USA > New York > Suffolk County > Easthampton > A history of the town of East-Hampton, N.Y. > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34
69
tion was strangely attractive to the disordered mind, and often impelled to self-destruction. Its stormy roar hushed and awed the thoughtless. To the great souls who panted for freedom, it spoke encouragement. Its illimitable ex- panse symbolized the vastness of their thoughts. Its re- sistless wave was an emblem of the people's might. To the devout it spoke of the Almighty Maker. Its seeming quiet was beguiling as that of the serpent. The storm of its wrath who could withstand? Its soft evening murmur lulled the weary to rest. The unceasing beat of its billows echoed in the ears of the living. In its ebbing tides the souls of their dying had gone out. Over the graves of their dead rose the moan of its anthem. The fearful mysteries of ocean, mutable, majestic, measureless, are unuttterable.
From the days of ministers James and Huntting to the present, the thoughts of the prayerful might read :
" And musing here I dream Of voyagers on a stream From whence is no returning,
Under sealed orders going, Looking forward little knowing. Looking back with idle yearning,
And I pray that every venture, The port of peace may enter, That safe from snag and fall, And syren haunted Islet,
And rock, the unseen Pilot May guide us one and all."
BRIDGE-HAMPTON, Sept. 30th, 1887.
H. P. HEDGES.
CHAPTER V.
INTRODUCTION TO VOL. III, OF TOWN RECORDS-1702-1734.
The Mother Country, p. 70. The plague in London, p. 71 The great fire of 1666, p. 71. The wars, p. 71. Emigra- tion, causes of, p. 71. The power of Great Britain predom- inates, p. 73. Samuel Mulford, p. 74. Simplicity of man- ners, p. 74. Genealogy, p. 75. Trade, commerce, manu- factures, p. 77. The Church, p. 79. Structure raised in 1717, p. 81. Account of, p. 81.
The second volume of printed records of the Town of East- Hampton overlapped the commencement of the Eighteenth Century a few months only. The preceeding hundred years had been eventful in the History of Great Britain. Through the long reign of Elizabeth closing at her death, in 1603, the lustre of her name and nation shone undimmed. The reign of the four Kings of the House of Stuart was from commencement to conclusion a strife by them to establish regal irresponsible power on the ruins of representative government. The 1st James weak, pedantic, "the wisest fool in Christendom," "was a king for himself alone." The 1st Charles, whose tyranny was equalled by his perfidy, his duplicity, his obstinacy, judicially blind, went to death on the scaffold. The 2nd Charles, and 2nd James, both disso- lute, both professing Episcopacy but secretly or openly Catholics, both foresworn, both pensioners of France, dis- honored and disgraced their country and sold its rightful supremacy to its foes. The Commonwealth for a time up- held the ancient power and glory of the British name among
71
the nations. After the Revolution of 1688 Parliamentary rights were firmly established. The Prince of Orange gave to England the grandeur of his great name and England gave to William and Mary the devotion that the long heroic strife of the house of Orange so well deserved.
In 1603, 1625, 1665, with wide desolation the plague vis- ited London. In 1666 the great fire there burned 13,200 dwellings and over two hundred thousand people were houseless. Taxation on rich and poor bore heavily. On every hearth and at times on every pane of glass a tax was levied. Within and without the British Isles, by sea and land, wars raged. In Germany a continuous thirty years war had been waged, terminating in 1648 in the Peace of Westphalia between France, Germany and Sweden. From the accession of William and Mary in 1688 to the death of Queen Anne in 1714 there were only four and a half years of peace.
Emigration to the North American colonies was escape from the desolating pestilence of the old world, from its consuming fires, its grinding taxation, its incessant wars, its abounding debauchery. The terrors of the tomahawk and scalping knife exceeded not those of European wars. In 1683, the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes expelled the best protestant blood of France. The besom of war in Germany augmented the tide of Protestant emigration from thence. The weakness, the debauchery, the despotism, the treachery of the Stuart reigns impelled the best citizens of the British Isles to find a home in the new world where distance alleviated the anguish of National dishonor and degradation.
Exceptional causes besides those named combined to swell the tide of emigration from Holland, Germany, France and the British Isles. The records contain names repre-
72
sentative of varied nationalities. We have found Schellinx and Van Scoy (Van Schaick) Dutchmen ; Dominy and Sher- rill, Irishmen ; Baillerjeau, a Frenchman, perhaps Hugonot.
The early settlers of East-Hampton well knew the cor- ruption and infamy of the Stuart Kings. They knew some- thing of the line of European policy and courts, something of the intent of the Protestant league, whether its battal- ions were under the banner of the great Gustavus, the Prince of Orange or Charles XII. The aims of beligerent powers in the wars of the past or present were not unknown to them. Lion Gardiner had served in the bloody battles fought in Flanders-" William Fithian, according to the traditions of the family was a native of Wales, a soldier in Cromwell's army, present at the execution of Charles I, and after the restoration of Charles II, prescribed as a regicide and obliged to flee his country." At the opening of this volume Joshua Garlicke had just died, "about one hundred years old." Ben Conkling survived till 1707. Jeremiah Conkling, Sen., died in 1712, 78 years old. The same year died Robert Dayton "about 84 years old," Thomas Osborne "about 90 years," Stephen Hedges survived until 1734, "not wanting quite six months of a hundred years old."
Those and others were familiar with the early settlers and with the narratives of Gardiner and Fithian, with the story of wars, of policies, of generals, of martial achievement. In the long evenings, at the huskings, at the fireside, tradi- tion and legend old beguiled the tardiness of time. The aged listened intent, the young amazed. Their story was never old and never dull.
Looking back from the year 1700, the review is a history of martial conflict by sea and land wherein England's part was often inglorious if not disgraceful. With the early years of the 18th century, under Queen Anne, the danger-
73
ously predominating power of France and Spain were lim- ited, and victory so long witheld alighted on the banner of England. At the battle of Blenheim, (1704) Eugene and Marlborough broke the power of France, and the same year the British fleet took Gibraltar, over which, to the lasting humiliation of Spain and the enduring honor of England, her flag still floats. The victory of Marlborough at Ramil- ies in 1706, of Eugene at Turin the same year, and of the two in 1708 at Oudenarde, and at Malplaquet, forced Louis XIV, of France, to assent in 1713 to the treaty of peace at Utrecht. France then ceded to England, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Hudson's Bay territory ; and Spain, Gib- raltar and Minorca. By the same treaty the claims of France to the country of the five nations in the colony of New York were surrendered. Thus began the accession of French America by England, which continued until all the Canadas were lost to France and North America became overwhelm- ingly Protestant. Although the treaty of Aix La Chapelle, at the end of the long war in 1748 left the possessions of the combatants substantially as at the commencement of hostilities, yet the treaty of Paris in 1763, at the end of the French and Indian war began in 1755, gave to England the Canadas and all the possessions of France east of the Miss- issippi, besides Florida, then ceded to her by Spain.
Thus the wars waged by Roman Catholic powers for two and a half centuries, intended to crush out Protestant- ism from the face of the earth, ignominiously failed of their purpose. Not armies or armadas, anathema or interdict, rack or dungeon, inquisition or torture, ban or banishment, outlawry or treason, could conquer the nations or wrest Northern America from the realm of Freedom. The ele- mental powers, even "the stars in their courses fought for liberty."
74
Samuel Mulford born in 1645, taking his seat as Member of Assembly in June, 1705, rapid in speech, vehement in utterance, hasty in temper, positive in opinion, Republican in sentiment, puritan to the core, waged unequal war against the Governors Cornbury and Hunter from that time until his second expulsion from the house in 1720. His contention for freedom, his voyage to England, the circulation of his memorial there, the consequent repeal of the tax or duty on oil, the rejoicing of the whalemen, the ardent devotion of his constituents, the unseduced fidelity of Capt. Mulford to uphold their rights ; all these are matters of history oc- curring within the period covered by this volume. Mulford was an old whaleman entitled to be called Capt. from his command in this perilous pursuit, as well as from his com- mand of a militia company. Fearless, adventurous by na- ture and training, his broadened views of life and business naturally attracted him to the fields of commercial enter- prise. As early as 1702 he had erected a warehouse at Northwest, the then harbor of the town before Sag Harbor as such was known. (See page 28.) It is probable a wharf had been constructed there previously. In April 1700 Abraham Schellinx had made application for a permit to build one, and in 1705 he was master of and running the sloop "Endeavor."
The simple manners of the time is shown in the Records by both positive and negative testimony. In all these three volumes one christened name, and one only, precedes the surname. The multiplication of names was an afterthought of later times. Official titles and the prefix "Goodman" occur often. At page 199 of this volume for the first time succeeding the name of Josiah Hobart and unapplied pre- viously to a townsman, is found the title "Gentleman." Hobart had been high Sheriff of the County more than a
75
score of years anterior thereto, was venerable for age, prob- ably disabled for manual labor, and deemed worthy of the appellation. On page 264 the same word is used as de- scriptive of Thomas Chatfield. His education, his descent from honored ancestry, and superior intellect, constrained the cotemporary scribe to distinguish him specially as a "gentleman." He was afterwards appointed a Justice of the Peace, and in 1738 as one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Suffolk County and known as "Judge Chatfield." He held this office until his death, Jan. 12th, 1764. His son John was a Justice of the Peace appointed in the reign of George III, and continued until the Revolu- tion annulled royal authority. On page 366 we read "John Wheeler Gentleman." Honored by his fellow citizens re- peatedly with public trusts as committeeman, as captain, as town trustee, as Supervisor, venerable for age, he well deserved the distinction. He died June 18th, 1727 aged about 80. His descendents removed to Smithtown, L. I., and there now reside. (See page 423). GENEALOGY.
The light given to genealogical investigation by these volumes of the printed records, and eminently so of this present one, is priceless. The vote of July 6, 1655, (Vol. I, page 84,) shows that Thomas Osborn, Sen. was father of Thomas, Jr. But Oct. 27, 1658, Ib, p. 158, the Jr. is chosen constable, proving him then of full age and his father older probably by at least a score of years. There is a tradition in the Osborn family that the Thomas Sen. removed to and died at New Haven, Ct. John Osborn was another son of Thomas Sen., as is shown on page 300, Ib. Benjamin Os- born was also son of Thomas, Sen., as appears on page 406, Ib. After 1686, and up to 1694, the name of Thomas, Jr., does not occur in the records, implying thereby that only
76
one Thomas Osborn resided in the town and lending nega- tive evidence to the truth of the tradition mentioned. That a Jeremiah Osborn, Jr., of New Haven, married Elizabeth Talmage, of this town, June 15th, 1724, is evidence of so- cial intercourse between the Osborn families of the two places, lending further confirmation. The mention of Thomas Osborn, Jr., July 27th, 1694, (page 309, Vol. II,) refers to Thomas, of Wainscott, son of John. And. the first Thomas Osborn, Jr., undoubtedly is the Thomas dying "Sept. 25th, 1712, aged about 90 years," mentioned in the record of deaths made by Rev. Nathaniel Huntting.
William Hedges by will dated March 17, 1674, gave property to his widow Rose, to four daughters, to his eldest son Stephen and son Isaac. That Stephen is the one who died July 7th, 1734, "not wanting quite six months of a hundred years old." Data for tracing his descendents abound. Isaac son of William died intestate and letters of Administration on his estate issued in March 1676-7 to his widow Johanna, and her father, Josiah Barnes who also were guardians of a family of unnamed children. To iden- tify these unknown children is the problem. In Vol. II, p.
492 of the records, Jan. 16, 1700-1, occurs a deed from the aforesaid Stephen 2 to Isaac 3, son and heir of Isaac 2, de- ceased, which identifies that grantee as a grandson of Wil- liam and probably the Isaac Hedges, Sen. 3, who died Nov. 22d, 1726. Isaac Jr., 4 (son of the latter probably) married Phebe Parsons, Feb. 6, 1723. Their son Jacob 5, deceased, baptized Sept. 23d, 1738, died May 18, 1823, aged nearly 84 years, had a son Jacob 6, who died Sept. 6, 1869, over 85 years old, who had a son Albert L. Hedges 7, now living on Pantigo Lane. The deed named was the only connect- ing link long lacking to trace the unknown children of Isaac the intestate. March 3d, 1703, this same Isaac 3 conveys
77
to his well-beloved (son) "Samuel," (see Vol. III, p. 57,) named Ib. p. 266 as a "carpenter," engaged in building a house at Montauk about 1713 /b, p. 296 and 7 and resided there March 12, 1713-17 Ib. p. 368. This is the "Governor Hedges" of Montauk known in tradition, great grandfather of the late Benjamin Hedges, deceased, of Amagansett, formerly of Montauk, and father of the Benjamin and Jon- athan formerly of Montauk.
As instances of the genealogical value of these volumes, we cite the following :
Vol. I, John Hand, Sen's will, pp. 178, 179, 180. Nathl. Street's will, p. 189. Wm. Edwards' will, p. 320. Thos. Rose, son and heir of Robert 239. Joseph and Stephen Osborn, brothers, p. 243. Enoch, son of Wm. Fithian, p. 275. Benj. and Joseph Osborn, brothers, p. 281. Steven and John Hand, brothers, p. 284. Geo. Miller, dead, p. 302. Andrew and John Miller, brothers, p. 324. Thos. Edwards, son of Wm., p. 390. Thos. Hand, son of John, p. 497.
Vol. II, James Dimon, son of Thomas, p. 113. Nathaniel Baker, son of Thomas, p. 115. John and Thomas, sons of William Edwards, p. 138. John, son of John Osborn, p. 241. Joseph and Jonathan Osborn, sons of William, of Boston, p. 256. Thomas Chatfield, son of Thomas, de- ceased, p. 267. Josiah Edwards, grandson of William and son of John, p. 285, 308. Thomas Osborn and Ephraim, brothers, p. 318. Thomas Edwards, son of John jand grandson of William, p. 365. Thomas Ed- wards, record of will, p. 385. Caleb and Thomas Osborn, brothers, p. 415. John Stretton, son of John, p. 439. John Stretton, Jr., son of Ste- phen, p. 442. Thomas Mulford, son of William, p. 466. Enoch and Samuel Fithian, sons of William, p. 477.
Vol. III. Thomas and Edward Osborn, brothers, p. 2. John Miller, oldest son of George, deceased, p. 21. Samuel Parsons, Jr., son of John p. 37. Samuel Hedges, son of Isaac, p. 56. John Brooks, son of John and grandson of Richard, p. 78. Thomas Osborn, Jr., oldest son of John p. 119. Joseph Hand, son of Stephen, deceased, p. 129. Solomon Stret- ton, oldest son of Richard, deceased, who was oldest son of Richard, p. 141. Josiah Fithian, son of Samuel, p. 162. David and Lewis Conk- ling, sons of Jeremiah, p. 174. Thomas Baker, son of Thomas, p. 189. Jonathan Baker, son of Nathaniel, p. 215. Thomas Barnes, son of Wil- liam, deceased, p. 230. John Conkling, son of Ben who is son of Ben, p. 231. Daniel Dayton, son of Samuel, p. 263. Stephen Leek, brother of Ebenezer, deceased, p. 278. Hezekiah Miller, brother of Nathan, nephew of John, p. 289. Nathaniel Hand, son of James, p. 291. Thom- as Osborn, son of Benjamin, p. 308. Thomas Oshorn, brother of Eph- raim, p. 321. William Edwards, son of Thomas, brother of Daniel, p. 336. Thomas Edwards, grandson of William and cousin of Daniel, p. 338. John Miller, son of George, p. 342. Thomas.Osborn, son of John, p. 342. Richard Shaw, son of Richard, deceased, p. 361. John Edwards, son of John, p. 373. John Conkling, father-in-law of Nathan Miller, p. 387. Thomas Wheeler, son of John, p. 423. Obadiah Osborn, son of Ephraim, p. 487.
-
78
The policy of England to cripple the commerce, trade and manufactures of the colony to its injury, and the agrandize- ment of England, was now barely begun. By the ordinance of 1651, re-enacted in 1660, Parliament restricted exporta- tion from America to English, Irish and Colonial vessels, substantially excluding "foreign ships from all American harbors." The more valuable colonial staples known as "enumerated articles," were required to be shipped exclu- sively "to England or some English colony." With few exceptions exportation to the colonies was prohibited, ex- cept in "English vessels,"-Hildreth's History U. S., Vol. I, p. 473. In 1699, by act of Parliament, it "prohibited the transfer of domestic woolens from one colony to another ; or the export of colonial wool or cloths to any foreign coun- try."-Ib. Vol. II, p. 213. In 1719 the House of Commons resolved, "that the erection of manufactories in the colonies tended to lessen their dependency on Great Britain."-Ib. p. 297. The act prohibiting transportation of woolen goods from one colony to another did not include hats, but in 1732 they were included in the prohibition, and colonial hatters forbidden to take more than two apprentices at once .- Ib. p. 325. Since East-Hampton was prohibited from purchas- ing manufactured articles from another colony, or at exorb. itant rates only from England, necessity constrained a supply of wants by home manufacture which had made great progress at the commencement of the 18th century. This explains the great number of weavers, cordwinders, (shoe- makers) coopers, carpenters, and the presence of tailors, a hatter, glover, glazier and brickmaker, &c., in the town. The subjoined table of persons engaged in the mechanic arts may be convenient for reference. At the commence- ment of the eighteenth century the productive and mechan- ic arts had made great progress in the Colony, and its wants
79
were mainly self-supplied. This may be gleaned from the records, and is shown in the following list taken from this volume:
Surveyor, Ebenezer Leek, page 5 Nathl. Dominy, 389
John Edwards, Cordwinder, " .73 : 397
Matthias Burnitt, " 136
Cooper, Wm. Schellenger, 38 Thos. Dibble, 74
Robt. Moore,
" 265
Jacob Schellenger, " 110
199
Nathl. Baker, Weaver,
37
Plasterer, Jas. Barber, 24
Thomas Dibble,
38
Glover, John Evans, 106
Danl. Bishop, 66
42
Hatter, Nathan Cooper. 389
Joshua Garlick,
46
Brickmaker, Isaac Barnes, "' 122
Lewis Conkling,
70
Glazier, Samuel Russel, 187
Geo. Dibble,
66
66
84
Tailor, Joseph Osborne, Isaac Mulford, 136, 418
130
John Davis. Jr.,
" 121
Thos. Barnes,
66
135
Blacksmith, Robert Hudson " 113
Isaac Barnes,
121
Merchant, Jacob Baillergean, 83
Nathl. Barnes,
16
Peter Murdock, “ . 389
Nathl. Bishop,
66
" 183
Doctor, Jacob Baillergean, 129
Ichabod Leek,
.
" 183
Ebenezer Belding, 113
John Conkling,
" 199
John Jones, 66
105
Recompence Barnes,
" 229
Enoch Fithian,
128
Stephen Leek,
" 278
66 Dan. Burnitt, 227
Nathl. Hand,
" 291
Danl. Edwards,
337
66
Samuel Hedges, " 226 Jeremiah Mulford, 415
John Davis,
" 339
Matthew Mulford, 416
John Conkling, Jr.
397
Cornelius Conkling 415
Thos. Wheeler,
" 412
Eleazar Miller, 415
Josiah Osborn, 66
" 430
66
Jeremiah Hedges, 480
66
474
Josiah Hobart, Gentleman, p. 199
Lion Loper,
486
Thos. Chatfield,
": 264
Ephraim Osborn,
487
John Wheeler, 66
" 366
John Conklin, Tapster,
" 499
THE CHURCH.
Sectarian, intolerance and persecution had burned as a consuming fire over Europe two centuries prior to the reign of William of Orange who although an ardent Calvinist saw with far more charity the theological differences of his age. He was too great to be intolerant, too charitable to delight in persecution, too truly devout to think God worshipped by executing vengeance on brethren, differing in form of worship from him, because of the difference. Towering high above the petty religious spite and narrowness of his age, he suffered no persecution that his great heart could pre-
-Probably.
Isaac Hedges, 66 125
Nathl. Dominy,
265
183
Carpenter, Ephraim Edwards, 17
Abiel Carle,
Geo. Smith.
457
80
vent. At this day it seems inconceivable how after the res- toration of 1660, John Bunyan, in Bedford jail, could have been imprisoned twelve long years for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not less strange and incredible seems the imprisonment of Richard Baxter in 1685 on the charge of "sedition" for writing his "Paraphrase of the New Testa- ment." Macauley has fixed on the enduring page the char- acter and conduct of the infamous Jeffries, browbeating, boisterous, brutal, despotic, vindictive, remorseless, coarse, the servile tool of the intolerant 2d James, in contrast with the sweet and simple dignity of the learned, refined and venerable Baxter. In all succeeding ages the devout have drank inspiration from the sacred allegory of Bunyan wrought out in Bedford Jail and loved more warmly the writings of the spiritual Baxter because they "contended for the faith once delivered to the Saints."
The second minister of the church in East-Hampton, coming in 1696, ordained Sept. 13th, 1698, with character- istic fidelity has recorded the names of his little flock of church members thus : "Those that were communicants when I, Nathaniel Huntting was ordained in East-Hampton : MALES NUMBER. FEMALES NUMBER.
X Mr. Baker 1
- Mr. John Mulford 2
- Wm. Hedges 3 X Mrs. Baker 10
- Lieut. Fithian 4
X Goodman Barnes 5
- James Diamont 6
-
Male members 6
FEMALES NUMBER.
X Widow Osborn of Wainscott. 1 R The wife of Th. Diament 2
X The wife of John Miller 3
X The widow Diament 4
X The wife of James Diament .. 5
R The wife of Corn. Stretton 6 R The widow Harris. 7
- The wife of Mr. John Stretton 8
X Mrs. Mary wife of J. Mulford, 9
R The wife of Sam Fithian 11
X The widow Carle 12
X The widow Garlick 13
14
X The wife of Dan Osborn 15
R The wife of Eben Leek
X The wife of Capt. Hobart. 16
X The wife of Mr. Ab. Shellink 17 - The wife of Nathl. Baker. .18
- The wife of Lieut. Fithian. .. 19
R The wife of Th. Edwards, Sen. 20
- The wife of John Horlington 21
The wife of Goodman Barnes 22
Female members 22
The church of 1717, erected on the south-east side of the
7
n
STAR PRINT, EAST HAMPTON
if sid super
The Old Church, Erected 1717.
81
Main street nearly opposite Clinton Academy, was then said to be the largest and most costly church edifice on Long Island. Thompson and Prime, historians, both so record. Externally it was 45 by 80 feet, covered first with clap- boards, afterwards with three feet cedar shingles fastened with hand-wrought nails. The tower at the west end, built separate from the foundation, projected slightly beyond the line of the main building. On each side of the belfry were arched openings and the belfry floor or deck was substan- tially covered with lead. Above this square tower rose a lofty sexagonal steeple. Above that a long massive red cedar shaft or spire. Above that the iron spindle on which hung a large copper vane with numerals cut therein denot- ing the year of the town's settlement and erection of the church thus : "1649-1717." One diagonal dial facing the street told the time and the hammer beat the hour on the clear sweet toned bell. Originally the entrance was by a door in the middle of the south-west side. Thereafter, in 1822, when renovated, the entrance was by doors on each side of the projecting tower at the west end. The timber of this church was massive, of white oak largely, the beams 10x10 and the sills and posts much larger. The window frames were of red cedar 4x6. The frame, cut on Gardi- ner's Island, was said to have been the free gift of the pro- prietor, a fact cited to show the scarcity of large timber in the town. In recognition of this magnificent gift, the soci - ety, when pews were made, devoted one of the most eligible to the exclusive use of the owner of the Island, so occupied for generations, known as the "Gardiners Island Pew." This church, raised in 1717, was not occupied until the next year. In Minister Huntting's Church Records occurs this significant entry : "1718, June 22, Sam. Parsons, Jr. owned the covenant. This was the first person that owned the
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.