judge, was sentenced by the Governor and Coun- cil, to appear with uncovered head before the court of Bushwick, and, in the presence of the fiscal, to beg par- don of God, justice and the insulted magistrate ; and to pay, in addition, thirteen guilders to the overseers of the poor of the town, with costs.
In May, of the same year, Jan Willemsen Van Isel- steyn, commonly called Jan of Leyden, for using abu- sive language and writing an insolent letter to the magistrates of Bushwick, was sentenced to be fastened to a stake at the place of public execution, with a bridle in his mouth, a bundle of rods under his arm, and a paper on his breast bearing the inscription : " Lampoon writer, false accuser and defamer of its magistrates." After this ignominy he was to be banished, with costs.
On the same day, William Jansen Traphagen, of Lemgo, for being the bearer of the above insolent let- ter to the magistrates of Bushwick, as well as for using very indecent language towards them, was also sen- tenced to be tied to the stake, in the place of public execution, with a paper on his breast, inscribed "Lam- poon carrier." His punishment, also, was completed with banishment and costs.
Bushwick was represented in the General Assembly of April, 1664, by Jan Van Cleef and Guisbert Teunis- sen. Although English authority was distasteful to the inhabitants of the town, they submitted to it with char- acteristic Dutch apathy ; but they soon found that the petulance of Stuyvesant was far preferable to the arbi- trary rule of the English governors. But little of in- terest is to be found in the town records of Bushwick
at that period, except evidences of the arbitrary rule of the English colonial authorities.
Jan. Stryker and Guisbert Teunissen represented the town in the Hempstead Convention, at which the Duke's laws were promulgated.
Not only did Governor Nicols assume control of eivil affairs in the town, but he issued orders regulating ec- clesiastieal matters; appointing clergymen, and prescrib- ing the amount of salary to be paid by the town, and even designating the persons to assess and collect it.
" Anno 1665, the 27th of December, the minister, who was sent to preach by the Hon. Gov. Richard Nicolls, preached his first sermon at the house of Gys- bert Tonissen."
The name of the minister who preached the above mentioned " first sermon " is not given in the record ; neither does it anywhere appear who his successors were, or whether they were Dutch, English or French. It probably is sufficient for us now, as it was for the good people of Boswyck in their day, to know that they were the governor's favored gentry, and probably in his interest.
It is hardly necessary to say that it was the Church of England which the governor thus sought to impose on the people of Bushwick.
But, though obliged to pay the taxes, they would not attend the preaching of the person so officiously thrust upon them, and finally he and his "Beloved Roger " were withdrawn. This attempt to force an established church upon the town of Bushwick, was felt to be a galling injustice, and finally, with other infractions, led to a public meeting of the people of the county, held at Flatbush, in 1664, whereat were passed several strongly- worded resolutions, condemnatory of the English, for their faithlessness in violating the conditions of the treaty, and in compelling them to litigate in a language which they did not understand. A significant expres- sion of the feeling of the people on this point, is found in the fact that two cases then pending before the court of sessions, were withdrawn, and referred to arbitrators appointed by the meeting ; the parties alleging that they were Dutchmen, "and did not wish to have their rights adjudicated by an English court." It was, also, agreed by the meeting, that they would have nothing to do with the courts, and that they would settle all differences in future by arbitration. The inhabitants thereafter adhered so strictly to these resolutions, that the courts were seldom occupied by civil canses, and usually adjourned on the first day. No lawyer resided in the county before 1783; and the Episcopal Church was not established here until 1776, during the occupa- tion of the town by the British, during the Revolution- ary war. The Dutch churches supported all the poor of the county; all who could labor being employed, and no poor-tax was raised in the county until the year 1785.
In February, 1687, Governor Dongan granted a pat-
10
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BUSHWICK.
ent to the town of Bushwick (given at length in STILES' Hist. of Brooklyn, pp. 345-380), conferring on it the usual corporate privileges of towns in those days, and accurately defining its boundaries. These boundaries did not include the site of the subsequent village of Williamsburgh. This probably arose, not from any oversight, but from the fact that the site of Williams- burgh was originally surveyed and owned by the Dutch West India Company.
The good people of Bushwick, in common with other towns, had suffered so long from the misrule of the big- oted Duke of York, James the II, that the news of his abdication, in 1688, and the succession to the English throne of his daughter Mary, and her husband William, Prince of Orange, was received with a general outburst of heartfelt joy.
The misguided zeal or ambition, however, of certain persons who were impatient of delay, defeated the de- signs of the new government, and involved the province in scenes of turmoil and strife.
Although the Dutch inhabitants of Bushwick gener- ally were peacefully inclined, and patient under the ar- bitrary rule of the English governors, there were among them some who were less tractable ; and occa- sionally instances of disorderly conduct are recorded- noticeably in 1693, 1694 and 1697.
" On the 20th of August, 1693, Jurian Nagell, of Bushwick, together with two others of Brooklyn, endeavored to stir up sedition among the crowd, who had assembled at a general training of the Kings County militia, on Flatland plains. Captain Jacques Cortelyou deposed before the Court of Ses- sions, that, 'being in arms at the head of his company,' he heard Nagell say to the people then in arms on said plains, in Dutch, these mutinous, factious aud seditious words, fol- lowing, viz. : ‘Sluen wij-der onder, wij seijn dric & egen een ;' in English : 'Let us kuock them down, we are three to their one.' Nagell subsequently confessed his error, and was released with a fine.
The women, also, participated in the disorders of the times, for on the 8th of May, 1694, Rachel, the wife of John Luquer, and the widow Jouica Schamp, both of Bushwick, were pre- sented before the court of sessions, for having, on the 24th of January previous, assaulted Capt. Peter Praa, and 'teare him by the hair as he stood at the head of his company, at Boswyck.' They, too, were heavily fined, and released after making due confession of their fault."
The number of settlers in Bushwick during the Dutch Regime was probably less than twenty-five families, not exceeding a hundred people, including the fourteen French emigrants, that constituted the primary village. But thirty-three names were on the tax lists in the year 1703, over forty years after the English had possession of the country. Counting five to a family, would give a population of 165 ; which number was scarcely doubled at the beginning of the present century.
In 1706, the improved lands assessed in Bushwick, as then in fence, were as follows :
Hackert Hendrickse (widow), 186 acres ; Peter Praa. 68 ; llumphrey (lay, 52; Peter de Wit's widow, 96; Charles
Fountain, 50; Tennis Wortman, 97; Francis Titus, 126; James Bobyne, 50 ; John Meseroll, 170; Jurian Nagell, 95 ; Cornella Van Katts, 108; John Luquier, 108 ; John Luquier's Mill, 25; Philip Volkert's, 54; Peter Layston, 50; John Camp, 40 ; Jochem Verscheur, 60 ; Auck Hegeman, 40 ; Peter Williams, 60; Joost Dyeye, 107; Garret Cooke, 50; (Ja) Cobus Collier, 20 ; William West, 14; Derick Andriese, 14 ; Cornelius Laguson, 52; Hendrick Jansen, 54; Gysbert Bog- ert, 10; Dorothy Verscheur, 70; Gabon (or Galen) Laqiull, 36; Ann Andriessen, 30; Gabriel Sprong, 16 ; Teunis Titus, 47 : Hendrick De Forest, 14; Jacobus Jansen, 20; Charles Folkerts, 110; John Hendrick, 26; Frederic Symonds, 61 ; Philip Nagell, 13. Total acres, 2,443.
CHAS. L. FOUNTAINE, Assessors.
PETER PRAA, PETER CORTILLEAU .- Surveyor.
On the 12th of August, 1708, the town of Bushwick received from Gov. Cornbury, a new patent, confirma- tory of that previously granted by Gov. Dongan.
During the administration of Lord Cornbury, the colony was called upon to exert all its energy in furnish- ing men, provisions and munitions of war, for the earlier colonial wars. In connection with this war, tradition has preserved a most romantic and touching episode, which occurred in the town of Bushwick.
A prominent young man named Peter Andriese was about to be married to the daughter of Jan Stryker, of Flatbush, when he was induced to enlist in the army. The entreaties of his friends, and of his intended bride, failed to dissuade him from his purpose, and he departed with his comrades. Days, months and years passed, his fiancee every hour expecting to hear of her betrothed, but in vain. At last, overcome by sorrow and hope deferred, death made her his victim ; and on the very day of her burial, Andriese unexpectedly made his ap- pearance in town. For years he had been a captive among a tribe of the Northern Indians, and had returned too late.
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