USA > New York > Schoharie County > History of Schoharie County, New York : with illusustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 2
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Many sections of our country have been the asy- lums of the religiously and politically oppressed -of those who fled from their homes in the Old World, to enjoy the privileges that conscience craves of the one, and free thought and speech of the other, even if it could only be granted in an unknown wilderncss, infested by savages and wild beasts.
It has been conjectured that the Germans who settled at Schoharie fled from their homes to avoid religious persecution ; but those who have advanced this idea have been content to
10
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
follow in the path marked out by imaginary tra- ditions and self-satisfied conjectures, without taking pains to explore archives that concealed documents left by those sturdy ones to enlight- en us.
It is a singular fact, that history is more truthful after the lapse of a century or more from the time the events transpired, than at a nearer date, as all personal animosities, self- interests, jealousies, and all other monitors of fictitious chronicles die out, leaving the field open for the impartial to glean facts as they were, without distrust of disapprobation by factions, cliques or communities.
The first settlers of this County were Pala- tine tenants from the lower part of Germany. They were called "Palatines " from the fact that the lands which they occupied were owned and ruled by officers under the Crown, called " Palatines," and the country over which they presided, as governors, were " Palatinates. " By studying the history of that time, we find that the poorer class-the tenants of those of- ficials-were ground down by crown, state and church taxation, so much so that they barely made a living. Yet, the church requirements were more obligatory through choice than com- pulsion, as the people had long been free from the Popish grasp, and, as a mass, were followers of Luther.
In order to give an idea of the cause of the German immigration to this country, we will draw the attention of the reader to a letter,* writ- ten by one Joshua Kocherthal, a minister to the Board of Trade in London in 1708. He petitions, " in behalf of himself and the poor Lutherans, to be transported to some of ye Matgs plantations in America." " We humbly take leave to repre- sent that they are, in number, forty-one-ten men, ten women and twenty-one children ; that they are very necessitous and in the utmost want, not having at present anything to subsist themselves ; that they have been rendered to this by the ravages committed by the French in the Lower Palatinat, where they lost all they had." t
This small band, on the 29th of June, 1709, was settled upon Quasek Creek į in Ulster
County, and was the first German immigration to America.
By referring to European history, the reader will find that in 1702, England, Holland and Germany declared war against France, in sup- port of Charles, Archduke of Austria, to the Spanish throne.
Charles the Second of Spain died in 1700, and Louis the Fourteenth of France, wishing to make Spain an ally, trumped up a candidate for the throne in the person of Philip of Anjou. The war lasted until the year 1713. During the years 1708, '09 the French carried hostilities upon German soil, and devastated the Lower Country, as stated by Kocherthal in his petition. England, possessing a goodly portion of Ameri- ca and receiving but meager supplies from her, embraced the opportunity (as she was but thinly inhabited) of peopling her possessions with the homeless Palatines ; and, according to Brown's Pamphlet History, sent agents throughout the Palatinates to induce them to immigrate here ; as we of to-day find our Western railroad companies that received large bounties in land from the government sending agents throughout Europe, to induce immigration, that their claims may bccome settled and produce a revenue. A goodly portion of the Western States, through such agencies, have been peopled, and numberless poor, delving, tenants of the Old World have be- come landlords here, under the influence of our generous laws. We trust they will continue to come by thousands, as in them we find indus- trious, energetic and law-abiding citizens.
Seeing the opportunity offered of peopling the American possessions, Robert Hunter, a man of official ambition, conceived the idea of immigrating a large colony of the Germans, and petitioned the London Board of Trade to that effect. The board made the following report "To the Queen's Most Gracious Majesty," on the 5th of December, 1709, which was approved January 7th, 1710.
From this second immigration came the pioneers of Schoharie County. As we shall be under the necessity of referring, in several points, to the above mentioned report, we will copy a portion of it, leaving out that which will be of no service to us, it being too monotonous for the matter-of-fact American reader :-
·
* London Documents.
+ Documentary History.
# Now Chambers Creek.
1
ROBERT HUNTER'S PETITION.
" May It Please Your Majesty: " In obe- clience to your Majesty's commands, signified to us by the Right Honblethe Earl of Sunderland, we have considered the proposals made to us by Colonel Hunter, for settling 3,000 Palatines at New York and Employing them in the Pro- duction of Naval Stores, and thereupon humbly Represent to your Majesty-
"That the Province of New York being the most advanced Frontier of Your Majesty's Plantations on the Continent of America, the Defence and Preservation of that place is of the utmost importance to the security of all the Rest ; and if the said Palatines were seated, they would be an additional strength and security to that Province, not only with regard to the French of Canada, But against any Insurrection of the scattered Nations of Indians upon that Conti- nent, and, therefore, we humbly propose that they be sent thither.
"By the best Information we can gett, the most proper Places for the seating them in that Province, so as they may be of benefit to this Kingdom by the Production of Naval Stores, are on the Mohaques River and on the Hud- sons Rivers, where are very great numbers of Pines fit for Production of Turpentine and Tar, out of which Rosin and Pitch are made.
"First -- In relation to the Mohaques River : Your Majesty was pleased, by your order in Council of the 26th June, 1708, to confirm an Act, passed at New York, the 2nd of March, 1692 for vacating several Extravagant Grants, whereby large Tracts of Land are returned to your Majesty, and among the rest.
"A Tract of Land lying on the Mohaques River, containing about 50 miles in length and four miles in breadth, and a Tract of land lying upon a creek which runs into the said River, which contains between 24 and 30 miles in Length. This last mentioned Land, of which Your Majesty has the possession, is claimed by the Mohaques, but that claim may be satisfyed on very easy terms.
"The Objection that may be made to the seating of the Palatines, on the fore-mentioned Mohaques River, is the Falls that are on the said River between Schenectady and Albany, which will be an interruption in the Water Carriage, but as that may be easily helped by a
short land carriage of about 3 miles at the west, we do not see that this objection will be any hindrance to the seating of them there, In Case there be not an opportunity of doing it more conveniently in some other part of that Province.
* * .
" We therefore humbly offer that the Gover- nor or Commander in Chief be Directed upon their Arrival to Seat them all, either in a Boddy or in different Settlements, upon those or other Lands as he shall Find most proper and that they be Encouraged to settle and work in Part- nership, that is, 5 or more families to unite and work in common.
"'That the Governor be likewise Directed to grant, under the Seal of that Province, without fee or Reward, 40 acres per head to each family, after they shall have repaid, by the pro- duce of their Labour, the charges the publick shall be at in settling and subsisting them there, in the manner as hereinafter proposed: To have and to hold the said Lands, to them and their heirs forever, under the usual Quit-Rent, to commence and be payable after seven years from the date of Each respective Grant ; and further, that in every such grant there be an ex- press Proviso that the Lands so granted shall be seated and planted within a reasonable time, to be therein prefixed, or, on failure thereof, such Grant to be void and to revert to the Crown. And for the better preventing those people from falling upon the Woollen Manufac- tures, it will be proper that in every such grant, a Clause be inserted, declaring the said Grant to be void, if such Grantee shall apply himself to the making of Woollen or such like manu- facture.
"As these people are very necessitous, they will not be able to maintain themselves there till they can reap the benefit of their labour, which will not be till after one year at the soonest. We therefore humbly offer, that they be subsisted, the men and women at the rate of 6d sterling a head pr day, and the children under the age of ro years, at 4d Sterling pr day, which as we are informed, will be sufficient.
"When their houses shall be built and the ground cleared for making their settlements, they may then be Employed in the making of
12
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
Turpentine Rozin Tar and Pitch, and that this will be beneficial not only to the said Palatines, but to this Kingdom.
*
" As these Palatines are ignorant in the Pro- duction of those Stores, it will be necessary that three or four persons well skilled in the doing thereof (if to be had) be sent from hence, to in- struct the said Palatines there, and that they be allowed {200, New York money, per an- num each, during their being employed in this work.
" In case no such persons can be found here, then We propose that Mr. Bridges, Surveyor- General of Your Majesty's Woods on the Con- tinent of America, who was sent 4 or 5 years ago to New England to instruct the People there, be Directed to go to New York for that purpose, and that he bring with him 3 or 4 other persons, the most skilfull he can get, who may assist him in the instructing the said Palatines, and for their pains therein have a Salary of £100 pr annum during such their employ and stay at New York.
" It will be likewise necessary that there be Supervisors appointed to reside among the said Palatines to over see and keep them at work, with a Salary of £100 per annum each. As to the number of the said supervisors we humbly conceive it cannot well be regulated here, for that will Depend in a great measure upon the number of the Palatines settlements, and On the Distance they may be one from the other. Therefore we are of opinion that this be left to the Discretion of Your Majesty's Governor after his arrival there.
*
" And we further offer that the Premium given by an Act made in the 3d and 4th year of Your Majesty's Reign to encourage the Im- portation of Naval Stores from Your Majesty's Plantations in America, be paid to such factor or Agent to and for the sole Benefit of such Palatines, who were the Manufacturers of such Stores, in like manner as Premiums are allowed to other Importers of Naval Stores from those parts.
" Lastly, we humbly offer that the said Pala- tines, upon their arrival there, be Naturalized without fee or Reward, that they may enjoy all
such privileges and advantages as are Enjoyed by the present Inhabitants of that Province."
While the Palatines were in London, Brig- adier Robert Hunter was appointed to superin- tend the transportation of them by Queen Anne. They set sail some time between the approving of the report (January 7th, 1710) and the 14th of June following. After their arrival, Hunter addressed the following letter to the board of trade in London :-
NEW YORK,* July 24th, 1710.
" My Lords :
By a small vessel bound for Lisbon, I gave your Lordships notice of our arrival here (June 14th). Since that time all the Palatine ships, separated by the weather, are arrived safe, ex- cept the Herbert Frigat, where our Tents and Arms are. She was cast away on the East end of Long Island, on the 7th of July, the men are safe, but goods much damaged. We still want the Berkley Castle, which we left at Portsmouth. The poor people have been mighty sickly, but recover apace. We have lost above 470 of our number.
"Soon after our arrival, I sent the surveyor t with some skillful men to survey the land on the Mohaks river, particularly the Skohare, to which the Indians had no pretense-being Col. Bayard's grant-they however, by the instiga- tion of some ill-intentioned men, at first refused to suffer it to be surveyed, upon pretense of its having returned to them, after the resumption, but have been better advised since. So at this time he is actually surveying of it. These lands, however, I believe will be no ways fit for the design in hand, being very good Lands which bears no Pines and lyes verry remote. I shall however be able to carry it on elsewhere, for there is no want of Pines, but the Pine land being good for nothing, the difficulty will lye in finding such a situation as will afford good land for their settlements near the Pine lands. I am in terms with some who have lands on the Hudsons River fitt for that purpose, which I
* London Documents, XVIII.
+ Augustus Graham was the surveyor that was sent to Schoharie to survey the land, and his bill-now in the office of the Secretary of State-amounted to £121, being employed one hundred and twenty days at twenty shillings per day.
13
SECOND IMMIGRATION OF PALATINES IN 1710.
intend to view next week in company with Dr. Bridges, who is now with me, and gives me good encouragement."
On the same day of Hunter's arrival at New York (June 14th,) he was appointed Governor of the " Province of New York and its dcpen- dencies." Thus we find this the sccond immi- gration of Germans arriving at New York in June and July, 1710.
We find that the city council had the fact of the arrival brought before them, by Mr. Beek- man, its President, on the 13th of June and " desirred the council to give their opinion what measures are proper to be taken with respect to them," and "that the mayor of ye city having petitioned to the board from himself and the corporation, setting forth that there is just cause to believe that there are many contagious dis- tempers among them, which they are apprehen- sive, will endanger the health of the inhabitants of the citty if they be landed, in any part there- of," etc. In council, June 16th, it was ordered that certain officials "doe draw upp a Scheme, for ye Ordering, Ruling, and Government of ye Palantines, and that it is the opinion of this board, that Nutten Island (now Governors) is the properest place to put the Palantines," etc.
Huts were constructed, and the Germans kept upon the Island until other provisions could be made for them. New York city at that time, was mostly Holland or Low Dutch, yet under English government. They were not on the best of terms with the Germans, or High Dutch. Whether enmity had existed towards each other at home, as a people, or was an off- spring of selfish commercial dealing here, we are unable to say ; but by preserved letters of business transactions between the two branches of Dutch, which it is unnecessary to copy, wc find that their early intercourse at New York was marked by ill feeling; and from the tenor of their communications, we are led to think that the Germans were very distrustful of the honesty of their neighbor Hollanders.
Among the Germans at Nutten Island were inany children, quite a number of whom were orphans, made so, no doubt, by the sea voyage, as stated by Hunter. The Government having the whole in charge, to provision etc., we find
that the council ordered, (so as to retrench ex- penses) on the 20tlr of June, the following :-
"There having been severall Proposalls made for the taking many of the l'alantines children for a Term of years, and therc being many Or- phans who are unable to take care of them- selves to work and many who by sickness are Rendered incapable of doing any service for some time & in that condition would be a great cxpense and there being noe prospect of Set- tling them this summer by reason its soe much advanced, His Excellency does appoint Doctor Staats and Mr. Van Dam or either of them to take such Proposals for Placing out the orphans and other children whose Parents have a nu- merous Family, entering into an Instrument in Writeing, to Cloathe, Victual and use them well, and to deliver them to the Government when called for.""
We find that the boys were apprenticed until the age of seventeen, and the girls until fifteen years of age. Thirty-four were bound out in 1710-twenty-five in 1711-three in 1712- and one in 1714.
Here we are led to think, undue advantage was taken of the poor Germans by Govern- ment officials. We cannot believe that they would have immigrated under the protection of a foreign government, unless great inducements were offered for doing so. If they had not been assured of their little effects and families being retained, and also their freedom granted to sup- port and maintain them, we do not believe they would have listened to England's entreaties. Apprenticing the orphans was right, as they had no one to care for them; but taking children away from their able-bodied parents, was inhu- man, and uncalled for. The Government knew their situation and the expense likcly to occur from transporting and settling the Palatines, and if they did not wish to support the children, they ought not to have taken them nor their parents under its protection. By a petition to the Crown in 1720, to which we will draw the reader's attention hereafter, this act of appren- ticing children, is spoken of among a long list of grievances, and also the promise made to them of "forty acres of land to each person,"
* Historical Documents.
14
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
with necessary utensils, etc., upon their arrival; but after being huddled together upon Nutten Island until November, Hunter wrote to the Board of Trade, that he had purchased a tract of 6,000 acres of Robert Livingston "for the settlement of the Palantines," and upon the 14th of November, 1710, he wrote to the same :-
"I have now settled the Palantines upon good lands upon both sides of the Hudson's River, about one hundred miles up, adjacent to the Pines. I have planted them in five Villages, three upon the East side of the River upon 6,000 acres I have purchased of Mr. Livingston about two miles from Row Lof Jansens Kill. The other two on the West sidc near Sawyer's Creek, as your Lordships will observe by the inclosed sketch No 10 com- pared with your maps.
"The lands on the West side belong to the Queen. Each family hath a sufficient Lot of good arable land, and ships of 15 foot draught of water can sail upp as far as the Plantations. They have already built themselves huts, and are now imployed in clearing off the grounds. In the Spring I shall set them to work preparing the Trees, according to Mr. Bridges direction."*
Thus it will be seen by the foregoing letter, that the Germans were settled at Livingston's Manor, in November 1710, in five villages or en- campments, which originated in the place being called " the Camps." Livingston was a man of large means, for those days. He owned a mill and brew-house, and made a contract with Gov. Hunter to supply "the camps" with provisions at the Governments' expense. Such supplies were to consist of "For each person of them, each day, the quantity of Bread, equal to one- third of a Loaf of bread of such sort and assize which is comonly at the prise of four pence half penny in the city of New York, and one quart of Beer such as is usually called Ships beer, of the Prise of three pounds for each Tun, All which is to be delivered to the commissary of the Palentines." The first account, for the sub- sistence of the Palatines, shows that the first arrival at "the camps " was Oct. 6th, 1710, and
the number of persons 213. "On Jan. Ist, 1711, they numbered 1,434. In June 1711, there were, upon the east tide of the river, four villages -- called 'dorfs'-namely -- Hunters- town, Queensbury, Annsbury, and Haysbury, containing 1, 189 Palentines." On the west side, there were three, Elizabethtown, Georgetown, and Newtown, with 614, inaking 1,803 Palatines at "the camps." Over each of these villages, or " dorfs", was placed one of their number, to keep a correct account of their condition, wants, etc., and was required to make a report to the commissary, at the beginning of each month. Those overseers or head men were called " List- masters," and were, in the order of the villages, just mentioned-"John Peter Kneiskern, John Conrad Weiser, Hartman Windecker, John Christopher Tucks, John Christopher Gerlach, Jacob Manch and Philip Peter Granberger."
In the spring of 1711, the Germans became dissatisfied with the lands upon which they were located, and asked to be taken to those which they had been promised-namely-Schoharie- or-as called by them " Schorie." Here, it will be observed, that the Germans first speak of a " promise " to be taken to "Schorie." During their discontentment at the " camps" they were firmly determined to leave them, and go to "Schorie," stating that the Governor and other officials had deceived them, by promising them while in England, to locate them in Schoharie, and to give to each forty acres of land, with necessary implements, etc. The officials denied making such a promise, but as to the forty acres of land, admitted, that they were to have it after paying for it, together with the expense the Government had been to for transportation, in tar and pitch. But the Governor and council of New York had made arrangements to begin the manufacture of tar and pitch at this time, yet upon attempting to set them to work, the overseers found the Palatines "resolute in dis- obeying orders," in fact, mutinized. Secretary Clarke, in writing to the London Board of Trade says :-
"About a fortnight ago his Excel'ey. hav- ing received information from their Over- seers and other Officers that these people had taken a Resolution neither to work in making Pitch and Tarr nor to remain on the land they
*Documentary History.
15
SECRETARY CLARKE'S LETTER TO THE LONDON BOARD OF TRADE.
are settled upon for that purpose, but even by force, If they could not otherwise effect it to remove to Schohary (a tract of resumed lands) and that they had actually hindered the Sur- veyor from laying out inore Lots to them " also " By their deputies they returned for answer that when the surveyors came to lay out more land, the People called them out, told them 'twas worth nothing, they would have no more, so that 'twas needless to survey it and that they would have the land at Schohary which the Queen had ordered them by their contract.
*
" His Excellency replyed. That as to the lands at Schorie, its the malace of those who would have them for their slaves that put them on demanding it, for that those lands the In- dians had not yet parted with, nor were they fit for their labor, no pine being within Twenty miles of it, that it would be impossible to sub- sist them there, or defend them against ye French and French Indians & besides they had obliged themselves to settle on such lands as he should assign thein and then desired their final answer, which was, that they would have the lands appointed them by the Queen.
" Whereupon his Excellency in writing told them that since neither their duty or allegience or regard to Her Maj's unparalled Charity in goodness in taking them up and providing for them when they were starving, and abandoned by the world beside, had been of any force to keep you within the bounds of their duty, and since they had no regard to a solemn contract signed by them, he was come to require & en- force the execution of it, Copies and Transla- tions of which they had in their own language, and that they must give their final answer the next day at four in the evening.
"A few minutes after the deputies were gone, His Excellency was informed that a body of three or four Hundred of them were then pass- ing the brook, the Deputies, among whom were the Captains, returned to him, and in appear- ance seemed softened, and then went to the peo- ple who were drawn up on the hill above the house, towards whom his Excell'cy. marching with his detachment.
"One of the commisary's who had been with them told him they had come to pay their com-
pliments to him, so his Excellency walked up to them, and asked them what they meant by ap- pearing in arms, they told him what they told the Commisary.
"Thereupon his Excellency ordered them home to their habitations and being gone about a mile they discharged all their firelocks.
" But their saying they came to pay their com- pliments was only a pretence, for they told two of their officers, as they were going home, that they came to relieve their Deputies in case they had been confined. The next day the Dep- uties came according to order with their an- swers which begins indeed with a desire that his Excellency would assist them, that they might be settled in the lands of Schohary, but they soon forgot their humble style and told his Excel- lency that they had rather lose their lives im- mediately, than remain where they are, that they are cheated by the contract, it not being the same that was read in England there, they say it runs thus, 'that seven years after they had forty acres a head a piece given them, they were to repay the Queen by Hemp, Mast trees, Tarr and Pitch, or anything else, so that it may be no damage to any man in his family.' Upon these ternis they will perform the contract, but to be forced by any other contract to remain upon the lands all their lives and work for her Majesty for the ship use, that they will never consent to doe. What does it signify, they say, to promise them this land that they shall make pitch and Tarr. They will be obedient to the Queen, but they will have the promise kept that Mr. Cast read to them in High Dutch in Eng- land, and upon that land which was promised them they will be there, and if they cannot they desire three or four men may goe for England and lay their case before the Queen. They say like- wise there are a great many things promised them-Clothing, household goods and working tools wch they desire to have." "They say further their people dye for want of care and proper remedyes and desire money to subsist themselves and lastly they say Mr. Cast told them he'd make them slaves and therefore desire his Excellen'cy. to appoint another in his room.
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