USA > New York > Queens County > Flushing > History of the town of Flushing, Long Island, New York > Part 5
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1633
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him, by the Duke of York, provided for a General Assembly to consist of eighteen representatives of the freeholders of the Province. Laws passed by this body were to be subject to the approval of the Governor. Even after receiving his approval, they might be rejected by the Duke. Yet they were to be "good and binding," pending his action. The first meeting of this first representative body in New York, under English rule, was held in New York, October 17, 1683. Among the other laws passed, was one which divided the Province into counties. This abolished Yorkshire, with its three ridings, and established the county lines on Long Island as they exist to-day. All towns were required to renew their patents. Flushing and Hempstead made large grants of Land to Governor Dongan and thereby obtained advantage- ous patents. Flushing conveyed to him four hundred acres of land, extending south of Success Pond to the edge of Hemp- stead Plains. Hempstead gave him two hundred acres. This splendid property constituted the Manor of Queens Village. 3
1684
The last Indian deed for land in Flushing, is dated April 14, 1684. The deed is made by Sackapowsha and other Indians, who are described as "the true owners and propri-
3 When Dongan resigned the governorship, he retired to his farm on Long Island. On the usurpation of office by Leisler, Dongan was compelled to leave the country. He afterwards became Earl of Limerick.
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etors of all the land." These Indians "sell, for good rea- sons, " this land, "unto Elias Doughty, Thomas Willett, John Bowne, Matthyas Harvey, Thomas Hickes, Richard Cornell, John Hinchman, Jonathan Wright and Samuel Hoyt-who were the agents of the freeholders of the town. The Indians reserved "the priviledge of cutting bulrushes forever, within said tract. "4
The Duke of York became King James II. New York, 1685 therefore, became a royal province, under the supervision of the Committee on Foreign Plantations. The General Assem- bly was abolished. On the twenty-third of April, James was proclaimed sovereign of the Province. New instructions were issued to Governor Dungan. These instructions gave the Church of England the same position in New York, that it had always occupied in the mother country. "Ye shall take special care,"-said the Governor's instructions-"that God Almighty be devoutly and duly served throughout your Government; the Book of Common Prayer, as it is now established, read each Sunday and holiday ; and the Blessed Sacrament administered according to the rites of the Church of England; . .. that no minister be preferred by you to any ecclesiastical benefice, in that our Province, without a certificate from the most Reverend, the Lord Archbishop of
1686
4 Mandeville, p. 29.
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Canterbury, of his being conformable to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, and of good life and conversation. "5 While the Church of England thus became the established Church of the Province, liberty of conscience was secured to persons of all creeds. The Governor was directed, to "permit all persons, of what religion soever, quietly to inhabit within your government, without giving them any disturbance or disquiet whatever, for or by reason of their differing opinions in matters of religion ; Provided they give noe disturbance to the public peace, nor doe dis- quiet others in the exercise of their religion. "6
1687
The new militia law made all men, who refused to train, liable to a fine. A refusal to pay this fine was punishable . by a seizure of goods. The Quakers refused to train, re- fused to pay the fine. When their goods were seized to satisfy the fines, they complained that they were deprived of the liberty of conscience that had been promised them, . by the Royal Instructions. 7 This explains the many cases of Quakers' being mulcted of their property. They were not cases of unreasonable cruelty, but of enforced payment of fines. A militia was necessary for the protection of life and
5 Documents, III. 36, 372.
6 Documents, III, 218, 359, 373.
7 Documentary History, III, 607 et 8q.
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property. The authorities thought all the colonists should contribute to its maintenance.
1688
James II. had already united all the New England col- onies under one Governor-Sir Edmond Andros, New York's former Governor. This policy of consolidation was now extended to New York, New Jersey and all the territory between Passamaquoddy Bay and Delaware Bay, except Pennsylvania. These united colonies became the "Territory and Dominion of New England in America." Andros was now appointed Governor of this enlarged New England. 8 He was assisted in the government by a Council of forty- two, appointed by the King from the several colonies. No seat of government was named: the Governor and seven members of the Council could, at any time and at any place, make laws. 9 In these new instructions, nothing was said about the ecclesiastical supremacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Bishop of London.
But the reign of James was short. William, Prince of Orange, invaded England, in the autumn of the year 1688. On the twenty-third of February, 1689, William and Mary were formally proclaimed King and Queen of England. This revolution in England threw the American colonies
1689
- 8 Brodhead 11, 501.
9 Brodhead II, 505.
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into confusion. An insurrection broke out in Boston, which resulted in the imprisonment of Andros. In New York Lieutenant Governor Nicholson and other officials appointed by James were accused of being Papists. Nicholson declined to proclaim the new king, until he should receive orders to do so. The people became impatient and mutinous.
Jacob Leisler, a native of Germany, had come to New Netherland. as a soldier, about thirty years before this date. He was now a rich merchant, and Captain of the militia. In him was found a ready leader of the insurrection against Nicholson. Fort James was seized and its name was . changed to Fort William. Nicholson, deprived of power, sailed for England. William and Mary were proclaimed King and Queen, in New York, on June twenty-second. Six days later, Leisler summoned a convention. Flushing sent two representatives, though the majority of the inhabitants of Queens County appear to have opposed his usurpation. This convention appointed Leisler "Captain at the Fort at New York" and thus started him on his short but despotic reign. 10
1690
The inhabitants of the towns of Flushing, Hempstead, Jamaica, and Newtown directed Capt. John Clapp to write
10 Brodhead II, 564-591.
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to the King's secretary an account of their miserable con- dition, stating that Leisler and his officials had been seizing and selling their property because they declined to obey him; that these same officials had stripped their wives and daughters of their apparel, had shot and wounded English- men, and then sequestered and sold their estates. 11
Colonel Henry Sloughter was appointed Governor of New York. He arrived in New York, March 19, 1691. Leisler 1691 was arrested, convicted of treason and murder, and was executed on May sixteenth. 12
11 Brodhead II, 626.
12 Gov. Sloughter, died June 16, 1691, and was suc- ceeded by Colonel Benjamin Fletcher, in August, 1692. Fletcher was recalled in 1695, and Richard Earl of Bellomont was appointed to succeed him, in 1698. Among the Council of Bellomont we find the names of Thomas Willett and John Lawrence-presumably from Flushing. Bellomont died March 5, 1701.
Governor Bellomont wrote to the Lords of Trade, in 1699, that "a great many. men in that county (Queens) pretend themselves Quakers to avoid taking the oaths," but that these same pretended Quakers "got very drunk and swore and fought bloodily."
CHAPTER X
QUAKERS IN FLUSHING.
1692 Peace being once more restored, the inhabitants of Flushing had an opportunity to turn their attention to re- ligious affairs. Up to this date, there had been no building in Flushing devoted to public worship. The Friends were the only people who held regular services, and they met in private houses. The society had now become large enough to justify it in building a public meeting-house. Three 1694 acres of land, together with a dwelling-house, were pur- chased for £40; and the Meeting-House was built. 1
1 Following are the principal dates and facts connected with the Friends' meeting-house : 1692, the ground was pur- chased ; 1694, the meeting-house built; 1696, the first yearly meeting was held in the new meeting-house; 1704, the meeting-house was shingled, plastered and repaired ; 1707, a complaint was recorded that the monthly meetings were "cumbered with people having no business there," and that "children and young people disturbed the meeting by frequently running in and out ;" 1716, orders were given for a new meeting-house; 1719, the new meeting-house was completed ; 1707, Samuel Haight made the remainder of the
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The census, which was taken toward the close of the seventeenth century, reveals the fact that the town of Flushing had, at that time, five hundred and thirty white inhabitants and one hundred and thirty negroes. 2 Among the inhabitants, at that early date, may be found names of families that are to-day represented by many descendants in Flushing.
In the journals of Roger Gill and Thomas Story -- travel- 1699 to ling Quaker preachers-we find frequent mention of visits to Flushing. where they were hospitably entertained and where they held satisfactory meetings. Thus Roger Gill 1703
front fence, hung the gate and provided a lock for it: during the same year John Farrington was engaged. at £2 a year, to make fires: 1748, Samuel Bowne and John May sat in the gallery, during the yearly meeting, to keep order; 1752. complaint was recorded that the yearly meeting was much disturbed by "the rude and unchristian practice" of many who attended : 1760, "Thomas Franklin got an iron stove for the meeting-house ;" 1763. the gallery was taken down, the second story was built and divided into two rooms; school was kept in one of these upper rooms ; 1773, Rebecca Walsh was engaged to build fires, at £1.10 per annum, and John Eagles was paid three shillings for mending the bellows: 1776, the meeting-house was occupied by the Royal army as prison, barracks, hospi- tal, store-house : the fence was used for fire wood; 1783, the meeting-house was repaired and restored to its original use ; the ground was rented for £3 a year, the grass being reserved for the horses of Friends who attended yearly meet- ing; 1794, yearly meeting was transferred to Westbury. Onderdonk's Friends on Long Island and in New York, pp. 94, 95.
2 Appendix, III.
1698
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writes : "June 24, 1699. Lodged at John Rodman's. 3 Next day we went down the sound, in a sloop of John Rodman's, to Flushing ... We lodged that night at Thomas Steven- son's. Aug. 25, we lodged at Samuel Bound's. So Friends received us very joyfully, and were glad that we were come. Aug. 31, From thence to Flushing (5th day) to Samuel Bown's. This day we held a meeting at Flushing. A good and large and lively meeting it was."
From the journal of Thomas Story, we cull the follow- ing: "Aug. 30, 1699. After this we went with Samuel Bowne and his wife to Flushing, where. we had a glorious meeting next day . . . Jan. 28, 1700. We went by water to Flushing, where the Lord gave us a good and comfortable meeting ; and then rested at Samuel Bown's until the 30th . . . Feb. 1, 1700. I was at the monthly meeting at Flushing, where several marriages were presented, and the countenance of the Lord was over us for good . . . July 29, 1702. Returned to Flushing; the next day I was at their week-day meeting, which was hard and shut up, at first, but ended comfortably; and on the 31st, I visited several families and returned in the evening to Samuel Bowne's
3 John Rodman was a physician and Quaker preacher in Flushing for about forty years. He died October 7, 1713, aged 78 years, "He did abundance of good . . . A man beloved by all sorts of people." Record of Men's Meeting.
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where, next day, I wrote divers letters. Thence crossed the Sound . . .. March 16, 1703. I was at Flushing week-day meeting, to which came some strangers. The meeting was very open and bright, and many truths of the Gospel were declared in the authority of it, to their satisfaction. "4
Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, was appointed Governor of New York in 1702.5 Cornbury was probably the most thoroughly disliked of all the Governors of New York. He was conspicuous for his zeal for the Church of England ; but was more conspicuous for his unjust extortion and reckless expenditure of the colonists' money. 6 It was sometimes doubted whether he was entirely sane. He was fond of masquerading in women's clothes, and "was fre- quently seen in the evening in this costume, strolling about on the ramparts of the fort, with a fan in his hand." A portrait of him, which represents him in this dress, is still preserved in England. 7
The first year of Lord Cornbury's term of office was marked by the first appearance in Flushing of a Church of
4 Onderdonk's Quakers of Hempstead. Onderdonk's Quakers on Long Island und in New York.
5 King William died in 1702. His queen, Mary, was already dead. Mary's sister, Anne, succeeded to the throne of England. She appointed Cornbury, who was her uncle. 6 Roberts' New York, I, 228-231.
7 Men, Women and Manners of Colonial Times, II, 104, 105.
1702
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England clergyman. He was the Rev. George Keith, a missionary sent out by the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." Keith had formerly been a Friend and, as a travelling minister, had visited the yearly meetings of the Friends in Flushing. He, however, became dissatisfied with the doctrines of the Friends and took orders in the Church of England. The recently organized Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, sent him as a missionary to the American colonies. The Rev. John Tal- bot, chaplain of the war-ship which brought him to Amer- ica, became his travelling companion and assistant. 8
Keith's journal, published four years later, gives us an account of his visit to Flushing, on September 24, 1702. Arriving in the village, he proceeded to the Quaker meeting which was in session. "After some time of silence, " he stood up "in the gallery, where their speakers use to stand when they speak, " and began his address. He was recog- nized, and his presence was resented. He says: "I was so much interrupted by the clamour and noise that several Quakers made, forbidding me to speak, that I could not proceed." One of the Quakers spoke for an hour. His discourse, in the judgment of Keith, "was a ramble of non- sense and perversion of Scripture, with gross reflections both
8 History of St. George's Parish, p. 5, 6.
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on the Church and the Government. " Keith was accused of violating the Act of Toleration and was ordered out of the house. He maintained that it was a house for public religious meetings, and that all had a common right to it ; if the Quakers should put him out, he could prosecute them. Moreover, since they appealed to the Act of Toler- ation, he inquired whether they had fulfilled the require- ments of that act, by having their meeting-house licensed. The Act further required their preachers to sign thirty- four of the Thirty-nine Articles. Had they done this? They changed their line of argument and accused him of preaching for money, not for love. He replied that travel- ling Quaker preachers received pay, both from Friends in London and from the meetings they visited. He himself had received pay from that very meeting. He was then accused of misappropriating money entrusted to him. This he denied.
On the third of December, Keith returned to Flushing, armed with a letter from Lord Cornbury, and protected by two justices of the peace. He read the letter, without effect, in the meeting-house. The Quakers again brought up the Act of Toleration, and Keith again turned it against them. They then said it did not apply to the American colonies. The Quakers tried to talk him down. He remained to hear
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three of their speakers, though, he says: "It was very grievous to us to hear such nonsense. "9
Whether the Church of England service was at this time established in Flushing, as a result of the visit of Keith and Talbot, it is impossible to state.
Between these two visits of Keith and Talbot-viz., on the 29th of November, 1702-the meeting-house in Flushing was the scene of another disturbance. Samuel Bownas. a Quaker preacher from England, was accused by William Bradford10 of having, at a meeting recently held in Hemp- stead, spoken with contempt of the Church and her Sacra- ments. Bradford's deposition was supported by a similar one, made by Richard Smith. A warrant was issued for Bownas's arrest. This was accomplished in Flushing. We shall allow Bownas to tell nis own story. "On the twenty- ninth of the same month, [November, 1702] I was at Flush- ing on Long Island, it being the Half-yearly Meeting, which
9 Journal of Travels.
10 William Bradford came to America with William Penn, in 1658, and set up a printing press in Philadelphia. He was a Quaker, but left the Society and joined the Church of England. This threw him out of sympathy with the authorities in Philadelphia. In 1693, he was invited to come to New York. Here he set up the first press in the Province, and was appointed public printer. In 1725 he established the New York Gazette, the first paper published in the Province. He died in 1752 and was buried in Trinity Churchyard.
.
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was very large, Keith being expected there. When the meeting was fully set, the High Sheriff came with a very large company, who were all armed : some with guns, others pitchforks, others swords, clubs, halberts, etc. as if they should meet with great opposition in taking a poor harmless sheep out of the flock. The Sheriff, stepping up into the gallery, took me by the hand, and told me I was his pris- oner. 'By what authority?' said I; he pulled out his warrant and showed it me. I told him that warrant was to take up Samuel Bowne, and my name was not Samuel Bowne, but that Friend's name is so, pointing at the Friend by me. 'We know him,' said he, 'this is not the man, but you are the man : pray then what is your name?' 'That.is a question which requires consideration, whether proper to answer or not, for no man is bound to answer to his own prejudice ; the law forces none to accuse himself.' Thus we pro'd and con'd a little time, and I got up from my seat, and John Rodman, Samuel Bowne, and sundry other Friends, walked out of the meeting, it not being proper to discourse there at that time; and they, on conversing with the Sheriff, who in his nature was a very moderate man, having known Friends in England, easily prevailed on him to stay the meeting, with all his retinue, and afterwards they would consider what was best to be done. They will-
-
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ingly laid down their arms on the outside of the door, and came in, which increased the throng very much."11
Bownas was allowed to remain undisturbed, until the days of the Half-yearly Meeting had passed. He was then taken to Jamaica for examination. Refusing to give bond, or to allow any of his friends to do so, he was commmitted to jail. Among others, one of the justices of the peace offered to be surety for him, but Bownas would not allow it-preferring to go to jail. To follow the fortunes of Bow- nas, would take us too far afield. During his imprisonment, he supported himself by making shoes. After a year's im- prisonment, he was set at liberty. 12
The Friends took the initiative in Flushing, in two great works of beneficence, i. e. education, and the freeing of slaves. In 1703. 5th. of 6th. mo., the meeting decided : "A schoolmaster being judged necessary for the town of Flushing, it is thought fit by this meeting that Samuel Hoyt and Francis Doughty do seek out for a convenient piece of ground, to purchase it and build a school-house thereon, for the use of Friends, about Richard Griffin's lot
₹
11 Life of Samuel Bownas, in the Friends Library, III, 25.
12 Bownas again visited Flushing, in 1726, "The meet- ing of ministers and elders was of good service, among them were some young ministers ; and at this Quarterly Meeting we had a solid time, a large appearance of young Friends of both sexes being there." Life, p. 56.
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upon the cross way, which is near the centre of the town. "13 This school-house was probably built, though we find no record of the fact. Six years later, however, we find this record : "Thomas Makins, schoolmaster hath signified to this meeting his willingness to sit with his scholars in the meeting and take care of them, which the meeting think well of, and desire him as much as may be to bring all Friends' children with him on Fifth day, and also unto the meeting-day appointed for the youth's meeting."14 These > youth's meetings were held on the last Tuesday in Febru- ary, May, August, and November. 15 Though not held on Sunday, these youth's meetings seem to be the beginning of the modern Sunday School idea, i. e. a special season for the religious instruction of the young. The first school held on Sunday was also conducted by Friends. It began about 1819 and was devoted to the education of negro children, in the elementary branches of secular learning. 16
The first agitation of the subject of slavery appears to have been at a meeting held in Flushing, in 1716, when the
13 Minutes of Meetings, I, 2.
14 Minutes of Meetings, I, 54.
15 Manuscript History of the Society of Friends in Queens County, H. Onderdonk, Jr., p. 139.
16 Mandeville, p. 713.
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subject was brought up by John Farmer. It occupied the attention of Friends for four subsequent yearly meetings. In 1718. William Burling, of this meeting, published an address on slavery. which is probably the first anti-slavery publication in this country. 17
The traditional history of the Flushing Meeting-House does not agree with that to be gathered from the original records. On the third day of the ninth month, 1693, orders were given to cut the timber and have it ready for "raising" in the next first month, i. e. January 1694. The first meet- ing was held in the Meeting House on the fourth day of the eighth month, 1694. 18 This is one year earlier than the tra- ditional date. But the Meeting House then built was not
17 Manuscript History, p. 153-155. The Friends in Flush- ing had not always opposed slavery. We have at least one instance of the meeting's raising money to enable an impe- cunious Friend to buy a slave. In 1684, John Adams bought a negro and was not able to pay for him. His "neces- sity" was laid before the meeting, on the 14th. of 8th. mo. "The meeting did appoint and desire John Bowne of fflush- ing and William Ricardson of West Chester to take ye charge in behalf of ye meeting, to procure the sum of money . the meeting doeth promise and Engage to ReImburs . and pay the said sumb soe procured." Minutes of Meetings.
18 On the 28th of 9th. mo. 1702, Samuel Haight was paid £50 for the money he had "layd out" in building the Meeting-House.
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the one which now stands. It is sad thus to disturb a fond tradition, and to deprive our Meeting-House of its claim to so great antiquity, but the records seem to show that the present building was not erected until 1718 or 1719. We give in full the entries concerning this subject: "At a Quarterly Meeting at ye meeting-house at Westbury ye 23d. 12mo., 1716-7. It is Concluded at this meeting, Unani- mously, that ye meeting house proposed to be built at fflushing upon friends land there, neare ye Ould Meeting, be left to Hugh Cowperthwait, Samuel Bowne, francis Dowtey, James Jackson; for Westbury: William Willis, Nathaniell Jonson, John Titus, Jeremiah Williams, Thomas Percon ; for Newtown : Robert ffeald ; for New Yorke : Joseph Lathem; for West Chester: Jeremiah Hunt; and that the men above said shall have power to form ye said house and agree with workmen and carrey it on, according to their discression and Receave ye seaverall subscription to pay said workmen." This building was completed sometime before the close of 1719. At the Quarterly Meeting held on the 28th of 9th month, 1719, the following minute was recorded : "Inasmuch as mention hath bene mad that severall men are out of what may be dew them about building of ye meeting house at fflushing, there for ye meeting hath appointed James Jackson, Francis Dowtey, Robert ffeld, William Bur-
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ling, Nathanael Simens and John Rodman to in spect ye accoumpts a bout ye dis bursement and what Remains yet Unpaid, and give accoumpt to ye next Quarterly Meeting. "19
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