USA > New York > New York City > Historic tales of olden time; concerning the early settlement and advancement of New York city and state. For the use of families and schools > Part 9
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
-
5
, 122
HISTORIC TALES
great personage, I inwardly exclaimed : and is this he in whom rested the last hopes of the Netherlanders in our country ? Himself gone down to "the tomb of the Capulets !" His remains " rest in hope" near by, in the family vault, once constructed within the walls of the second built Reformed Dutch church, which, for · pious purposes, he had built at his personal expense on his cwn farm. The church is gone, but the place is occupied by the present church of St. Mark. On the outside wall of this latter church I saw the original stone designating the body of him whose rank and titles stocd thus inscribed, to wit :
"In this vault, lies buried . PETRUS STUYVESANT,
late Captain General att Commander in Chief of Amsterdam in New Netherland, now called New-York, and the Dutch West India Islands. Died in August, A. D. 1652, aged eighty years."*
A fine pear tree stands just without the grave yard wall, in lively vigour, although so old as to have been brought out from Holland and planted there by the Governor Stuyvesant himself.
Besides seeing the portrait of the governor and captain general as aforesaid in his array of manhood, I saw also a singular token of his puerility ; no less than the very infant shirt, of fine holland, edged with narrow lace, in which the chief was devoted in baptism and received his christening. It perhaps marks the character of the age, in his family thus preserving this kind of token.i
* He was governor seventeen years, from 1647 to 1664.
t Stow says, christening shirts were given in the time of Eliza- beth ; afterwards, Apostles' spoons were given as memorials.
133
OF OLDEN TIME.
I saw also the portrait of his son, done also in Hol- land, in the seventeenth year of his age. He is mount- ed upon a rampart charger ; his head covered with a low crowned black hat, a blue coat; his white shirt sleeves have the cuffs laced and turned up over the cuffs of the coat ; wears shoes with high heels, and his silk hose came up above his knees on the outside of the breeches, and appear there looped up in their place.
There I also saw portraits of Bayard and his wife. He appears garbed as a priest ; he was father-in-law to Governor Stuyvesant.
Other relics of the Stuyvesant family might have possibly remained, but as the family house, occupied by the uncle of the present Nicholas William, was burnt in the time of the revolution by some of the persons of Sir Henry Clinton's family, who staid there, it is proba- ble that relics and papers have been lost.
The first minister ever appointed to the Dutch church in New Amsterdam, was the Rev. Everardus Bogar. dus ; he officiated in the church erected in 1642 within the fort. Thus making it, as it probably was, in the go- vernmental rulers in the Netherlands, an affair of military conformity, not unlike the chaplain concerns of modern warfare. At all events, we soon hear of the people taking it into their minds to have another church, to wit : the old " South Dutch Church," founded in 1643 in Garden al- : ley, and then objected to as being " too far out of towne." A rare demur in our modern views of distance.
Besides the church so granted without the fort, they had also conferred " a place for a parsonage and gar- den." On the latter being improved in all the formal stiffness of cut box and trimmed cedar, presenting tops nodding to tops, and each alley like its brother, the
12*
J
134
HISTORIC TALES
whole so like Holland itself, it became attractive to the public gaze, and so gave popular acceptance to the name of " Garden Alley." The first church of St. Nicholas, though long under the care of its tutelary saint, fell at last a prey to the flames in the fire of 1791.
The Rev. Mr. Bogardus above named, though in- tended as an example himself, could not keep his wife exempt from reproach, or from the vigilance of an " evil eye ;" for on the 24th October, 1633, (it is still on record at Albany) a certain Hendricks Jansen (a sapient re- former no doubt) appeared before the secretary, and certified that the wife of the Rev. E. Bogardus, in the public street, drew up her petticoat a little way !" Sure- ly this was an idle scandal when Dutch petticoats were of themselves too short to cover, even if the matron would.
GARDENS, FARMS, &c.
"Yes, he can e'en replace agen, The forests as he knew them then !"
Mr. Abram Brower, aged seventy-five, says, in his youth he deemed himself " out of town" about where now stands the Hospital on Broadway. Blackber- ries were then so abundant as never to have been sold.
Jones had a " Ranalagh Garden" near the Hospital ;
Tit
135
OF OLDEN TIME.
and "Vauxhall Garden," where they exhibited fire- works, was at the foot of Warren street.
At Corlear's Hook all was in a state of woods, and it was usual to go there to drink mead.
The first " Drovers' Inn," kept so near the city, was a little above St. Paul's church-kept by Adam Van- derbarrack, [spelt Vanderbergh by D. Grim, who said he had also a farm there.]
Bayard's spring, in his woods, was a place of great resort of afternoons ; it was a very charming spring, in the midst of abundance of hickory nut trees ; trades- men went there after their afternoon work. It lay just beyond Canal street, say on south side present Spring street, not far from Varrick street.
In the year 1787, Col. Ramsay, then in Congress, considered himself as living "out in the country" at the " White Conduit house," situate between Leonard and Franklin streets.
" Tea Water Pump Garden," celebrated for its excel- lent pump of water, situate on Chatham street near to Pearl street, was deemed a " far walk." It was fashion- able to go there to drink punch, &c.
A real farm house in the city, stood as an ancient relic until eight years ago, in such a central spot as the cor- ner of Pine and Nassau streets. Mr. Thorburn saw it, and was told so by its ancient owner.
The old Dutch records sufficiently show, that in primi- tive days all the rear of the town was cast into farms, say six in number, called " Bouwerys ;" from whence we have " Bowery" now. Van Twiller himself had his mansion on farm No. 1, and his tobacco field on No. 3. No. 1 is supposed by Mr. Moulton's book, to have been " from Wall street to Hudson street ;" and No. 3,
.
135
HISTORIC TALES
"a: Greenwich, then called Tapohanican." No. 4 was near the plain of Manhattan, including the Park to the Kolek ; and No. 5 and 6 to have lain still farther to the north ward.
The ancient bon-vivants remember still " Lake's Her- mitage" as a place of great regale ; the house and si- tuation is fine even now ; situated now near the sixth avenne, quite in the country, but then approached only through " Love Lane."
The ancient mansion and farm out on the East Ri- ver, at the head of King's Road, once the stately esta- blishment of Dr. Gerardus Beekman, is made peculiarly venerable for the grandeur of its lofty and aged elms and oaks ; its rural aspect and deep shade attracted the notice of Irving's pen. It was used too as the selected country residence of General Clinton in the time of the war.
Robert Murray's farm-house in this neighbourhood should be venerable from its associations. There his patriot lady entertained Gen. Howe and his staff with refreshments, after their landing with the army at " Kips' Bay," on purpose to afford Gen. Putnam time to lead off his troops in retreat from the city, which he effect- ed. She was a Friend, and the mother of the celebrated Lindley Murray.
The garden of " Aunt Katey," and called also " Ka- tey Mutz," was spoken of by every aged person, and was peculiarly notable as a "Mead Garden." It was called by some " Windmill Hill," in reference to its earlier use ; and also " Gallows Hill" by others, as once a place of execution. Its location was on " Janeway's farm," about the spot where is now the Chatham Thea- tre. A part of the garden met the line of the ancient
137
OF OLDEN TIME.
palisades. The whole hill, which was large, extended from Duane down to Pearl street, along the line of Chatham street ; near her place was once "the City Gate." "Soft waffles and tea" were the luxuries there, in which some of the gentry then most in- dulged.
" The angle whereon the Park Theatre now stands, belonged originally to the square of the Park ; that corner of the square was once called " the Governor's Garden," (so David Grim said) in reference to such an intended use of it.
A garden of note was kept vis a vis the Park, where . is now Peale's museum, and named " Montagne's Gar- den." There the " Sons of Liberty," so called, con- vened.
A drawing of the Collect as it stood about year 1750, done by David Grim, which I saw with his daughter Mrs. Myers, places a garden at the west side of the little Collect, which he separates from the big or main Col- lect by an elevated knoll, like an island, on which he marks the Magazine, and a negro hanging in gibbets ; between this knoll and the big Collect is drawn a marsh ; a winding road is marked along the south side of the little Collect.
138
HISTORIC TALES
REMARKABLE FACTS AND INCIDENTS.
" To strike our marvelling eyes, Or move our special wonder."
. IN the year 1735, animosity ran pretty high between the military governor and his council on the one part, and the mayor and council on the other part. On this occasion, Zanger the printer, took the part of the latter, which was considered "vox populi" also ; the conse- quence was, he was put under arrest and trial. The popular excitement was strong, and feelings extended even to Philadelphia. Andrew Hamilton, there a cele- brated lawyer and civilian, volunteered to aid Zanger, and went on to New-York, and there effected his de- liverance with great triumph. Grateful for this, the corporation of the city voted him "a golden snuff-box with many classical inscriptions, and within they en- closed him the freedom of the city." The box might now be a curiosity to see.
I was shown the locality of an incident which has had more readers than any other popular tale of modern times. No. 24 on Bowery road, is a low wooden house, the same from which the heroine of " Charlotte Tem- ple" was seduced by a British officer. The facts were stated to me, and the place shown by Dr. F.
In 1769 was a time of fierce and contentious elec- tion for Assemblymen ; the poll was kept open for four days ; no expense was spared by the candidates ; the friends of each party kept open houses in every ward,
--
.
139
OF OLDEN TIME.
where all regaled and partook to the full ; all citizens left off their usual business ; there were only 1515 electors, of which 917 were freeholders ; all non-resident voters were sought for earnestly in the country and brought to the city polls. John Cruger, James Delan- cey, Jacob Walton, and John Jauncey, were the suc- cessful candidates by majorities generally of 250 to 270 votes.
On an occasion of election, Mr. Alexander M.Dougal (afterwards Gen. M'D.) was the author of an address " to the public," signed " Legion," wherein he invoked the public assembling of the people at the fields near De la Montagne's, (which is in modern parlance in the Park, near Peale's museum) "in order effectually to avert the evil of the late base, inglorious conduct by our general assembly, who, in opposition to the loud and general call of their constituents and of sound policy, and to the glorious struggle for our birthrights, have dared to vote supplies to the troops without a shadow of pre- text. Therefore, let every friend to his country then appear "
For this stirring appeal M'Dougal was taken under arrest by the Sergeant at Arms of the Assembly, who placed him in the county gaol. While he was there confined, forty-five persons, "Sons of Liberty," (for " forty-five" was a talesmanic number then) went to visit him in prison, to salute and cheer him. Not long after, " forty-five" female " Sons of Liberty," headed by Mrs. Malcomb, (wife of the general) made their visit also to cheer the state prisoner, and to applaud " his no- ble conduct in the cause of liberty." It was this leaven that was carrying on the fermentation thus early for the revolution.
140
HISTORIC TALES
The gaining of the election caused the New-Yorkers. in. 1770, to recede from their non-importation covenants, and the Whigs of Philadelphia resolved to buy nothing of them " while governed by a faction."
The winter of 1755 was so peculiary mild, that the navigation of the North River kept open all the season. Mr. David Grim saw, from that cause, Sir Peter Hackett's and Col. Dunbar's regiment go up the river to Albany in that winter.
The river of 1779-80, on the other hand, was the ex- treme of cold, producing " the hard winter." Two great cakes of ice closed upthe North River from Paulus Hook ferry to Courtlandt street. Hundreds then crossed daily. Artillery, and sleds of provisions, were readily passed over : and even heavy artillery was borne over the frozen bridge to Staten Island.
My friend James Bogert, then a small lad, was with his uncle, the first persons who were ever known to have crossed the East river on the ice, at or near Hell Gate.
The winters of 1740-1, 1764-5, 1799-80, and 1820-1, formed the four severest winters in 100 years ; and were the only winters in which the North River could be crossed on the ice. The cold on the 25th Jan. 1821, was seven degrees below zero ; being one degree lower than any former record. The cold in January 1765, was at six degrees below zero.
" Then the parching air burnt frore, And cold performed the effect of fire !"
I saw in the Historical Society Library, something very rare to be found in this country : they are sixteen volumes folio of Mss. Journals of the House of Com-
-
.
· 1:
OF OLDEN TIME. 141
mons, in Cromwell's reign, say from 1650 to 1675, said to have been presented through the family of the late Governor Livingston. I suspect, however, they came through the family of Governor Williamson, because a great part of Col. De Hart's library went by will to De Hart Williamson in 1801. Mrs. D. Logan had before told me of having seen those volumes in the possession of Col. De Hart, of Morristown, N. J. about the year 1800. She could not learn how they came into this country, although she found it was believed they were abducted by some of Cromwell's friends (who went out first to New England, and afterwards settled near Mor- ristown) to prevent their use against those who might remain in England. Their ample margins had been partially used by a commanding officer of our army there, when paper was scarce, to write his orders !
Captain Kidd, the celebrated pirate, was once married and settled at New- York. As the trial of Kidd, which I have seen and preserved, states, on the authority of Col. Livingston, that he had a wife and child then in New-York, my inquiring mind has sometimes, looking among the multitude, said, Who knows, but some of these are Kidd's descendants ? I observe, however, that the name is not in the New-York Directory ; Col. Livingston recommended him to the crown officers " as a bold and honest man." He had probably been a pri- vateersman aforetime out of New-York, as we find the records there stating that he there paid his fees (in 1691) to the governor and to the king. Another record also states some process against one of his seamen, as deserted from him.
In 1695 he arrived at New-York from England, with the king's commission, and soon after began and
13
142
1
HISTORIC TALES
continued his piracies for four years. In 1699 he again arrived within the Long Island Sound, and made several . deposits on the shore of that island. . Being decoyed to Boston, he was arrested, sent to England, and executed at Execution Dock on the 23d March 1701.
To this day it is the traditionary report that the family of J -- at Oyster Bay, and of C- at Huntington, are enriched by Kidd's spoils, they having been in his service, by force it is presumed, and made their escape at Long Island at Eaton-neck, which gave thera the power afterwards of attaining " the deposits " above referred to. Both J --- and C- became strangely rich.
The records of Philadelphia show that, contempora- neous with this time, " one Shelly, from New- York, has greatly infested our navigation with Kidd's pirates."
In 1712 a pirate brigantine appeared off Long Island. commanded by one Lowe, a Bostonian ; he was a suc- cessful fellow, had captured Honduros. About same time one Evans also comes on the coast.
The next year two pirates looked into Perth Amboy and New- York itself.
Lowe commanded the " Merry Christmas," of 330 tons, and his consort was commanded by one Harris. [Another pirate, Captain Sprigg, called his vessel " the Bachelor's Delight."] They bore a black flag ; while off the Hook, they were engaged by the Greyhound of his Majesty's navy. He captured the least of them. having on board as prisoners thirty-seven whites and six blacks ; all of whom were tried and executed at Rhode Island, and all bearing our common English names. Captain Solgard, who thus conquered, was presented with the freedom of the city in a gold snuff-
143
OF OLDEN TIME.
box. Lowe, in indignation, afterwards became cruel to Englishmen, cutting and slitting their noses. Hle had on board during the fight, as the prisoners told, £150,000 in silver and gold.
The gazettes of this period teem with their adven- tures. In that time the public mind was engrossed with the dread of them, and they had accomplices often on shore to aid them and divide the spoil.
In 1724 William Bradford, in New-York, publishes the general history of the pirates, including two women, Mary Reed and Anne Bonny. Much we should like now to see that work.
APPAREL.
" We run through every change, which fancy At the loom has genius to supply."
THERE is a very marked and wide difference be- tween our moderns and the ancients in their several views of appropriate dress. The latter, in our judg- ment of them, were always stiff and formal, unchang. ing in their cut and fit in the gentry, or negligent and rough in texture in the commonalty; whereas the moderns, casting off all former modes and forms, and inventing every new device which fancy can supply, just please the wearers "while the fashion is at full."
It will much help our just conceptions of our forefa- thers and their good dames, to know what were theu
144
HISTORIC TALES
personal appearances. To this end, some facts illustra- tive of their attire will be given. Such as it was among the gentry, was a constrained and pains-taking service, presenting nothing of ease and gracefulness in the use. While we may wonder at its adoption and long continuance, we will hope never again to see its return. But who can hope to check or restrain fashion, if it should chance again to set that way; or who can forsee that the next generation may not be more stiff and formal than any which has passed, since we see, even now, our late graceful and easy habits of both sexes already partially supplanted by " monstrous no- velty and strange disguise !" Men and women stiftiy corsetted ; long unnatural looking waists ; shoulders and breasts stuffed and deforined as Richard's, and anti- ficial hips ; protruding garments of as ample folds as claimed the ton when senseless hoops prevailed.
A gentleman of 80 years of age has given me his recollections of the costumes of his early days to this effect, to wit : - Men wore three-square or cocked hats, and wigs ; coats with large cuffs, big skirts lined and stiffened with buckram. None ever saw a crown high- er than the head. The coat of a beau had three or four large plaits in the skirts, wadding almost like a coverlet to keep them sinooth ; cuffs very large, up to the elbows, open below and inclined down, with lead therein ; the capes were thin and low, so as readily to expose the close plaited neck-stock of fine linen cam- bric, and the large silver stock-buckle on the back of the neck ; shirts with hand-ruffles, sleeves finely plaited, breeches close fitted, with silver, stone, or paste gem buckles ; shoes or pumps with silver buckles of various sizes and patterns ; thread, worsted, and silk stockings ;
145
OF OLDEN TIME.
"the poorer class wore sheep and buckskin breeches . close set to the limbs. Gold and silver sleeve buttons, set with stones or paste of various colours and kinds, adorned the wrists of the shirts of all classes. The very boys often wore wigs ; and their dresses in general were similar to those of the men.
The women wore caps, (a bare head was never seen) stiff stays, hoops from six inches to two feet on each side ; so that a full dressed lady entered a door like a crab, pointing her obtruding flanks end foremost; high healed shoes of black stuff, with white cotton or thread stockings; and in the miry times of winter they wore clogs, gala shoes, or pattens.
The days of stiff coats, sometimes wire-framed, and of large hoops, was also suff' and formal in manners at set balls and assemblages. The dances of that day among the politer class were minuets, and sometimes country dances ; among the lower order hipsesaw was every thing.
As soon as the wigs were abandoned and the natural hair was cherished, it became the mode to dress it by plaiting it, by queuing and clubbing, or by wearing it in a black silk sack or bag, adorned with a large black rose.
In time, the powder with which wigs and the natural hair had been severally adorned, was run into disrepute only about 28 to 30 years ago, by the then strange inno- vation of " Brutus heads ;" not only then discarding the long-cherished powder and perfume, and tortured frizzle. work, but also literally becoming "round heads" by cropping off all the pendant graces of ties, bobs, clubs, queus, &c. The hardy beaux who first encountered public opinion by appearing abroad unpowdered and
13*
146
HISTORIC TALES
cropt, had many starers. The old men for a time obsti- nately persisted in adherence to the old regime; but death thinned their ranks, and use and prevalence of numbers at length gave countenance to modern usage.
From various reminiscents we glean, that laced ruffies, depending over the hand, was a mark of indis- pensible gentility. The coat and breeches were gene- rally desirable of the same material-of " broad cloth " for winter and of silk camlet for summer. No kind of cotton fabrics were then in use or known. Hose were therefore of thread or silk in summer, and fine worsted in winter ; shoes were square-toed, and were often " double channelled." To these succeeded sharp toes, as piked as possible. When wigs were universally worn, grey wigs were powdered; and for that purpose set in a wooden box frequently to the barber to be dress- ed on his block-head. But " brown wigs," so called, were exempted from the white disguise. Coats of red cloth, even by boys, were considerably worn ; and plush breeches and plush vests of various colours, shining and smooth, were in common use. Everlasting, made of worsted, was a fabric of great use for breeches, and some- times for vests. The vest had great depending pocket flaps, and the breeches were short above the stride, be- cause the art, since devised, of suspending them by sus- penders, was then unknown. It was then the test and even the pride of a well-formed man, that he could by his natural form readily keep his breeches above the hips, and his stockings, without gartering, above the calf of his leg. With the queus belonged frizzled side- locks and tout pies, formed of the natural hair, or, in defect of a long tie, a splice was added to it. Such was the general passion for the longest possible whip of hair,
147
OF OLDEN TIME.
that sailors and boatmen, to make it grow most, used to tie theirs in eel skins. Nothing like surtouts were known; but they had coating or cloth great coats, or biue cloth and brown camlet cloaks, with green baize lining to the latter. In the time of the American war, many of the American officers introduced the use of Dutch blankets for great coats. The sailors used to wear hats of glazed leather, or woollen thrums called chapeaus; and their " small clothes " as we would now call them, were immensely wide " petticoat-breeches." The working men in the country wore the same form, having no falling flaps, but slits in front ; and they were so full in girth, that they ordinarily changed the rear to the front when the seat became prematurely worn out. At the same time numerous working men and boys, and all tradesmen, wore leather breeches and leather aprons.
Some of the peculiarities of the female dress were these, to wit : Ancient ladies are still alive, who often had had their hair tortured for hours at a sitting in get- ting up for a dress occasion, the proper crisped curls of a hair curler. This formidable outfit of head work was next succeeded by " rollers," over which the hair was combed above the forehead. These again were super- seded by " cushions" and artificial curled work, which could be sent to the barber's block, like a wig, " to be dressed," leaving the lady at home to pursue other ob- jects.
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.