History of the state of New York Vol I, Part 62

Author: Brodhead, John Romeyn, 1814-1873. 4n
Publication date: 1871
Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers
Number of Pages: 844

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The Gravesend memorial which Grover had carried to English Cromwell the last year awakened the attention of the gov- territorial ernment at Whitehall; and a statement of "the English right. rights to the northern parts of America" was prepared, in which Cabot's voyage and the Virginia and New England patents were assumed to give the English the " best gen- eral right," the Dutch were roundly affirmed to be intrud- ers, and the absurd story was gravely repeated that King James had granted them Staten Island "as a watering- place for their West India fleets." It was, therefore, ad- vised that the English towns at the west of Long Island

claims of

.* Alb. Rec., xv., 138, 139, 149-151, 187 ; S. Hazard, 233-236 ; Acrelius, 418-421.

+ Letter of Classis of Amsterdam, 25th May, 1657 ; Pietersen to Classis, 12th August, 1657 ; 12th December, 1659 ; Alb. Rec., iv., 237, 247 ; vii., 406 ; xii., 417-449 ; Hol. Doc., xv., 213-252 ; xvi., 196-200 ; O'Call., ii., 336, 337 ; S. Hazard, Ann. Penn., 237-241.

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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

CH. XVIII. should be "very cautious of making themselves guilty ei- 1657. ther of ignorant or willful betraying the rights of their na- tion, by their subjecting themselves and lands to a foreign state."*

Letter of Cromwell to English- on Long Island. A letter was accordingly addressed by the Protector to "the English well-affected inhabitants on Long Island, in America," which Grover, having conveyed to Gravesend, insisted should be opened and read. The magistrates, how-' 24 August. ever, declined, until they had consulted Stuyvesant, who at once ordered Grover to be arrested, and brought, with his papers, to New Amsterdam. Hearing of this, the English 14 Sept. in the neighboring villages called a meeting in Jamaica "to agitate ;" and it was proposed at Gravesend to send a messenger to inform Cromwell of the "wrongs and injuries which we receive here from those in authority over us." The director, however, was neither intimidated nor thrown 30 October. off his guard. He discreetly sent the letter, unopened, to Stuyvesant the Amsterdam Chamber, so as not to be accused by the Sent by sterdam di- Lord Protector "of the crime of opening his letter or break- to the Am- rectors. ing his seal," or to be censured by his own superiors for " admitting letters from a foreign prince or potentate, from which rebellion might arise."t

Lutheran clergyman sent to New Neth- erland.

7 April.

In the mean time, the Lutheran congregation at Am- sterdam had taken measures to send out a clergyman, John Ernestus Goetwater, to organize a church and preach at Manhattan. Neither the West India Company nor the Classis of Amsterdam were consulted. "We can not yet resolve," wrote the directors to Stuyvesant, "to indulge the Lutherans with greater freedom in the exercise of their re- ligious worship than we allowed them in our letter of the fourteenth of June, 1656." Upon learning that Goetwa- ter had actually sailed, the Classis informed their minis- ters at New Amsterdam that the company's intention was to permit " every one to have freedom within his own

25 May.

* Thurloe, v., 81-83 ; Hazard, i., 602-605 ; ante, p. 620. The question of title has been considered, ante, p. 4, 44, 96, 144, 189. It may be added that, in the opinion of Louis XIV., the right of the Dutch was " the best founded," and for the English to call them "intrud- ers" was " a species of mockery."-Let. D'Estrades, iii., 340.

+ Hol. Doc., ix., 165-168, 269, 271 ; Alb. Rec., iv., 265; Gravesend Records; O'Call., ii., 342-345. .

635

PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

dwelling to serve God in such a manner as his religion rc- CH. XVIII. quires, but without authorizing any public meetings or con- venticles." 1657.

The arrival of Goetwater at New Amsterdam was the 6 July. signal for fresh troubles. The Dutch clergymen represent- at New ed the inconvenience of allowing the Lutherans to organ- dam. Amster- ize a church; and Goetwater was cited before the civil au- thorities. Having frankly admitted that "he had no other commission than a letter from the Lutheran Consistory at Amsterdam," he was directed not to hold any meeting or do any clerical service, but regulate his conduct according to the placards of the province against private conventicles. At the instance of the Established clergy, he was soon aft- 4 Sept. erward ordered to return to Holland. Against this the Lu- return. therans protested in vain ; and Goetwater's ill health alone induced the director to suspend the execution of his harsh 16 October decree .*

New England had, meanwhile, been maturing her sys- tem of intolerance, and " Laud was justified by the men whom he had wronged." Among the independent sects to The people which the political troubles in England had given rise, Quakers. called none had gone quite so far as "the people called Quakers." Under the preaching of George Fox, the son of a weaver at Drayton, numerous converts to a benevolent faith had declared their cmancipation from the creeds and ceremo- nies of all existing ecclesiastical organizations. The dis- ciples of Fox soon found their way to America ; and their fervid enthusiasm alarmed the governments of New En- gland. Several of them were imprisoned at Boston, and " thrust out of the jurisdiction." A special statute was passed that none of the " cursed sect" should be brought into Massachusetts. This was followed by a law forbid- 14 October. ding all persons to "entertain and conceal" a known Qua- of Massa- ker; and the unhappy sectarians were threatened, on con- chusetts. viction, with the loss of ears, and with having their tongues bored with a red-hot iron. New Plymouth, Connecticut,

* Alb Rec., iv., 234 ; xiv., 223, 405 ; Cor. Classis Amst. ; Letters of 22d May, 5th and 14th August, 22d October, 1657 ; Doc. Hist. N. Y., iii., 104; ante, p. 617, 626.

Goetwater

Ordered to

Penal laws

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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

1657. 13 October. Liberality of Rhode Island.

CH. XVIII. and New Haven adopted similar statutes. But Rhode Isl- and, nobly true to her grand principle of religious liberty, steadily refused. "These people," she replied to Massa- chusetts, " begin to loathe this place, for that they are not opposed by the civil authority."*

6 August. Quakers arrive at New Am- sterdam.

Unhappily, the spirit of Massachusetts rather than that of Rhode Island seems to have moved the government of New Netherland. An English ship, the " Woodhouse," ar- rived at New Amsterdam, with a number of Quakers on board, among whom were several of those who had been banished from Boston the previous autumn. Two of these persons, Dorothy Waugh and Mary Witherhead, began to preach publicly in the streets, for which breach of the law they were arrested and imprisoned. A few days aft- erward they were discharged ; and the ship, with most of her Quaker passengers, sailed onward, through Hell-gate, to Rhode Island, " where all kinds of scum dwell, for it is nothing else than a sink for New England."t.

14 August. Go to Rhode Isl- and.

Case of Robert Hodgson.

But Robert Hodgson, one of the Quakers, wishing to re- main in the Dutch province, went over to Long Island. At Flushing he was well received. On visiting Heemstede, however, where Denton, the Presbyterian clergyman, min- istered, Hodgson was arrested and committed to prison, whence he was transferred to the dungeon of Fort Amster- dam. Upon his examination before the council, he was convicted, and sentenced to labor two years at a wheel- barrow, along with a negro, or pay a fine of six hundred guilders. After a few days confinement, he was chained to a barrow, and ordered to work ; and upon his refusal, was beaten by a negro with a tarred rope until he fell down. At length, after frequent scourgings and solitary imprisonments, the suffering Quaker was liberated, at the

* Hazard, ii., 347, 349, 551-554 ; Col. Laws Mass., 122, 123 ; Col. Rec. Conn., 283, 284 ; Hutchinson, i., 181, 454 ; Bancroft, i., 451-453 ; ii., 326-354 ; Hildreth, i., 401-406.

+ Letter of Megapolensis and Drisius to Classis, 14th August, 1657 ; Hutchinson, i., 180, 181; Besse, ii., 182 ; Hazard, Reg. Penn., vi., 174; Thompson's L. I., ii., 73, 288. The Quakers who came to New Netherland in the Woodhouse were Christopher Holder, John Copeland, Sarah Gibbons, Dorothy Waugh, and Mary Witherhead, who had been banished from Boston the year before, and Humphrey Norton, Robert Hodgson, Richard Dowdney, William Robinson, and Mary Clarke.

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PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

intereession of the director's sister, Anna, widow of Nicho- CH. XVIII las Bayard, and ordered to leave the province.

1657.

In defiance of the ordinance against conventicles, Henry Townsend, one of the leading inhabitants of the new set- tlement of Rustdorp, or Jamaiea, had ventured to hold meetings at his house. For this offense he was sentenced 15 Sept. to pay an " amende" of eight Flemish pounds, or to leave Townsen. Henry the province within six weeks, under pain of corporeal pun- ishment. This was followed by a proelamation somewhat resembling the enaetments of Massachusetts. Any person Proclama- entertaining a Quaker for a single night was to be fined against tion Quakers.

fifty pounds, of which one half was to go to the informer ; and vessels bringing any Quaker into the provinee were to be eonfiseated. Upon its publication at Flushing, where Townsend formerly resided and had many friends, a spirit- ed remonstranee to Stuyvesant was drawn up by Edward Hart the town elerk, and signed by the inhabitants. They 27 Dec. refused to persecute or punish the Quakers, because "the strance of Remon- law of love, peace, and liberty in the state, extending to Flushing. Jews, Turks, and Egyptians, as they are considered the sons of Adam, which is the glory of the outward state of Holland, so love, peace, and liberty, extending to all in Christ Jesus, condemns hatred, war, and bondage." Ap- pealing to their charter, they deelared that they would not lay violent hands upon any who might come among them in love. This remonstrance, bearing the names of twenty-nine of the inhabitants, and of Henry and John Townsend of Jamaica, was carried to New Amsterdam by Tobias Feake, the sehout of Flushing.

Stuyvesant's indignation was instantly aroused. Feake 1658. was arrested ; and Farrington and Noble, two of the mag- 1 January. Magis- trates of istrates, with Hart, the town elerk of Flushing, were sum- Flushing moned to Fort Amsterdam. Noble and Farrington, erav- punished. ing pardon for having subseribed the remonstranee, were forgiven upon promising good behavior; and Hart, its au- 10 January. thor, after three weeks imprisonment, was pardoned upon his humble submission and the intercession of several of 23 January his neighbors. The weight of Stuyvesant's vengeance fell

638

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

CH. XVIII. upon the schout. In the face of the placards of the direct- 1658. or and council, Feake had given lodgings to " that heret- ical and abominable sect called Quakers," and he had been foremost in composing and procuring signatures to "a se- 28 January. ditious and detestable chartabel." He was, therefore, sen- tenced to be degraded from his office, and to pay a fine of two hundred guilders, or be banished. To prevent future disorders " arising from town meetings," Stuyvesant soon afterward determined to modify the municipal franchise which Kieft's patent had assured to Flushing. It was, 26 March. Modifica- tion of Flushing charter. therefore, decreed that seven of the " best, most prudent, and most respectable" inhabitants should be chosen as a " Vroedschap," or board of counselors, with whom the schout and magistrates should consult, and that whatever they might all agree upon respecting the local affairs of the town should be "submitted to by the inhabitants in gen- eral." As there had now been no " good, pious, and ortho- dox" minister there since Doughty's departure for Virginia, the authorities were directed to procure a proper clergy- man, to be supported by a tax of twelve stuyvers on every morgen of land; and all persons who should not submit to this arrangement were to dispose of their property and leave the place .*

15 Jan.

These severe measures against Flushing did not check the spread of Quakerism elsewhere. Henry Townsend, of Rustdorp, undeterred by his former sentence, was again brought before the council, and, confessing that he had dis- regarded the placards of the government, was sentenced to be fined one hundred pounds Flemish. Upon his refusal to pay this fine, Townsend was imprisoned in the dungeon of Fort Amsterdam, until his friends procured his release " by giving the oppressors two young oxen and a horse."

Gravesend. The doctrines of Fox found a welcome reception among the Anabaptists of Gravesend; and John Tilton, its town clerk, convicted of lodging a Quaker woman, was fined twelve Flemish pounds: Viewing the "raising up and propaga-

* Alb. Rec., xiv., 1-68, 169-173, 275 ; xix., 275 ; Sewel's Hist., 217-219; Besse, ii., 182- 184 ; O'Call., ii., 347-353 ; Thompson's L. I., ii., 72-74, 288-292 ; ante, p. 410.

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PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

ting a new, unhcard-of, abominable heresy called Quakers," CH. XVIII. as a sign of God's judgment, the director and council pro- claimed a day of fasting and prayer throughout the prov- 29 Jan. 1658. ince. At Heemstede, where the Presbyterians had already Fast-day proclaimed. shown their zeal against Hodgson, the magistrates, observ- ing many seduced from "the truc worship and service of God," ordained that no person should entertain or have any 13 April. conversation with the people called Quakers. But the per- scouted sectarians, refused admittance into the houses, per- sisted in holding their mectings in the woods. The wives of Joseph Scott and Francis Wecks were presently arraign- 18 April. ed before the village magistrates for attending a conventi- cle, " where there were two Quakers," and were each fined twenty guilders. Symptoms of disaffection also appear- ed at Breuckelen ; and three persons were summoned by 26 March. Tonneman, the schout, for not contributing to the support len. Breucke- of Domine Polhemus. The excuses they pleaded-that they did not belong to the Established Church, and did not understand Dutch-were pronounced " frivolous," and 2 April. cach was fined twelve guilders. These measures against sectarianism and non-conformity were accompanied by an ordinance setting forth that as it had become common for 15 Jan. parties to put off marrying for a long time after their banns respecting Ordinance marriages had been proclaimed, " which is directly in contravention of, and contrary to the excellent order and customs of our Fatherland," all persons must thenceforward be marricd within one month after the proclamation of their banns, un- less they could give a good excuse .*

The beginning of this year was marked by a very im- New Am- portant concession to the citizens of New Amsterdam. Its affairs. sterdam burgomasters and schepens were at last allowed to nom- inate a double number of persons, from whom the new mag- istrates were to be chosen by the director. It was now found that the division of the citizens into two classes pro- duced inconvenience, in consequence of the small number who, by being enrolled as Great burghers, were eligible to

* Alb. Rec., xiv., 12-26, 168-184; New Amst. Rec., i., 79, 80 ; iii., 25, 26, 85-87 ; Cor. Classis Amst. ; Besse, ii., 196, 197 ; Thompson's L. I., ii., 11, 12, 291.

Heemstede.

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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

1658. 28 Jan. Nomina- tion of magis- trates. 31 Jan.

CH. XVIII. office ; and the government was obliged to enlarge that un- popular order. A double list of candidates was then sub- mitted to Stuyvesant, who sent it back the next day, ob- .jecting that it was not properly signed, and that the nom- ination had not been made in the presence of the schout. The informality was corrected; and the director and coun- 2 Feb. cil selected and confirmed the new magistrates from the candidates proposed by the municipal authorities. No con- cession, however, was made respecting a separate schout, which office De Sille continued to fill for two years longer.

Foreign residents.

Fire appa- ratus.

Rattle watch.

Foreign residents had now become so numerous, that the government thought it necessary to order that the procla- mations against smuggling should be translated into French and English. New Amsterdam, however, though its com- mercial prosperity seemed to be assured, was by no means a well-regulated city. Most of its houses were wooden; and the risk of destruction appeared so great, that the burgo- masters and schepens were authorized to demand one bea- ver, or its equivalent, from each householder, to pay for two hundred and fifty leather fire-buckets, to be procured in Holland, and for hooks and ladders. A "rattle watch," to do duty from nine o'clock at night until morning drum- Popular ed- beat, was also established. The education of youth, though ucation. not neglected, had hitherto been imperfect; and volunteer instructors were not regarded with favor. Jacob Corlaer, who had undertaken the duty of a teacher, was interdict- ed by Stuyvesant, notwithstanding the remonstrance of the city authorities, because he had presumed to take the office on himself without authority from the provincial govern- ment. The attention of the West India Company had al- ready been called by Domine Drisius to the advantage of establishing a Latin school at New Amsterdam, and the project had been favorably received., In exhibiting the con- dition and wants of the city to the Amsterdam Chamber, 19 Sept. Latin school de- sired by the people. the burgomasters and schepens represented that the inhab- itants were desirous to have their children instructed in the most useful languages, especially Latin, and were will- ing to build a school-house. As the nearest place where

641

PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

they could send them for classical instruction was Boston, CH. XVIII. they urged that a suitable master of a Latin school should be sent over ; " not doubting but, were such a person here, 1658. many of the neighboring places would send their children - hither." Thus New Amsterdam might "finally attain to an academy, whereby this place arriving at great splen- dor, your honors shall have the reward and praise."*

New Ilaer-

To promote agriculture, and establish " a place of amuse- 4 March. ment for the citizens of New Amsterdam," the government iem. resolved to form a village, to be called " New Haerlem," at the northern part of Manhattan Island, "in the vicinity of the lands of Jochem Pietersen Kuyter, deceased." Large privileges were offered to persons disposed to settle them- selves there; and a good road was to be made, "so that it may be made easy to come hither and return to that vil- lage on horseback or in a wagon." A ferry to Long Isl- Road and and was to be established, so that correspondence with the ferry. English might be encouraged ; a court was to be organ- ized ; and "a good orthodox clergyman" was to be settled as soon as the place should contain twenty-five families. It was more than two years, however, before New Haer- lem contained inhabitants enough to entitle it to the pat- ent which Stuyvesant promised.t

Staten Island and the country in its neighborhood con- Staten Isl- tinued to feel the effects of the Indian massacre of 1655; nd. and Melyn, leaving New Netherland, from the authorities of which he had suffered so much injustice, took an oath of fidelity to the government of New Haven. Van de Ca- 1657. pellen, however, sent out fresh colonists, and endeavored 17 April. to encourage the former settlers to return to their deserted homes. To secure the good-will of the savages, Van Dinck- 10 July. lagen, his agent, repurchased from the sachems of Tappan, ed from the Repurchas Hackinsack, and its neighborhood, their hereditary rights savages. to the whole of the island, which they called "Eghquaous," and concluded with them a treaty of peace and alliance, " with submission to the courts of justice at Hospating,

* Alb. Rec., iv., 268 ; xiv., 65, 87-99, 233 ; New Amst. Rec., i., 73, 74; iii .. 46-54, 87, 88, 230-234, 336-339. t Alb. Rec., vii., 420-422 ; xiv., 130-133, 422 ; xxiv., 368, 369.

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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

CH. XVIII. near Hackingsack, on Waerkimins-Connie, in New Nether- 1657. land." This transaction thwarted the policy of the West India directors, who insisted that all the land titles should pass through them or their provincial authorities. Stuy- vesant was accordingly ordered to declare Van Dinckla- gen's purchase void ; to procure for the company the In- dian title; and then to convey as much land to Van de Ca- pellen as he might require .*

22 Dec.

1658. 30 Jan. Purchase of Bergen, in New Jersey.

Gamoene- pa, or Com- munipa.

In order to hasten the settlement of the country on the west side of the North River, and quiet doubts respecting title, Stuyvesant formally purchased from the Indians all the territory now known as Bergen, in New Jersey, " begin- ning from the great rock above Wiehackan, and from there right through the land, until above the island Sikakes, and from there to the Kill van Col, and so along to the Con- stable's Hook, and thence again to the rock above Wie- hackan." The farmers at "Gamoenepa," or Communipa, who had been forced to desert their settlements in 1655, now petitioned to be restored to their former homes. The director promptly complied with their request; but, to guard against future danger from the savages, required them to concentrate their dwellings, so that a village might eventually be incorporated there.i

20 May. Letter of the West India Com- pany re- specting the I ans.

The West India Company, having now been informed of Stuyvesant's proceedings against Goetwater, approved of what had been done, " though it might have been per- formed in a more gentle way." As the chief reason why the Lutherans wished to separate themselves from the pro- vincial Church was the use of a "new formulary" of bap- tism, it was recommended that the old Liturgy, "adopted in the times of the Reformation," be followed as less offens- Moderation ive; and that more moderate measures should be employ- enjoined. ed, "so that those of other persuasions may not be fright- ened away through such a preciseness in the public Re- formed Church there, but by attending its services may

* Alb. Rec., iv., 225, 258, 259 ; viii., 161 ; O'Call., ii., 425, 426, 575. Van Dincklagen died probably in the autumn or winter of 1657 ; certainly before the 2d April, 1658.

Alb. Rec., xiv., 27, 28, 82, 83 ; New Amst. Rec,, ii., 212 ; iii., 143; Whitehead's East Jersey, 20, 21 ; New Jersey Bill in Chancery, 1745, p. 5 ; ante, p. 537.

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PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

in time be attracted and gained." And in subsequent dis- CH. XVIII. patches the directors, wishing that nothing should be left untried to win the Lutherans "by moderation and forbear- 1658. 19 June. ance," ordered that the " old formulary, word for word," Old formu- lary of bap- · tism.

should be used in the New Netherland churches.

These instructions were communicated by Stuyvesant 19 Auguet. to the Dutch clergymen at New Amsterdam; who, feeling that they were unjustly accused of " too great preciseness," drew up an elaborate defense, which was submitted to the 23 August director and council. The question, however, being one of an ecclesiastical nature, the whole subject was referred to 24 Sept. the Classis of Amsterdam. In their letters to the Classis, tions of the Explana- Megapolensis and Drisius gave an interesting account of at New clergymen the state of religion in the province; and, in view of the dam. Amster- rapid growth of other sects, earnestly entreated that " good Dutch clergymen" should be speedily sent over; as, be- sides themselves, Schaats at Beverwyck, Polhemus at Mid- wout, and Welius at New Amstel, were now the only min- isters of the Reformed Church in New Netherland.

Scarcely had these letters been dispatched before three 30 Sept. persons, "suspected of being Quakers," came over the river from Com- Quakers from Gamoenepa to New Amsterdam, and were brought munipa. before the director and council for examination. Their par- ticular offense seems to have been that they had entered the court with their heads covered. As they had committed no other impropricty, they were merely ordered to be sent back to Communipa. They then asked to be allowed to go to New England. But Stuyvesant, unwilling, perhaps, to offend his Puritan neighbors, peremptorily refused, and warned them not to return to New Amsterdam .*

The Jesuit missions in Western New York had, mean- while, undergone great vicissitudes. Leaving Chaumonot at Onondaga, Dablon returned to Canada to urge the es-

* Alb. Rec., iv., 266, 275, 277 ; xiv,, 223, 369, 405 ; Cor. Cl. Amst .; Letter of Megapo- lensis and Drisius, 24th September, 1658. In another letter of 25th September, Megapo- lensis recommended to the Classis his son Samuel, then "going into his 25th year," who, after studying Latin and English at the " Academy of New England in Cambridge," now went to the Fatherland to complete his education at the University of Utrecht. After taking his degrees in Theology and in Medicine, Samuel was ordained to the ministry, and returned to New Netherland in 1664 ; post, p. 730.

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History of the state of New York Vol I, Part 62

Author: Brodhead, John Romeyn, 1814-1873. 4n Publication date: 1871 Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers Number of Pages: 844

Author: Brodhead, John Romeyn, 1814-1873. 4n
Publication date: 1871
Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers
Number of Pages: 844