Revised History of Harlem (City of New York): Its Origin and Early Annals. : Prefaced by Home Scenes in the Fatherlands; Or Notices of Its Founders Before Emigration. Also, Sketches of Numerous Families, and the Recovered History of the Land-titles, Part 27

Author: Riker, James, 1822-1889
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: New York, New Harlem Pub.
Number of Pages: 926

USA > New York > New York County > Harlem > Revised History of Harlem (City of New York): Its Origin and Early Annals. : Prefaced by Home Scenes in the Fatherlands; Or Notices of Its Founders Before Emigration. Also, Sketches of Numerous Families, and the Recovered History of the Land-titles > Part 27

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But the village plot was expanding and undergoing material changes. On their petition several of the inhabitants were allowed to extend their erven or house-lots, by taking in portions of the streets. For this they were charged from 10 to 15 gl. Two new erven were also laid out on the north side of the "Great Way," and since forming the Judah place. The one adjoining the river was sold to Johannes Vermilye, and that lying next to it, to Robert Le Maire, each for 25 gl. The vacant land to the south of the village, north of lots 1, 2, 3, Van Keulen's Hook, and reserved to the town uses, was also encroached upon ; and a triangular piece in the northwest corner, opposite the erven of Karstens and Cresson (taking its form from the course of the creek), was sold at the above price to Jan Gerritsen De Vries, who built upon and fenced it .*

The work upon the church having been prosecuted at inter- vals, as opportunity and the finances warranted, the building was so far completed by January 30th, 1667, that an allotment of the seats then took place. With the finishing of his work by "Bart the mason," and "the table" which Nelis Matthyssen had been employed to make in its place, the modest structure was now assigned to its double use as a church and school-house; having a convenient loft or second story, from which,-O primi-

of Bruyn Barents, named on page 198. Hage entered the service of Burger Joris, a blacksmith at the Smith's Fly-he who owned a grist mill at Dutch Kills. Seven years later, 1651, Hage bought a house and lot in Smith's Fly, was enrolled in the city burgher corps, and also married Annecke Jans, from Holstein, by whom he had a son, Bruyn, born 1654. In 1661 he married Egbertie Dircks, sister to Nelis Mat- thyssen's wife, and by her had a son, Hermanus, born 1662. His term as miller at Harlem was cut short by his death, in 1668. His city property was sold, in_1670, to Jacob Helliker. Hage's widow married Hendrick Bosch, sword cutler, the Bush an- cestor, who afterward owned land near Harlem. Bruyn Hage spent his youth with his uncle, Dirck Jansen, was taught his trade by his stepfather, and became a "master blacksmith." He married, in 1681, Geesie, daughter of Frederick Schureman, moved to Esopus, bought land in 1683, but died the next year. Two years later, his widow returned with a church letter to New York, where her daughter, Annetie, born 1683. married, 1699, Robert Jacobsen, from Rotterdam.

. This was he later known as Capt. Jan Gerritsen Van Dalsen, ancestor of the Dolsens, of Orange County. The family was from Dalfsen, or Dalsen, a villige near Zwolle, in Overyssel, but Jan, by chance born in Friesland, was distinguished as de Vries, the Friesan or Frieslander; the child's pet name having clung to him up to manhood, The Dutch were much addicted to this mode of disignation, and to the use of nicknames of all sorts.

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HISTORY OF HARLEM.

tive economy !- income was sometimes derived by renting it. But, unpretentious as it was, it suited none the less for the acceptable worship of Him who "dwelleth not in temples made with hands." There was on the church lot (kerk lot) an older house belonging to the town (noticed in 1665), and probably was rented with the latter.

The question had come up of some change in the burial-place, so as to have it extend out from the rear of the kerk-erf, across the back ends of the Le Maire and Vermilye lots to the river ; and the inhabitants being consulted, the following vote was passed on January 5th, when the action was taken for the enlarge- ment of the house-lots: "The worthy court, with the approval of most of the inhabitants, have ordered, that the grave-yard (kerkhof) now shall be behind the erven of Jean Le Roy and Johannes Vermilye."

The only person to object was Le Roy, who, holding the lot here referred to, as agent for Le Maire, and on which was a small tenement that had belonged to the late Jan Cogu, but had been bought and placed there,-came in court, January 25th, and requested that the deacons, Daniel Tourneur and Johannes Verveelen, would be pleased to move his house for him, or that the erf might remain his. But in place of this, Tourneur offered to give him timber sufficient for making a house as large as Cogu's, and Verveelen promised to add 30 gl .; with which Le Roy declared himself satisfied. On May Ist, ensuing, Le Roy sold the lot, "as at present fenced in, excepting the street," to Jan Terbosch, whose wife was sister of Vermilye, the adjoining owner .* On June 14th, ensuing, the town, by agreement with Tourneur, resolved to further enlarge the church-yard (kerk-erf) at the rear, by extending it westerly into his erf or house-lot, "four rods in length, and five in breadth." This left a passage from Tourneur's erf to his lot No. 1, Jochem Pieters. As a consideration they granted Tourneur "the meadows lying along Montagne's Kill, west of the hills, from the rocky point till to the end of the creek on the north side of the said Kill." The hills were Mount Morris, etc .; and the meadows, which lay op- posite Tourneur's land on Montagne's Flat (since of David Wood,

· Terbosch and Le Maire, as also the Ackerman and Storm ancestors, emigrated in the same ship in 1662. (See pp. 93, 96). Terbosch married Rachel, daughter of Isaac Vermilye, June 10, 1663. They had issue, Johannes, born 1665; Catherine, born 1668; Isaac, born 1669; Maria, born 1672; Sarah, born 1674; Johanna, born 1675, and Jacobus, born 1677. Terbosch died soon after, and his widow married Dirck Wessels, May 25, 1679. This family removed up the Hudson. Johannes married at Kingston in 1688. Among the descendants, in Duchess County and elsewhere, this name, like many others, has suffered some change in the mode of spelling it, as Terbos and Terbush.

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HISTORY OF HARLEM.

the Bussings, and others ), were those known later as the Bussing Meadows, in part conveyed, as claimed, to Samson Benson, prior to 1800, and added to his farm.

On the same date, June 14th, 1667, "Jan Montagne was permitted to have, in case of exchange, the church-lot's meadows, lying in the bend of the Hellegat; provided he leave instead a piece of meadow, lying south of the Great Meadow, belonging to Number 1." The Great Meadow was that upon the north side of Sherman's Creek; No. I referred to the lot on Jochem Pieters' Flat which Montagne gave up to the town in 166r. With that nice economy before observed the deacons, the ensuing fall, sowed upon the church lot (kerk lot) "two schepels of rye."*

* The land thus early designated the Kerck lot was that since known as the Church Farm, a part of which is occupied by the present Reformed Church. It lay at the west end of the old gardens, several of which came to be included in it. The Kerck erf, which was distinct from the former, lay at the east end of the old gardens, and was then occupied by the church edifice, being the easterly half of the plot afterward of the Myers, and which Samuel Myer sold to Alexander Phoenix, March 27, 1806, but later known as the Eliphalet Williams plot. The Kerck hof was the more ancient burying place, lying in the rear of the Judah plot, and still remem- bered as the "Negro Burying Ground." The last contained about a quarter of an acre, as conveyed by John De Wit and Catherine, his wife, to John B. Coles, April 7, 1794.

CHAPTER XVI. 1667-1669.

NEW NICOLLS PATENT; THE FERRY ; RUPTURE WITH ARCHER, ETC.

T HE chief event of 1667 was the solving of the knotty ques- tion of their patent. The subject was again thrust upon the freeholders, early in the year, by an order from the governor, directing them to take out confirmations of their Dutch ground- briefs, under his hand and seal. But how comply with this order, when very few of them had groundbriefs? On the other hand, the general patent granted by Governor Nicolls the preceding year was so deficient, that it seemed to some of little more value than so much blank parchment. Out of this dilemma appeared no opening, but in the way of another application to the governor for a general patent which should include all their lands and meadows; and this had the additional advantage, that it would give an opportunity to supply what else was wanting in the former patent. To this proposal the following persons gave their assent, at a meeting held on March 15th :

Daniel Tourneur, Jean Le Roy,

Nicholas De Meyer,

Valentine Claessen,

Resolved Waldron,

Jaques Cresson,

Lubbert Gerritsen, Pierre Cresson,

Johannes Verveelen,

Hendrick Karstens,

Joost Van Oblinus,

Jan La Montagne, Jr.

David Demarest,

A suitable petition was also prepared, and Waldron and Ger- ritsen were chosen to present it, and manage the business It read:

To His Excellency, Col. Richard Nicolls, Deputy Governor :

The inhabitants of the Town of New Harlem, your Excellency's petitioners, would most respectfully represent, that they are informed that a placard has been issued, that each Inhabitant must get his ground- brief renewed within fourteen days, expiring April Ist of this year; and whereas the most of your Excellency's petitioners even till now have no groundbriefs, they therefore pray that your Excellency may please to

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HISTORY OF HARLEM.

grant them a general groundbrief or patent, in accordance with the last survey made by your Excellency's land surveyor, Mr. Hubbard, or other- wise, as your Excellency and wise Council shall find good and proper ; as also that therein may be included the meadow's which are lying at the other side, and belonging to their land.

Your Excellency; Whereas through ignorance of your Excellency's placards, some faults might be committed by your Excellency's petition- ers, they pray that his Honor, the Sheriff, may be charged to send a copy of every proclamation affecting your Excellency's petitioners, so that they may not transgress your Excellency's orders. Herein we await your favorable answer; and meanwhile shall pray God for your Ex- cellency's welfare. Dated New Harlem, 15th March, 1667.

That this matter which vitally affected their landed rights, should be determined and settled, was also demanded by the rapidly increasing value of the soil and the growing importance of the settlement. It now had some considerable dairies. Fifty- eight cows, besides other cattle, daily went forth from the village in care of the new herder, Knoet Mourisse Van Hoesem, who entered upon this service April 15th, and was to continue "till All-Saints' Day, either fourteen days earlier or later, as the winter might set in, or the pasture fail."t

The establishment of the ferry gave a new spur and energy to the village, by the increase of travel this way. Verveelen having fitted up his "ordinary," and provided boats for trans- portation, of which his lusty negro Matthys was put in charge, found a congenial employment and plenty to do to wait upon such as frequented his tavern for entertainment or wanted to be ferried across to or from the Bronckside, or bring over their droves of cattle. On his application, January 25th, the town court had previously fixed the following rates of ferriage, but subject to the approval of the Mayor's Court:

For one person, 4 stivers, silver money; for two, three, or four, each 3 stivers, silver money; for one beast, I shilling; and for more than one, each 10 stivers, silver.

At the corner of the lower street and third crossway, Ver-

. Capt. James Hubbard, of Gravesend, who was a surveyor. We may infer that he had been employed to re-survey for the new patent.

t List of the Cattle that went with the Herder, April 15, 1667: Mr. Delavall. . 2 oxen, 6 cows.

Daniel Tourneur .. 2

Nelis Matthyssen.

Johannes Verveelen. 2

Joost Van Oblinus.

Johannes Pietersz Buys.

Resolved Waldron ... 2

Jan Teunisz v: Tilburg

Isaac Vermilye ..

Jan La Montagne

David Demarest.

Lubbert Gerritsen.

Valentine Claessen.

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HISTORY OF HARLEM.

veelen's tavern hung out its sign-board, its site now on the north line of 123d Street, 300 feet west of First Avenue. Well patron- ized, too, by the lovers of good cheer and goed bier, this is shown by the frequency with which he supplied his vault with goed bier and kleyn bier, Spanish wine and rum; but it would occur sometimes that a cask found its way into the cellar, on which no excise had been paid or charged. This had happened before. On October 5th, 1666, Daniel Verveelen sent his father at Har- lem two half vats of good beer. Allard Anthony, sheriff, hearing of it, visited Harlem the next day, and found the beer at Ver- veelen's house, the excise neither paid nor entered with the col- lector. Verveelen told Anthony he did not known him. An- thony complaind to the Mayor's Court. Verveelen plead ignor- ance, and was found not guilty in regard to the beer. He excused his remark made to Anthony, by saying that he did not know him as schout, but well as sheriff! For this quibble the court fined him 20 gl. sewant, and costs. In the present case the vigil- ant Tourneur discovered something wrong, and accused Ver- veelen of smuggling. Vain were denials or explanations ; the sheriff's deputy at once took proceedings as follows :

Most Honorable Heeren, Overseers of this Town :

Whereas Johannes Verveelen, ordinary-keeper in this town, did on the 6th February wickedly smuggle one-half vat of good beer; on the 18th April, one vat of good beer and one anker of rum; on the 27th of April, one-half vat of good beer; on the 8th May, one-half vat of good beer: on the 27th May, one-half vat of good beer and one anker of rum; all which is contrary to the existing placards on the subject of smuggling, and by the high magistracy approved. Therefore the plaintiff, ex-officio the preserver of the peace, demands that the defendant be condemned in the penalty of twenty-one hundred guilders, according to the placards, together with the costs of prosecution. The 14th June, 1667, in N. Harlem. Yours, Honorable Heeren,

DANIEL TOURNEUR, Deputy Sheriff.

The court ordered this placed in the hands of the defendant, who was given till the 17th to answer it. But two days after it was amicably arranged, Tourneur so far abating his demand as to accept Verveelen's note for 125 gl. in sewant, in settlement of "the beer transaction."

Verveelen seems to have gotten the idea that the costs he had incurred as ferryman and innkeeper entitled him to some exemp- tion from the payment of excise; because the following lease which he presently secured gave him such exemption for a year and silenced all cavil regarding his rights:

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HISTORY OF HARLEM.

At the request of Johannes Verveelen of Harlem, We the Mayor and Aldermen of New York, have sold the Ferry there as followeth :

It is agreed he shall have the Ferry for five years, provided he keep a convenient house and lodging for passengers at Harlem, and he shall have a small piece of land on Bronck-side, about an acre, and a place to build a house on, which he must clear, and not spoil the meadow, which shall be laid out by the Town, which must be a morgen of land ;- and at the end of five years it is to be farmed out, and during the five years he shall pay nothing for it, and in case it shall be let to another, the house shall be valued as it stands, and he must be paid for it; provided he may have the preference of the hiring of it at the time expired. Here followeth what he shall ask for every man passenger or horse or cattle. For every passenger, two pence silver, or six pence wampum. For every ox or cow that shall be brought into his ferry boat, eight pence of twenty-four stivers; and cattle under a year old, six pence or eighteen stivers wampum. All cattle that are swum over pay but half price. He is to take for diet, every man for his meal, eight pence, or twenty-four stivers wampum; every man for his lodging, two pence a man, or six stivers in wampum; every man for his horse shall pay four pence or twenty-four stivers; and cattle under a year old, six pence or the grass be in fence. All men going or coming with a packet from our Governor of New York or coming from the Governor of Connecticut, shall be ferried free. Also in regard the said Verveelen must be at the charge of building a house on each side of the Ferry, the Governor hath freed him from paying any excise for what wine or beer he shall retail in his house for one year after the date hereof. Dated at New York, this 3d day of July, 1667.

THOS DE LAVALL, Mayor.

Beer was the common beverage. At vendues, or in making contracts or settlements, its presence was deemed indispensable to the proper transaction of the business. The magistrates when occupying the bench always had beer brought in, running up a score with the tapster at the public charge. Nor did the ordin- ation of elders and deacons, or funeral solemnities, form an exception. At such times wine and other liquors, with pipes and tobacco, were also freely distributed. Families commonly laid in their beer by the quarter and half vat, or barrel. Such the social habits and customs prevailing among our ancestors, all oblivious as to the evils of the indulgence. Surely time has wrought a good departure from former usage. Much of the beer consumed here was brewed by Johannes Vermilye, while the breweries of Daniel Verveelen, Isaac De Forest, and Jacob Kip, at New York, were also patronized .*

* The Excise Accounts from January 16, to July 22, 1667, charge the following persons, the number of times here noted, with excise on beer, obtained usually by the half or quarter vat: Tourneur and Vermilye always for kleyn bier (small beer). the rest mostly for goed bier ((i. e., strong beer); Hans Lourens, once for one ton of strong beer. The farm hands were good consumers. We omit Verveelen's invoices. Daniel Tourneur, Isaac Vermilye, David Demarest, each 6 charges; Jan La Montagne, Lubbert Gerritsen, Joh. Pietersen Buys, each 4; Nelis Matthysen, Jean Leroy, and "the Indian," each 3; Jan Teunisz Van Tilburg, Jan Lourens Duyts, Hans Lourens, Resolved Waldron, Claes Carstens Norman, each 2, and a single charge against John Archer, Glaude Delamater, Hendrick Karstens, Mark Disosway, Johannes Pelszer, Jaques Cresson, Arent Harmans Bussing, Valentine Claessen, Jan Van Gulck,

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HISTORY OF HARLEM.

Events soon demonstrated the wisdom of the steps taken for securing a general patent. The heirs of the late Matthys Jansen, of Esopus, had obtained from Governor Nicolls, May 23d, 1667, a confirmation of the Papparinamin grant at Spuyten Duyvel. And the summer brought bodings of trouble with John Archer, of Westchester, touching the meadows on that side of the river, opposite Papparinamin, belonging to several inhabitants of Har- lem; and on their complaint the following order was issued :

A Warrant to the Constable of Westchester, about some Meadow Ground claimed by Harlem :

Whereas, I am informed that the Inhabitants of Harlem have, for divers years, mowed their hay in the Meadows on the other side of Harlem River, where John Archer of your town pretends an interest, by virtue of a patent granted for the Yonker's Land to Hugh O'Neale and Mary his wife; These are to require you to warn the said John Archer, that he forbear cutting hay in those Meadows this present season, and likewise that he do not presume to molest those of Harlem, until I shall be fully satisfied of the Titles on both parts, and give my judgment thereupon, to whom of right these Meadows do belong. Given under my hand at Fort James, in New York, this 16th day of August, 1667.

R. NICOLLS.

Shortly after this threatened encroachment by the avaricious Archer, which, however, did not end here, the Harlem freeholders received their town patent, drawn in the following ample terms :*

Richard Nicolls, Esq., Governor-General under His Royal High- ness James Duke of York and Albany, &c., of all his Territories in America; To all to whom these Presents shall come, sendeth Greet- ing. Whereas there is a certain Town or Village upon this Island Man- hatans, commonly called and known by the name of New Harlem,' situ- ate, lying and being on the East part of the Island. now in the tenure or occupation of several of the freeholders and inhabitants, who, being seated there by authority, have improved a considerable proportion of the lands thereunto belonging, and also settled a competent number of families thereupon, capable to make a Township; Now, for a confirmation to the said freeholders and inhabitants in their possession and enjoyment of the premises, as also for an encouragement to them in their further

and Michiel Bastiaensen. It is well that entries such as follows, which occur often in the public accounts, belong to the past:

June 15, 1667, To 47/2 pints Rum, and 15 cans measured Beer, used at the agreement with Verveelen ....... f. 20. Feb. 18, 1678, To one anker Good Beer, dispensed when Do. Nieuwenhuysen was here to ordain the deacon.f. 7 : 10 Sept. 9, 1688, To Rum at his funeral .. .f. 7

The last one is among the charges "for the burial of a stranger who died at Cornelis Jansen's." Jan Tibout (voorleser) is allowed f. 12, "for an address to his credit."

· Recorded in original book of Patents, Sec. of State's Office, Albany, in Liber 4. p. 60. The date is there given as 1666, but a palpable error; since October 11, in the 19th year of Charles II., was 1667, and, moreover, the date is correctly recited in several later documents including Dongan's Patent. From a scrutiny of the record it would appear that the date was omitted when the patent was recorded, and care- lessly entered afterward. The names of the three patentees are also written Ver- veelen, Turner, Oblene; but we count these in with other clerical blunders, and cor- rect them from their own autographs.

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HISTORY OF HARLEM.

improvement of the said lands; Know ye, That by virtue of the com- mission and authority unto me given by His Royal Highness, I have given, ratified, confirmed and granted, and by these Presents do give, ratify, confirm and grant unto Thomas Delavall, Esq., John Verveelen. Daniel Tourneur, Joost Oblinus and Resolved Waldron, as Patentees for and on the behalf of themselves and their associates the freeholders and inhabitants of the said Town, their heirs, successors and assigns, All that tract, together with the several parcels of land which already have or hereafter shall be purchased or procured for and on the behalf of the said Town within the bounds and limits hereafter set forth and expressed, viz .: That is to say, from the West side of the fence of the said Town line being run due West four hundred English poles, without variation of the compass, and at the end thereof another line being drawn across the Island North and South, with the variation, That is to say, North from the end of a certain piece of meadow ground commonly called the Round Meadow,* near or adjoining unto Hudson's or North River, and South to the place where formerly stood the Saw Mill, over against Verkens or Hog Island in the Sound or East River, shall be the Western bounds of their lands; And all the lands lying and being within the said line to draw North and South as aforesaid Eastward to the end of the Town and Harlem River, or any part of the said River on which this Island doth abut, and likewise on the North and East Rivers within the limits aforementioned described, doth and shall belong to the said Town, As also four lots of meadow ground upon the Main, marked with Number 1, 2, 3, 4, lying over against the Spring,t where a passage hath been used to ford over from this Island to the Main, and from thence hither, With a small island, commonly called. Stoney Island, lying to the East of the Town and Harlem River, going through Bronck's Kill by the Little and Great Barne's Islands, upon which there are also four other lots of meadow ground, marked with No. 1, 2, 3, 4, Together with all the soils. creeks, quarries, woods, meadows, pastures, marshes, waters, lakes, fish- ing, hawking, hunting and fowling, and all other profits, commodities. emoluments and hereditaments to the said lands and premises within the said bounds and limits set forth belonging or in anywise appertaining. And also freedom of commerce for range and feed of cattle and horses further West into the woods upon this Island as well without as within their bounds and limits. To have and to hold all and singular the said lands, island, commonage, hereditaments and premises, with their and every of their appurtenances, and of every part or parcel thereof, unto the said Patentees and their associates, their heirs, successors and assigns, to the proper use and behoof of the said Patentees and their associates, their heirs, successors and assigns forever. And I do hereby likewise ratify, confirm and grant unto the said Patentees and their as- sociates, their heirs, successors and assigns, all the rights and privileges

. Moertje Davids' V'ly, or Mother Davids' Meadow, was the name by which this meadow was known ten years later; the word Vly (now usually written Fly, which gives its English sound) being a contraction of valley, the Dutch term for meadow. It was the identical meadow named in Kuyter's grant, and lay just within the bay or clove at Manhattanville: and it was to distinguish it from another Round Meadow (that at Sherman's Creek, called in the original allotments the Great Meadow) that it received the name Moertje Davids' Meadow. This name was singularly derived from the larger meadows so called lying upon the opposite side of the Hudson, in Bergen County, and annexed to "Moertje David's Plantation." Often referred to in the history of the town, our Moertje Davids' Fly has notoriety as a landmark, not only in connection with the Harlem patent line, but with the Battle of Harlem Plains. The perversion to Murdanies, Mordanis, etc., (see N. Y. Cal. of Land Papers, 16, and Winfield's Land Titles, 129), has obviously come by clipping the first word, and mistak- ing the v (often formed as u, in old writings) for an n.

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Revised History of Harlem (City of New York): Its Origin and Early Annals. : Prefaced by Home Scenes in the Fatherlands; Or Notices of Its Founders Before Emigration. Also, Sketches of Numerous Families, and the Recovered History of the Land-titles, Part 27

Author: Riker, James, 1822-1889 Publication date: 1904 Publisher: New York, New Harlem Pub. Number of Pages: 926

Author: Riker, James, 1822-1889
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: New York, New Harlem Pub.
Number of Pages: 926