USA > New York > Ulster County > New Paltz > History of New Paltz, New York and its old families (from 1678 to 1820) : including the Huguenot pioneers and others who settled in New Paltz previous to the revolution, 2nd ed > Part 38
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592
INDEX
PAGE
Wibau, Jannitje, 2d wife of Hugo Freer the Patentee.
35I
Winfield, Catharine, wife of Josiah DuBois. 2.19
Winfield, Ruh, wife of Abel Hasbrouck 3II
Winfield, Silas, m. Neeltje Bevier 387
249
Winslow, John, Dept. Commissioner of Prisoners, N. Y.
334
Wirtz (Wurts), Catharine, da. of Dr. George
465
Wirtz, Cornelius, m. Margaret LeFevre
428
Wirtz, David, son of Dr. Jacob
466
Wirtz, George, M. D., first physician at New Paltz, m. Esther Hasbrouck 401, 464, 465
Wirtz (Wurts), George son of Dr. Jacob
m. Cornelia LeFevre
Wirtz (Wurts), Gertrude, da. of Dr. Jacob
466 427 466 466
Wirtz, Gitty Jane, da. of Dr. Jacob
Wurtz, Jacob
435
Wirtz, Dr. Jacob, son of Dr. George, m. I Catharine DuBo13 2, Mary Hornbeck .
Wurts, Jane, wife of John Elting
Wirtz (Wurts), Janetje, da. of Dr. George
Wirtz, Jansen, son of Dr. Maurice
Wurtz, John H. 426,
428
son of Dr. Maurice
466 466
Wirtz, Maurice, son of Dr. Jacob
304 466
Wurts, Dr. Maurice (Mauritius)
son of Dr. George
m. Maria Jansen
Wirtz, -, da. of Dr. Maurice, wife of Gilbert Elting 466
Wirtz, , da. of Dr. Maurice, wife of Nathaniel Elting 466 4II Wolverson, Cornelius
Wood, Capt.
337
Woodhull, Col. Jesse, m. Hester DuBois
322
Woodworth, John, Judge Advocate
338
Wool, Capt. Isaac
328
Woolsey, Daniel
278
Woolsey, John
96
Woolsey, Phebe, wife of Hendricus Deyo 3d 276
96
Wurts (see Wirtz.)
Wyard, Nathaniel 96
Wygant, Asa, son of John W.
344
Wygant, Cornelius, son of John W 344
Wygant, Elizabeth, da. of John W
344 Wygant, J. Ward, son of John W. 344
Wygant, John W., m. Elizabeth DuBois 344
Wygant, Mary Jane, da. of John W 344
Wygant, Ostrom, son of John W. 344
, Rebecca, wife of John DuBois 341
Wygant, William D., son of John W 344
Wyllis, Capt. 337
Wynkoop, C., m. Maria LeFevre 421
Wynkoop, Cornelia, da. of Dirck, wife of Peter Elting 436
Wynkoop, Cornelius 41I
465 456 492 465 466
Wirtz, Mathusalem, son of Dr. Jacob
m. DuBois
420 465 466
Wolsey, Thomas
Winfield, Annanius, m. Jane Newkirk Bevier
INDEX
593
PAGE
Wynkoop, Cornelius, of Hurley, m. Leah DuBois
310
Wynkoop, Dirck, m. Sarah Elting 485, 486
Wynkoop, Gertrude, da. of Dirck, wife of Alexander Colden, later of David Colden 486
Yandel, Mary, wife of Jacobus Bevier
247
Yarnton, Anthony
96
Yelverton, Anthony
75
York, John 265
m. Janetje Bevier
247
York, Maria, wife of Isaac Bevier
247
York, Maria, wife of Jacob Bevier 2d. .246,
247
Young, Henietta, da. of Lewis W
345
Young, Jas. Henry, son of Lewis W
345
Young, Juliet, da. of Lewis W. 345
Young, Lewis W., m. Rachel Margaret DuBois
345
APPENDIX
GIVING
Additional Information Concerning the Revolu- tionary Period
LIKEWISE Wills of a Number of the Patentees and Their Sons in Whole or in Part
ALSO
More Extended Notice of Those who Moved from New Paltz in the Early Days and a Variety of Other Matter
MARBLETOWN
ARIB )ROSENDALE
ESOFUS
ROCHESTER
HINONOWO
SPRINGTOWA ..
GRAHAW
NEW/PAL Z
2
TROLLEY LINE
LLOYD
O PO'KEEPSIE
LANDING
NOSanH
.
PLATTEREL
MAP OF NEW PALTZ
The ribbed line shows the present boundary of the town; the heavy black line the boundaries of the town before being dismembered. A part of Esopus was taken from New Paltz in 1843; part of Rosendale in 1844; all of Lloyd in 1845 and part of Gardiner in 1853.
There were in 1820 fourteen towns in the county, with a total popula- tion of 32,015. New Paltz was ahead of Kingston and every other town in the county in population, in valuation both of real and personal property, in the number of its mills and in everything noted in the census except extent of unimproved land. The population of New Paltz was 4,704. Shawangunk came next with a population of 3,589. Kingston had only 3,010; Marbletown, 2,879; Saugerties, 2,664; Marlborough, 2,364; Rochester, 2,227 ; Plattekill, 2,058; Wawarsing, 1,964; Esopus, 1,520; Olive, 1,520; Hurley, 1,283; Woodstock, 1,273; Shandaken, 960.
The towns of Lloyd, Rosendale, Gardiner, Hardenbergh and Ulster had not been created.
GARDINER
KETTLE BORO
ONT
WALLKILL RIVER.
Mogonecho
Fanar ataque:
L Kofendale
er
pats Qu
Et Blangan
m Whoratahoes
Little Esopus Guck
Tffhoes Block
Hudson River
i i i i s & 2 4
.
Aug: Grahamfuller
at the Request of the Inhabitants
Edmond Andrifs & Surveyed
Abram Hasebrook of by or. A Draft of the Land granted to
Moganch
Meadow
S
N.
*Smithing in SSansfacts And Bear in Miner Balt mi Obien Venflat gilyn, may- Cquifait ges proclamation, copulist foxin, This loofung se forminti religion gatory, to ini finity wine min lowBut I hope tofactory; lind
attesting Mutterpak 931 Ganian
Surface
CERTIFICATE OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP OF PIERRE DEYO AND WIFE See page 253.
HOUSE BUILT BY JOSIAH R. ELTING
Reference to Josiah R. Elting and family will be found on page 491 History of New Paltz and its Old Families. He is entitled to specially honorable mention in this volume because, in his later years, he drew up and wrote out a genealogy of early settlers of New Paltz, which has been copied and preserved in different families. Although incomplete and not free from errors, it has rendered valuable aid in subsequent attempts in that line. The house, shown in the cut, was built by Josiah R. Elting, on what is now the trolley line, three miles east of our village. Here he kept a store. His son Abram D. B. occupied this house after his father's death. The other sons Andries and Roelif occupied adjoining farms. The last T-sinh DEleiar war forumonthe called by the old people "Stone
and lived in the first brick house in the town, a picture of which app oculus
BASHA'S SPRING,
Where Louis DuBois shot the Indian woman, near the New Fort in Shawangunk as she was raising the alarm, when the captive women and children were rescued by Capt. Kreiger's men. See page 9.
INTERESTING RELICS IN MEMORIAL HOUSE
Since its purchase and opening by the Huguenot Memorial Society a great number of valuable relics have been gathered at the Memorial House. Among the number are the lance head brought from Holland to this country by Jan. Elting, the trap in which the last wolf was caught in this town, the skates on which Major. Isaac LeFevre skated from the Strand at Rondout to Albany and back in one day, all of which are shown in this picture. There are also in the Memorial House, documents, with the signatures of several of the Patentees, a number of old family bibles, ancient articles of dress and household furniture, etc., etc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
Huguenot churches in the Province of New York. I
CHAPTER II
A church controversy in the olden times
7
CHAPTER III
The Books of the Dusine. I6
The first division of land in the New Paltz Patent. I6
Divisions of land in the Patent I8
The last division of land in the Patent 30
The lawsuits of the Dusine.
3I
Examination of Abraham Dow
35
Examination of Jas. Tompkins
35
Affidavit of Wm. Beekman.
37
Affidavit of James Turk .
40
Report of Judge Lewis. 40
Letter from John Addison. 43
CHAPTER IV ·
The Patent granted to Noah Elting and Nathaniel LeFevre . . . 47
CHAPTER V
Papers in Town Chest in 1749 55
Some old French papers 56
The Great Fence. 60
Soldiers in the early Colonial period
63
CHAPTER VI
The Wills of the old people.
65
CHAPTER VII
The Legislative Act of 1785
87
CHAPTER VIII
Peter Van Orden of Plattekill 9I
A soldier in the Revolution. 91
Justice in olden times 97
vi
CONTENTS
CHAPTER IX
PAGE
Valuable old papers in the Hasbrouck family . IOI
Copy of old French letter to Jean and Abraham Hasbrouck. IO3
Denization papers of Jean Hasbrouck. IO4
Some matters relating to the Hasbrouck family IO6
The lost heir . IO7
CHAPTER X
The family of Garre: Freer, Jr III
The Bontecoe Freers . II3
The LeFevres of Greenfield. II5
Daniel LeFevre of Delaware county
II6
CHAPTER XI
Emigrations from New Paltz in the early days. II9
Matthew DuBois. . I2I
David DuBois of Rochester
I24
Jacob DuBois of Hurley
I25
The DuBois family of New Jersey
I28
The family of Abram DuBois, son of Abram the New Paltz patentee. 130
The DuBoises of Catskill. I34
The Staten Island DuBoises. I36
New Paltz Huguenots in Poughkeepsie before the Revolution . . I38
The DuBois family in Poughkeepsie and vicinity I45
CHAPTER XII
Descendants of Jacques DuBois in Ulster and Dutchess counties
I49
The Oliver family. I53
The Deyos in Dutchess and Albany counties. I57
CHAPTER XIII
History of education at New Paltz
I6I
CHAPTER
XIV
A mysterious murder 189
Our village in 1850. 190
The Huguenot Bank . I92
The Memorial House and Patentees' Monument. I94
Appendix to History of New Paltz
CHAPTER I
HUGUENOT CHURCHES IN THE PROVINCE OF NEW YORK
There were in the province of New York four Huguenot churches, all organized previous to 1700. They were located as follows: one in New York City, one on Staten Island near Richmond, one at New Paltz and one at New Rochelle.
The church in New York has continued until the present day. Its records have been translated and printed in book form. The church on Staten Island was organized at an early date, flourished for a long time and enjoyed the minis- trations of Rev. David Bonrepos ; but the church organization, the church records and the church building are all gone; the tombstones in the graveyard long remained but they too are gone now. At New Paltz the church organization has always remained and the records have been translated and printed in book form; the Dutch language superseded the . French about 1750 and the church at about that time became affiliated with the Dutch churches of the surrounding coun- try. At New Rochelle the records have been translated and transcribed but not yet published in book form.
The information concerning the Huguenot churches given in this sketch is from the Ecclesiastical Records of the State of New York published in 1901 by the state. These Records consist of what is known as the "Amsterdam Correspondence " together with such extracts from other colonial records and notes by Hugh Hastings, state historian, as are necessary to a proper understanding of the matters which are discussed in the correspondence. The "Amsterdam Correspondence "
1
2
HISTORY OF NEW PALTZ
comprises letters sent by the Dutch churches in the province of New York to the Classis of Amsterdam, with which they were connected. In these Ecclesiastical Records we find occa- sional reference to the Huguenots and Huguenot churches in New York. The information contained in these letters, though. fragmentary and not affording a complete history is reliable and authentic so far as it goes.
The history of the Huguenots in the province of New York began in 1622 when certain Walloons petitioned the king of England for permission to settle in Virginia. The petition. was not granted. About two months later certain Walloons, probably the same persons, petitioned the States General of Holland for permission to settle in New Netherlands and their- request was granted.
In the spring of 1623 the West India Company equipped: a vessel called the New Netherlands of which Cornelius Jacobs. was skipper with thirty families, mostly Walloons. They sailed by way of the Canaries and reached New Amsterdam,. where they became the first permanent settlers.
In 1628 Rev. Jonas Michaelius the first minister in New Amsterdam writes to one of the ministers of the Collegiate- church at Amsterdam, giving an account of matters in the. colony and in the church in which he says "The Walloons. and French have no service on Sunday except in the Dutch language, for those who understand no Dutch are few. Notwithstanding the Lord's Supper was admin- istered to them in the French language and according to the. French mode."
A letter in 1650 from John Walraven, schoolmaster at: Manhattan, to the Classis of Amsterdam says that a French minister, Charles de Rocherfort, having been requested to do so had administered holy baptism to a number of persons.
3
APPENDIX
In 1663 a considerable number of Huguenots, originally from Rochelle, arrived in the country and settled on Staten Island.
Rev. Hermanus Blom, pastor of the church at Wiltwyck sends, Sept. 18, 1663 to the church at Amsterdam a long letter describing matters at Wiltwyck and telling of the massacre by the Indians three months before. This letter, which was written about ten days after the return to Wilt- wyck of the expedition to Shawangunk and the women and children rescued at the New Fort, says that the total number killed at the massacre was twenty-four and of prisoners forty-five, of whom thirteen were still in the hands of the savages.
On the 12th of May, 1664, the rest of the persons having been recovered, the Director General and Council of New Netherlands issued a proclamation for a day of thanksgiving on account of the delivery of all the Christian prisoners "out of the barbarians' hands, against all human expectation " and for the conclusion of an honest and advantageous peace with the Esopus savages.
August 14th, 1664, Governor Stuyvesant wrote to the Direc- tors at Amsterdam in relation to a number of French families from Rochelle and St. Martin, several of whom had come to New Netherlands and being much pleased with Staten Island had asked that they might settle there and be provided with a good French preacher and had said that the preacher at St. Martin could be persuaded easily to come.
In 1676 Louis DuBois, Antoine Crispell, Matthew Blanshan and about sixty other residents of Wiltwyck and Hurley (none except Louis DuBois being afterwards settlers at New Paltz) sent a petition to Governor Andros that a minister might be sent to Esopus who could preach both in Dutch and English
4
HISTORY OF NEW PALTZ
and recommending that Rev. Peter Teschenmaker be selected for the place.
The next year the three villages of Kingston, Hurley and Marbletown petitioned Governor Andros that they be per- mitted to call a minister. Toward his support Kingston promised to give annually 400 schepels of wheat, Marbletown and Hurley 100 schepels, each.
Rev. Henry Selyns in a letter to the Classis of Amsterdam, dated Oct. 21, 1683, says: " Domine Pierre Daille, formerly professor at Salmur [Saumur, France], has become my col- league. He is full of zeal, learning and piety. Exiled for the sake of his religion he now devotes himself here to the cause of Christ with untiring energy." A few months before this Rev. Mr. Daille had organized the church at New Paltz.
In 1687 Jean Boutillier and other French Protestants of New York petitioned Governor Dongan that they be allowed the same privileges as his majesty's subjects in regard to trad- ing. This petition received a very kind answer and it was requested that the names of all French Protestants who de- sired to settle or remain here be given in order that they may have "letters of denization."
In 1688, Oct. 10th, Rev. Henry Selyns wrote to the Classis of Amsterdam, "Our French ministerial brethren in the Lord are doing well. Their congregations grow not a little almost daily because of the continual arrival of French refugees. The French minister at New Castle (Caspar Carpentier) is dead. About five hours from here where Nova Rupella (New) Rochelle) is laid out and is building up a new French min- ister (David Bonrepos) has arrived.
In 1688 Rev. Rudolphus Varick, pastor on Long Island, wrote to the Classis of Amsterdam, " The French congrega- tion increases by daily arrivals from Carolina, the Carribean
5
APPENDIX
islands and Europe. Lately two French preachers came over. I have as yet made the acquaintance and spoken to only one of them. I hear favorable reports about them. We have received Mr. Andros as governor the second time."
The Journal of Assembly of New York May I, 1691, says : " Information was given that Dally (Daille) the French min- ister had received a petition signed by several of the inhabi- tants of Harlem and Westchester. Daillie was summoned to appear and was asked through an interpreter if he had such a paper. He refused to give any information. He was committed for contempt until he should answer. In the after- noon he said he had received such a letter but his wife had burned it. He was discharged after paying certain fines." The document referred to was no doubt signed by friends of Jacob Leisler, who in the beginning of the reign of Wil- liam and Mary was by the approval of most of the people, pushed on to become lieutenant-governor of the province. When the new governor, Sloughter, arrived he ordered Leis- ler's arrest and execution. This was an outrage and caused very bitter feeling. Dailie was a friend of Leisler.
A letter from Rev. Messrs. Henry Selyns, Rudolphus Varick and Godfridus Dellius to the Classis of Amsterdam, Oct. 12, 1692, says: "We must not omit to inform your reverences that the two French churches (New York and New Paltz?) have been united and that Domine Perrot will generally preach in the city and Domine Dailie will generally preach in the country. But the two form but one church and the income will be divided equally between them."
In 1693 appears a list of contributors from churches in New York and New Jersey for the ransom of certain Chris- tian prisoners, held by Moslems at Salee in the Barbary states. In this list the " Staten Island French church " is set
6
HISTORY OF NEW PALTZ
down as contributing £3 and the New Rochelle church about half as much. No mention is made of the churches at New Paltz or Kingston.
Rev. Henry Selyns in a letter to the Classis of Amsterdam, Sept. 31, 1696, says there were then five Dutch ministers in the province : himself in New York, Dellius at Albany, Nu- cella at Kingston, Lupardus on Long Island and Bertholf in New Jersey. He also says: "Domine Daillie, recently the French minister here has been called to Boston and ministers to the French church there. Domine Perrot, a man of great learning, formerly a minister in France, now serves the church of God here. Domine Morpe labors in the more dis- tant places in the country. Domine Brodet (Bondet) who was formerly professor at Salmur (Saumur) and who has lived and preached eight years among the Indians, has been called to New Rochelle, five hours from here, where he gives good satisfaction by his gifts and holy life." This letter makes no mention of Rev. David Bonrepos, whose first recorded service at New Paltz was in May of this year.
In [1696?] a number of the inhabitants at New Rochelle petitioned Governor Fletcher stating that they had been forced by persecution to flee from France and forsake their estates and that their majesties by a proclamation in 1689 had granted them an asylum and invited them to buy land here. They said they were poor and needy and asked that their case be given consideration.
In 1699 five ministers, representing the Dutch, French and English churches, signed a testimonial concerning Rev. Mr. Dellius, minister at Albany. The French ministers, signing the testimonial are Petrus Pieret, minister of the French church in New York and Daniel Bondet, minister of the French and English church at New Rochelle and assistant teacher of the Indians.
7
APPENDIX
CHAPTER II
A CHURCH CONTROVERSY IN THE OLDEN TIMES
There was a warm controversy between the church at New Paltz and the church at Kingston about 1750, an account of which is found in Volumes IV and V of the Ecclesiastical Records of New York, where appear the communications sent to the Classis of Amsterdam, in Holland. The question at issue was whether the church at New Paltz was an inde- pendent organization or a part of the Kingston church.
Rev. G. W. Mancius, minister of the Kingston church in a letter to the Classis of Amsterdam endeavors to show that there was no rightful consistory at New Paltz and asserts that John Van Driessen, who had been received by the New Paltz people in 1733 was not a legally ordained minister of the Dutch church though the New Paltz people "persistently adhered to him " and allowed him not only to conduct service when he came to New Paltz, which was several times a year, but had also permitted him to install a consistory. Rev. Mr. Mancius complains, moreover, that Rev. J. H. Goetschius, who was preaching at New Paltz as a supply in 1750 had admin- istered the sacrament of communion to those of the New Paltz people, who had been cut off from the ordinance of the Lord's supper by the church at Kingston for persistently adhering to Van Driessen, after being admonished to leave him by the consistory of the Kingston church and others. Rev. G. W. Mancius states furthermore in this communica- tion to the Classis of Amsterdam that Rev. Mr. Goetschius had raised the standard of revolt by declaring at Fishkill that " before his black head had turned gray other ministers than those from Holland would officiate here." Besides all this
8
HISTORY OF NEW PALTZ
Rev. Mr. Mancius says in regard to Rev. Mr. Goetschius, " That gentleman seems not only to question your high author- ity over the churches, but more than that he has allowed one of his pupils to occupy the pulpit."
To these statements of Rev. Mr. Mancius the New Paltz church, through its representatives Samuel Bevier and Daniel Hasbrouck made answer, under date of Oct. 18, 1750, that " Samuel Bevier, at present elder of New Paltz, is willing, together with many other witnesses, to testify that he and several others saw Andries LeFevre and others swear before a magistrate that the Paltz as a French Reformed church had always been accustomed to be provided with a minister and consistory of its own, but as they were now vacant [that is when Andries LeFevre and the others appeared before the magistrate] they were now willing to promise to unite with Kingston for the support of a minister from Europe; but with this understanding that whenever they could have a minister of their own again they might then consider them- selves released from this promise."
In continuing their answer Samuel Bevier and Daniel Has- brouck say, " that it is entirely untrue that New Paltz had no other consistory than that of Kingston, for as early as August 22, 1683 under Monsieur Pierre Daille there were elected and installed an elder and a deacon-Louis DuBois as elder and Hughe Frere as deacon; as it also appears from their church book; whence it also appears that on June 9, 1690 there were chosen Hughe Frere elder and Louis Bevier deacon and these remained in office until their death. There- fore when Mr. John Van Driessen came to the Paltz [in 1733] there was, it is true, no consistory, but he appointed one and this the Rev. Goetschius rightly considered a lawful consistory, for the Rev. Coetus had set him an example.
9
APPENDIX
Therefore we are assured that the conclusion of Rev. Mancius, is wrong. From the foregoing explanation it clearly appears that the Paltz was always a church and congregation by itself and so independent of Kingston."
After the Kingston minister and the New Paltz church had presented their arguments the case was referred to Rev. J. C. Freyenmont, who decided that New Paltz was an inde- pendent church and he installed a consistory.
Rev. Mr. Mancius was not yet satisfied to let the matter rest and in another letter to the Classis of Amsterdam in December, 1750, he returns to the subject and says that the New Paltz people promised to contribute and did contribute part of the salary of Rev. Vas, who was minister of the Kingston church and had been Rev. Mancius' colleague since 1732; moreover that the Paltz for a time had no other con- sistory than that at Kingston. He closes by asking the Classis of Amsterdam to decide whether New Paltz was an inde- pendent church and concludes by saying that if the Classis of Amsterdam will not decide the matter he will be compelled to go to the Synod for a decision.
These documents, setting forth the controversy between the churches at New Paltz and Kingston, besides being of much interest in themselves, are valuable as furnishing conclusive proof that there was no minister here from 1700 to 1733. Hence the inference that there had been a book containing marriages and baptisms for this period and that it had been lost, is unfounded. Had there been any minister here from 1700 to 1733 the fact would certainly have been mentioned by Samuel Bevier and Daniel Hasbrouck in their answer to Rev. G. W. Mancius.
In Volume V of the Ecclesiastical Records there is a letter, dated Dec. 10, 1751, from the New Paltz consistory to the
IO
HISTORY OF NEW PALTZ
Classis of Amsterdam, which is of special interest on account of the historical information it contains and because of the determined spirit it manifests of opposition to Kingston church rule. At the time this letter was written the coetus had decided that New Paltz was right in claiming independence, but the Classis of Amsterdam, from whom the minister must come had not yet acceded to the request, which, however, it did soon after and sent Rev. Barent Vrooman, as requested, who became the first regularly ordained minister of the Dutch church and thus ended the existence of the Walloon (Hugue- not) church here.
The following is the letter, omitting some comparatively unimportant parts :
Very Rev. Classical Assembly, Beloved Fathers and Brethren in Christ:
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