USA > New York > Queens County > Newtown > The annals of Newtown, in Queens County, New York; containing its history from its first settlement, together with many interesting facts concerning the adjacent towns; > Part 13
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Few events are recorded of the two years which now succeeded. Threats of the neighboring towns to prosecute the boundary suit before the supreme court, gave rise to some measures for the defence of the township, but they were not called into requisition. In 1698 an estimate was made of the population of the town, which shows that it then contained 183 white inhabitants, of which 153 were heads of families. There were 93 negro slaves, being an increase of 44 within the last eleven years.
After a ministry of from five to six years in Newtown, Mr. Morse, owing to the inadequacy of his support, contem- plated a removal to some other field of labor. Therefore, on
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Feb. 26th 1700, he disposed of an estate which he owned in Hempstead Swamp, to Casper Joost Springsteen, of West- chester.1 Unwilling, however, to part with their pastor, to- wards whom a lively attachment existed, a meeting was con- vened, on July 4th, and a committee appointed to adopt means for the speedy collection of the money due him, "and also," says the record, "to discourse with Mr. John Morse, to see how his mind stands affected; and to know whether he will preach amongst us till we can see if the sum demanded by him, can be gathered or not, and then to make a return to the town ; and moreover, to take care of the parsonage till further orders from the town." These efforts availed, upon the promise, it would seem, of making a more comfortable provision for him, for it was resolved, August 28th, to make an addition to the parsonage farm, and to erect "a town-house of twenty-four feet long and twenty feet wide, two stories high, completely finished, for the minister of the said town to live in, while minister of the town aforesaid, and to be set upon the town lot, joined to the house that is there now standing." This building was completed in the course of several years, under the superintendence of Content Titus, Edward Hunt, and Peter Berrien, towards which these gen- tlemen advanced sums of money from their private funds. But Mr. Morse did not realize the benefit which the above
1 Joost Casperse Springsteen, with his brother, Johannes, and their widowed mother, Geesie Jans, arrived at New Amsterdam, in 1652, from Groningen, and in 1660 they joined in the settlement of Bushwiek. From these have all the Springsteens of this country descended. Joost married, on June 10th, 1663, Catharine, daughter of Abraham Lothie, and widow of Peter Praa. He after- wards married a second wife, Magdalena Jansen, and was living in 1687. His son Casper married Maria, daughter of Derick Storm, and having lived awhile in Westchester, came to Newtown, in 1700, where he died May 21st, 1729, leaving issue, Joost, Deriek, who settled in Kent county, on the Delaware, Abraham, David, and Gertrude the wife of William Miller. Joost was the father of Jacobus Springsteen, who gave the site for the White Pot school- house. David served as a deacon, and " kerkmeester" of the Dutch church, and died Oct. 14th, 1763, leaving, among other children, a son, David, born Sep. 1st, 1725, who inherited the paternal estate at Hempstead Swamp, (now occupied by Richard Spragg, Jun.) and married Barbara Bloom, of the Wall- about. He died May 29th, 1803. His only son, David, fell heir to a new house, erected by his father; and his son, Michael S. Springsteen, now occu- pies the same.
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measures were designed to confer, for he died, after a severe illness, in the month of October, 1700. He left no family, and by will conferred his estate upon his youngest brother, Seth Morse, of Dedham, for whom he had acted as guardian since the death of his father, in 1697. The town, sensible of their loss, immediately voted to obtain a minister forthwith, but there is no evidence that they were successful until the following year. On the 20th of March, 1701, a committee was appointed to write to New England for a supply for their pulpit, which resulted in securing the services of the Rev. Robert Breck, a young but promising graduate of Harvard College, which institution he had left the year previous. He was born at Dorchester, Massachusetts, Dec. 7th, 1682, being the son of Capt. John Breck, a very worthy citizen of that place. Mr. Breck zealously entered upon his labors in New- town, and it was voted to give him possession of the parson- age, or the income to be derived from the rent of it, whichever he should prefer. He continued here between two and three years.
The previous year had given publicity to a dissatisfaction of certain inhabitants of Hellgate Neck, because they were excluded from a voice in the disposal of the common land of the town; a right which the original purchasers, their heirs or assigns, had hitherto continued exclusively to enjoy. A bill was accordingly brought before the Assembly, on the 30th of October, 1700, entitled " An Act for quieting, settling and confirming the legal rights and possessions of Thomas Lawrence, William Lawrence, Robert Burges, Ber- goon Bragaw, Hendrick Martensen, George Van Alst, John Lawrence, Andrew Van Alst, Johannes Van Alst, John Par- cell, and other ancient freeholders, possessors of land, and inhabitants of Hellgate Neck, within the bounds of Newtown, on Long Island, now called the Island of Nassau, and vacating all under patents, privately obtained, of any of the said land, against the just rights of the said freeholders, and other the inhabitants of Newtown, having rights." After a third read- ing, this bill was rejected, on the first of November.
The same bill, or one with a similar title, was introduced to the assembly, Sept. 23d, 1701, and submitted to a committee which reported in favor, provided that nothing therein con-
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tained should be understood to affect the patents of the towns of Flatbush and Brooklyn, with which the people of Newtown were yet at issue. The bill accordingly passed the assembly, on the 14th of October, but it met with defeat in the council.
Upon this second failure, a bill was filed in the court of chancery. The purchasers of Newtown took prompt measures to resist this procedure, and met, on Feb. 9th, 1702, the re- cord of which meeting states that Capt. Thomas Lawrence, and certain other persons, "have put a bill in chancery against several of the freeholders' patents within the township of New- town, and as is supposed, against the patent that includes the whole town, in order to destroy the said patents, and make them void, and of no effect ;" to prevent which, the town chose a committee of three, to employ counsel, and act in their de- fence. The means thus taken were successful, and the resi- dents of Hellgate Neck, not to be thwarted in their purpose, drew up the following petition, and presented it to the gover- nor and council, on the 11th of May, 1703.
To his Excelleney EDWARD VISCOUNT CORNBURY, her Majesty's Captain General and Governor-in-chief of the province of New-York, and territories depending thereon, in America; and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c. in council.
The humble petition of several of the freeholders and inhabitants of the town of Newtown, in Queen's county, on the Island of Nassau, sheweth ; That Richard Nicoll, Esq. in the year 1666, being governor general of this provinee under the Duke of York, granted unto Capt. Richard Betts, Capt. Thomas Lawrence, and others, as patentees for and on the behalf of theni- selves and their associates, the freeholders and inhabitants of the said town, their heirs, successors, and assigns, a parcel of land then commonly called by the name of the town of Newtown; bounded, as in the said patent is more particularly expressed given to the said patentees and their associates, their heirs, successors, and assigns, for ever. That your excellency's peti- tioners, or those they claim under, being at and before the time of the grant- ing of the said patent, actually possessed of and entitled to houses, lands, tenements, and hereditaments within the bounds of the said patent, as well as several other persons, and thereby equally entitled with them to such lands which were then unpossessed and remained in common, hoped and behoved to have had the advantage of the said patent in common amongst the rest of the patentees; but so it is, may it please your excellency, that Samuel Moore, Thomas Stevenson, Joseph Sackett, Edward Hunt, and John Way, with several of the inhabitants of the said town, of their own heads, without any power or authority for their so doing, have from time to time, as they think fit, assembled and met together, and given away, sold, and disposed of
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great parts of the said town lands lying in common as aforesaid, without the consent of your excellency's petitioners, or without any allowance to them for their right and interest therein, contrary to all justice and equity. Your excellency's petitioners therefore humbly pray, that your excellency in coun- cil will please to order the said persons to be summoned before your excel- lency, and require them to bring with them all such books, papers, or other things, as are in their, or either of their custody, possession, or power, relat- ing to the premises, in order that the same may be fully discovered, and that your excellency being particularly informed of the hardships your peti- tioners lie under, may grant them such redress, as in your wisdom you shall think fit. And your excellency's petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray, &c.
WILLIAM LAWRENCE,
DANIEL LAWRENCE,
JOHN LAWRENCE,
JONATHAN LAWRENCE,
JOHN VAN ALST,
SYRACH TITUS,
GEORGE VAN ALST,
PETER LOTT,
WILLIAM PARCELL,
TEUNIS TITUS,1
JOHN PARCELL,
WILLIAM POST,
JACOB FYN,
JOHN COE,
ROELOF PIETERSEN,
JACOBUS HARCKS,
THOMAS SKILLMAN,
JOHN HART,
CORNELIUS BRIES,
ROBERT COE,
ANDREW VAN ALST,
JONATHAN COE,
PETER PRAA,
DAVID COE.
Pursuant to the prayer of the petitioners, the council sum- moned the clerk of Newtown to produce the books and papers of the town, which were given into the hands of three gentle- men of the council, to examine the same, and report "how far the said books and papers do make out the allegations con- tained in the petition." These gentlemen rendered a report, on Jan. 6th, 1704, upon which the council directed a second examination of the records to be made by a new committee, who in time gave in the annexed statement :
1 Capt. Titus Syrachs de Vries, who was part owner of a grist-mill at New Utrecht in 1660, and died at Flatbush in 1690, was the father of Syrach and Teunis Titus. They were therefore not of the English family of Titus. Both were married, and Teunis removed to Mansfield, New Jer- sey. The ultimate history of Syrach is not ascertained. I believe he was a brother-in-law to Capt. Cornelius Luyster. His brother, Francis Titus, settled in Bushwick, married Antie Fontyn, widow of Maurits Covert, and was the ancestor of the Dutch family of Titus, (sometimes called Tetus,) quite numerous in the above town a few years since.
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To his Excellency EDWARD VISCOUNT CORNBURY, Captain General, &c. in council :
May it please your lordship; In obedience to your excellency's order in council of the 13th of January last past, we have inspected the books and papers of the town of Newtown, in Queens county, and examined the report made by Rip Van Dam, Gerard Beekman, and Caleb Heathcote, Esquires, members of his Majesty's council for this province; and have carefully ex- amined the allegations of the petitioners and those petitioned against, by which we find, that before the granting of Col. Richard Nicoll's patent to the town of Newtown, a society of people had purchased and did occupy and enjoy a parcel of land commonly called and known by the name of the town of Middelburg, and that the said Col. Richard Nicoll, by his patent bearing date the sixth day of March, one thousand, six hundred and sixty-six, did confirm to them the said purchase, and adjoin certain out-plantations, not any ways concerned in the purchasing the aforesaid tract of land, and made them all one township, without any distinct reservation of the properties of the said purchasers entire to themselves, notwithstanding which, the inhabitants of Middelburg (afterwards called Newtown) have acted distinct as to the sale and disposal of the lands purchased by them, or those under whom they claim, and have by themselves, at their own proper charges, maintained suits at law to defend the bounds and title to their said purchase, without any con- tribution from the out-plantations; and we do further find that the Lawrences and Coes, and some few others of the petitioners, were original purchasers of the said town of Middelburg, and have had their proportionable share of the said purchase laid out to them; and particularly, that the father of Wil- liam Lawrence, one of the petitioners, hath transferred his right in the said purchase, to one George Wood, as appears by the books of the said town. That it appears to us that the matters complained of now by the petitioners, were stirred in Col. Dongan's time, who by his patent, dated the five-and- twentieth day of November, one thousand, six hundred and eighty-six, like- wise makes them one township, but reserves to the original purchasers of the town of Middelburg, their distinct right to the said lands, to them and their heirs only ; and we do further find that the books of the town of New- town have been very imperfectly kept, but that on the whole it does appear to us, that the said patent granted by the said Col. Dongan, was issued on mature consideration, and that ever since the granting thereof, the patentees have acted according to the settlement of the said patent, and that all parties have rested satisfied under the said grant, without any complaint made by them, until the exhibiting of the said petition. They do not seem to us to be guilty of the matters therein alledged against them, all which is neverthe- less most humbly submitted to your excellency, by, my lord, your excel- lency's most faithful and obedient servants.
SA. SH. BROUGHTON, THOMAS WENHAM, MATTHEW LING.
New-York, the 3d day of February, 1703-4.
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A final hearing of the parties being had before the council, on Feb. 10th, 1704, that body decided that the subject matter of the petition was frivolous, and it was therefore rejected, to the great satisfaction of the purchasers.
But discords of a more serious import were abroad. The ministry of Mr. Breck occurred at an inauspicious period, when Governor Cornbury, in his impetuous zeal to extend the Church of England, gave sore trouble to the dissenting churches, by repeated aets of opposition and intolerance. These had hitherto enjoyed comparative quiet, owing to the fact, that for nine years, the act for the settlement of a ministry, passed in 1693, had lain dormant, " because," says one, "we had no Church of England minister to reap the benefit of it." But Lord Cornbury, in pursuance of special instructions from the Quecn, instituted a new era in ecclesiastical affairs, and with a view to the speedy introduction of Episcopacy, he directed the before-named law to be put in force. Accordingly, on Jan. 12th, 1702-3, the first election of church officers took place in the Jamaica parish, consisting of two wardens and ten vestry- men. In this body, Newtown was represented in the persons of William Glean, churchwarden, and John Coe, Content Ti- tus, Joseph Sackett, and John Berrien, vestrymen. These gentlemen were all non-conformists, as was the case with the entire vestry.1 Here was presented an anomaly ; dissenters set to watch the interests of Episcopacy. We must revert to the events of the previous year, to see how well they were prepared to discharge their trust.
To escape a remarkable mortality with which the city of New-York was visited in the summer of 1702, Lord Cornbury and his council retired to Jamaica, and his excellency, through the politeness of the Presbyterian minister, the Rev. John Hubbard, took up his residence in the parsonage. As a poor return for this kindness, the governor ejected Mr. Hubbard from his pulpit, and placed there the Rev. John Bartow, an Episcopal clergyman of Westchester, and to the Episcopal party, Cornbury, on leaving the village, also resigned the
1 The other members of this first vestry were Nehemiah Smith, warden, and Hope Carpenter, Nathaniel Denton, Thomas Smith, William Bloodgood, Thomas Willett, and David Wright.
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parsonage house. The effect of this base proceeding upon the minds of the community was most imbittering, and it was while all were yet keenly impressed with a sense of the in- jury inflicted on their minister, that the parish officers entered upon their duties. The ministry act, both as originally under- stood, and as further explained by a vote of the assembly, in 1695, offered no impediment to the call and settlement of a dissenting protestant clergyman, and the vestry immediately invited Mr. Hubbard to officiate as parish minister. But he had not long enjoyed the station, when Cornbury arbitrarily interposed his authority, and on the 4th of July, 1704, in- ducted the Rev. William Urquhart in the parish, without the call and approbation of the vestry, and to him, by order of the governor, the church and parsonage were delivered up.
Newtown, as comprised within the Jamaica parish, shared largely of these grievances. But Mr. Breck, says Dr. Allen, was a strong disputant, a strenuous asserter of the privileges of the churches, and an opponent of Episcopal claims. Unit- ing with his piety a singular courage and resolution, he boldly asserted the principles of the non-conformists, notwithstanding the threatening and other ill-treatment which he experienced. Thus he sustained his ground several years. But, whether or not he grew weary of strife, or, what is not improbable, was peremptorily silenced by the governor, he finally took his de- parture, and returned to Massachusetts.1 And the Newtown church, which had been " lately repaired, by a tax levied on
1 Mr. Breck was ordained Oct. 25th, 1704, over the church at Marlbo- rough and after a ministry of twenty-six years, he died, Jan. 6th, 1731, aged forty-eight. His wife was Elizabeth Wainwright, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, whom he left a widow with four children, one of whom, Robert, was after- wards minister of Springfield. Mr. Breck was a man of vigorous talents, of quick perception, a tenacious memory, solid judgment and extensive learning. Of the Hebrew he was a perfect master. He was also well versed in philo- sophy, mathematics, antiquities, and history, and his extensive knowledge he was ever ready to impart to others. He was a close, methodical, orthodox preacher, as well as a prudent and faithful pastor. Though usually grave and meditative, he was yet at times cheerful, and in conversation entertaining. A perfect stranger to covetousness, he was " given to hospitality." Resigned, in severe pain, his end was peaceful. Such was the esteem in which he was held, that in his sickness, a day of public fasting was kept for him, and his death was commemorated by sermons in several churches .- Allen's Biogra- phical Dictionary.
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the inhabitants," was, through the favor of Lord Cornbury, given up to the Rev. Mr. Urquhart, soon after his induction in the Jamaica parish.
The people of Newtown now discovered that it was vain to hope for the preservation of their rights under the mal- administration of the bigot Cornbury. Sustained by the strong arm of government, the rites of the Church of England were ushered in upon them, and the burdensome tax imposed for its support. Their pulpit, occupied once a month by the rector of the established church, in performing the tour of his parish, was at other times vacant, except when the services of some dis- senting preacher were secured for the Sabbath. But Cornbury soon prohibited these from preaching within the bounds of his province, except by a special licence from himself; a requisi- tion wholly illegal, and with respect to dissenters, without pre- cedent in the colonies. We shall now observe the enforcement of this new rule.
It was early in the year 1707, that Francis Makemie and John Hampton, two Presbyterian ministers, arrived in the province, from the south, on their way to New England. Mr. Hampton visited Newtown, and at the solicitation of the people, preached from their pulpit, on Sunday, Jan. 20th, giving no- tice that his associate, Makemie, would discourse in the same place, on the following Wednesday. The latter had remained in the city, to preach to a small band of Presbyterians, who, having neither a pastor nor a church, were wont to assemble themselves, every Sunday, at a private house, for the worship of God. Mr. Makemie, having administered to the spiritual comfort of this little flock, proceeded, the next Tuesday, to New- town, for the purpose of meeting his appointment there, but had no sooner arrived at that village, than he and Mr. Hamp- ton were arrested by Thomas Cardale, the high sheriff, pursu- ant to Lord Cornbury's warrant, for preaching without a licence from his lordship, who had been informed that they had also "gone into Long Island, with intent there to spread their pernicious doctrine and principles, to the great disturbance of the church by law established, and the government of this province."
As it was late when they were arrested, they remained prisoners upon parole, at the houses of two neighbors, for that
1
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night, and the next day, were led in triumph to Jamaica, and thence, on the day after, to New-York. In an interview which ensued with Lord Cornbury, he was rude and insulting, while they exhibited a courage and self-possession which conscious innocence alone could have inspired. . Mr. Makemie was well versed in law, and made a noble defence of their conduct, but Cornbury overruled all. The friendless clergymen were given into the custody of the sheriff of New-York, and after a con- finement of more than six weeks, Mr. Hampton was dis- charged, no evidence against him being offered to the grand jury ; but Mr. Makemie stood trial before the supreme court, on the 6th of June, and was honorably acquitted, though with heavy costs.1
" If any," writes Livingston, just after, "want information concerning the sufferings of other dissenters, both in their per- sons, estates, and religious liberties, I recommend them to the body of inhabitants of Jamaica and Newtown." This was truly a period of much distress with the people of Newtown, whose oppressions were almost a counterpart of those endured by their puritan fathers and kindred when in Britain they felt the iron rod of ecclesiastical domination. This page in their history illustrates the disastrous consequences of entrusting the tender concerns of religion to the rude arm of secular power. Fatal day was it for Episcopacy when she fell into the hands of such blind zealots as Lord Cornbury and his co- adjutors, who were indeed fitted to ruin, but not to benefit the cause of religion. And hence the inhabitants of Newtown learned to entertain the strongest aversion, if not a rancorous prejudice, to the surplice and the ritual. It should be a matter of devout thankfulness with the members of this highly re- spectable persuasion as it exists among us at the present day, that they are no longer encumbered by an unholy alliance with the civil government.
.. 1 The Rev. John Hampton, whose labor of love at Newtown was arrested so abruptly, emigrated to Maryland, in 1705, in company with Mr. Makemie and the Rev. George Macnish, afterwards of Jamaica, Long Island. The same year, he united with these and three other clergymen, in organizing the Presbytery of Philadelphia, the first Presbyterial judicatory formed in America, and of this body Mr. Hampton continued to be an influential and highly efficient member. After a ten years' ministry to the church at Snow- hill, in Maryland, he was forced by ill health to resign his pastoral relation, in 1718, which event he survived less than three years.
CHAPTER VIII.
Boundary dispute .- Newtown seemingly victorious .- A riot on the border .- Re- ported to the Council .- Parties called before them .- Line to be run over .- Newtown patent is the oldest .- Preparation for defence .- Lord Cornbury insti- tutes a survey, and puts a new limit to Newtown's claim .- They now object to a decision by the Council ; but Cornbury is determined to proceed .- Opinions of his Councillors taken .- The Governor postpones his judgment .- Murder of William Hallett and his family .- The murderers tried and executed .- Locality of this tragedy .- Bushwick seeks a new patent .- Cornbury resumes the dispute . and passes a decision .- He confirms Bushwick's patent .- He makes extravagant grants of land within the Newtown purchase lines .- Settlement of the Rev. Samuel Pumroy .- Expeditions to Canada .- Census of the town .- Boundary troubles .- The new patentees eject several inhabitants of Newtown .- The town takes up their defence .- Death of Capt. Betis, the last of the Purchasers. -A new mode of settlement proposed .- Bill before the Assembly .- Trouble in collecting taxes on the south bounds .- Mr. Pumroy joins the Presbytery of Phila- delphia, and his church becomes Presbyterian .- A new church edifice erected. -A bill for the settlement of the boundary question passes the Assembly, though stoutly opposed .- Defeated in the Council .- An agreement effected with Flat- bush .- The " Fauconniers."-Trustees censured ; their accounts examined .- Troubles with the Fauconniers continued ; but the issue involved in uncer- tainty.
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