USA > New York > Kings County > Flatbush > The history of the town of Flatbush in Kings County, Long Island > Part 8
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
Adrian Hegeman,
from
1659
to
1671.
Jacop Joosten,
1671
1673.
Francays De Burynne,
1673
1674.
Michael Hainelle,
66
1674
1675.
Jan Gerrit Van Marckje,
1675
1680.
Derick Storm,
1680
66
1681.
Jan Tiebout,
«
1681
1682.
Johannes Van Eckkellen,
1682
1700.
Johannes Schenck,
1700
1711.
Jan Gancell,
1711
«
1719.
110
Adrian Hegeman,
from
1719
to
1741.
Jores Remsen,
"
1741
1762.
Petrus Van Steenburgh,
1762
1773.
Anthony Welp,
1773
1776.
Gabriel Ellison,
1776
1790.
John Rubell,
1790
1793.
Michael Schoonmaker,
1793
1798.
Patrick Dillon,
1798
Patrick Noon,
1802.
Specific and very particular agreements were made with these several schoolmasters, which are entered at large, upon the town records. It may be interesting to present one or two of these, to show the duties which these persons formerly were required to perform, and the man- ner in which they were to instruct the children. The fol- lowing is a translation of the agreement made with Jo- hannes Van Eckkelen, who commenced his duties as schoolmaster, in Flatbush, in the year 1682.
" Johannes Van Eckkelen, a young man from New-Al- bany, is hereby called and accepted, on the first day of Oc- tober, 1681, with the advice and consent of the Honorable Magistrates, to perform the duties heretofore required of Jan Thibaud, in manner following : (1.) He shall serve the Church and School, according to the existing ordinances, in the same manner, as they have been heretofore per- formed by the above named Jan Thibaud, and as hereun- der written .- (2.) This contract shall take effect, from the first day of October, Inst. and continue to the first day of May next, for the purpose of making a trial of each other in the mean time .- (3.) For the performance of the above duties, he shall be entitled to receive the sum of 234 guild- ers, in grain, valued in Seewant, with the other privileges appertaining to the calling, during the time specified.
111
ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT
WITH JOHANNES VAN ECKKELEN.
Accepted Schoolmaster and Chorister of Flatbush.
SCHOOL SERVICE .- I. The school shall begin at eight o'clock, and go out at eleven; and in the afternoon shall begin at one o'clock, and end at four. The bell shall be rung when the school commences .*
II. When the school begins, one of the children shall read the morning prayer, as it stands in the catechism, and close with the prayer before dinner; in the afternoon it shall begin with the prayer after dinner, and end with the evening prayer. The evening school shall begin with the Lord's prayer, and close by singing a psalm.
III. He shall instruct the children on every Wednesday and Saturday, in the common prayers, and the questions and answers in the catechism, to enable them to repeat them the better on Sunday before the afternoon service, or on Monday, when they shall be catechised before the congregation. Upon all such occasions, the schoolmaster shall be present, and shall require the children to be friendly in their appearance and encourage them to an- swer freely and distinctly.
IV. He shall be required to keep his school nine months in succession, from September to June, in each
* The bell used on these occasions was the church bell. The prac- tice of ringing this bell at the opening of the school continued till the year 1794, when the second church was taken down. The church bell was also used by the Academy, for nearly ten years.
112
year, in case it should be concluded upon to retain his services for a year or more, or without limitation; and he shall then be required to be regulated by these articles, and to perform the same duties which his predecessor, Jan Thibaud, above named, was required to perform. In every particular therefore, he shall be required to keep school, according to this seven months agreement, and shall always be present himself.
CHURCH SERVICE .- I. He shall keep the church clean, and ring the bell three times before the people assemble to attend the preaching and catechising. Also before the sermon is commenced, he shall read a chapter out of the Holy Scriptures, and that, between the second and third ringing of the bell. After the third ringing he shall read the ten commandments, and the twelve articles of our faith, and then take the lead in singing. In the afternoon after the third ringing of the bell, he shall read a short chapter, or one of the Psalms of David, as the congrega- tion are assembling; and before divine service commences, shall introduce it, by the singing of a Psalm or Hymn.
II .- When the minister shall preach at Brooklyn, or New-Utrecht, he shall be required to read twice before the congregation, from the book commonly used for that pur- pose. In the afternoon he shall also read a sermon on the explanation of the catechism, according to the usage and practice approved of by the minister. The children as usual, shall recite their questions and answers out of the catechism, on Sunday, and he shall instruct them therein. He, as chorister, shall not be required to perform these duties, whenever divine service shall be performed in Flatlands, as it would be unsuitable, and prevent many from attending there.
113
III .- For the administration of Holy Baptism, he shall provide a basin with water, for which he shall be entitled to receive from the parents, or witnesses, twelve styvers. He shall, at the expense of the church, provide bread and wine, for the celebration of the Holy Supper; He shall be in duty bound promptly to furnish the minister with the name of the child to be baptized, and with the names of the parents and witnesses. And he shall also serve as messenger for the consistory.
IV .- He shall give the funeral invitations, dig the grave, and toll the bell, for which service he shall receive for a person of fifteen years and upwards, twelve guild- ers, and for one under that age, eight guilders. If he should be required to give invitations beyond the limits of the town, he shall be entitled to three additional guild- ers, for the invitation of every other town, and if he should be required to cross the river, and go to New- York, he shall receive four guilders.
SCHOOL MONEY .- He shall receive from those who at- tend the day school, for a speller or reader, three guilders a quarter, and for a writer four guilders. From those who attend evening school, for a- speller or reader, four guilders, and for a writer, six guilders shall be given.
SALARY .- In addition to the above, his salary shall con- sist of four hundred guilders, in grain, valued in See- want, to be delivered at Brooklyn Ferry, and for his services from October to May, as above stated, a sum of two hundred and thirty-four guilders, in the same kind, with the dwelling house, barn, pasture lot, and meadows, to the school appertaining. The same to take effect from the first day of October, Instant.
114
Done and agreed upon in Consistory, under the inspec- tion of the Honorable Constable and Overseers, the 8th, of October, 1682.
Constable and Overseers. The Consistory.
CORNELIUS BERRIAN,
CASPARUS VAN ZUREN, Minister,
RYNIER AERTSEN,
ADRIAEN REYERSE,
JAN REMSEN,
CORNELIS BARENT VANDEWYCK.
I agree to the above articles, and promise to perform them according to the best of my ability.
JOHANNES VAN ECKKELEN."
Many of the provisions of this agreement are calculated at this day to excite a smile. But in one particular it is to be admired. It shows how careful and exact our fore- fathers were, in embuing the minds of the young and rising generation, with a reverence for the God of their existence, and with a knowledge of the principles of our holy religion. These are matters which we cannot too sacredly guard. Mere secular knowledge is not a safe- guard to personal virtue, nor to the security of the State. Sound education consists not simply in the cultivation of the mind, but in the infusion of moral and religious prin- ciples. Without the latter, it is but a frail support of the great temple of liberty and independence. But when moral principles are inculcated in connection with intel- lectual light, we may hope to see the youth growing up in virtue and proving ornaments in their day, and supports to the church and the state. Such was the deep rooted sentiment of the early Dutch settlers, and was transmitted by them to their immediate descendants. And hence the careful provisions in all their agreements with their
115
schoolmasters. At that time religious instruction could be introduced in the schools without any difficulty, as all the community were of one faith-All adhering to the Belgic Confession, the articles of the Synod of Dort, and the Catechisms of the Reformed Dutch Church. Such a mode of instruction however, from the present state of society, and the multiplication of religious sects, cannot now be pursued. But we deprecate the day, when the Bible shall be excluded from our common schools, and no care taken to instill into the minds of the young, sound moral principles, the principles of the religion of Christ.
We have presented an agreement formed with a school- master, in the year 1682. We now give one made in the year 1773, nearly one hundred years after, with Anthony Welp, the last teacher of the Dutch language. As will be seen, it contains many of the provisions of the former, and is based in general, upon the same principles.
" In Kings County,
" Flatbush, August 18, 1773.
" The undersigned, Philippus Nagel, Johannes Ditmars and Cornelius Vanderveer, Jr., being authorized by the town of Flatbush, to call a schoolmaster for the same town, have agreed with Mr. Anthony Welp, to keep school in the following manner.
"First the school shall begin and end in a Christian- like manner: At 8 o'clock in the morning it shall begin with the morning prayer, and end at 11 o'clock, with prayer.
"1st. For dinner. At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, it shall begin with the prayer after meat, and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, end with the evening prayer.
116
" 2d. The above named schoolmaster shall teach chil- dren and adult persons, low dutch and english spelling and reading, and also cyphering to all who may desire or request such instruction.
" 3d. The above named schoolmaster shall have for the instruction of every child or person, in low dutch spelling, reading and writing, the sum of four shillings: for those who are instructed in english spelling, reading and writ- ing, the sum of five shillings: and for those who are in- structed in cyphering, the sum of six shillings: and that for three months instruction : and also a load of firewood shall be brought for each scholar, every nine months, for the use of the school.
" 4th. The above schoolmaster shall keep school five days in every week: once in each week in the afternoon, the scholars shall learn the questions and answers in Borges Catechism: or the questions and answers in the Heidleburgh Catechism, with the scripture texts thereto belonging, or as it may be desired by the scholar or by his guardian, for any other day in the week, so as to be most beneficial to the one instructed.
" 5th. The above named schoolmaster shall occupy the school-house, with the appurtenances thereto belonging, in the same manner as the same was occupied by the schoolmaster, Petrus Van Steenburgh. Also, the above named schoolmaster shall be yearly paid by the Worthy Consistory, the sum of four pounds, to attend to the church services, such as reading and singing; and for the interment of the dead, the above named schoolmaster shall be entitled to receive so much as is customary in the above named town.
" 6th, and Lastly. The above agreement shall be obli- gatory for such length of time as the present schoolmas-
117
ter shall render his services amongst us. But if it should so happen that the town should not require the services of the above named schoolmaster, any longer after the ex- piration of one year: in such case the schoolmaster shall have three months notice thereof, from the above author- ized persons, or from such persons as may be thereto ap- pointed. And if the above named schoolmaster should desire to discontinue his services, he shall in like manner give the town three months previous notice of his in- tention.
For the mutual performance of this agreement, we have signed this with our hands.
N. B. The above sums of money mentioned in the Third Article, shall be paid by those who send the schol- ars to school.
" PHILLIPPUS NAGEL, JOHANNES DITMARS, CORS. V. D. VEER, JUNR. ANTHONY WELP."
We have not been able to gather any information rel- ative to the character or attainments of these early school- masters. Nor have we met with any of their literary pro- ductions. We cannot, however, refrain in this place, from presenting the following rare specimen of poetic profi- ciency, which we find on the title page of the first Minute Book of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Kings. It was composed by J. M. Sperling of Flatbush, who was chosen clerk of the board, in the year 1716.
"My loving Friends of this County See, That you hereby may Regulated Bee-
Fear God and Keep the Law with Love of one accord And be Obdient to our Soveraigne Lord
1
118
Then you will meet with Men that Sees That Doth according to Law by Words and Deeds Imploy'd the same within your Port That is my advice now in short-"
The school-house referred to in the agreements which we have presented, was located on a triangular lot of ground situated on the east side of the main street, di- rectly opposite to the old parsonage and present Consist- ory Room, on the site now occupied by the store of Mr. Michael Schoonmaker & Son. There were three distinct buildings joined together, and evidently erected at differ- ent periods of time. The most eastern, which was proba- bly the first erected in the town, was built of stone, and stood about sixty feet from the street, being one story high. The second was composed of wood, more elevated than the first, having a steep roof in front, and a long sloping roof in the rear, reaching so near the ground as to admit of only a small window behind. The third was also a frame building, of more modern date, the gable end of which fronted the street, and stood on a line with it, but built in the same style as the last-the roofs exactly corresponding with each other, and although it was probably erected fifty years subsequently, still the same model was tenaciously adhered to. The whole fronted to the south, with the gable end, as we have said, to the road, having two rooms in front and two small rooms in the rear, and in more modern times the east end of the building served as a kitchen. The westerly front room was always used as the school-room, and the small room in the rear of it, (usually called the "prison," from the fact that unruly boys were occasionally confined in it,) was also used for school purposes, when the number of schol-
119
ars was too great to be accommodated in the front school- room. The residue of the building, with the kitchen and barn, was occupied by the schoolmaster and his family. The village school was kept in this building until about the year 1803. In the year 1805, the old school-house was sold to Bateman Lloyd, Esq., who took it down, and with the timber and other materials of it, built a store on his own premises, a few 'feet north of his dwelling-house. The building erected with these materials, continued to be kept as a dry-goods and grocery store, until the year 1825, when it was removed and converted into a barn, now on the premises owned and occupied by Dr. Zabris- kie. After the school-house was removed, the lot on which it stood, laid in common for some time. During the last war with Great Britain, the government erected a gun house upon the north west angle of the lot, suffi- ciently large to hold two heavy field pieces. About the same time, the store now owned by Mr. Michael Schoon- maker, was built upon part of the premises, and in the year 1823, the present parsonage house was erected on the southern portion of it, which embraces all the ground commonly called the school lot.
The first person who taught English, was Petrus Van Steenburgh. He was schoolmaster from the year 1762, to 1773. At what time precisely he commenced teaching English we cannot tell. But he had at the same time, as well as his successor, pupils in both the Dutch and Eng- lish language. And as all the scholars were in the habit of speaking Dutch, it required some little management on the part of the worthy school-master to make his pupils who were learning English use that language en- tirely. His rule was that no scholar who was instructed in English should speak a Dutch word in school, and if
120
he did so he should be punished. In order to detect these persons, he had a pewter token about the size of a dollar, which was given to the one who first spoke a Dutch word after the school was opened. He gave it to the next one whom he heard speak Dutch, and so it passed from one to another; but the boy in whose possession the token was found at the close of the school, appears to have been the scapegoat for the whole, for he was severely ferruled upon his hand by the faithful Petrus Van Steenburgh, who took great delight in finding the successful operation of his most ingenious device to detect the unhappy wight who spoke a Dutch word.
The first select Classical school, which was opened in this town, was commenced by one John Copp. His school was held at first in a small house lately belonging to Judge Garrit Martense, which stood on the lot now occu- pied by Mr. Seymour, and which has been cut in two, and converted into barns and stables. From this he removed and taught in the south room of the house of Cornelius Antonides. At what date he opened his school, cannot be ascertained with precision. An advertisement over his name is found in "the New-York Journal, or General Advertiser," published by John Holt, under the date of July, 4th, 1774. In this, he states, that " he has for some- time kept a grammar school in Flatbush." In this adver- tisement he " proposes " (to use his own words,) " to teach the Latin and Greek languages and Arithmetic in the cor- rectest and best manner, besides reading, writing, and principles of English Grammar." His terms were $50 a year for boarding; and tuition not to exceed $15 yearly. He refers to the Rev. Dr. Cooper, President of Kings (now Columbia) College, to the Hon. William Axtell, who then resided in Flatbush, and to Andrew Elliott,
121
Collector of His Majesty's Customs in New-York. He adds-" Dr. Cooper proposes to visit the school quarterly, when the scholars will be examined."
This school of Mr. Copp appears to have been well patronised. Many of the most respectable and influential inhabitants of New-York entrusted their children to his care. Henry Remsen, the late President of the Manhat- tan Company, was one of his scholars, besides many others. This school was broken up by the war of the American Revolution, and Mr. Copp afterwards joined the army.
During the period of the struggle for American Inde- pendence, the school in Flatbush was taught by Mr. Ga- briel Ellison. He was an Englishman by birth, and was the first teacher who taught English exclusively. He had been a considerable time among the Indians in Canada -and although a man of eccentric habits, was a good schoolmaster, in proof of which, we may remark, that in addition to village scholars, he had many others from Brooklyn and other places. In order to entitle him to re- ceive all the emoluments which his predecessors had en- joyed, it was indispensably necessary that he should acquire a knowledge of the Dutch, so as to enable him to perform the duties of sexton and chorister in that lan- guage. This he readily undertook, and although he com- mitted many blunders in the onset, yet by diligence and perseverance, he overcome his many difficulties, and was soon fully inducted into the offices of sexton and chor- ister. These offices he held until he left the village school, about 1790, and performed them generally to the satisfaction of the inhabitants.
Many incidents of quite an amusing character, are re- lated of him during his residence here. We will mention
122
one or two. As sexton, it was his duty to ring the bell and give alarms during the revolutionary war. The vil- lage was often disturbed during that period, and Mr. Ellison, from his office, and from his living near the church, usually warned the inhabitants by ringing the bell. On one occasion an alarm was sounded in the night time. Ellison not being able to find his small clothes, (for pantaloons were not known in those days,) seized his wife's calimanco petticoat, which he hastily drew on, and ran to the church, where he was found dressed in this style, pulling away like a lusty fellow at the bell rope. Such a sight must have put to flight all the fears of the inhabitants, and turned the scene of alarm into one of merriment.
During part of the time that Ellison was chorister of the church, the Rev. Mr. Van Sinderen, was pastor of the church. The Domine was preaching on a certain occa- sion in the Dutch language, on the subject of the con- version of the Philippian Jailor, and as he was a man of somewhat eccentric habits, he made frequent digressions from his subject. During his discourse at this time, he said he would stake a wager that there was not one man in the church who knew the English of the Dutch word, " Stookwaarder." This bet was several times repeated by the Domine. At length Ellison, who in virtue of his office of chorister, occupied the front seat in the Deacons pew, thinking himself the best English scholar present, bawled out with a loud voice. "Jailor sir." Mr. Van Sinderen feeling somewhat mortified at this unexpected reply, (for he wished to have given the answer himself,) looked down upon Ellison with some degree of scorn, and said to him, "you must never talk when I preach."
ERASMUS HALL ACADEMY, FLATBUSH
123
ERASMUS HALL.
Not long after the peace, measures were taken for the founding a respectable Academy in the town of Flatbush. The projectors of the enterprize were the Rev. Dr. John H. Livingston, who then residing in Flatbush, and Sena- tor John Vanderbilt. The latter was a man of great pub- lic spirit, and of large and liberal views. He took an ac- tive part in accomplishing the noble design, and soon ob- tained the active co-operation of several other distin- guished persons. At length, in the year 1786, Jacob Lef- ferts, Joris Martense, Peter Lefferts, Johannes E. Lott, Cornelius Vanderveer, John Vanderbilt, William B. Gif- ford, Peter Cornell, Matthew Clarkson, Aquila Giles, John J. Vanderbilt and Garrit Martense, inhabitants of the town of Flatbush, associated together, and took the neces- sary measures, for the erection of a large and commodious building, for an academy. A subscription paper was cir- culated in the village, and handed to some friends in the city of New-York, by which the sum of £915. was raised towards the object. This subscription is as follows.
" Whereas, this county experiences the greatest incon- venience, from the want of a Public School being erected, in which, the English, Latin and Greek Languages, with other branches of learning, usual in Academies are taught, and considering the preceding regulations and proposals for erecting the same, in the township of Flatbush, highly beneficial and honorable to said county: We the under- written, agree to pay towards erecting the same, such sum as is annexed to our names, the one half on the first day of April next, the other half on the first day of August fol- lowing, and we further take the liberty to solicit from the friends of Literature, in New-York, their encouragement,
124
to enable us to carry into execution this laudable attempt. Kings County, Flatbush, February 22d, 1786.
(Signed,)
John Vanderbilt, £100. Adriantie Voorhies, 30
Peter Lefferts, 60.
Hendrick Suydam, 25.
John Vanderbilt, 50. William B. Gifford, 20.
Garrit Martense, 50.
Philip Nagel, 15.
M. Clarkson, 50.
Peter Cornell,
15.
Joris Martense,
50.
Johannes Waldron,
5.
Aa. Giles, 50.
George Clinton, for any place in Kings Co. 15.
Jacob Lefferts, 50.
Johannes E. Lott,
50.
John Jay, 15.
Cornelius Vanderveer,
50.
Robert R. Livingston, 15.
James Duane, 15. Richard Varick, 10.
James Giles,
5.
Brockholst Livingston, 10.
John H. Livingston, 5.
Alexander Hamilton, 10.
Comfort Sands, 20.
William Duer,
15.
Samuel Franklin, 10.
Walter Rutherford, 10.
Francis Childs,
5.
Carey Ludlow, 10.
Richard Platt,
10.
Edward Livingston,
10.
W. Edgar,
5.
William Wilcocks, 10.
Sampson Fleming, 5.
D. C. Verplanck, 10.
Aaron Burr, 10.
-Mc Coombe,
10.
During that year, 1786, the building which was one hundred feet in front, and thirty-six feet in depth, was erected. We need not here give any particular description of it, as the inhabitants are all familiar with its appear- ance. The expense incurred in the completing of this edifice amounted to $6250. The money obtained by vol- untary subscription, was first applied, but proved to be insufficient to defray the expenditures. The founders and
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.