USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > A history of the Goshenhoppen Reformed charge, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (1727-1819) > Part 3
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30 The original list is now in the State Library at Harrisburg, Depart- ment of Public Records, at present (1914) in charge of Mr. Luther R. Kelker, who very kindly allowed the writer to examine and copy the original list, as well as others mentioned later.
24
History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
A LIST OF YE PALATINE PASSENGERS IMPORTED IN YE SHIP WILLIAM AND SARAH, WILL'M HILL, MASTR., FROM ROTTERDAM, PHILAD'A YE 18 SEPTEMBER 1727.
[1] Hans Jerrick Swaep . . . 6
[2] Hans Martin Levisteyn .. 2 [40] Hans Jer. Herzels 4
[3] Benedic Strome. 2 [41] Jan Bernard Wolf 6
[4] Jan Hend* Scaub 31/2
[42] Steven Frederick. 31/2
[5] Hans Jerrick Shoomaker. 61/2 [43] Ann Floren. 11/2
[6] Abraham Beni 5
[7] Hans Martain Shoomak" H
[8] Frederick Heiligas 41/2
[9] Hans Mich. Pagman I
[xo] Sebastian Creef. 4
[II] Johan Habaraker. 21/2
[12] Alex. Diebenderf. 2
[13] Hieronemus Milder 2
[14] Johann Will™ Mey 2
[15] Henericus Bell I
[16] Caspar Springler 4
[17] Hans Herik. Siegler 3
[18] Michael Peitley 41/2
[19] Hans Mich. Tiell 31/2
[20] Jan. Barn. Levinstey I
[21] Jacob Jost. 2
[22] Johannes Hoet. 31/2
[23] Daniel Levan 8
[24] Hans Mich1. Weider 2
[25] Andrw. . Simmerman 8
[26] Leonart Seltenreich 2
[27] Hans Jerrick Wigler 2
[28] Will™ Jurgens. I
[29] Johan Wester, sick I
[30] Will™ Heer. I
[31] Hans Adam Milder 2
[32] Anspel Anspag 21/2
[33] Henrich Meyer. 4
[34] Adam Henrich 2
[35] Jacob Gons. 2
[36] Ulrich Heere 3
[37] Sebastian Vinck 2
[38] Tonicus Meyer 5
126
[39] Jacob Swicker, sick. I
[44] Philip Fernser I
[45] Hans Jacob Eckman. 2
[46] Hans Fill. Heysinger . .
I
[47] Hendrick Witte .. I
[48] Hans Jerrick Hoy, sick.
[49] Jacob Pause 21/2
[50] AndrW Saltsgerrer r
[51] Hans Jerrick Wolf. 21/2
[52] Jacob Milder, dead. 31/2
[53] Hans Jerrick Bowman I
[54] Johannes Wester *. I
[55] Johannes Stromf, boy I
[56] Hans Jerig Anspag. 21/2
[57] Philip Swyger 2
[58] Christ. Milder, dead 2
[59] Elias Meyer 31/2
[60] Peter Springler I
[6]] Martin Prill 3
[62] Joh. Tob8. Serveas. I
[63] Peter Seyts 41/2
[64] Johannes Eckman 4
[65] Johannes Hendk. Gyer, sick 2
[66] Christ". Labengyger 2
[67] Johannes Berret 4
[68] Andrew Holtspan. 4
[69] Jacob Swarts. 4
[70] Hans Jerick Schaub 3
[71] Hans Mich1. Phauts 5
[72] Christian Snyder. 2 [73] Bastian Smith 2
[74] Johannes Barteleme I
92
[75] Tobias Freye. . 4
25
The Captain's List
[76] Johannes Tiebenderf . . 4 [97] Hans Adam Beinder ... 41/2
[77] Jacob Mast, Skipach. 4 [98] Christopher Wittmer,. . .
[78] Joseph Aelbragt. 31/2 [99] Hendrick Hartman. 3
[79] Nicholas Adams. 2 [100] Clement Eirn. 2
[80] Jacob Meyer. 2
[8]] Johannes Leyb 4
[82] Johanes Balt, Germt 4
[83] Conrad Miller, sick 5
[84] Christopher Walter. 4
[85] Ulrich Hartsell, Skippach 2
[86] Hans Adam Stoll 3
[87] Hans Jerrick Guyger. 41/2
[88] Hans Martin Wilder. 21/2
[89] Hans Jerig Viegle. 61/2
[go] Hans Jerig Ardnold, dead
[91] Hans Jerig Cramer 3
[92] Hans Jerig Peter (?). 21/2
[93] Albert Swoap I
[94] Hendrick Gouger, sick. 31/2
[95] Diederick Roede .. I
[96] Hans Jerig Roedebas, Skipach 2
This is a true list of Passengers Imported in the ship William & Sarah, Will™. Hill, Mastr., from Rotterdam among whom are no con- victs, given upon oath,
by THO. TOBER.
The totals of the three columns are said to be 126 + 92 + 107=325. But in reality the figures in none of the columns have been added correctly. The correct totals, supposing all the figures to be accurate, are: 118 +91 + 108 =317. The whole number of passengers was, therefore, much nearer 300 than 400.
Of these colonists not more than 51 actually appeared on September 21, 1727, in the Court House at Philadel- phia to sign the following oath of allegiance :
We Subscribers, Natives and late Inhabitants of the Palatinate upon the Rhine & Places adjacent, having transported ourselves and Families into this Province of Pensilvania, a Colony subject to the Crown of Great Britain, in hopes and Expectation of finding a Retreat & peaceable Settlement therein, Do Solemnly promise & Engage, that We will be faithful & bear true Allegiance to his
* Name erased, see No. 29.
I
[101] Philip Jacob Reylender . 5
[102] Johanes Mich1. Peepell. I
[103] Ernst Roede. I
[104] Philip Seigler 51/2 [105] Philip Roedeull. 2
[106] Rudolph Wilkes.
3
[107] Hans Jerig Milder. I
[108] Abraham Farn 4
[1c9] Uldrich Staffon. 3
IO7
26
History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
present MAJESTY, KING GEORGE THE SECOND and his Successors, Kings of Great Britain, and will be faithfull to the Proprietor of this Province; And that we will demean ourselves peaceably to all His said Majesties Subjects, and strictly observe and conform to the Laws of England and of this Province, to the utmost of our Power and best of our understanding.
The names signed to this declaration have been pub- lished repeatedly, but so full of inaccuracies, that a new transcript of the original is absolutely necessary. The figures placed before them identify them with the corre- sponding names in the first list. The signatures to the Declaration of Allegiance are as follows :
PALATINES IMPORTED IN THE SHIP WILLM & SARAH, WILLM HILL, COMM FROM ROTTERDAM WHO HEREUNTO SETT THEIR HANDS, THE 21ST OF SEPT. 1727, IN PRESENCE OF THE GOVR & COUNCIL.
G. M. Weiss, V.D.M.31 [18] Michel Böttle
[1] Johann Georg Schwab
[106] Rutolff Wellecker
[41] Hans Bernhart Wolff [92?] Jeorg Petter
[8] Joh. Friederich Hilligass
[88] Hans Mart. (W) Weller
Rudolff Leyb
[89] Hans Jerg Vögelle
[19] Hans Michel Diel
[30] Willem Herr
[Io] Sebastian Gräff
[67] Johannes Barth
[22] Johannes Huth
[16] Hans Caspar Spengler
[101] Filibs Jacob Rheinlender
[90] Hans Görg Cremmer
[104] Filib Zigler, X his mark
[61] Hans Martin Mill
[75] Tobias Frey
[68] Andreas (A) Holsbacher
[56] Hans Jerch Anspacher
[49] Jacob Bausel his
[63] Johan Peter Seitz
[78] Joseph Albrecht
[31] Hans Adam | Miller mark
[.64] Johanes Eckman
[5] Jerich Schuhmacher
[35] Johan Jacob Cuntz
[21] Jacob Jost
[51] Hans Jerg Wolff
31 The Clerk of the Provincial Council (see minutes in Colonial Records, Vol. III, p. 284) wrote the name "G. M. Wey," but a photograph of the original, kindly furnished by Mr. Luther R. Kelker, shows plainly that it is " G. M. Weis."
27
Signers of Oath of Allegiance
[105] Philip Rutschly
[103] Hans Ernst Rudi
[59] Elias Meyer
[25?] Hans Michel Zimmerman
[27] Hans Görg Welcker
[57] Hans Philip Schweikhardt
[12] Alexand. Dübendörffer
[2] Hans Martin Liebenstein
[95] Johan Diderich Rudi
[40] Hans Jerg Hertzel
[81] Johannes Leib
[99] Joh. Henrich Hartman
[17] Hans Georg Ziegler
[11] Johannes Haberacker
[33] Henrich Meyer
[8o] Jacob Meyer
[84] Christoph Walter Henry (H) Sippen
[71] Hans Michel Pfautz
A comparison of these two lists shows how carelessly the captain's list was made. The writer made no attempt to ascertain the correct spelling of the names. He merely wrote down what he supposed he heard when the names were pronounced to him. For Welcker he heard Wigler and in a second case Wilkes. For Mill he put down Prill, for Miller he wrote Milder. Schweikhardt he turned into Swyger, Spengler into Springler, Rutschli apparently into Roedeull. In some cases the scribal monstrosities are so great that no identification is possible. No wonder that it is so difficult to identify immigrants, when the captains' lists are so badly corrupted and the passengers' own signa- tures are sometimes such awful scrawls that they need a second list as a key to decipher them correctly.
The relation of Mr. Weiss to these immigrants has long been doubtful. The question whether he was merely their fellow passenger or the recognized leader of a colony could not be determined till very recently. There are now three documents at hand which answer this question. The first is the earliest printed report concerning the Reformed Church in Pennsylvania, printed in Holland in 1731. It was submitted in that year to the Synod of South Holland which met from July 3 to 13, 1731, at Dortrecht.
In this report we find the following statement about the
28
History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
religious conditions in Pennsylvania and the coming of Mr. Weiss to America :32
But as the Quakers were not numerous enough to colonize this territory, William Pen, when he projected and built a city, called it Philadelphia, that by a name so friendly he might attract other Europeans thither. Not long after the first settlement many of the oppressed inhabitants of Germany, particularly from the Pala- tinate and from the districts of Nassau, Waldeck, Wittgenstein and the Wetterau, emigrated to Pennsylvania, with their wives and children and the proceeds of the property which they sold, whether more or less.
Among them are Mennonites, Lutherans and Reformed, but at the present time the Reformed, holding to the old Reformed con- fession, constitute about half of the whole number, being about 15,000. The German Palatines, migrating from their own coun- try to Pennsylvania, year after year, were unable to provide them- selves with ministers. Finding no religious worship, many, at- tracted by the good morals and blameless conduct of the Quakers, joined themselves to them, preferring their worship to none.33
At last four years ago, the Upper Consistory of the Palatinate sent over a minister by the name of Do. [Dominie] Weis, with a number of people migrating from the Palatinate. They formed a consistory at Schibbach, a place about six miles from Philadelphia. A wooden church was erected and he [Dominie Weis] preached for the congregation and administered the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. There most of the Palatines live close one to the other.
In this report it is distinctly asserted that the Upper Consistory of the Palatinate sent Mr. Weiss with these
32 Two copies of the Report of 1731, entitled Berigt en Onderrigtinge nopens en aan de Colonie en Kerke van Pensylvanien, 2 pp. preface and 18 pp. text, are known to be in existence. One is in the possession of Rev. Dr. J. I. Good, the other was in the library of late Governor Pennypacker. The writer has used a photographic copy.
33 This is in agreement with the testimony of Muehlenberg, see Hallesche Nachrichten, new ed., Vol. II, p. 195.
29
Leader of Colony
emigrants. This statement is supported by another re- port, which was presented on October 31, 1735, to the Synodical Deputies (an executive committee of the Synods of North and South Holland). In this report, Do. Wil- helmius, then pastor at Rotterdam, the best friend of the Palatines in Holland,34 gave an extensive account as to how the Synods had come to take up the care of the churches in Pennsylvania. In it he wrote:
These present Germans in Pennsylvania have immigrated thither from various parts of Germany, not in order to secure liberty of worship, which they enjoyed in their own land, but to realize better means of subsistence. Most of them came from the Palatinate, concerning whom the Great Consistory of the Palatinate, consist- ing of civil and ecclesiastical persons, addressed itself to the Synod of this country by means of letters, sent some years ago to me, and by me delivered to the Very Reverend Synod, showing that being oppressed as they were, they were not in a condition to furnish any assistance to these people, for the securing of any ministers of the Word, and asked therefore that our Synod would be kind enough to extend a helping hand. This the Synod subsequently accepted as an affair of the utmost importance, these people belonging to the pure Reformed religion and having been accustomed to our Catechism and Confession of Faith. .
In the next place the condition of the church among them ought to be noted. They consist of several thousand, whose exact num- ber cannot even be guessed at, because they live scattered through the whole country in forests, without any civil or ecclesiastical union, so that those living in Philadelphia know as little about
34 John Wilhelmius, son of William Wilhelmius, was born December 4, 1671, at Hardwyk. He studied at Leyden, where he also took the degree of doctor of philosophy. He was first pastor at Twisk, then professor of theology in the Reformed University at Lingen, and finally pastor at Rot- terdam, 1713-1748. He died March 3, 1754. He was a faithful friend of the Reformed Church of Pennsylvania. See Biographish Wordenboek der Nederlanden, 20ste Deel, Haarlem, 1877.
30
History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
those living at other places, as we in Holland know about our co-religionists in Poland or Hungary. . .
These people have organized themselves in three places into con- gregations and have built for themselves three churches, of which the first is in Philadelphia, where they now have a small stone church, towards which those of the larger English church have manifested their liberality. The second is at Germantown, a vil- lage eight hours35 distant from it, that being a large barn built upon the land of the notorious [befaamden] Ryff and now en- larged, on which account they are in debt to the amount of 2500 guilders. The third [church] is at Schibbach.
For the ministry of these churches Do. Wys [Weiss] has been in service, who came over with a colony of these Palatines [die met eene Colonie dezer Paltzers is overgekomen] and who now has left his service, having been called to one of the churches of New Netherland [New York]. The other is Do. Boom [Boehm], against whom the congregation is greatly embittered, and from whom they have no service. The third is candidate Rieger, who came over with another colony and became minister there, but now has openly turned Quaker and refuses to baptize children and pub- licly teaches, to the disturbance of these congregations, that one can be saved in every religion.
There are a number of points in this report which de- serve special emphasis. We notice first of all that the grossly exaggerated figures of the 1731 report, regarding the Reformed people in Pennsylvania, have been materially reduced. Instead of 15,000 we read only of “ several thousand," which is certainly much nearer the truth. We also learn that the Reformed people in Pennsylvania passed under the care of the "Fathers" in Holland in answer to the urgent representations made to them by the
35 This distance is of course much too great. Eight hours represent twenty-four miles. In reality the Reformed churches of Philadelphia and Germantown were only six miles apart. See the statement of Boehm in his report of 1734 in Minutes and Letters of the Coetus of Pennsylvania, p. I.
31
Report of Wilhelmius
Upper Consistory of the Palatinate. The first letter from the Heidelberg Consistory was laid before the South Hol- land Synod in 1728. Moreover, both Mr. Weiss as well as Mr. Rieger came with Reformed colonies to Pennsyl- vania. The statements about the three Reformed churches in Pennsylvania in 1735 are inaccurate in almost all par- ticulars. No small stone church, erected by Reformed people, existed in that year in Philadelphia. The reli- gious services of the Reformed people were rather held in an old butcher shop.36 It stood on Arch Street above Fifth and belonged to Mr. Andrew Hamilton, who had rented it to Reformed and Lutherans for their joint use. The stone church of which the report speaks was rather built in Germantown. Mr. Boehm is authority for the fact that there was "a well built, pretty large stone church "37 in Germantown, erected by the Reformed people there in I733. Finally it was the Skippack Reformed church
36 Mr. Boehm, in his report of 1744, refers to it in the following words: " At Philadelphia we had thus far, in common with the Lutherans, an old and dilapidated butcher's shop, at an annual rent of three pounds; finally this was raised to four pounds, which we must pay alone, for the Lurtherans have built a church there 70 by 45 feet." See Minutes and Letters of the Coetus of Pennsylvania, p. 23. A similar statement is made by Muehlenberg, see Selbstbiographie, Allentown, 1881, p. 128. Zinzen- dorf calls it " an old barn," see Büdingische Sammlungen, Vol. III, p. 579; cf. Hallesche Nachrichten, new ed., Vol. I, p. 39. It belonged to Andrew Hamilton, Esq., until his death in 1741, when it passed into the hands of his son-in-law, Justice William Allen. See Dotterer, Rev. John Philip Boehm, p. 9. Schlatter entered into the church record at Philadel- phia the following statement regarding it: "Thus far [till December, 1747] the congregation has worshipped, every other Sunday, in an old small house, made of boards, from November, 1734, together with the Lutheran congregation. But when the Evangelicals [Lutherans] built a stone church in the year 1744, we had it alone and paid annually to Mr. William Allen the sum of four pounds." See also Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 329, note 213.
37 See his report of 1739, in the Minutes of Coetus, p. 12.
32
History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
which was built on the land of Mr. Reiff, not the church in Germantown, and that there was a debt of 2500 guilders resting upon it is another remarkable exaggeration in the Dutch records, due no doubt to exaggerated reports that had come from Pennsylvania.
In view of these inaccuracies in the report of Dr. Wil- helmius, his statement about Weiss might also be open to doubt, were it not for the fact that it is fully supported by a Latin testimonial which was given to Mr. Weiss by the Palatinate Consistory on May 1, 1727. The original of this certificate is no longer in existence, but a copy of it was entered by Mr. Weiss himself into the church record of the old Catskill Reformed Church at Catskill, N. Y., of which Weiss was pastor from 1732 to 1735. As it is an im- portant historical document which has thus far escaped the notice of historians38 we offer a translation of the whole certificate :
ORDINATION CERTIFICATE OF REV. GEORGE M. WEISS, MAY I, 1727.
Greeting to the Kind Reader !
He who once foretold that at evening time it shall be light [Zech. 14: 7], when contrary to the hope and expectation of all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords shall, as it were, suddenly take his stand for His struggling Church, even as He appeared at one time to the Apostles in the night following the resurrection, when, for dread of the Jews, the doors were closed,-whence no one can doubt that in the same manner He will be near His holy Church, when it will be shut in by foes and deserted by its own. For thus it has pleased the Divine Wisdom and Goodness that just then
38 It was mentioned by Dr. Corwin in his Manual of the Reformed Church of America, 3d ed., 1879, p. 544. The writer owes his copy to the kindness of the present pastor, Rev. John H. Dykstra, who very readily gave him access to it.
33
Ordination Certificate of Weiss
when the Omnipotent has seen that the hand of the defenders has failed, the arm of the Lord should put on strength and claim for Himself His own, whereby should become all the more conspicuous that great Salvation, which was promised to the Sardensian circle [Rev. 3: 4], numbering few survivors only, but also to each most beloved Philadelphia, when He shall see it [Philadelphia] drawing near and yearning to unite with Him: Then it will surely come to pass that, after its forces have become very small, it shall grow into large forces, large companies and into an army formidable unto its enemies, to which even the most distant peoples and nations shall be accessible and doors shall be opened, never afterwards to be closed; whereby there shall be gathered to the Savior, the Son of God, a people wholly new, even if it must be sought in another continent.
Wherefore, since the most excellent Sir, distinguished through ability and learning, George Michael Weiss, from Eppingen in the Palatinate, a candidate of Sacred Theology, determined to apply the divinely granted gifts to this most laudable use, that he might labor to the best of his ability for the extension of the King- dom of God, which is the kingdom of love; hence, after having devoted himself to the fine arts of the humanities and to philosophy, he consecrated himself wholly to the even sublimer studies of theology, in which he made such happy progress in a short time that he was deemed worthy to be permitted to undergo the exami- nation for the ministry. In this he proved his diligence to our Senate in such a manner that we not only hoped but were also con- fident that he would some day perform a useful work for the Church of Christ.
Wherefore, since he announced of late that he had conceived the plan with some of his fellow-citizens and other friends, well known to him, to undertake a journey to the transatlantic parts of the world, if it should please the Divine Providence to entrust him there with the leadership of a congregational flock, to teach and to guide them there, and since he asked that to that end he be fully inducted into the spiritual office with the laying on of hands,
Therefore, since the purity of his morals, his humility and espe-
4
34
History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
cially his piety that flows from it, were well known to us, and since our Senate was at the same time well aware of the progress he had made in the knowledge of the theological sciences and in thorough acquaintance with the sacred languages, we hesitated all the less to grant his request since we could cherish the certain hope that the Chief Shepherd of the sheep, to whom his own are well known, though they live in the most distant parts of the world, would not withhold his support from the undertaking of an honest mind.
Hence we have admitted him to the office of the ministry of the divine Word and have ordained him by the imposition of hands and by extending to him the right hand of fellowship in the sacred ministry.
It now remains for us only to implore God, the best and the highest, the ruler of the world and the church, that He may prove himself to be the companion of his journey. May He bless his labors most abundantly and whatever plans he makes, whatever labors he undertakes, may He crown and advance them with the most desired success.
Given in Heidelberg on the Calends of May in the year of our Lord MDCCXXVII. Director and Councillors of the Senate of the Palatinate Church. C. L. MIEG. PL. PASTOIR. P. R. FOLAD.
In view of this document there can be no longer any doubt that Mr. Weiss was actually the leader of the colony, at whose head he appeared in signing the declaration of allegiance on September 21, 1727.
Of the colonists who came with Weiss to Pennsylvania, apparently only four remained in Philadelphia, the rest scattered over the province. Those who are found among the Reformed members in Philadelphia are : Hans Michel Diel, Rudolf Wellecker, Hans Georg Kremer and Hans
35
Companions of Weiss
Henrich Weller.39 To Goshenhoppen went five, Johann Friedrich Hilligas, Johannes Huth, Hans Michel Zimmer- man, Benedict Strohm, and Hans Georg Welcker. Alex- ander Dübendörffer appears later as a member at Great Swamp. Three settled at Skippack,40 Hans Georg Bow- man, Sebastian Smith and Ulrich Staffon [Stephen], and two in the Conestoga valley, Hans Georg Schwab and prob- ably Leonart Seltenreich. The rest have not yet been found.
When Mr. Weiss appeared in Pennsylvania in 1727, he found the beginnings of religious life among the Re- formed people in the province already in existence. In 1725 the beginning had been made by two laymen, by John Philip Boehm in the Perkiomen valley and by Conrad Tempelman in the Conestoga valley. No sooner had Weiss heard that Boehm, a layman, was acting as a min- ister than he tried to stop him in his work. On October 2, 1727, he addressed a letter to Mr. John George Schwab,41 one if his travelling companions, who had settled in the Conestoga valley, in which he informed him of his readi- ness to preach for the Reformed people at Conestoga, but also expressed his surprise
that Mr. Boehm allows himself to be used as a minister, indeed that he usurps such privileges and authority as do by no means belong to him, nor have been accorded to him by the clergy, as I have learnt, to my satisfaction from the ministers here, but that he assumes so important an office merely at the instigation of the peo-
39 These names appear among others signed to a call which was given to Mr. Boehm by the Philadelphia congregation on April 20, 1734, see Journal of P. H. S., Vol. VII, p. 117; Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 233.
40 For these names see the letter of the Skippack congregation, dated May 30, 1730, printed below, p. 58, and Dotterer, Historical Notes, p. 103. 41 Printed in full in Journal of P. H. S., Vol. VII, pp. 51-53; also in Life and Letters of Boehm, pp. 212-214.
0
36
History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
ple, while he cannot boast either of an external or of an internal call. . . . Wherefore I cannot conscientiously recognize Mr. Boehm as a Reformed teacher and preacher, until he submits to an examination and is ordained in Apostolic manner, which he will never be able to do.
Weiss followed up this letter with a personal letter ad- dressed to Mr. Boehm42 on November 28, 1727, in which he challenged his right to the ministry and summoned him to appear in the manse of the Presbyterian minister in Philadelphia for the purpose of being examined as to his qualifications for the ministry. Mr. Boehm, of course, ignored this letter, but his followers called upon Mr. Weiss to produce a proof of his own claims to be considered a regularly ordained minister. Weiss showed them his Latin certificate from Heidelberg, dated May 1, 1727, but none could read it. He was then challenged to produce a German certificate, which ordinary people were able to understand. As a result Mr. Weiss was compelled to write to Heidelberg, on December 3, 1727, and he re- ceived from the authorities there the following reply, dated April 26, 1728, of which he has also left a copy in the Catskill record book :43
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