History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 45

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 993

USA > New York > Rockland County > History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 45

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198

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

& in mne Resideing as aforesaid & for the Reasons & Consideracons above recited I have & by these Presents Doe make Erect & Constitute all the said Tract or Par- cell of Land within the Limitts & Bounds aforemenconed together with all & every the above Granted Premissess with the appurtennces into one Township to all intents and purposes whatsoever and the same from henceforth shall be called the Towne of Orange and I the said Thomas Dongan have also Given & Granted & by these Presents Doe Give & Grant unto Cornelis Claes Cooper Daniell De Clerke Peter Harnick Catis Harnick Gerrytt Stemmitts John de Vries Senior John de Vries Junior "Claes Maund Jan Straetmaker Staas de Grooet Arian Lammdas Lamment Aravius Huybert Gerryts Joannes Gerrytts Eide Van Voorst Cornelis Lammerts the Pur- chasers of the said Towne of Orange their Heires Succes- sors and assignes forever all the Privilidges benefitts Customes Practices Preheminces & Immunityes that are used or Exercised Practiced or belonging unto any Towne within the Governm't to be used exercised Imi- tated Practiced & executed by the said Purchasers their Heirs Successors & assignes forever to be holden of his most Sacred Ma'tie his Heires & successors in ffee & Comon Soccage according to the Tenure of East Green- wich in the County of Kent in his Majestyes Realme of England Yielding Rendring & Paying therefor Yearly & every Yeare on every five & twentyth Day of March for ever in Lieu of all services & Demands whatsoever as an acknowledgen't or Quitt Rent to his said Ma'tie his Heirs & Successors or to such officer or officers as shall bee from time to time appointed to receive the same sixteen bushells of Good Winter Merchantable Wheat att the Citty of New York in Testimony whereof I have caused these Presents to be Recorded in the Secretaryes office & the Seals of the Province to be hereunto affixed this fouer & twentyth Day of March in the third Yeare of his Majestyes Reigne & in the Yeare of our Lord God 1686. By Comand of his Excell'y.

THO. DONGAN.

Isswinton C. of C.

May it Please your Excell'y:

The Attorney Gen'll hath Perused this Pattent & finds nothing Contained therein Prejudiciall to his Ma'tie In- terest.

Exam'd 24th March 1686.

JA. GRAHAM.

Att a Councill held in New York March 24th 1686, Present his Excellency the Governour Major Brockholls Major ffred Phillips Major Courtland Coll. Bayard.

This Pattent was approved off.

Isswinton C. of Councill.

I do hereby certify the aforegoing to be a true copy of the original Record. The words practiced or belonging unto any Towne within this Government to be used exer- cised being interlined between the 17th and 18 lines of page 156. Conipared therewith by me.

LEWIS A. SCOTT, Secretary.

SETTLEMENT AND EARLY HISTORY.

The early history of Rockland county is the early his- tory of the town of Orangetown. The first settlers were sixteen farmers from Holland, who purchased from the Tappan Indians a tract of land bounded north by Green- bush swamp, east by the Nyack Mountains, south by the Dues Kill or Cross Creek (near the present Randall's Station on the West Shore Railroad), then supposed to be the north line of the province of New Jersey, and west by the Hackensack Creek, a tract about eight miles in length and from two to five miles in width. This pur- chase was confirmed during the governorship of Thomas Dongan of the province of New York, by an instrument in writing under his hand, sealed with the seal of the province of New York, in the reign of James the 2d, King of England, France, and Ireland, on the 24th day of March, 1686. The consideration for this grant was that the grantees, Cornelius Claas Cooper, Daniel De Clark, Peter Haring,"Catye Haring, Gerritt Stemmitts, John Devries, sen., 7John Devries, jr., Clause Maunde, John Stratemaker, Staats De Groot,"Arian Lammerts, bLammert Ariansen, Huyberts Gerritts, Johannes Ger- ritts, Eide Van Voorst and Cornelius Lammerts should pay sixteen bushels of good winter merchantable wheat every year to the representative of the Crown, in the city of New York. This grant was known both as the Tappan Patent and Orangetown Patent. As late as 1769 it was called the Navvasunck lands, probably from na and unk, Indian terms for "good land." One of the first sixteen settlers, Lambert Smith, known in the original grant as Lammert Ariansen, built a storehouse at Greenbush, near where the burying ground now is. This house was torn down after the Revolution, and a new one was erected, nearly on the same spot, by Gerret Smith. Lambert Smith had three sons. The oldest, Garret, was settled by his father south of the swamp, the second, Abraham. stayed on the old place, and the third, Cornelius, built on what was then called the ridge, just west of the pres- ent Erie Railroad. Garret, the oldest son, was great- grandfather of the late Cornelius T. Smith, father of Mrs. John L. Salisbury, and also of Gerrit Smith, the philan- thropist and friend of the slave. Lambert's descendants soon grew so nunierous, that it was necessary to dis- tinguish one from the other, and as he was a smith by profession, it became convenient to designate him as Lammert Ariansen Smidt. This name continued for several years, when the Ariansen was altogether dropped, and the family was known as that of Smith. This is shown by the records of the old church at Tappan upon which Lambert Ariansen and his wife Margaret Blauvelt, and later Lambert Smith and the same wife stand as god- father and godmother to their numerous grandchildren. It also appears in the entries of his successive annual payments of ten shillings to the church, and in the draft of a deed made in 1728, but never signed, which was in- tended to be given by John M. Evans and Catharine his wife, and Lancaster Symes and Catharine his wife, all of the city of New York, for a certain portion of land which was claimed to be within the bounds of the patent

ORANGETOWN-CENSUS OF 1702.

199

LIST OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE COUNTY OF ORANGE .- 1702.

Males from 16 to 60.

Males men. above 60.

ffemales women.

Males Childeren.

ffemales children.

Males Negros.

ffemales Negros.

Males Negros Childeren.

ITeinales Negro Children.

Daniel D. Clerene ..

Geretje Ilis Wijti.

I child

1 Mayd.

1 Men ..

I Womeu. I Women.

i child.

l Gerl ...

Jaenb D. Clereqc ..

Abram Heuringh.

Thomis Van Howtten ..

Trijntje Ilis Wiffe.

I child.

6 Mayds.

I Woman

I child.

Rolott Van lowtton Claes Van flowttou ..

Hendrlek Geritssell ..

Mary His Wijfe ..

3 Children ..

.lohn Hendricksseu ....

Hermau flendrickssen. Geridt Hendriessen.

Margrit His Wiffe.

2 Childeren . 4 gerells.

1 gereil

Geridt Lambertzen

Lowe Reyuerssen.

Reyu Janzen

Lysheth Ilis Wijtfe

I child

I gerell.

3 gereils.

2 Men.

Women ..

Casper Janssen.

Trijntje His Wytfe ..

33 gerells

1 child.

Johanns Gerissen

Cathrin His Wife ..

6 Childeren .. 2 geretls.

.lucob Cool

Barbara His Wife ....

geretis.

Coenrat Hanssen

Leuntje His Witte .. Mary His Witte

I geretl.

I Child.

1 Child ..

Cornells Hearingh

Cathe His Will'e ..

I Child

4 gerls.

t Men.

Women ...

Jacob Flierboom

Marij His Witle.

Samuel Conklijn

Hanna His Wilfe .. Gritje His Wiffe.

4 Children ..

3 gertis.

B gerlls ..

Isane Gerrissen

Gritje His Wiffe.

1 Child .. 5 Gerlts.

1 Men

Jeremiah Cenilt

Anna Ilis Witfe.

B Children. ..

3 Gerils.

John D'puy

John d'frles

Gerrttt Huijbrechtz.

Antje A Wedow

2 Children .. . 3 Gerls

I Men

1 Gerll.

Poulus Tjurekssen.

John Hey.

Trijntje A Wedow Gertruyt His Wiffe.

2 Children .. . 2 Gerlls ..

Jurian Melgerissen

Sara His Wife ..

I Child.

3 Gerlis.

Jemes Weller.

Bethe His Wiffe

3 Children ...

Isaac Brett ..

Magdalen His Wyffe. Sara His Wiffe.

Children.

4 Gerlis ..

Will: Juell Juner.

floris Crom

Lyne His Wiffe. Geritje His Witte.

I Child Child

2 Gereils

Willem Crom

Arian Crom.

Gysbert from

Albert Mimelay

Meenske His Witte Altje His Wife.

Gerlis

t Sien

2 Women.

Sara Crab Widow.

1 Gerll.

Edward Mek

frans Wey Direk Storm ..

Indian W. His Wijffe. Mery His Witte.

Comes to 49 men.

Coms to 5 men.

Coms to 40 Witlo.

Coms to 57 C'ildr:

Coms to 84 gerlls.

Coms to 13 men.

Coms to 7 Women.

Coms to 7 Childes.

Coms to 6 geris.

In the Countij Orange the 16th Day of Junij 1702. This is a Trew ACount off all the Males and ffemales off Men Women and Childeren. Witness ouwer hand

WILL MERRETT

DANIEL DE KLERCK

fus-

Dit is TR het marck van

ti-

THEUNIS ROELOFFZEN VAN HOWTEN | ces.

CORNELIS CLASEN

(Endorsed) This is a Trieuw Acount of the County. Orange.

of Captain John Evans, and which covered a large por- tion of Rockland as well as some of Orange county, but which was afterward canceled on the grounds of magni- tude, uncertainty, and want of consideration. This in- tended deed was made out in favor of Daniel De Clarke, Johannes Blauvelt, sen., Lambert Smith, Peter Haring and Cosyn Haring; and the consideration was five hun- dred pounds current money of New York. There are still some of the Auryansens in this locality. It was not, however, an unusual thing, in the olden times among the Dutch, to make a break in the family by a portion taking a new name. This was notably the case in the Verbryck family. At one time it was known as Garretson, and was a part of that numerous line.

from Holland, soon after the organization of the church in 1694.

The first inn was kept by Casparus Maybee in the old '76 stone house. The first mill was probably at Pier- mont, located on the site where Mr. Haddock's store now is. Abram Maybee, at an early date, built a mill on the Hackensack. His son, Cornelis Maybee, still owned this mill during the Revolution, but he having espoused the cause of the British his property was con- fiscated. It is believed, however, that in later years it was restored to his son. This mill is still in existence. There was also at an early date a mill located at Green- bush on the head waters of the Sparkill. For one hun- dred and fifty years the Blauvelts, Smiths, Harings, and

The first school was taught by Hermanus Van Huysen, other early settlers increased and multiplied in Green -

I geril.

3 gerels.

I Men ...

Abrain Blauvelt.

John Wanrd ..

Gritje His Witfe ...

Mary His Will'e ..

1 Child .

Ploter Hearingh

Janneke Ills Wille.

3 Childeren .. 3 Gerlls,

Ariantje His Wiffe ...

2 Childreu .. : Gertis.

I gerell.

Reijnier Mijnerssen

Direk Straat ..

Tryutje Ifls Will'e. 1 Child.

I gerelt

Cosyn Hearingh

Mary His Wille.

2 Childeren ...

2 gorls.

I gerell

Thouis Tuelman

Direkje A Widow.

May Ilis Wytle

3 Childeren ..

.lohin Classen.

William Merritt .. Margry His Wijtr.

4 Men.

t child ...

2 Geris

John Meijer

2 Gerlls.

Melchert Casperssen

John Perre ..

Gerlis.

Will: Juell

Cornlis Coeper

4 Children .. 2 Children ..

5 Gerlls.

1 Men.

1 Child:

Per Order of the Justices the paes

D. STORM CI.

t Child.

2( bilderen .. I Child.

Lambert Arianssen ..

Brechtie Ilis Wyffe ..

200

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

bush, and many of . their descendants, even at this day, may be found on the lands which their forefathers occu- pied. The Holland farmers of 1686 in due time con- cluded to build a town on their patent. Here were the church, the school, the Court House, the tavern and the blacksmith shop, with such other establishments as enter into the formation of a town. They chose for this pur- `pose the most central location and called their metropolis Tappantown, by which name the post-office is still known.

It is probable that a few of the first grantees never set- tled on their lands, but sold their rights to others, as they cannot be traced in the enumeration of the inhabit- ants which was taken in 1702 under royal mandate, or in any subsequent enumeration. Many of the names are still represented in Rockland county, but some of them have become extinct during the present century.

By the first census, taken in 1693, Orange county had no more than 20 families and 219 inhabitants, and all of them lived in Orangetown. In 1702 the families num- bered 40, and the entire population 268. The enumiera- tion in 1702 with the names of men and women above the age of 16 is given on page 199.

While the English characters are used in this table, the names are in Dutch. One of the justices makes his mark. bury does not seem to have had the highest regard, ap- pears to have been a man of substance, for he had two negro men, but was to be compassionated, as he had only three "gerrills," and consequently was childless.

The boys in the enumeration are recognized as children, while the female children seem to be regarded as a lower order of beings, and are termed "mayds " or "gerrells." The negroes in every instance are attached to some fam- ily. They were slaves, and from their number the rela- tive wealth and standing of each family can be learned. The families who had the largest landed possessions re- quired the greatest number of slaves. It would not at

In 1712 the population had increased to 439. Accord- ing to the next census, in 1723, it had increased to 1, 244, and had spread beyond the confines of Orangetown. In 1731, the population had become 1,969, and had passed the present time be considered a formidable work to take beyond the mountains which divided Orange county the enumeration of so few families located in an area no larger than Orangetown. Yet Lord Cornbury com- plained to the Lords of Trade and Plantation that the Council had projected the extirpation of the English here.

" This appears to have been their design by several in- stances, particularly turning the English out of all the commission of the peace and militia throughout the Province, and putting Dutchmen in their places, who county one hundred years ago. In Orangetown at the were generally the meanest of the people, were extremely , ignorant of all things, few of them understanding the En- glish tongue, much less the laws. The sheriffs were of the same stamp, most of them so ignorant that they could neither read nor write. This appear'd to me when I or- dered the Clerk of the Council to write circular letters to the Sheriffs to give me an account of the number of people in their several counties. In answer to which they write that it will 'take a great time to doe,' but they will 'endeavour it;' and when they come to sign their letters it is said 'the Marke of Theunis Talman Esquire High Sheriff of the County of Orange,' and so of several oth- ers; and in truth they are such fellows that they know not how to go about business themselves and those that do, think not themselves obliged to teach them. So that I shall not Be able to give your Lordships an account of of the plane in the hands of the modern carpenter.

the number of inhabitants in this Province till I have a new set of Sheriffs which shall be in the middle of the next month, at which time I will take care to appoint such persons as I have already put into the commissions of the peace, 'men ' (according to the 12th paragraph of my instructions) 'of good life and well affected to her Majesty's Government and of good estates and abilities and not necessitous people or much in debt;' then I shall be able to give such accounts as are required."

Lord Cornbury arrived as the Governor of the Prov- ince of New York in May 1702. On the 16th of June following. " the Justices of the paes," as they call them- selves, made their return of the inhabitants in the county of Orange, and they are as Cornbury says, " men of good estates and not necessitous people or much in debt," as will be seen from the fact that most of them had a fair number of slaves or negroes. They were not rich in children, however. True, Theunis Roeleffzen Van Hou- ten had six "mayds," but for all that he was nearly childless, as he had only one son; and as for " abilities," it must be conceded that few men in these modern times could compare with them in writing such Dutch English as they wrote. Theunis Talman, Esquire, high sheriff of Orange county, for whose learning and ability Lord Corn-

south of the mountains from Orange county north of the mountains, for in 1727 Goshen had been made a county seat and in 1737 a new Court House had been built at that place. The population of Orange county was, in 1737, 2,840; in 1746, 3,268; in 1749, 3,874; and in 1771, 9,430. According to the census of 1880 the town of Orangetown alone contained a population of 8,077, a number almost equal to the entire population of Orange commencement of the eighteenth century there were two or three hundred inhabitants and only a few clearings in the valleys, The surface was covered with timber and wild animals were abundant. The houses of these early settlers were generally log cabins, but there are speci- mens remaining; at the end of nearly two centuries which must have been royal homes. One of these is the old Washington headquarters at Tappan, a stone structure, which was built in 1700 and is still standing. The log house, which was more pretentious than the cabin, did not fully disappear until about a hundred years ago, and usually its place was occupied by a more pretentious stone mansion with its overhanging beams, which can still be seen in a few rooms of these old homes, and on which the work of the broadaxe is almost equal to that

201

ORANGETOWN-EARLY MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS AT ORANGE- TOWN.

Early interinents were here made mostly in the old Tappan burying ground, though there were a few local burying places. Their funerals were quite different from those of the present time; wines and liquors and cold collations were provided for the guests, and often linen scarfs, gloves, funeral cakes, etc., were distributed among them. Funerals were thus made very expensive and often bore a strong resemblance to joyous feasts. It was the business of the chorister to invite the people to funer- als. This he did by going from house to house within a certain distance and giving notice of the time and place.

The chorister was called the voorsenger (fore singer) and inasmuch as it was his duty to read the psalms and hymns he was also called voorleser (fore reader). Add- ed to these duties were those now discharged by the sex- ton, such as ringing the bell and keeping the church in order.

In early times it was not unusual for the young people to walk to church. On their way they often carried their shoes and stockings in their hands till they reached a creek near the church where they washed their feet and put on their shoes and stockings before entering the sanctuary. No fires were kept in the church in winter. The old ladies kept their feet warm by the use of foot stoves, and clothed themselves warmly in their woolen short gowns and ample petticoats. During service they derived what comfort they could from their well filled snuff boxes, flavored with vanilla beans, which they passed to each other. To aid in keeping them warm the men, before and after service, often visited Mabie's tavern, drank hot gin, and smoked. In summer they collected in groups on the lawn in front of the church where they smoked, exchanged civilities, talked of their domestic af- fairs, their crops, and their horses, of which they were great lovers. They often engaged in racing, with their favorite animals, as soon as they were a short distance from the church. The Perrys, who were noted for their bald heads, were great lovers of this sport. The dress of the men in those days would now be regarded as less peculiar than that of the women. They wore what are now termed " swallow tailed " coats, and their overcoats, or "great coats," had. apparently, half a dozen or more capes each.

Before the abolition of slavery the slaves, who were never treated with severity, always attended church with their owners. They were seated in the gallery on the left of the minister. At the close of his sermon old Dom- inie Lansing would often turn to them and say: "Now niggers and nigger wenches I have a word for you." He would address to them some general precepts concerning their Christian duties, and conclude by admonishing them of their duty faithfully to serve and obey their masters.

Courtship among the early Dutch here was often con- ducted on horseback, the lady being seated on a pillion behind her admirer. When they had become engaged the proposed bride announced the fact to her parents,. and informed them that at a certain time he would visit them and ask their consent to the marriage. On the oc- casion of this visit the parents retired to their couch, near the side of which they left a chair standing. This . they rattled on the floor, to signify their readiness to re- ceive him, hearing which he walked demurely into their bedroom, seated himself in the chair, and modestly made his request. The matter had, of course, usually been predetermined, and the answer was, " Yes! Yes!" and the happy swain went his way.

Marriages among these people were not expensive. The bridegroom usually took to the minister a letter from his father, a specimen of which is here given:

"September the 21st 1798. "Sr :. It is my Will and Concent that my Son, Garret Ackerman, Shall be marred.

" JOHN ACKERMAN."

Armed with this permit, he, with his intended wife, re- paired to the clergyman's house, where the "twain were made one flesh."

The universal practice among these people of attend- ing church made the church door the available place for posting notices. Often would be found there a notice of the impounding of a pig, with a description of the an- imal, and a particular description of the yoke, if any, that he wore. A specimen of the town ordinances with regard to pig yokes is given elsewhere.

The style of their houses has changed as time has sped on. At first they erected simple log cabins, with im- mense fire-places for heating the rooms and cooking their food. These were succeeded by houses of stone with pitched roofs, and " stoops " or verandas, with seats at each end. They had two rooms, each with a door opening in front, and often a "lean-to " in the rear in- creased the number of rooms to four. The garrets to these houses were used for the storage of grain, dried herbs, etc., and the cellars were filled with vegetables.

These houses were succeeded by larger ones, with gambrel roofs, projecting eaves, and halls through the center, into which the different rooms opened.

Not only did these people toil; they also spun. The large wheel, for the spinning of wool, and the " little In very early times the services at the Tappan church were altogether in the Dutch language. As late as 1830 wheel " for spinning flax, were found in every house. The domestic manufacture of cloth was then a necessity, they were, on alternate Sundays, held in the Dutch and for there were no woolen or cotton mills in existence here English.

then. The wool was prepared for spinning by the use of hand cards, and the female members of every family be- came expert spinners. Often a son in the family did the weaving, and the cloth thus manufactured was very strong and durable. Of linen cloths large quantities were spun, woven, and bleached on the lawns by the Dutch house- wives, who stored them away for use when they were re- quired. The people were not then, as now, dependent on the "outside world " for the necessaries of life, but by the system of domestic manufactures then practiced, the

202

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

people in every town, and even in every neighborhood, were able to maintain an independent existence.

In the absence of shops or manufactories, which have since so universally come into existence, every farmer was his own mechanic. The houses in their interior were then quite different from those of the present day. White floors, sprinkled with sand, high backed chairs, ornamented with brass nails along the edge of the cush- ioned seat and leathern back, pewter and wooden plates and dishes-which were preferred by the conservative old Knickerbockers long after the introduction of crock. ery, because they did not dull their knives-and silver plate among the wealthy were the common articles of furniture. This silver plate was in the form of massive waiters, bowls, tankards, etc., and it had usually descend- · ed in the family from former generations in Holland as an heirloom. Sometimes china plates were seen hanging around as ornaments, holes having been drilled through their edges and ribbons passed through by which to sus pend them. Punch was drunk from a common bowl of china or silver, and beer or cider from a tankard.

What was termed samp porridge (from the Indian sea- ump- pounded corn) was made by long boiling corn that had been pounded in a wooden mortar-a process that was · learned from the Indians. What was known as supawn was made in the same way from more finely ground meal. The same dish was called suppawn by the Palatines, who afterward settled in the Mohawk valley. These mortars, or pioneer mills, as they were sometimes called, were at first the only means the settlers possessed of con- verting their corn into coarse meal, and the process was called niggering corn, because the work was usually done by negro slaves.

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History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 45

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 993

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 993