USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159 | Part 160 | Part 161 | Part 162 | Part 163 | Part 164 | Part 165 | Part 166 | Part 167 | Part 168 | Part 169 | Part 170 | Part 171 | Part 172 | Part 173 | Part 174 | Part 175 | Part 176 | Part 177 | Part 178 | Part 179 | Part 180 | Part 181 | Part 182
In 1662 the Connecticut colony claimed Long Island under that clause in their charter of that year which in- cluded the "islands adjacent," and in 1664 sent a com- mission to the island to assert jurisdiction. The con- quest in that year put an end to their proceedings. With this exception no claim was made by any power to the eastern portion of the island between the years 1640 and 1644.
The eastern towns were settled by the English as follows : Gardiner's Island (annexed in 1680 to East- hampton) in 1639. It was purchased in that year by Lion Gardiner from the attorney of Lord Stirling. Mr. Gardiner had previously purchased it from the Indians. This was the first English settlement, and Mr. Gardiner was one of the first English settlers in the State of New York. Southampton and Southold were settled in 1640, Easthampton in 1648, Shelter Island in 1652, Hunting- ton and Oyster Bay in 1653, though the latter was claimed by the Dutch, Brookhaven in 1655, and Smith- town in 1663.
Most of the settlers in these towns were previous im- migrants in New England, who crossed the Sound in larger or smaller companies and established independent settlements; whieli, as their numbers inereased, came to be little republics, completely independent of all other powers. Although there were differences in the details, there was a general similarity among the goverments of the different towns. Each had its legislative, exec-
27
UNDER THE DUKE OF YORK.
utive, and judicial department. The people, assembled in town meeting, constituted the legislative department, and, in important cases, the judicial also. In that case the assembly was sometimes termed the General Court of the town. Two or three magistrates, a clerk, and a constable, constituted usually the ordinary judicial and executive functionaries of the town. Of course the people required no bill of rights or constitution to pro- tect them from oppression by their rulers, for they were their own rulers. They organized companies of citi- zen soldiers, erected and garrisoned forts when neces- sary, enacted and enforced laws to regulate, not only civil, but also social and religious, matters; and, to gnard against threatened vices, as well as to restrain existing evils, churches were erected, schools were established, and ministers and teachers were supported, by taxes on the property of the citizens, imposed by the people themselves in their legislative character.
It is hardly necessary to say that these original set- tlers were Puritans, and that, although they were not guilty of such manifestations of bigotry and intolerance as disgraced the Puritans of New England, they jeal- ously guarded against the introduction among them of innovations which would exert what they deemed a deletcrious influence. They required of those who pro- posed to settle among them a probation of from three to six months, and if at the end of that time they were not satisfactory to the people they were notified to leave within a specified time. They were thus able to prevent undesirable people from coming among them, and to maintain their religious faith free from contami- nation by those holding heterodox opinions. To guard against the evils of intemperance, the sale of intoxicat- ing liquors was restricted under heavy penalties. The profanation of the Sabbath, lying, profane cursing and slander, were penal offences in most of the towns, and the whipping post, the stocks, pillory, etc., were in com- mon use. Thus, each town managed its own affairs, without any combination with neighboring towns, till the island came to be a part of New York in 1664.
In view of their exposed situation, and the difficulty of defending themselves against hostile attacks by the Indians or invasions by the Dutch, these towns, one by one, placed themselves under the protection of the New England colonies, withont, however, subjecting them- selves to taxation by those colonics, or relinquishing to the slightest extent their self-government. Southampton did this in 1644, Easthampton in 1657, Brookhaven in 1659, and Huntington in 1660. These came under the protection of Connecticut. Southold and Shelter Island assumed the same relation to New Haven in 1648. Con- necticut and New Haven became united under a new charter in 1662, and these towns became a part of the new colony of Connecticut, sent representatives to the Colonial Assembly, and contributed toward the expense of the government. In the same year Oyster Bay also assumed this relation.
The oppression to which the people in the towns under the jurisdiction of the Dutch were subjected has been spoken of. The inhabitants of both the Dutch and English towns had submitted to the tyranny of their rulers because they saw no way of escape. In Novem- ber of 1663 the people of the English towns held a mass meeting at Jamaica to consider their condition and de- vise means for their relief ; but, although no attempt to disperse them was made, no results were accomplished. They were therefore ready to welcome anything which promised relief.
Early in 1664 Charles the Second of England granted to his brother James, Duke of York, territory which included New Amsterdam and all of Long Island. An expedition was at once fitted out and sent under Colonel Richard Nicolls, who was commissioned deputy gov- ernor, to take possession of the colony. On his arrival at New York in August of that year he demanded of Governor Stuyvesant the surrender of his possessions, which was refused. Colonel Nicolls and the commis- sioners, Robert Carr, George Cartwright and Samuel Maverick, who had been sent with him to assist in the government of the colony, landed at Gravesend; and, at at a meeting held for that purpose, consulted with the people, and with Governor Winthrop, of Connecticut, and exhibited to them the royal grant to the Duke of York. He also issued a proclamation promising pro- tection and all the privileges of English subjects, and sent officers for volunteers in the western towns of the island. After consultation with his burgomasters and the people, Governor Stuyvesant, finding that the cur- rent of popular opinion set strongly in that direction, reluctantly consented to a surrender, and thus, without bloodshed, the government passed to the English.
The people of the towns on the west end of the island acquiesced in the change, relying on the promise of Governor Nicolls and the commissioners that they should enjoy all the privileges of English subjects-a promise which was not fulfilled. The eastern towns, however, which had been independent, and which were then a part of Connecticut, were not willing to sever their polit- ical relations with that colony and become subject to the Duke of York, and Connecticut at first maintained her claim to them. Governor Winthrop, who had been one of the commissioners to arrange the terms of surrender, " informed the English on Long Island that Connecticut had no longer any claim to the island ; that what they had done for them was for the welfare, peace and quiet settlement of his Majesty's subjects, they being the nearest organized government to them under his Majesty. But, now that his Majesty's pleasure was fully significd by his letters patent, their jurisdiction had ceased and become null."
In March, 1665, a convention of delegates from the towns assembled at Hempstead, in accordance with a proclamation of Governor Nicolls, " to settle good and known laws within this government for the future, and
28
GENERAL HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
receive yor best advice and information at a genall meeting." At this convention the boundaries and rela- tions of the towns were settled and determined, and some other matters adjusted. New patents were re- quired to be taken by those who had received their patents from the Dutch authorities, and it was required that patents should be taken by those who had never received any, as was the case with the eastern towns. These required a quit-rent-a relic of feudal customs- which was the source of much trouble, and the subject of abuse afterward. A code of laws for the government of the province was also promulgated. These, which had been compiled at the dictation of the governor, were termed the Duke's Laws. They contained many of the provisions which had been adopted by the eastern towns, and many of the cnactments would be looked on at the present day as curiosities. With some modifications they were continued in foree till 1683, when the first Provincial Assembly held its session. THOMPSON says: " In addition to other matters which occupied the con- vention at Hempstead in 1665, Long Island and Staten Island (and probably Westchester) were erected into a shire, called, after that in England, Yorkshire, which was in like manner divided into separate districts, denomi- nated ridings: the towns now included in Suffolk county constituted the East ' Riding;' Kings county, Staten Island, and the town of Newtown, the West 'Riding,' and the remainder of Queens county the North 'Riding,' of Yorkshire upon Long Island." The word " riding" thus used is a corruption of " trithing"-a third. The original names of some of the towns were changed to the present ones at this meeting, it is supposed. So highly pleased were the delegates at this convention with the prospect before them, under the assurances of the governor, that they adopted and signed an address to the king, pledging loyalty and submission in terms that were not pleasing to the people and that were criti- cised with such severity that the Court of Assize issued an edict forbidding further censure of these deputies, under penalty of being brought before the court "to answer for the slander."
Under the Duke's Laws the justices-one in cach town -were appointed by the governor, as was also the high sheriff of the shire, and a deputy sheriff for each riding. Each town elected at first eight and afterwards four overseers and a constable, who constituted a Town Court, with jurisdiction limited to cases of £5 or less. They also assessed taxes and regulated minor matters. Each riding had a Court of Sessions consisting of the justices, with whom the high sheriff, members of the council and secretary of the colony, were entitled to sit. It had criminal jurisdiction, and in civil cases its judgments were final in cases less than £20. The Court of Assize, which consisted of the governor, council, and an indefi- nite number of magistrates, had appellate jurisdiction in cases from inferior courts, and original jurisdiction in suits for demands above £20.
No provision was made for a legislature ; and, while this Court of Assize was nominally the head of the gov- ernment, the governor, who appointed the members of it, and who could remove most of them at his pleasure, really possessed unlimited legislative, executive and judicial authority. THOMPSON says : "In this court the governor united the character of both judge and legis- lator. He interpreted his own acts, and not only pro- nounced what the law was, but what it should be."
Although the people on the western end of the island became aware that the government under the Duke of York was framed on no better model than that under the Dutch governor, and those in the English towns that they were shorn of all their former privileges, Governor Nicolls exercised his powers so carefully and judiciously as to allay their discontent.
He relinquished the reins of government in 1667 and was succeeded by Francis Lovelace, who during his administration acquired the almost unanimous ill-will of the people. When, in 1670, a levy was made on the towns to raise money for repairing the fort at New York, nearly all of the English towns, by vote, refused to obey the order for the contribution or levy unless " they might have the privileges that other of his Majesty's subjects have and do enjoy." THOMPSON says: "The English colonists on Long Island brought with thein the doctrine that taxes could only be imposed with the consent of the people by their representatives in a general assembly." It is not known that this tax was ever collected in those towns. This was the first open manifestation in this country of a spirit of resistance to the invasion of this right-a resistance which led, a cen- tury later, to the American Revolution.
The resolutions of refusal were laid before the gov- ernor and council, and were by them ordered to be pub- licly burned before the town house of the city. It is said of Governor Lovelace, that in 1668 he wrote to Sir Robert Carr in New Jersey, that to keep people sub- missive the best method was "to lay such taxes upon them as may not give them liberty to entertain any other thoughts but how they shall discharge them."
Had not the administration of Governor Lovelace come to an end by a sudden and unexpected event, he would probably have suffered the full consequences of the popular indignation which his disregard of the peo- ple's rights aroused. "The country, which had now been nine years governed by the Duke of York's depu- ties, and experienced in very full measure the ill effects of ignorance and indiscretion in the conduct of its rulers, came once more under the government of their ancient masters, the Dutch."
Between 1672 and 1674 the English and Dutch were at war, and in the latter part of July, 1673,a small Dutch squadron entered New York harbor, and Captain Man- ning, the commandant of the fort, surrendered it with- out resistance. For this act he was afterward sentenced to have his sword broken over his head.
29
PRIMITIVE CUSTOMS .- CAPTAIN KIDD.
Captain Anthony Colve was, by the commanders of the squadron, appointed governor of the colony, and he at once set about the re-establishment of the authority of the Dutch government. In the towns that had be- fore been under the Dutch regime submission was readily made, but in the towns of the East riding his task was more difficult. Huntington and Brookhaven yielded after a time on certain conditions, but Southold, South- ampton, and Easthampton, rejected all overtures, and petitioned for admission to the colony of Connecticut. They were accepted, and when Governor Colve at- tempted to reduce thesc towns to submission by force, Connecticut sent troops to their assistance, and the Dutch were repulsed. In November, 1673, the New England colonies declared war against the Dutch, and made preparations for active hostilities. The conclu- sion of peace, early in 1674, between the English and Dutch, of course arrested their proccedings. On the restoration of the duke's government, these towns werc unwilling to become subject again to a rule under which they had been oppressed. Resistance was unavailing, however, and they were compelled to submit to a repe- tition of the former despotic sway of the duke's gov- ernors.
Sir Edmund Andros became governor on the restor- ation of the duke's authority, and his administration, which continued till 1681, was even more despotic than that of Governor Lovelace. Colonel Thomas Dongan succeeded Governor Andros. On his arrival, in 1682, he at once issued orders for summoning a general assembly. This was the result of a petition to the duke by the grand jury of the Court of Assize in 1681.
At the first session of this Colonial Assembly, in 1683, they " adopted a bill of rights, established courts of jus- tice, repealed some of the most obnoxious of the duke's laws, altered and amended others, and passed such new laws as they judged that the circumstances of the colony required." At this session the "ridings " were abolished, and the counties of Kings, Queens, and Suffolk, organ- ized. Another session was held in 1684, at which, among other acts, the court of assize was abolished, and another Assembly was summoned to convene in the fol- lowing year.
"Charles II. died February 6th, 1685, and the Duke of York succceded him by the title of James II .; as he determined to have as little to do with parliaments as possible, so it is probable that he revoked the power which he had given to his governors to call assemblies, and determined that they should rule the colony by his instructions alone, without admitting the people to any participation in the public councils." Under the gov- ernment of James no other session of the Legislature was ever held.
On the occurrence of the revolution in England which placed William and Mary on the throne, a party of sym- pathizers with that revolution, led by Jacob Leisler, seized the government of the colony, and during two
years matters here were in an unsettled condition. Long Island gave only a partial support to Leisler; and when, in 1690, he summoned a general assembly, no members from Suffolk attended and one from Queens refused to serve. It appears that Leisler attempted to use force against some portions of Long Island, which he declared to be in a state of rebellion, but that his efforts proved entirely unsuccessful.
The fate of Leisler is briefly recounted in the outline history of the State on preceding pages, together with the succession of Colonial governors who followed him. After the revolution of 1689-90, the Colonial govern- ment settled down on a basis, which continued, with but few changes, till the American Revolution. It is thus stated by WOOD :
"The executive power was vested in the Governor, and the legislative power in the Governor, Council and Assem - bly, subject to the revision of the King, to whom all laws were to be sent within three months after their passage.
"The Council at first consisted of seven members (which number was afterwards increased to twelve), who were appointed by the King.
"The Assembly was composed of delegates from each county, chosen by the freeholders. Their number was regu- lated by law. The term of service was indefinite till 1743, when it was limited to seven years.
" The Governor could suspend members of the Council and appoint others, subject to the King's approbation. He had a negative on the acts passed by the Assembly and Council. He had power to summon, prorogue, or dissolve the Assem- bly, to appoint all public officers, and, with the consent of the Council, to establish courts of justice, to dispose of the public lands, and to disburse the public moneys raised for the support of the government."
It will be seen, at a glance, that this system of gov- ernment offered an open door for great abuse of power. The land sales, fees for new patents, and quit-rents, afforded revenues on which many of the governors grew rich ; and the absolute negative possessed by the Gov- ernor and the Crown rendered the Assembly almost powerless for the adoption of any measure not pleasing to them. The abuses of power, and the oppressions of the people which led to the American Revolution, arc portions of the history of the whole country that it is not necessary to repeat here.
CHAPTER IV.
PRIMITIVE CUSTOMS, INSTITUTIONS AND INDUSTRIES- CAPTAIN KIDD.
T r THE customs of the early Dutch settlers on the west end of Long Island differed, iu many respects, from those of the people who settled its eastern portions. Those of the former will be more par- ticularly spoken of in our general history of Kings County, which was distinctively Dutch in all its charac- teristics. The customs of the latter (Queens aud Suffolk
30
GENERAL HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Counties), modified by the changes which two centuries have brought, and by the inereasing cosmopolitanism of the American people, are yet, to a great degree, in vogue among their deseendants, and still sufficiently indieate their Yankee origin. We touch then, in this brief chap- ter, only upon those features of social life, ete., which were in some measure common to the whole island ; premising that the peculiar eireumstanees by which these settlers were environed led to the adoption of some eustoms which have quite passed away, as these surroundings have given place to others.
Sinee very early times the species of gambling that is designated as turf sports has been very prevalent on Long Island, and files of old newspapers abound with notiees of raees that were to take place, or aeeounts of those that had occurred. Lotteries, also, were not only tolerated, but were often instituted to raise money for ereeting ehurehes, or founding religious or benevolent associations. The latter form of gambling is now pro- hibited by law, but whether or not the moral sense of the people will ever frown down the former is an unsolved question.
During many years whaling was an important indus- try on the southeastern eoast of the island, and, at inter- vals along the shore, whaleboats were kept for launehing whenever whales were sighted. FURMAN, in deserib- ing a tour around Long Island in old times, says that there might be seen "oeeasionally, at long intervals, small thatched huts, or wigwams, on the highest eleva- tions, with a staff projeeting from the top. These huts were occupied, at certain seasons, by men on the wateh for whales, and, when they saw them blowing, a signal was hoisted on this staff. Immediately the people would be seen eoming from all directions with their whaling boats upon wagon-wheels, drawn by horses or oxen ; launch them from the beach, and be off in pursuit of the great fish. You would see all through this region these whaling boats turned upside down, lying upon a frame under the shade of some trees by the roadside, this being the only way in which they could keep them, having no harbors ; four or five families would elub together in owning one of these boats and in manning them." So mueh a standard industry was this that shares in the results of the fisheries were sometimes made portions of the salaries or perquisites of elergy- men. In July, 1699, it was said "Twelve or thirteen whales have been taken on the east end of the island." In 1711, it was reported that four whales were taken at Montauk, eight at Southampton, two at Moriches, two and a ealf at Brookhaven, two at Islip, and one drift whale that yielded twenty barrels of oil. In 1721, it was said that forty whales had been taken on Long Island; but, in 1722, only four were reported. In 1741, they were reported as being more abundant. The whales that formerly frequented this eoast have long sinee been exterminated or driven away, though oeeasionally stragglers have been seen in comparatively recent times.
The New York Times, of Feb. 27, 1858, published the following from a correspondent in Southampton : "At noon to-day the horn sounded through the streets, which is the signal to look out for a whale. In a few minutes tough old whalemen enough had mustered on the beach to man several boats and push out into the surf in chase of three whales which were leisurely spouting in the offing. After an exciting but brief ehase the lanee touched the life of one of the three, who spouted elaret and turned up dead. He was towed to the shore and will make-the judges say-forty barrels of oil."
The taking of shell-fish in the bays and on the eoast has been an important and inereasing industry ; and the eapture of fish for the expression of oil and the manu- facture of fertilizers has come to be a business of some importanee.
It was the eustom of the Indians on this island, before its settlement by the whites, to annually burn the herbage on large portions of it, which were thus kept free from trees and underbrush. This enabled the early settlers to enter at once on the cultivation of the land, and to convert large tracts into common pastures. The arrest of the annual fires permitted underbrush to spring up in such profusion that the male inhabitants of the towns, between the ages of sixteen and sixty, were ealled out by the Court of Assize during four days of each year to eut away this growth. On the wooded portions of the island the timber was cut and converted into staves so rapidly by the early settlers that, within the first twenty years, the towns instituted rules regulat- ing or prohibiting the eutting of trees.
At first the searcity of eireulating medium compelled people to make exehanges in various kinds of produce, and this method necessitated the fixing of the value of produee, either by eustom or law. The Indian sewant, or wampum, was very much used in place of money, and both it and produce were used not only in business transactions but in the payment of taxes, fines, ete. By reason of the facility with which the material could be proeured, the manufacture of wampum was sometimes engaged in by the whites, within the memory of some now living. John Jacob Astor employed men to man- ufacture it here, that he might send it to the northwest and exchange it with the Indians there for furs. The following schedule of the value of produee in the mid- dle and latter part of the seventeenth century, when this eustom prevailed, is taken from WOOD: "Pork per 1b., 3 penee; beef, 2; tallow, 6; butter, 6; dry hides, 4; green hides, 2; lard, 6; winter wheat, 4s. to 5s. per bush .; summer wheat, 3s. 6d. per bush .; rye, 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per bush .; Indian eorn, 2s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. per bush .; oats, 2s. per bush." Stoek in 1665 was legally valued as follows: "Colts, one to two years, £3 each; two to three, £4 each; three to four, £8; horses four years or more of age, £12; bulloeks, bulls or cows four years or upward, £6 each; steers and heifers, one to two years, each £1 10s .; two to three, £2 10s .; three to four,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.