USA > New York > Kings County > Flatbush > The social history of Flatbush : and manners and customs of the Dutch settlers in Kings county > Part 22
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" Daar den top is von genade Hier 't begin von heerlykheyd Hier wy loven vroeg en spade, Daar in zaal 'ge eenwighheyd."
And as they had good lungs, those old Dutch people, I dare say that " the stars heard and the sea " their Dutch music as well as the anthems of the Pilgrims, and that there was as much melody in the one case as in the other. But Mrs. Hemans did not sing about us as she did about the "band of exiles " who " moored their bark " and "sang their hymns of lofty cheer" where "the rocking pines of the forest roared," etc., and so we have not been made heroes of, and we should have been, and possibly would have been, had we made a great fuss about it. As it was, we went to work with patient endurance, and said comparatively little about our hero- ism, and that is what we Dutch people generally do.
III
When our Holland ancestors reached these shores the selection and purchase of land doubtless filled them with anxiety. If Evart brought his wife and Gerret
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came with all his children, and Harmanus with his grown-up sisters, it was a serious question where they had better settle. Along the Hudson our people were beginning to group together in small villages; Albany had advantages, so had New Amsterdam on the island of the Manhattans, and just across the river New Jersey had its attractions. There were also Dutch towns on Long Island with fertile soil and good farms settled by their own people from Amersfort, Utrecht, and Amsterdam.
A journal of New Netherlands, written in 1641-'46 and published among the Holland documents, thus de- scribes the country : " New Netherland, so called because it was first frequented and peopled by free Netherland- ers, is a province in the most northern part of America, lying between New England and Virginia. The ocean is confined along its whole length by a clean, sandy coast, very similar to that of Flanders or Holland. The air is very temperate, inclining to dryness, healthy, little sub- ject to sickness. The four seasons of the year are about as in France or the Netherlands. The character of the country is like that of France. . .. In the interior are pretty high mountains, between which flow a great num- ber of small rivers; in some places there are even some lofty ones of extraordinary height, but not many. Its fertility falls behind no province in Europe in excellence as in cleanness of fruits and seeds." Such was the land on which they were to settle. Father Jogues, a Jesuit missionary who explored the country about this time, says : " When any one comes to settle in the country, they [the Dutch] lend him horses, cows, etc., and give him provisions, all of which he repays as soon as he is at ease, and as to the land he pays in to the West India.
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Company after ten years the tenth of the produce which he reaps."
This same Father Jogues says of the colony called Rensselaerswick : " Their houses are merely of boards and thatched. There is no mason work except in the chim- neys. The forests furnishing many large pines, they make boards by means of their mills which they have for the purpose."
If our Albany cousins built their houses after that pattern, probably those along the river and on Long Island were the same. This was somewhere about the year 1646. Those substantial brick-and-stone dwelling houses, which we think of as being the earliest, were of a later date. But then we must remember that not very many of us came over quite as early as 1643. I find the following order given in 1650 to the settlers who take up lands in the New Netherlands : " All who arrive must immediately set about preparing the soil so as to be able, if possible, to plant some winter grain, and to proceed the next winter to cut and clear the timber. The trees are usually felled from the stump, cut up and burnt in the field, unless such as are suitable for build- ing, for palisades, or for posts and rails, which must be prepared during the winter so as to be set up in the spring on the new-made land which is intended to be sown, in order that the cattle may not in anywise injure the crops."
Next the writer proceeds in this wise to speak of building houses : " It is necessary to select a well-located spot . .. properly surveyed and divided into lots. This hamlet can be fenced in all round with palisades or long boards and closed with gates, which is advantageous in case of attack by the natives, who here-
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tofore used to exhibit their insolence in new plantations. . . . Those in New Netherlands, and especially in New England, who have no means to build farmhouses at first according to their wishes, dig a square pit in the ground, cellar-fashion, six or seven feet deep, as long and as broad as they think proper, case the earth inside with wood all round the wall, and line the wood with the bark of trees to prevent the caving in of the earth; they floor this cellar with plank and wainscot it overhead for a ceiling, raise a roof of spars clear up, and cover the spars with bark or green sods, so that they can live dry and warm in these houses with their entire families for two, three, or four years. The wealthy and principal men in the beginning of the colonies commenced their first dwelling houses in this fashion. . .. In the course of three or four years they built themselves handsome houses, spending on them several thousands."
The last named were probably the houses which we think of as the earliest Dutch houses, while, on the contrary, it is quite probable that when the first Gerret- sens and Williamsens and Petersens and Martensens and all the various Vans came over they had to prepare for the comfort of little Claus and Seytje and Janetje a house built " cellar-fashion," as this writer calls it.
As to the religious privileges of our people, even at this early period, they were not forgotten. Even be- fore the earliest of our preachers came over there were Krankbesoekers and Sickentroesters sent so that the sick and dying should be ministered to.
The magistrates had orders at a very early date to see that the " Reformed Christian religion, conformable to the Synod of Dordrecht, shall be maintained without suffering any other Sects attempting anything contrary
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thereto," and when instruction for the election of new magistrates was given in 1674 it was ordered that only such Burgomasters, Schout, and Schepens should be nominated as "were of the Reformed Christian re- ligion, or at least well effected toward it."
Some of the laws by which the new settlements were governed must have been conducive to good order, and we might commend them to the notice of our mag- istrates to day : " All persons are forbid selling beer, wine, or other strong drink during divine service on the Sabbath, neither shall they allow it to be drunk in their houses."
" All persons are forbid selling it to servants after nine o'clock."
" All persons are forbid selling strong drink to the Indians."
" All fighting is forbid, drawing of knives, striking with the fists, and wounding."
" All tavern keepers to be held liable for permitting fighting in their houses."
" No person to create difficulties between Masters and servants nor induce servants to come and live with him."
"No person shall race with carts and wagons in the streets."
" Those who hire Indians for money must pay them promptly."
These short abstracts are from the edicts of the Dutch governors, and were probably enforced from on or about 1647 to 1660.
The following extract of a report on the state of trade in the province, made when the English rule had begun, is very suggestive in view of the events that
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happened a century later. It is probably the opinion of Lord Cornbury. He says: "All these Colloneys which are but twigs belonging to the main tree (Eng- land) ought to be Kept entirely dependent upon and subservient to England ; for the consequence will be that they who are already not very fond of submitting to Government would soon think of putting in Execu- tion designs they had long harboured in their breasts." His lordship forgets that the people of the Dutch colony at least were not accustomed to be " dependent and sub- servient."
The Dutch twig of that English tree grew to be a stout limb, and is flourishing still, and we are its latest growth. We speak English, but we are of Dutch ancestry, and we are not ashamed of that fact. We preach in English, but ours are Dutch Reformed churches still. We no longer sing the Psalms of David from the old Dutch Psalm-books on our library shelves, but we make selections from the beautiful hymns which are favorites with all Christian people, and so we keep step with our sister churches of other denominations. Our newspapers, "The Christian In- telligencer " and the publications of the boards of our church, compare favorably with those of other churches ; perhaps it is with a little excusable pride that we allude to them.
Thus the "twig" of the old colonial days has shown luxuriant growth, and blends joyfully in songs of praise with the branches which spring up around it. Looking at our churches on the hilltops and in the valleys of this goodly land, we claim for them the realization of the prophetic vision of Isaiah when he said, " Ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with
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peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth be- fore you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."
IV.
It is probable that most of our Dutch ancestors set- tled here between 1650 and 1700. We are led to this conclusion from documentary evidence and church records. They repeated the experience of all founders of colonies in new countries, and endured hardships, as we have said, from need of good food and home com- forts, from the dread of Indian warfare, and even from fear of wild animals.
If you imagine pretty Trintje sitting at her spinning- wheel all day in the loveliest of short gowns and quilted petticoats placidly singing
" Zoo rijden de Heeren Met de moije kleeren, Zoo rijden de Vrouwen Met de moije Mouen," etc. (American Dutch ?),
you are greatly mistaken, for pretty Trintje had hard work to do.
If you think of the dear huysvrouw rocking little Claus in his mahogany cradle to the song of
" Trip a trop a tronjes De varkens in de bonjes,
with nothing else to think about, then you have no idea of life in the colonies. The work of to-day is child's play compared to the every-day labor of the women, our great-grandmothers, who toiled for the comforts we now possess. As to our great-great-grandfathers-well, they did not lead lives of ease and luxury. Let me
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copy for you from the laws of New York, passed in 1702, "for the destruction of Wolves, Wild Cats, and other vermin."
" .. . Whatsoever Person or Persons, Freeman or Slave, Christian or Indian, shall destroy or kill any Wolf or Wolves, or their Whelp or Whelps, any Wildcat or Wildcats, their Catling or Catlings, any Fox or Foxes, their Puppy or Puppies, any Squirrels, Crows, and Black-birds or their young ones in the Counties of Suf- folk, Queens County and Kings County ; shall have and receive as a Reward for each Wolf so destroyed and killed the sum of Five Pounds current Money of this Colony." The amount is proportional for the "Cat- lings, Puppies, or Cubs," beside the " other vermin."
This was for Long Island adjacent to Manhattan, which we might consider the center of civilized Amer- ica, apart from New England. But it was not on Long Island alone that wolves and wildcats roamed, for " Pro- vision for the like purpose " was made to take effect in Westchester, Albany, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, and Richmond Counties for the destruction of wolves and panthers. Farming under such circumstances must have been attended with difficulties, and I have copied from those old laws that you might see what they had to contend with.
Did any of our readers ever hear old people speak of "keeping schemeravond ?" The word means twilight. Before the days of gas and when there were bright wood fires on the hearth, the family would gather around the fireside to talk over the events of the day, a neighbor sometimes dropping in to join the family circle; that was keeping schemeravond. I have heard my old grand- mother tell of how they would " keep schemeravond,"
.
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and I have thought how pleasant it must have been for the early settlers to be re-enforced by friends and rela- tives coming over from Holland and taking up land be- side them, for as they thus gathered around the hearth on the long winter evenings, how they must have en- joyed hearing the news from their former home ! After the telling about friends and relatives, about the canals and dykes and windmills and the stormy North Sea, I feel sure that they turned to the grand history of the past; the good huysvrouw, rocking the cradle with her foot as she sat at her knitting, the children in open-eyed wonder listened as the newly-arrived guests talked with Groetvader and Groetmoeder about the blood shed at Haarlem and Zutphen and Alkmaar, the starvation at Leyden, the subsequent relief that was afforded, and the triumph that followed.
The children could not but wonder at it all as they listened, scarcely daring to breathe lest their father, made conscious of their presence, should order them to bed. They were accustomed to crawl away into those little trundle beds at an early hour in the evening, but this was such an extraordinary occasion that they had, luckily for them, been forgotten, while the glories of the fatherland filled the minds of all present. The poor surroundings of the colonist were lost in the halo of those great deeds of stadtholder, burgomaster, and the plainest soldier, wrought in those wonderful wars that filled their minds with lofty thoughts to the exclusion of their common life of hard toil and the homely realities of their present surroundings.
But we can not dwell very long on the mountain-top. We revert easily to accustomed things. So, after a pause in which the long pipes were smoked in silence, they
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turned to the present, and the older settlers began to tell their guests about the prospects of making a living in the New World.
We do not doubt that they told stories about those wolves and wildcats, and whatever might be included in that phrase "other vermin," and then, not to discourage the more recent settlers, they would describe the won- ders of their new home, telling of the abundant fish to be had in the bays and rivers, of the clams and oysters, some of these oysters " not less than a foot long !" And as to fruit-the peaches were so abundant that even the animals were fattened on them, and they fell from the trees in such quantities that " you could not step with-
out trampling on them !" Apples were large and plen- tiful, and cider made from them was kept in their cellars for constant use. A haunch of the finest venison, weigh- ing thirty pounds, had been bought for fifteen stuyvers (Dutch money). Wild turkeys and wild geese were ten- der and juicy, and could be bought for a small sum. Watermelons were abundant on Long Island, and were taken in boatloads to the market on "Nassau Island," for so they called it in 1693 with characteristic fidelity to their former leaders, for the rampant lion of Nassau formed part of the coat-of-arms of the Princes of Orange. So, after a time, as you see, the settlers began to have comforts in their new homes and to have food in abun- dance, as they had been accustomed to have it in the Netherlands.
For a long time intercourse between the settlements was very limited, and the most visionary could never have dreamed of what we call rapid transit. Communi- cation between what is now New York and Brooklyn was at that period to be had only by means of small row-
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THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF FLATBUSH.
boats. When business transactions or friendly visits were interchanged, the ferry-master was summoned by the blowing of a horn hung for that purpose in a tree at the landing.
When we next cross on the Brooklyn Bridge let us think of the fathers and mothers in our Dutch towns at that time, at whose call the row-boat was drawn up on the gravelly beach as they climbed in and were rowed over that primitive ferry.
Contrast that with the intercourse between New York and Brooklyn now. The row-boat of that age and the majestic bridge of this emphasize strikingly the difference between the past and the present. Even the background of roaming wolves and wildcats scarcely heightens the difference when we are measuring it by the mighty span of that bridge, contrasted with the tiny boats in which our fathers rowed across the river.
V.
The old Dutch farmhouses which still stand along the Hudson, in New Jersey, and on Long Island were comfortable, home-like structures. They do not repre- sent style and elegance, but they indicate a home life of plenty, comfort, and the peaceful enjoyment of that which they have gained by honest industry.
The heavy, sloping roof is characteristic of these dwellings. We recall but few which do not have this distinguishing feature. Sometimes there were dormer windows, which gave relief to the long slope and better ventilation to the upper chambers. In the very earliest Dutch houses that I can recall, or which have been de- scribed to me, there was no hall, but the front rooms were large, and each room opened upon the long, low
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front stoop. If there were wings to the house, the kitchen had its place in a wing. Basement kitchens were unknown. The huysvrouw, in overlooking her servants and in ordering and preparing the meals, would never have consented to spend thus much of her time underground. In early times there were slave kitchens, small buildings annexed to the main kitchen, which left that, in consequence, more entirely to the mistress.
There were rows of shining tin pans hanging on the walls. The floors were sanded; that seems strange to us now, but I have very clear recollection of the clean, white sand from the ocean beach scattered over the freshly-scrubbed kitchen floor. On the day following, this was swept into waves and curves, like the figures on a carpet. The broad fireplaces were large enough to hold a backlog of the entire boll of a tree-usually hickory. This was held in its place by andirons. In front of it were smaller logs, while the spaces between were filled in with hickory chips and corncobs. When lighted, what a glorious fire it made ! The whole kitchen was aglow from the flames !
We read of the very small kitchens in which French people cook, reserving the rest of the house for com- pany. I have sometimes wondered if this might not be characteristic of the two nations. Our people made these cheery kitchens the gathering places of the fam- ily. It was a center of family life. Around these great fires they met in the twilight to talk over the events of the day, the neighbors coming in, the children chatter- ing in the chimney corner, and the father, and perhaps the " groetvader," smoking their long pipes, lighted by coals from the fireplace. Later in the evening the tank- ard of cider would be brought in, baskets of apples, a
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basket of nuts for the children to crack, and the platter of fresh doughnuts. Here we would digress to say that we are quite sure the recipe for doughnuts (their love for which is shown by the New England people in their constant use of that cake) was first obtained from the Hollanders, among whom they sojourned, for the doughnut is not an English cake; it is decidedly a Dutch dish ; but their visitors took so kindly to it that ever after their settlement in New England they had it in use on their tables throughout the year. But the Dutch never made this cake during the spring or sum- mer, and not in the autumn until after the fall killing gave them fresh lard in which to cook it. But this is a digression. Now to go back to the pleasant memories of the old Dutch kitchens, we ought to explain that this use of that part of the house would not have been pos- sible had there not been the kitchen for the servants of which we have spoken. There were a number of colored people in every family. They were slaves, but it was a light form of slavery. There was a kitchen purposely arranged for them, and, if not adjoining, it was only separated by a few feet from the main house. I do not remember these myself as being in use, but I know of several of them which are still standing.
It is probable that all untidy household work was in that portion of the house, while the great kitchen, with its dresser of old Delft ware, its pewter dishes, its shin- ing tins, and its blazing evening fire, represented that portion of the home which in English homes was the sitting-room. The difference in the two is character- istic of the supervision of all the work by the huysvrouw herself, and also of the Dutch hospitality, of which eat- ing and drinking formed a prominent part.
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I have sometimes fancied (perhaps it is only a fancy) that the Dutch kitchen was the last lingering represen- tation of the family life of a ruder age in Europe, when work was not below the dignity of the house-mother, and when paterfamilias, in primitive fashion and in a certain barbaric style, dispensed his hospitality and made merry in his rude baronial hall. His great kitchen was the baronial hall of the Dutchman.
The very low ceilings which we see in all of these houses tell the story of cold winters only heated by the open fireplace, the halls and chambers being icy cold in midwinter, and they suggest, none the less, the dim light only furnished by candles. We who in the present age revel in the comforts of furnace or steam heater, and in the light of gas or brilliant lamplight, can but faintly realize the discomforts that would have arisen had every room been built with a high ceiling. These Dutch people built houses for comfort, not palaces for show. They were a home-loving race. They loved their wives and their children, and the ties of kindred were very strong. Did you ever, in reading over a list of Dutch names, notice how a tender diminutive forms part of every feminine name ? Those names have all disappeared. No mother would make her little daughter conspicuous by the giving of those names now, and yet only two generations ago they were general. Look over the old records, the old wills, the tombstones in the old graveyards around the Dutch churches, and in the family Bibles, and what names do we find ? Is it Ellen, Jane, Louisa that we see ? Still less, is it Gladys, Gwendolin, Maud, Edith ? None of these. It is An- netje (Anne), Jannetje (Jane); Elsje (Alice), Setje (Cynthia), Grietje (Margaret), Lentje (Helen), Ar-
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THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF FLATBUSH.
riantje (Adrianna), Femmetje (Phœbe), Gertje (Ger- trude). The final je in all these names is the Dutch diminutive. It has in this connection a sort of tender, petting tone, as if representing something that must be loved and protected. You see there was a certain high- toned chivalry among these men, and they looked upon a woman with a blending of love and respect. Histo- rians tell us that the purity of morals among the Dutch may be ascribed to the happy influence of the women.
Now that we are speaking of names, observe also the difference in the names of men in past and present. On the old records we find Adrian, Barent, Brom, Dirk, Diederick, Evert, Gerret, Hans, Hendrick, Johannes, Joost, Lambert, Laurens, etc. These names, like those who have borne them, are no longer to be found. If any of us have been named in baptism after these old worthies, it is under the disguise of the English translation. It is right that this should be so, but while looking into the past, honor the names of those who have lived before you, for you have no reason to be ashamed of your Holland forefathers.
VI.
On fine and expensive paper, with names beautifully engraved, you read your invitation to the wedding of the charming young lady who has been the belle of the season. The newspaper reporters, giving an account of it, say that the bride is descended from an old Knicker- bocker family of wealth and high social standing.
(It is rather amusing that the name which Irving used in his ridicule of our people should be now con- sidered a flattering distinction, is it not ?)
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Let us turn to the past and see how the forefathers of this " old Knickerbocker family " arranged matters on similar occasions.
When Jannetje and Derick were to be married, if at that period they were of high social standing they had a large wedding. The Dutch believed in having large weddings. Everybody was invited, all the relatives, rich and poor. There was an abundance of food provided, for the preparations had taken days and days before the important day of the ceremony. I wish I could say that they were total abstainers. But that would be too far in advance of their time. Let us hope that at least they were temperate at the wedding feast in an age when to be the reverse was not considered sinful.
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