USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware > Part 9
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government about satisfaction for those injuries and damages, Statement of and to agree with him about settling their trade and planta- the facts. Behaviour and charac- ter of the Swedish go- vernor. tion. This Swedish governor demeaned himself as if he had neither Christian nor moral conscience, getting Mr. Lamber- ton into his power by feigned and false pretences, and keep- ing him prisoner, and some of his men, labouring by promises and threats, to draw them to accuse him to have conspired with the Indians to cut off the Swedes and the Dutch; and not prevailing these ways, then by attempting to make them drunk, that so he might draw something from them, and in the end, (though he could gain no testimony,) yet he forced him to pay a weight of beaver before he would set him at liberty. He is also a man very furious and passionate, cursing
I De Vries, p. 273. Hudde's Report, p. 428.
2 Hazard's Hist. Coll. vol. ii. p. 11.
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United Colo-
Dutch and Swedes, for treatment of Mr. Lamber- ton.
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74
JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR.
1643. -
and swearing, and also reviling the English of New Haven as runagates, &c .; and himself, with his own hands, put irons on one of Mr. Lamberton's men, and went also to the houses of the few families planted there, and forced some of them to swear allegiance to the crown of Sweden, though he had no colour of title to that place; and such as would not, he drove away. All these things were clearly proved by Mr. Lamberton's relation, and by other testimony, on oath, but this was before he was sent with the commission."1
The following deposition, which we have copied from the records in the secretary's office at New Haven, is probably a part of the testimony above referred to.
" At a court held at New Haven, 2d of August, 1643. John Thickpenny, about the age of 25 years, mariner in the Cock with George Lamberton, in his last voyage to Delaware Bay, being duly sworn and examined, deposeth,
" That he was present in the pinnace called the Cock, Deposition of whereof George Lamberton was master, riding at anchor about three miles above the Swedes' fort in Delaware River, when a letter was brought from the Swedes' governor, by Tim, the barber, and Godfrey, the merchant's man coming with him, they told him, this deponent, in Dutch, a language which he understood, that the contents of the letter was, that the Indians being at the fort the day before, had stolen a gold chain from the governor's wife, and that the governor did entreat Mr. Lamberton to use means to get it again of the Indians, who were then come to trade with the said Mr. Lamberton, desiring that they might stay aboard till the next morning, that he might discover the Indian to him, affirming that he could know the Indian that had stolen it, by a mark which he had in his face; but though many Indians came aboard while he was there, yet he went away and never made more words of it. This deponent further saith, that he was aboard when a second letter was brought aboard the Cock to Mr. Lamberton, from the Swedes' governor, the contents whereof he knows not ; but a while after, the same day, he, with Isaac, going to carry Mr. Lamberton ashore to the Swedes' fort, into which being entered, before they spoke with the governor, the said Mr. Lamberton, this deponent, and the said Isaac, were all cast into prison together, (but a
1 Winthrop's Journal, Savage's edit. vol. ii. p. 141. Hazard's Hist. Coll. vol. ii. p. 164. Hubbard.
John Thick- penny, re- specting treatment of Lamberton and his men, and attempt to induce them to swear falsely.
75
WILLIAM KIEFT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
while the said Mr. Lamberton was taken forth of that room, 1643. but, as he understood, was kept in another prison,) where he, this deponent, continued three days, in which time John Woollen, servant to Mr. Lamberton, (and his interpreter be- Deposition of tween him and the Indians,) was committed to the same Thickpenny, continued. prison in irons, which he himself said the governor had put upon him with his own hands. And further this deponent saith, that the said John Woollen told him, that at his, the said John Woollen's first coming into the Swedes' fort, he was brought into a room, in which the governor's wife, Tim- othy, the barber, and the watch-master came to him, and brought wine and strong beer, and gave him, with a purpose, as he conceived, to have made him drunk; and after he had largely drunk there, the governor sent for him into his own chamber, and gave him more strong beer and wine, and drunk freely with him, entertaining of him with much respect seemingly, and with profession of a great deal of love to him, making many large promises to do very much good for him if he would but say that George Lamberton had hired the Indians to cut off the Swedes; but the said John Woollen denied it : then the governor drunk to him again, and said he would make him a man, give him a plantation, and build him a house, and he should not want for gold nor silver, if he would but say as is said before; he would do more for him than the English could, for he loved him as his own child, but the said John answered that there was no such thing, and if he would give him his house full of gold he would not say so; and then the governor seemed to be exceeding angry, and threatened him very much, and after that drunk to him again, and pressed him to confess as before, which the said John Woollen refusing, the governor was much enraged, and stamped with his feet, (which this deponent himself heard, being in the room under him,) and calling for irons, he put them upon the said John Woollen, with his own hands, and sent him down to prison, as before is expressed. And this deponent saith, that the aforesaid Swedes' watch-master came into the prison, and brought strong beer, and drunk with them about two hours, in the night, and pressed the said John Woollen to say that the said George Lamberton had hired the Indians to cut off the Swedes, and he should be loosed from his irons presently, but John Woollen said he would not say it, if he should be hanged, drawn, and quartered, because he would
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76
JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR OF THE SWEDES.
1643. not take away the life of a man that was innocent; then he pressed him further that he would speak any thing to that purpose, be it never so little, and he should be free presently, Deposition of but John Woollen said he could not say it, nor he would not Thickpenny, continued. say it. And he further saith, that the said watch-master pressed him, this deponent, to the same purpose, and he should have his liberty, which he also refused, knowing no such thing. This deponent saith, that at another time, while he was in prison, Gregory, the merchants' man, came to him and told him they were sent by the governor to charge him with treason which he had spoken against the queen and lords of Sweden, namely, that he had wished them burned and hanged, which he, this deponent, utterly denied, and then the said Gregory fetched a flagon of strong beer, and drunk it with him, and after that fetched the said flagon full of sack, and drunk that with him also, and bid him call for wine and strong beer what he listed, and questioned with him about George Lamberton's hiring the Indians as aforesaid ; his answer was, he knew no such thing. Then the watch- master affirmed that it was so, and that George Lamberton had given cloth, wampum, hatchets and knives for that pur- pose, pressing him to say so, and he should be free, and he would take up and clear him of the treason that was charged upon him ; and if he feared to say so because of Mr. Lam- berton, he should not need to fear him, for he should pay him his wages before the vessel went, and he should choose whether he would go back or stay with them; but he answered, let them do what they pleased with him, for he could not say any such thing; and further he saith not."1
By the expression, " last voyage," it is to be inferred that a previous voyage had been made by Lamberton, probably in 1641 or 1642.
A letter of introduction is furnished by the Swedish govern -. November 2. ment to Governor Printz, in favour of John Papegoya, " who Letter of in- some time since came from New Sweden, and is disposed to troduction from Chris- tina to Printz, in fa- vour of Joh Papegoya. return there in one of our vessels, having humbly offered to render you, on our part, and upon the spot, good and faithful services," "recommending you graciously to employ him in those affairs to which you may think him adapted," and give him, as much as will be possible and reasonable, your protec-
1 New Haven Colonial Records, vol. i. pp. 97-99. Trumbull's MSS. refers to Records of N. H., p. 68, 69.
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77
WILLIAM KIEFT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
tion, in order to his advancement." This, it will hereafter be seen, was done, as he became the governor's son-in-law, and successor in office for a short time.1
1643.
" On account of his long and faithful services," past and November 6. - present, and his engagement to continue them "as long as Grant of he shall live," Queen Christina grants to Governor Printz, Teneko to Gov. Printz. and " his lawful heirs," as a perpetual possession, "the place called Teneko or New Gottenberg," of which all are required to take notice, " especially those who may be appointed to replace him in said situation, not to give him or his lawful heirs any obstacle or prejudice, in any manner, whether now or hereafter."2
It appears by the certificate of Redder Evarston, skipper Nov. 13. of the yacht Real, that as he was on his passage from Man- Loss of arti- hattan, with various articles received there from Oloff Ste- cles for Fort Nassau. vensen, commissary superintendent of wares and merchan- dise, to be transported " to Jan Jansen, custom-house officer" at Fort Nassau, he was, "in a violent storm, obliged to throw into the sea a vat of wares and merchandise, and many other articles."3
In pursuance of his plan to fortify all important points Measures upon the river, and to secure to the Swedes, as much as pos- sible, the entire Indian trade, Printz, about this time, began to fortify the avenues by the Schuylkill, to that portion of it which was connected with the Minquas. The Dutch had, by means of their Fort Beversrede, erected here in 1633, con- ducted a very profitable trade with these Indians at Kinses- Builds forts sing, who invariably resorted there at proper seasons for the and a mill. purpose. A portion had already been cut off by the maga- zine and trading-house erected by the Swedes in 1638, on Christina Creek, which commanded that avenue to the Min- quas country, and the only remaining one was now about to be removed, and by means of some of their own hands; for it appears that Printz " employed the Dutch company's car- penter in constructing there a fort on a very convenient spot, on an island near the borders of the kill," secured from the west by another creek, and from the south-south-east and east sides, with underwood and valley lands ; it lies about the dis- tance of a gunshot in the kill. On the south side, on this island, beautiful corn is raised." " This fort cannot control
taken by Printz to se- cure the trade with the Minquas Indians, near the Schuylkill.
1 MSS. A. P. S. Reg. of Penns. vol. iv. p. 315. 2 Ibid. p. 316.
3 Albany Records, vol. ii.
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78
JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR OF THE SWEDES.
1643. the river, but has the command over the whole creek, while this creek is the only remaining avenue for the trade with the Minquas, and without it this river is of little value." " About half a mile further in the woods, Printz constructed a mill, on a kill which runs in the sea, not far to the south of Mat- tinekonk, and on this kill a strong building just by, in the path which leads to the Minquas, and this place is called, by the savages, Kakarikonk, so that no access to the Minquas is left open; and he too controls nearly all the trade of the savages on the river, as the greatest part of them go a hunt- ing in that neighbourhood, which they are not able to do without passing his residence."1
Attempt to find the lo- cation at this day.
It is not very easy, at this date, to ascertain these various points, owing to the great changes effected by the river and improvements ; but a late writer, who has taken much pains in the investigation, concludes that the island on which the fort was built was formed by a cluster of rocks with the earth connected with them, in the neighbourhood of Bartram's garden, and that the kill on which the mill stood, is " no doubt," Cobb's Creek, a tributary of Darby Creek, which empties south of Tinnicum.2
A Dutch document, before referred to, gives the following view of these proceedings.
Dutch view of these pro- ceedings.
" The Swedes built a small fort on the indisputable lands and streams of the company, on the point of the before-men- tioned Schuylkill, called Lapwing's Point by them, and more and above built a trading-house right before the gate of the company's Fort Beversrede, not being a rod from the gate, thereby depriving us altogether from the view of the common roads, so as to deprive the company of the beaver trade, and to effect this, they are using every effort."3
1644.
At a court held at Boston, letters were received from New Haven, together with an answer from the Swedish governor, in reply to the letter written by the commissioners in Sep- tember last. "The Swedes denied what they had been charged with, and sent copies of divers examinations upon oath, taken in the cause, with a copy of all the proceedings between them and our friends at New Haven, from the first,
March 7.
Answer re- ceived by the commission- ers from the Swedish go- vernment, to their letter to him.
I Hudde's Report, p. 429. Campanius. Acrelius.
2 See the details in Ferris, pp. 71 to 73.
3 Holl. Doc. vol. viii. p. 32 to 50.
WILLIAM KIEFT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
and in their letters used large expressions of their respect to 1644. the English, and particularly to our colony ; and Mr. Eaton desired a copy of our patent, to show the Swedish governor, (at his request,) and a new commission from the commissioners Promise of of the Union, allowing them to go on with their plantations and trade in Delaware River and Bay, (for the governor had told their agents that upon such a commission they should have liberty, &c.) The commissioners advised with the court about it, who granted both, but the commission with a salvo jure."1
Unfortunately, none of the letters, &c., here referred to, are now to be found ; they would probably have much enlightened our path.
" Divers of the merchants of Boston, being desirous to Expedition discover the great lake, supposing it to lie in the north-west part of our patent, and finding that the great beaver trade which came to all the eastern and southern parts, came from thence, petitioned the court (of Massachusetts) to be a com- pany for that design, and to have the trade which they should discover to themselves for twenty-one years. The court was very unwilling to grant any monopoly, but perceiving that without it they would not proceed, granted their desire ; whereupon, having also a commission granted them under the public seal, and letters from the governor to the Dutch and Swedish governors, they sent out a pinnace well manned, and furnished with provisions and trading stuff, which was to sail up the River Delaware so high as they could go, and then some of the company, under the conduct of Mr. William Aspinwall, a good artist, and one who had been in these parts, to pass by small skiffs or canoes, up the river so far as they could." "The Dutch promised to let them pass, but for maintaining their own interest, he, (the governor,) must protest against them. When they came to the Swedes, the fort shot at them ere they came up, whereupon they cast anchor, and the next morning, being the Lord's day, the lieutenant came on board, and forced them to fall lower down; when Mr. Aspinwall came to the governor, and com- plained of the lieutenant's ill dealing, both in shooting at them before he had hailed them, and in forcing them to weigh anchor on the Lord's day. The governor acknowledged he did ill in both, and promised all favour ; but the Dutch agent
1 Winthrop, vol. ii. p. 157.
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liberty to trade and settle on the Delaware.
from Boston to Delaware, in search of the Lake Lyconnia.
80
JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR OF THE SWEDES.
July 20.
1644. came down to the fort, and showed express order not to let him pass, whereupon they returned. But before they came out of the river, the Swedish lieutenant made them pay 40 shillings for that shot which he had unduly made." "The pinnace returned to Boston, with the loss of the voyage. The Dutch had protested, but suffered them to pass, as also did the Swedish governor, but neither would allow them to trade, and each appointed a pinnace to accompany theirs ; but the master of the Boston vessel proved such a drunken sot, and so complied with the Dutch and Swedes, they feared that when they should have left the vessel to have gone up to the lake in a small boat, he would, in his drunkenness, have betrayed their goods, &c., to the Dutch; whereupon they gave over and returned home, and bringing their action against the master, both for his drunkenness and denial to proceed as they required, and as by the charter-party he was bound, they recovered £200 of him, which was too much, though he did deal badly with them, for it was very probable they could not have proceeded."1
The following minute of the United Colonies has probably relation to the same matter; it was presented by this court, in 1653, as one of the numerous grievances complained of against the Dutch.
" Richard Callicott, sometimes agent for the company of adventurers for the Lake Lyconnia, allowed for the general court for the Massachusetts, complaineth, that about the year 1644, he did present to the said Dutch governor, letters from the court of the Massachusetts, wherein liberty for the English vessel to pass up Delaware Bay and River, by the Dutch fort, for discovery, and in further prosecution of the said company's occasions, was desired, and by a verbal pro- mise, freely and fully granted by the Dutch governor.
"Notwithstanding which, in an underhand and injurious way, he presently sent a vessel, well manned, to the Dutch fort at Delaware, with command to John Johnson, his agent there, rather to sink the said vessel than to suffer her to pass; by means whereof Richard Callicott and his company are forced to return, and thereby their whole stock, which at least was £700, was wasted, and their design overthrown, besides the hope of future trade and benefit."2
1 Winthrop, vol. ii. pp. 161, 179, 187. Hubbard.
2 Hazard's Hist. Coll. vol. ii. p. 214.
81
WILLIAM KIEFT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
The great object of this expedition appears to have been 1644. the discovery of the country, whence came the large supply of beavers. This was supposed to be in the neighbourhood of a great lake, situated " in the north-west part of the New England patent," and to be reached by the Delaware. Ac- cording to an old map of New Belgium, by Matthew Seutter, without date, (but later than Philadelphia, which is laid down upon it,) the Delaware is made to take its rise in a lake not very far south of Maquaas kill, the present Mohawk. The lake, or the nation around it, is called Mackwaas. This lake is probably the one sought for by the name Lyconnia, and was the residence of the Maquaas, or Mohawk Indians, who, it is well known, furnished large quantities of beaver, and of course the trade would be closely watched by the Dutch. The lake is now called Utsaemtha, and is the head of a branch of the Delaware.1
seized in Holland, and
Two valuable cargoes were this year transported by the October 6. Swedes, in the ships Fame and Key of Calmar, destined to Vessels Sweden, but, owing to various causes, were compelled to put into the province of Friesland, where duties and recognitions required to were claimed by the Dutch West India Company, under their pay duties. charter, as sovereigns of the country, from which the vessels came. A long correspondence ensued between the Swedish ambassador at the Hague, and the States-General, in which the claims of both parties to the country around South River, the privileges under treaties, &c., were noticed, and the claim of duties and recognitions protested against. The cargoes were finally liberated, on payment of the regular import duties, without the 8 per cent. recognitions, although the question of right of sovereignty over the river was left un- settled, to the future regret of the Dutch. Some idea of the value of the Swedish trade on the river, at this time, may be formed from the fact that these vessels had on board 2127 packages of beaver, and 70,421 pounds of tobacco.2
An event, important to the world, and especially to Penn- October 14. sylvania, occurred this day, in the birth of William Penn, its Birth of future proprietary and founder ; (it took place in London ;) Wm. Penn. the son and heir of Sir William or Admiral Penn, distin-
1 Gordon's Gazetter.
2 O'Call. vol. i. p. 371, who refers to Holl. Doc. vol. ii. p. 340 to 345, 350 to 361; vol. iv. 1, 2, 13-15, 18. Albany Records, vol. xvii. p. 321. Acrelius.
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JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR OF THE SWEDES.
1644.
guished for his long and brilliant public career in the naval service of Great Britain.1
This year, also, Christina assumes the government of Sweden.
It appears that another trading expedition for the Dela- ware, was, in the winter of this year, fitted out from Boston, which eventuated still more disastrously than the former one. It was a barque or pinnace sent by the merchants of Boston. " She traded upon Maryland side, and had gotten a good parcel of beaver ; at last the Indians came aboard, and while the English, (who were about five and a boy,) were trading with some of them, others drew out hatchets from under their coats, and killed the master and three others, and took the other and the boy, and carried them on shore, and rifled the pinnace of all her goods and sails, &c. Soon after, other Indians came upon these, and slew the sachem, and took away all the goods they had stolen. There was one Redman suspected to have betrayed their pinnace, for he being linkister, (because he could speak their language,) and being put out of that employment for his evil carriage, did bear ill will to the master ; and the Indians spared him and gave him a good part of the spoil, and he lived among them five or six weeks, till the Swedish governor procured other Indians to go fetch him and the boy to his fort, from whence they were brought next year to Boston, and then said Redman was tried for his life, and being found guilty by the grand jury, was deferred his farther trial, in expectation of more evidence to come from Delaware." It appears, from the court records, he was ultimately acquitted, and a petition for charity to the widow and orphans of Luter, or Luther, the master, was offered in the general court.2
A person prevented from trading on South River.
Attorney-General Huygens notifies Govert Lookermans that he " must not presume to trade in the company's trading place where Commissary Jan Jansen Van Ilpendam is accus- tomed to trade, and which place is situated on South River of New Netherland, with the Indians, and if you did so, I now enter my protest against you, with regard to any eventual damages of the company."3
It would appear from a receipt given to Jan Jansen, the commissary at Nassau, that he possessed considerable silver
1 Biog. Dict.
2 Winthrop, vol. ii. p. 237 and note.
3 Albany Records, vol. iii. p. 197.
Christina assumes the government.
A second expedition from Boston to Delaware. Murder of the crew by the Indians. Two sent to Boston. Trial and ac- quittal.
83
WILLIAM KIEFT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
plate, viz. "a silver bumper, two silver basins, a gourd 1644. mounted with silver, a gold hatband, and one silver spoon, amounting to $116, which, if Jansen dies on his journey, (?) is to be sent to his father."1
1645.
Charges of fraud, &c., are made by the attorney-general Sept. 4. against Jan Jansen Van Ilpendam, "for neglect of duty in Charges of his office at Fort Nassau;" a copy of these charges is to be given him.2
fraud pre- ferred against Van Ilpendam.
The nature of these charges will appear from the follow- October 12. ing : "Jan Jansen Van Ilpendam declares in court, that he took with him to South River, some cloth, without being able to give correctly its amount, and promises to declare to-morrow whether he delivered to Hendrick Huygen, or did sell it to any other person." "He said that he received two parcels of Harlaem silk from the wife of Bogardus, which were brought here by Jochem Kiersted, which boxes were, in his presence, in the yacht Prince William, sold by Egbert Van Borsum for two beavers ; and further that he had no concern whatever in trade with Jan Juriensen, during his residence here."
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