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 46
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On Thursday, April 15th, the people had gathered around the Lord's table for the last time in that humble but hallowed sanctuary where, through their early struggles, they had sought and found inward strength and comfort. The collection was large and significant, being 24 florins. The work upon its suc- cessor was pushed forward so rapidly. that on Thursday, Sep- tember 30th, Dominie Selyns preached the first sermon in the new church, and administered the Lord's Supper. A liberal collection, 22 florins, was taken up. This item is also recorded, "1686. Septemb. 30th, to bread and wine, 12 florins 10 stivers." Before the people separated they took the opportunity to nomi- nate new town officers: those appointed being sworn in, at New York, on the 2d of November. They were Jan Hendricks Van Brevoort. constable, and Jan Dyckman, Lawrence Jansen, and Isaac Delamater, magistrates. On November 4th the constable and magistrates resolved that the churchyard (kerckof) should be inclosed with clapboards, within the ensuing two months.
The secretary, Tibout, on December 13th, made up the ac- counts for the building of the church, and a glance at which will show their way of doing things. Jan Hendricks Van Brevoort offsets his pledge of 100 florins, by the following work done, materials furnished, etc.
13th December. Jan Hendricks van Brevoort, Credit.
For stone broken and drawn to the church f. 30 : 0
.. timber cut and drawn to the church. "
14 : 15
.. 300 shingles, delivered at the church, 7 gls. the hundred. 21 : 0
.. making lath 6 : 5
10 ton lime, I gl. 10 st. per ton. 15 : 0
payment of masons, carpenters, and laborer. 17 : 18
Essentially the same are the credits to Daniel Tourneur. Jan Dyckman. Isaac Delamater. Cornelis Jansen, Jan Delamater, Barent Waldron, Laurens Jansen, Adolph Meyer, Jan Nagel,
· Jan Delamater has credit, January 15, 1687, "Aen een ketel tot de haen van de toorn f. 9." Schult Boeck (or Ledger), page 74.
406
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
Joost Van Oblinus, Arent Harmans Bussing, and Resolved Waldron, most of whom exceeded the amount of their pledges. Others did less as they were able .* On the same date Barent Waldron, in presence of the court and community, accounted for the moneys he had disbursed for nails, stone, and other things, and which amounted to 576 florins. Resolved Waldron was given credit for 12 florins, and Jan Delamater, Adolph Meyer, and Laurens Jansen, each 6 florins, all "earned at the bent timber."
Mr. John Delavall being in arrears, Tibout and Dyckman were sent to "the Manhattans," to see him about it. His in- debtedness, as made out December 13th, was, "for stone, tim- ber, lime, and morgen money, 236 florins; for 2 years' salary of voorleser, 95 florins ; for quit rent, 32 florins." Having embraced Quaker principles, Delavall had scruples as to paying toward the church or voorleser, and had rather submit to a distraint upon his goods. So the town by its constable, Brevoort, levied on 61 schepels of wheat belonging to him, in the hands of Laurens Jansen, Adolph Meyer, Jan Delamater, and said Brevoort, then the lessees of Delavall's lands.
The voluntary subscription being insufficient, a tax was laid of 2 guilders on the morgen, and afterward, on February 24, 1687, an additional tax of 8 stivers per morgen. A special con- tribution was made up for glazing the windows. The people brought in their wheat to the town house, depositing it in the loft ; others delivered it to the mechanics or at the sawmill, in payment for boards and plank, receiving credit therefor in their accounts .* Jan Delamater paid to the laborer (opperman) a remnant of wheat left in his hands, after the last payment of the town's quit rent, three schepels, amounting to 18 guilders. Constable
* Arent Harmans has credit in the church accounts: f. 1 : 0 "Jan. 15, 1686-7, For riding stone to the city of New York. . 2 schepels wheat. .. 12 : 0."
It would have been extraordinary, a departure from the universal practice in Fatherland, had the builders omitted to place over the portal of the church the usual inscription, giving the date of its erection, with perhaps a scripture text in Dutch. Over the entrance to the church in the fort they had often read: "Ao, Do. MDCXLII. W. Kieft, Dr. Gr. Heeft de Gemeenten dese Temple doen Bouwen." It could hardly have failed to be imitated, and this, we think, explains the credit to Arent Bussing; one florin for taking the stone to New York, to be cut, and twelve florins, paid for it.
* 1687/s the 25th February; List of those who have paid to Adolph Meyer, Con- stable, for the glass at the church:
Adolph Meyer .. f. 14 Jan Louwe Bogert f.
9 Arent Harmans.
Jan Dyckman.
9 Pieter Van Oblinus. .. 9 Jacqueline Tourneur 9
Jan Nagel .. 9 Joost Van Oblinus. 9
Jan H. Brevoort. 9 Cornelis Jansen. 9
Maria Vermelje. ..
9 Laurens Jansen .. 9
Resolved Waldron 9 Jan Delamater .. 9
Barent Waldron .. 9 Isaac Delamater 9
Johannes Waldron
9 Samuel Waldron 9
9 Johannes Vermelje.
Jacques Tourneur 9
14 Daniel Tourneur. 9
407
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
Brevoort afterward paid him 2 schepels, or 12 guilders, and the balance of his wages, 35 guilders, on February 24th, 1687. To Jerome van Bommel, of New York, "smith," was paid 126 florins. At this date the new patent had also been paid for, and the mechanics gave time on their bills. The 14th of March, 1688, the sum of 528 florins yet due the masons (their contract was 600 florins) was paid to Stoutenburgh, by Barent Waldron. William Hellaker had received "for the building of the church," from Jan Dyckman 45 florins 12 stivers, from Constable Bre- voort 153 florins, from Jan Louwe Bogert 125 florins, and from Adolph Meyer, Constable, 275 florins. At a final reckoning with him March 14th, 1689, there was found due him a balance of 163 florins 13 stivers, which included 12 florins 5 stivers, for extras, over and above the contract ; and on April 16th, Barent Waldron was authorized to pay this balance from funds in his hands. Besides the work done by the people themselves, and the materials they furnished, the church cost them over 2600 guilders. It was spacious and substantial, but obviously of the plainest finish, according thus with the simple tastes and strictly utilitarian ideas of the builders, of which the following item from the deacon's book for 1687, is quite suggestive: "July 21, gave to the Smith for making of a bolt, also a latch, for the church, 8 guilders." During the first year of its occupancy, the collections amounted to 171 guilders 4 stivers, averaging 3 guilders 5 stivers per Sabbath .*
* The Reformed Church .- It was three-fourths of a century after the new church was built before the congregation secured a pastor to live among them. The ministry of Dominie Selyns seems to have gone smoothly till the breaking out of the Leisler troubles, in 1680. The Dutch at Harlem, and with them Tibout, the voorleser, gen- erally approved Leisler's course. Selyns took the opposite ground, and this caused an alienation. It went so far that after the celebration of the Lord's Supper, October 9, 1600, the arrangement with Selyns was broken off, and this ordinance suspended here for a series of years. Tibout had closed his services on preparation day, April 23. 1690. Selyns, in writing to the Classis of Amsterdam, says Harlem had fallen off. "under the idea that they can live without ministers or sacraments." The church had been much afflicted in the loss of several of its old members, Cornelis Jansen, Jan Nagel and Mrs. Maria Kip, formerly Montagne, all in 1689, and Resolved Wal- dron and Daniel Tourneur in 1690. Repairs were needed on the church and church yard, and, on September 13. 1600, Joost Van Oblinus and Adolph Meyer were chosen church masters to superintend this work. The Sunday services were kept up, how- ever, without interruption; for the first year under the lead of Guiliaem Bertholf. who came here from New Jersey as voorleser, and began serving April 24, 1690. He also acted as town clerk at Harlem, but performed his last service here as voorleser, September 13, 1691, Tibout resuming his old place the next Sabbath. (See note page 77.) 'Tibout continued to serve the Harlem church six, if not eight years, when he entered on a term of service at Bushwick. The breach with Selyns had meanwhile been healed; indeed, his labors here had never been wholly suspended. A young man. named Adrian Vermuele. from Vlissengen, in Zeeland, bringing a church letter addressed to "Henry Selyns, Minister of Harlem and York, in America," was now engaged to fill Tibout's place as voorleser, etc., and entered upon his duties November 4. 1699. Judging from his penmanship, he was a scholar; the town immediately built "a new house. as a dwelling for the voorleser, and as a school and town house," heside repairing the church; and that the latter might be taken out of the control of popular meetings. and placed directly under the church officers, a deed was secured, November 2. 1690. from "all the residents or proprietors of the town," conveying "the church" to the consistory: but those who helped build the church to retain their seats. We have not seen this deed, but only the record by the clerk of its having
408
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
Coeval with the church enterprise, was another looking to the opening of a new section of the township to the plough and hus- bandman, and to the ultimate increase of the town revenues. Midway of the long range of heights stretching from Moertje Davids Fly to Sherman's Creek, and not far below Fort Wash- ington, was an Indian clearing known as the Great Maize Land. This was now leased to Capt. Jan Gerritsen van Dalsen and his son-in-law, Jan Kiersen, upon the following curious terms :
On this date, We the Constable and Magistrates hereby acknowledge to have consented and agreed in manner hereafter written. Jan Ger- ritse van Dalsen and Jan Kiersen own and declare to have received from the aforesaid Constable and Magistrates, a piece of land named The Great Maize Land, belonging under the jurisdiction of New Haerlem; which aforesaid piece of land the before written Jan Gerritse van Daisen
been given. Whether it included, in express terms, the kerk lot or "church farm," and the kerk erf. we do not know: but nevertheless these had always been held as appurtenances of the church, for whose use and benefit they were originally set apart (the church farm being expressly recognized in records as early as 1665, as also at various subsequent dates, as "the church lot"), so that not merely by an im- plied right. or with the tacit consent of the town, but under the original allotment, always held to give a title, the consistory continued to possess the church farm, even down to our own time.
Adrian Vermeule having served here with acceptance for eight years, "was re- quested to be the voorleser at Bergen;" and in a meeting of the consistory at New York, January 1, 1708, the elder Peter Van Oblienis; and deacons Samuel Waldron and Samson Benson, being present, it was agreed to dismiss him with a recommenda. tion. He closed his term on February 1. ensuing. While here he married Dinah, daughter of William Hellaker. He married again at Bergen, Christina Fredericks. granddaughter of Andries Hopper, and here he died. in 1735. The church left without a voorleser, Col. Morris, of Morrisania, "endeavored to persuade the Dutch in his neichborhood (that is, the Harlem people) into a good opinion of the Church of England," and induced Rev. Henricus Beys, of Esopus, to come and preach at Har- lem, as a missionary of that church, with a view to accepting Episcopal ordination. The attempt seemed to promise success, and Mr. Beys labored here in the years 1911 and 1712, having the support of Col. Morris. Capt. Congreve, and some other English residents, but the Venerable Society in England gave him but little encouragement, and he was obliged to give it up. For the next half century the history of the church is scanty. It was still ministered to by the pastor at New York, now the Rev. Gualterus Du Bois, called in 1699, as colleague with Dominic Selyns, who died July 19, 1701. In a few years they secured another voorleser, Johannes Martinus \an Hariingen, a young man from Amsterdam. He married here, September 17, 1722. Mary, youngest daughter of Arent Bussing. The next year, June 19, he was natural- ized by act of assembly. He afterward, by the death of his nephew, Jan de Cerff. Lord of Old Byerland, fell heir in fee tail to that lordship. In 1741 he removed to New Brunswick, N. J .. where he was an elder, in 1765. He was the father of five sons, of whom the eldest was the Rev. Johannes M. V'an Harlingen, of Neshanic and Sourland. The question between the conferentie and the cotus (or the adherents of the Classic of Amsterdam, and those who favored an American classis) now greatly disturbed the Harlem church. The church was mainly of the latter, but the dominies now acting. Ritzema and De Ronde, were strongly in favor of the old regime. These took it very hard, in 1755, because the Harlem folks subscribed toward founding an American college, proposed by Dominie Frelinghuysen. But in 1765 the church called Rev. Martinus Schoonmaker, of the cutns, who divided his services with Gravesend. but took up his residence at Harlem, where he bought, August 10, 1678, a farm of 28 acres, just north of the village, afterward owned by Lawrence, and later by Wag- staff. Being an ardent Whig, he spent the period of the Revolution within the Ameri- can lines, as did many of his flock. He returned at the peace, but left in 1785. The church edifice having been ruined during the war, another was begun in 1788, and. in 1791, the Rev. John F. Jackson was called as pastor. His ministry continued till 1805. His successors have been: Jeremiah Romeyn. 1806 to 1813; Cornelius C. Vermuele, D. D. (a descendant of the former voorleser). 1816 to 1836; Richard L. Schoonmaker. 1828 to 1847; Jeremiah S. Lord, D. D) .. 1848 to 1869; G. Henry Mande- ville, D.D., the pastor from 1869 to 1881. For details of these several pastorates, we refer to "Golden Memories," treasured by Doctor Mandeville in his valuable discourse of April 20. 1873. The present pastor. Rev. George H. Smyth, was settled in the fall of 1881. Until the organization of the St. Mary Episcopal Church, at Manhattanville. in 1823, the Reformed Church was the only one of any denomination within the entire limits of Harlem.
409
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
and Jan Kiersen shall use, build and live upon, for the time of twelve successive years, to commence in the month of August of this year, 1686, and ending in the month of August, after the harvest is off; and the hirers shall be permitted the last years to sow two schepels of buckwheat and to plant a piece of maize (corn) ; also the lessees, for the first seven years, shall occupy it free, only each giving to the lessors a fat capon yearly, as an acknowledgment, and shall be obligated for the last five years to pay each year two hundred guilders in good wheat, rye, peas, or barley, at the market price; from each parcel the just fourth part to be given to God the Lord. The lessees shall be allowed to make an or- chard. and at the end of their years, shall have the right of taking up half of the same, from the large fruit trees or the nursery; and the lessees shall be required to clear fourteen morgen of land in the first years, which will be two morgen yearly, and if the lessees shall have need of more land, the lessors shall be required to assign more land to the lessees, at the most convenient time; also is leased with the land a piece of meadow lying at the farthest point at the North River. So also the lessees are required to deliver up the buildings in good condition at the end of the years, as also to deliver the fencing of the land tight and sufficient. To the extent of fourteen morgen, the lessees shall be obli- gated to bear the ordinary. town charges, but no extraordinary. The lessees shall be allowed to continue living on the aforesaid land till May of the last year, being the year 1699. The lessees shall have the liberty of removing, upon condition that they signify one year before, their intention to give up the lease. All thus performed and agreed to, and with our usual hand undersigned. Done at New Haerlem this 30th of March, 1686. [Signed by Jan Delamater, as Constable. Daniel Tour- neur, Jan Nagel. Jan Kiersen, and Jan Gerritsen van Dalsen, in the presence of Jan Tibout, Clerk.]
Some progress had been made in clearing and cultivating the Hoorn's Hook lands. since known as the Waldron Farm. On Jan. 8th, 1687. Peter van Oblienis leased his erf and four lots here (Nos. 6, 8, 9, 10), to David Devoor, junior, for six years, to commence with the ensuing May .* He was to have it rent free
. David du Four, senior, thus wrote his surname, but it soon exchanged F for \', then took the form of Devoor. Some now write it De Voe, which confounds it with the name of another and distinct family, herein noticed, descended from the brothers Nicholas and Frederick de Vaux. or De Voe. Early at Harlem. as an original proprietor, the elder David left again on selling his allotment to Jacob Elderts, who directly resold it, June 1, 1662, to Jean le Roy. In 1668, Du Four. passing in a canoe up the East River, and with him his child, Anthony, when, between Turtle Bay and Blackwell's Island, John Copstaff, a drunken soldier in another boat, let off a gun which wounded little AAnthony; this was on August 18. and he died August 31. Copstaff was convicted of manslaughter. Du Four being very ill, he and wife, Jannetie, made a will, September 14. 1671, naming the places whence they came in Hainault. probabl . for the reason that the survivor is to enjoy all the property both here and "in their fatherland." But David recovered and lived long. In 1677, Governor An- dros granted, for him and his son John, 60 acres of land "on the Coale Kill," Turtle Bay, and here David spent the rest of his life. His will was proved May I. 1699. It names his children John, David, Peter and Claude; Peter not named again, and Glaude not after 1687.
John Devoor, born during his father's sojourn at Sedan, married, in 1676, a Leyden girl, Jannetie, daughter of Jan Willems Van Isselsteyn, otherwise called Jan of Leyden. Ile bought a farm at Bloomingdale, where he died, leaving a widow. Mary. She was daughter of Capt. Peter Van Woglum, of Albany. The twelve chil- dren of John. senior, were all by his first wife, and all living July 24, 1717, when. being sick, he made his will; it was proved April 13. 1724, after his youngest child became of age. These children, who shared equally in his estate. were: Maria, born 1677, who married Gerrit Roelofs Vander Werken, of Half Moon. near Albany: John, born 1680; Margaret, born 1681, married Teunis Pier; David, born 1683; Peter, born 1686: Rachel, born 1687; Adriana, born 1688, married Conrad Vander- beck and Jacob Montanye: Jannetie, born 1690, married Andrew Bisset; Elizabeth, born 1693; Teunis, born 1696, married Georgie Barheyt and Sarah V'an Oblinus;
.
410
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
for the first year. for the second, pay 100 gl., and for the remain- ing time, 150 gl. yearly; "in good wheat, rye, barley, peas and buckwheat." Devoor engaged "to pay toward the salary of the Voorleser," and to allow Oblienis liberty to build a house and live there, but not to the limiting of Devoor "in syn wey ofte int bos ;" in his pasture or in the woodland.
The neighboring Baignoux farm had already passed, by a transfer of Oct. 12th, 1686, from Isaac Deschamps, also known by the name of Saviat Broussard, to John Spragge, Esq., one of Dongan's councilors.
Great Barent's Island was now to become productive under the well-directed toil of a new proprietor and experienced farmer, Thomas Parcell, late of Newtown. He contracted with Jacob Milborne, Feb. 17th, 1687, for the purchase of the Island for £600; Milborne being empowered to sell it by Samuel Swynock. Having paid his three instalments, Parcell, on June 23d, 1690, obtained a full deed from Milborne, to whom, in the interim, Swynock had conveyed the Island, Aug. 9th, 1687.
Meanwhile a matter of common interest and of great impor- tance to the freeholders, the renewal or confirmation of the town patent, had been pressed upon them by the governor, who in behalf of his sovereign, now King James II., was aiming at a
William, born 1698, and Abraham, born 1701. John, eldest son, married, in 1706. Catharine, daughter of Roelof Gerrits Vander Werken, of Half Moon, to which place he removed, and. on April 1, 1724, sold his interest in his father's farm to his brothers David and William. He died in 1746. and his descendants are called De Voe. (See Pearson's Albany Settlers.) David, last named, lived for a time at Har- lem, where he married, in 1726, Anna, daughter of Thomas Wakefield, and widow of Jacob Van Bremen, ancestor of the \'an Bramers, late of Harlem Lane. Devoor and wife owned a place on the upper side of the Church Lane, which they sold, in the year 1745, to Daniel McGowan. It was the old Hanel garden, bought by Van Bremen. in 1715, from Abraham Meyer.
David Devoor was born in 1659. and married, 1689, Elizabeth Jansen, from the Delaware. When his Hoorn's Hook lease expired, in 1693. he returned to the home- stead at Turtle Bay, of which he became the owner. He had five children, viz .: Margaret, born 1690; David, 1603: Jannetie. 1695: John. 1697. and Elizabeth, 1700. David, the eldest son, who succeeded to the Turtle Bay farm, married, 1715. Jannetic, daughter of Abraham Delamontanie, of Harlem, by whom he had issue, David: Eliza- beth, married, 1741, John Burger. and Jane, married. 1749. Nicholas Burger. David. last named, born 1717, married, 1740, Mary Van Vleckeren. On May 2, 1760, his father conveyed him 121% acres of the north side of his farm: but the former. then living retired in the East Ward, died November 12, ensuing, leaving the remainder to David, jointly with his two sisters, whose interests he acquired. He added to it 10 acres next south of him. by purchase. in 1769. All this, at his death. in 1780, fell to his daughter. Ann, who married. successively, Abraham Brevoort and Gen. Jacob Odell. ( See N. Y. B. & G. Rec. IN .. 48.)
John Devoor, born 1697, and son of David second. married, 1722. Vefie ( Eve) daughter of Bastiaen Michiels Kortright. and had three children, to wit: Jelante, born 1723. married Abraham Ackerman: John, horn 1728, and Acfie, horn 1730. who married John Courtright, of Sherman's Creek, grandson of Bastiaen aforesaid. In 1731, Devoor bought the Saw-kill farm (See App. II.). of which at his death, in 1780. he left 14 acres on the upper side to his son John. and the remainder. 241, acres, to his daughter, Jefie Courtright. Jelante received a house and lot in town. John De. voor, Jr., horn October 1. 1728. bought and occupied 4 acres of the Young farm. adjoining the 14 afterward received from his father, which 18 acres subsequently formed the southerly part of the Dr. Baker farm, now vested in the trustees of the Trinity Church School. Devcor married, May 19. 1752, Bellitie, daughter of Hen- drick Bogert, by whom he had a son. John. born 1757, and other children. His prop- erty here passed into other hands under mortgages, one for the 4 acres dated February 16, 1774, and another of the 14 acres, dated March 17, 1783.
411
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
large increase of the revenue in the form of quit rent, and also to fix the amount, and the time and mode of payment, by the general issue of new patents. Cogent reasons were brought to bear upon the people. James, Duke of York, had ascended the throne, Feb. 6th, 1685; but as king it was by no means certain that he would be bound by his acts as duke; and hence the wis- dom of taking out new letters patent directly under the crown, by the land and its accredited agent. Indeed, assuming the old town patents to be invalid unless confirmed, Dongan avowed his intention to appropriate, as belonging to the king, and at his disposal, all such tracts of common land as could be found within the several townships, and not yet purchased of the Indians. So the inhabitants "were willing rather to submit to a greater quit rent, than to have that unpurchased land disposed of to others than themselves."
While the Harlem people were thus given to expect great trouble and loss, should they neglect to secure the confirmation of their patented rights, the utmost benefit was, apparently, to accrue from such a confirmation, and especially in view of a cer- tain clause contained in the charter just granted by Gov. Don- gan, to the City of New York (being dated April 27th, 1686), and which clause reads as follows :
And I do by these presents give and grant unto the said Mayor, Alder- men, and Commonalty of the said City of New York, all the waste, vacant, unpatented and unappropriated lands lying and being within the said City of New York and on Manhattans Island aforesaid, extending and reaching to the low-water mark in, by. and through all parts of the said City of New York and Manhattans Island aforesaid, together with all rivers, rivulets, coves, creeks, ponds, waters, and watercourses, in the said City and Island, or either of them, not heretofore given or granted by any of the former Governors, etc. .
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