USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 2
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Hudson, an Englishman in the service of the Dutch East India Company, sailed north and discovered the river which bears his name, though sometimes called the North River, while the Del- aware was known as the South River. It received its present name, soon after Hudson's visit, from the English in Virginia, after Lord de la War, who touched at its mouth about one year after Hudson, or in 1610.
Thus matters rested till the expedition sent out by the Dutch East India Company under Cornelis Jacobsen Mey, who gave his name to Cape May and to Cape Hindlopen, Henlopen, or Hin- loop, which he called Cornelis. He came amply provided with numbers and means of barter, subsistence, and defence. Mey, in the "Fortune," cruised along the Atlantic coast, taking the southern course, the others the northern coast as far as Cape Cod. After making their explorations, four of the vessels returned to Holland. Of the five vessels Mey brought with him, one was burnt at the mouth of Manhattan River, but it was replaced by a small craft they built of sixteen tons, forty-four and a half feet long and VOL. III .- B 2 * 17
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eleven and a half wide, to which they gave the name of " Onrust" (or Restless). Thus in 1614 was the first vessel built in Amer- ican waters. Captain Mey returned to Holland, leaving Captain Hendrickson and a crew behind. Hendrickson about the sum- mer of 1615 left Manhattan, and, coasting along in the " Onrust," entered the Delaware, discovered most probably the Schuylkill, and traded with the natives for furs and other supplies, also for " three persons " from the Minquas. Returning home in 1616, he claimed certain rights in the lands he had discovered, but which the Netherlands Company refused him.
The East India Company's charter expired in 1618, and in 1621 the West India Company was chartered for twenty-four years, with the sole right to trade and settle in America and other countries. Under this right a vessel was sent to the region of the South River, but no further account of it is preserved. Though the English had made in 1622 certain claims for priority of discovery, the Dutch Company ignored them, and sent out in 1623 a vessel under command of Captain Mey and Adriaen Joriss (or Jorissen) Tienpont. After landing at New York and leaving some of their passengers, among whom were five women, four of whom had been married at sea, they entered the Delaware, which, in addition to its other titles, was now called Prince Hendrick's River. They landed at or about Gloucester Point, and built Fort Nassau of logs. The four women and their husbands, and eight seamen, were sent a few weeks later by the Dutch governor to the Delaware. The whole colony next year (1625) was transported to Manhattan to strengthen the colony there, the fort was deserted, and the river left to the rule of its native tribes. This was varied only by an occasional trading-visit from the Dutch, or from the English in Virginia, and thus ended the first attempt at settle- ment.
Thus matters remained until 1629, when the Dutch India Com- pany issued a document, "Freedoms and Exemptions," inviting settlements in the "New Netherlands." They offered to any member of the company free passage for any three or four per- sons he might send out to select lands. Also, to any one who would plant a colony of fifty persons over fifteen years of age, within four years, the title and privileges of " a patroon." If lands were selected on one side of the river, he should have a front of sixteen miles and of any depth; if on both sides of the river, a front of eight miles. The privileges were to be those of lords owning the lands and with great authority over their people.
Under these inducements Heer Samuel Godyn made the first purchase of lands on the South River from the Indians residing near Cape Hindlop, on the south side of the bay, from Cape Hindlop to the river's mouth, thirty-two miles, with a depth of two miles, paying therefor " certain parcels of goods." Godyn, with Samuel Bloemaert, in the same year (1630) bought a square
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of sixteen miles on the east side of the bay, covering what is now known as Cape May Landing, and up the river.
Godyn had several partners, among whom was the celebrated Van Rensselaer, patroon of New York, and David Pieterzen de Vries. The latter was induced to take part in the enterprise on account of the whale-fishery. They sent out the " Walrus," under command of Captain Peter Heysen (or Heyes), Decem- ber 12, 1630. They arrived in the South River in the spring of 1631, and landed at Hoern (or Hoer) Kill, now Lewes Creek, on the west side of the river. They built Fort Oplandt, and called the settlement Zwanendael, or Valley of the Swans. In June, Heysen sailed for Holland, leaving in command Gillis Hosset (or Osset), a man of little judgment, whose imprudence cost the colony their lives. Having set up on a post the arms of Holland painted on a piece of tin, one of the Indian chiefs unwittingly took it to make tobacco-pipes; and on Hosset's making an ado about it the Indians slew the chief and brought his head. The chief's friends, in revenge, gained entrance to the house under the pretence of barter, slew the entire colony and killed the horses and cattle. Thus ended the colony as settled under what is usually styled "De Vries's first expedition," though he was not personally with them.
The next visit to the river was by the English-probably in 1632, in a sloop from Virginia-who penetrated as far north as Passaiung, Coquanoc, and Shakamaxon. They were all mur- dered at Graf Ernest River, supposed to be either the Timmer Kill or Cooper's Creek.
Notwithstanding the ill-success of the first venture, the pa- troons fitted out another expedition in 1632, the chief object being the whale-fishery. De Vries personally took command of the ship and yacht, and sailed on the 24th of May, and entered the Delaware not until the 5th of December. He found only the ruins of the settlement. However, he concluded on the 9th inst. a treaty of amity, the first on record, and preceding Penn's celebrated treaty by fifty years.
From this time till March he spent the time in sailing up and down the river, being several times frozen in, and in dan- ger from the Indians about Fort Nassau and Timmer Kill, some of whom wore the clothes of the murdered Englishmen from Virginia.
On the 6th of March, De Vries left Zwanendael for Virginia on a visit to the governor, who treated him well, though claim- ing the South River territories for the English by right of the visit of Lord de la War, and not being aware of the discovery by Hudson and the building of the fort by Mey in the interest of the Dutch. De Vries returned to Zwanendael, broke up the establishment, and returned with his men, and the proceeds of nine whales out of seventeen struck, by way of New Amster-
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dam on Manhattan, to Holland. Thus once more (April, 1633) was the sway of the whole river abandoned to the natives.
Some time after this, in the same year, the Dutch, under the orders of Wouter van Twiller, director-general at Nassau, again took possession of Fort Nassau and built an additional house. The commander, Arent Corssen, pursuing orders, purchased "the Schuylkill and adjoining lands for certain cargoes " of the Indians. Upon this land, and supposed to be on the eastern side of the Schuylkill, and where that portion of Philadelphia called Passyunk stands, they erected Fort Beversrede. Here they carried on a thriving trade with the Indians for beaver- skins and other commodities.
Fort Nassau was kept up, and the only incident of note for a few years was an attempt at its capture by about a dozen Eng- lishmen from Connecticut in 1635, among whom were George Holmes and Thomas Hall. They did not succeed, but were taken and sent as prisoners to Manhattan, though they even- tually escaped punishment.
CHAPTER II.
SETTLEMENTS BY THE SWEDES ON THE DELAWARE, 1624-1653.
DURING the latter years of these Dutch occupations another power had been casting its eyes toward the shores of the Dela- ware and originating a company for its settlement. In 1624, William Usselincx of Antwerp, who was said to have been also the projector of the Dutch West India Company, and to have be- come dissatisfied with his companions, applied for a charter for a Swedish West India Company. This was granted by King Gus- tavus Adolphus in 1624, and the charter was issued June 24th, 1626, granting exclusive privileges for twelve years from May 1st, 1627. The company at first received considerable attention and liberal subscriptions, but the wars of Gustavus delayed active operations for eleven years. Usselincx seems never to have taken an active part in the actual operations, beyond being named as director in the charter, as the first colony was sent out in 1638 under the direction of Governor Peter Minuit, the former first Dutch director of Manhattan. Queen Christina was the patron of the expedition, which sailed in the man-of-war "Key of Cal- mar" and a tender, "The Griffin."
Arriving in the spring at Jamestown, Virginia, they sailed north to the Delaware early in April. Notwithstanding vigorous pro- tests from the Dutch, they finished by July "Fort Christina," and entered vigorously into trade with the Indians-so much so as to have exported thirty thousand skins the first year. This fort was situated near a place called "The Rocks," near Wilming-
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Settlements by the Swedes.
ton, on the Christine Creek, then called Minquas Kill. In the latter part of July, Minuit left twenty-four men in the fort, pro- vided with all sorts of merchandise. The Swedes purchased all the land from the Indians between Cape Henlopen and Sankikan, at the falls of the Delaware at Trenton. Minuit bought a piece of ground for a house, but accounts vary as to his leaving for home in the vessel which brought him, or as to his continued residence on the Delaware for three years, at which time Acrelius says he died there.
However, he was succeeded by Peter Hollandaer, who probably came over with Jost de Bogardt, who was commander of a new expedition from Holland, though under the Swedish comms ssion, in 1640. Hollandaer was succeeded by Governor John I 'rintz, under whose management the Swedish rule was maintaincl with vigor and glory. In the mean while, during the years 1640, 1641, and 1642, the English from New Haven had made seve: al at- tempts at settlement on the river, the Indians again having resold lands to them, as they seem to have been willing to sell to any who would buy. The Dutch made several attacks upon these English, and broke up their settlements.
John Printz was commissioned as governor in 1642, and arrived at Tinicum in 1643. His instructions from the Swedish govern- ment were to be very politic, using suavity to the Dutch and In- dians, but if necessary to maintain the rights acquired by purchase. He was to trade and introduce Christianity and civilization; to cultivate tobacco, cattle, and silkworms ; to gather salt and metals, whale oil and useful woods; and to govern according to his judg- ment. His salary as governor of New Sweden was twelve hun- dred dollars per annum; the whole expense of the government was to be three thousand and twenty rix-dollars, besides provisions in excise for further support of the government.
After a passage of one hundred and fifty days he arrived at Fort Christina February 15th, 1643. Soon after he built a fort and fine mansion on Tinicum Island, not far from the Dutch fort Nassau. Besides this Fort Gottenburgh, he built another on the east side of the river, below the mouth of Salem Creek, thus, with Fort Christina on the west, commanding both sides of the river. This new fort was maintained for only about eight years; it was mounted with eight iron and brass guns and one " potshoof," and garrisoned by a lieutenant and twelve men. De Vries, who again visited the river in 1643, was astonished and arrested in his passage by it. It was, however, rendered useless by the erec- tion of a Dutch fort below it on the same side of the river, and abandoned.
Governor Printz, to secure the Minquas trade, built Fort Manaiung (or Manayunk) on Province Island at Kinsessing, thus controlling the kill or creek near the mouth of the Schuyl- kill by which the Indians reached the Delaware. He also erected
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a mill on Cobb's Creek, just above the bridge, near what is now known as the Blue Bell Tavern, and where the holes sunk into the rock in which the posts were placed can still be seen. He also erected near it a strong-house. The mill did a constant business in grinding corn and wheat.
In 1644 the English, from Boston, endeavored to explore the sources of the Delaware, expecting to find good beaver-territory at Lake Lyconnia, the supposed source of supply. They were brought to by the Swedes at Fort Gottenburgh, and sent back, after paying forty shillings as the cost of the powder and ball fired at them.
In this same year the Swedes sent home over forty thousand pounds of tobacco and two thousand one hundred and twenty- seven packages of beaver-skins.
In 1645 the Dutch governor at Fort Nassau, Jan Jansen von Ilpendam, was superseded by Andreas Hudde, a man of energy. While endeavoring to trade with the Minquas at Fort Manayunk, Printz ordered the vessel away. Hudde refused, and the Rev. John Campanius, the Swedish historian, was sent to remonstrate with him.
In September, 1646, the Dutch resolved to boldly assert their right to the west side of the river, and Hudde was ordered to pur- chase some land from the savages. Having purchased land where Philadelphia now stands, the savages, as usual, being ready to re- sell, he planted the arms of the company on a pole, and prepared to build. Printz sent Hendrick Huygens to prostrate the arms. Hudde arrested him, and sent Olof Stille and Moens Flom, two Swedes, to request Printz to punish him. Hudde claimed, "The place which we possess, we possessed indeed in just property per- haps before the name of the South River was heard of in Sweden," and protested against the Swedish usurpations.
In the years 1647 and 1648, and even until 1651, there were repeated attempts made by the Dutch to build houses, which were as often destroyed by the Swedes, the constant bickerings leading to much ill-feeling between the representatives of the two nations, the Indians in the mean while siding with the Dutch, and con- firming the original sale in 1633 to Arent Corssen.
To settle matters, Director-General Peter Stuyvesant came from New Amsterdam, held communications with Printz, and had the land formally ceded to him by deed from the Indians. This covered all the lands between Fort Christina and Bomptie's Hoek (or Bombay Hook), called by them Neusings. Stuyvesant aban- doned Fort Nassau, and erected in its stead Fort Casimir, near New Castle, so as to command the river ; this soon became a strong- hold of much importance. Stuyvesant concluded a treaty of peace with Printz, and returned to New Amsterdam.
With the easy-going nature of the Dutch, the war of words waged for some years past had not hurt anybody, but this decisive
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Extinction of the Swedish and Dutch Power.
stroke, of building Fort Casimir so short a distance below Fort Christina, seemed to betoken more vigorous measures.
CHAPTER III.
EXTINCTION OF THE SWEDISH POWER BY THE DUTCH, AND OF THE DUTCH BY THE ENGLISH, 1653-1664.
THE Swedish government at home now resolved to prosecute measures for a more absolute settlement of New Sweden on the Delaware. Rev. John Campanius had returned to Sweden in 1648, and was followed by Governor Printz in 1653, leaving his son-in-law, John Pappegoya, in charge.
In 1653 (August 26th) the government granted to Captain John Amundson Besk (or Besh) and wife land extending to Up- land's Kill, or Chester Creek, and including Maritie's Hoek, or Marcus Hook ; and to Lieutenant Swen Schute and wife, Mock- orhulteykyl and the island of Karinge, and Kinsessing, including, probably, lands on both sides of the Schuylkill in the townships of Kinsessing and Passyunk. Here was Fort Korsholm, after- ward abandoned by the Swedes and burnt by the Indians; it probably stood near Point Breeze.
This same year John Rysingh (or Rysing) was commissioned as governor, and directed to extend the colony without giving offence to the Dutch or English, for fear of "risk to what we already possess," and "to avoid resorting to hostilities ;" " and rather suffer the Dutch to occupy the said fortress than that it should fall into the hands of the English, who are the more powerful, and, of course, the most dangerous in that country."
Notwithstanding these orders, when Rysingh, together with John Amundson-who went with him as military commander- appeared off Fort Casimir on the 31st of May, 1654, they deter- mined to make a bold stroke. They sent on shore Captain Swenso with twenty men, who marched up to the fort, and, it being opened, entered it. Whether the Dutch commander, Gerrit Bikker, was paralyzed with fear or unsuspecting, he submitted to the Swedish authority, having ten or twelve men in the fort. This was on Trinity Sunday, which the Swedes signalized by calling it Trefalldigheetz Fort, or Trinity Fort.
Rysingh assembled the Indians at Tinicum, and renewed the old agreements with Naaman and other Indians.
Such successes on the part of the Swedes fairly aroused the Dutch. The company at Amsterdam sent out to Stuyvesant five armed vessels, with authority to employ more. He appeared be- fore Fort Trefalldigheetz with seven vessels and six hundred men, and after a brief parley with Swen Schute, the commander
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marched in with flying colors. At Fort Christina the Dutch at- tempted a siege, and after fourteen days, with only one gun fired on either side, Rysingh marched out with colors flying. They also burnt Fort Gottenburgh on Tinicum Island.
Thus ended the Swedish power for ever in the Delaware settle- ments. The Dutch became good masters, and those Swedes who remained had no cause of complaint. Fort Christina was called Altona, Fort Casimir resumed its name, and a settlement sprang up near it called New Amstel, the first town on the river. Various attempts were made by the Swedes and others for settling higher ·ę the river, but few of which were successful. The Dutch gov- - enor in 1654 granted permission to settle a tract of land to Mar- un Clensmith, William Stille, and Lawrence Andries, which was confirmed by William Penn in 1684. It was then in Philadelphia, in Passyunk. Also eight hundred acres were granted to Swen (or Sven) Gondersen, Swen Swensen, Oele Swensen, and Andries Swensen, known as Wicaco. It commenced at Moyamensing Kill, or Hollander's Creek, extending up the river to about South street. Part of this ground was sold by Swensen in 1701 to Edward Shippen-about fifty acres, extending west to about Tenth street at the southern point, and to Seventeenth street below South street at the northern point. This tract had been previously confirmed in 1671 by Francis Lovelace, governor- general under the duke of York. From these most of the present titles in Southwark date.
During this time, up to 1664, various intimations were given of the claim of the English to all this territory on the Delaware, agents having been sent from the Maryland settlements; and at one time Lord Baltimore himself paid a visit to New Amstel. These culminated on March 12th, 1664, when King Charles II. granted to James, duke of York and Albany, a patent for the tract of land between New England and the east side of the Delaware River. May 5th, four commissioners were sent to visit the lands in America and reduce them to subserviency to the English crown. They left Portsmouth in the frigate "Guinea " and three other vessels, and, arriving at New Am- sterdam in August, demanded its surrender, which Stuyvesant finally consented to on the 8th of September.
The frigate and two of the vessels then sailed to Fort Casimir, and after a parley stormed it, with a loss to the Dutch of three killed and ten wounded. The capitulation ended the authority of the Dutch on the river, and the English were masters from New England to Virginia.
We have forborne to mention some previous attempts to settle portions of this country on the part of the English, as no perma- nent settlement was made. But it is certain that King Charles I. had granted (July 24th, 1632) to Edmund Plowden (or Ploy- den) " a certain island and regions hereafter described," for which
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Extinction of the Swedish and Dutch Power.
he made agreements with others to assist him to colonize, to the extent of five hundred and forty colonizers. A charter was therefore granted June 21, 1634, for "all that entire island near the continent, or terra-firma of North Virginia, called the island of Plowden, or Long Island, between 39º and 40°, together with part of the continent or terra-firma aforesaid near adjoin- ing described, to begin from the point of an angle of a certain promontory called Cape May, and from thence westward for the space of forty leagues, running by the river Delaware, and closely following its course by north latitude into a certain rivulet there arising from a spring of the Lord Baltimore in the lands of Maryland ;" and so on in such a rambling, undis- tinguishable part of the country that it is unnecessary to quote it further. The curious will find the details in Hazard's State Papers (4to, vol. i.) and reprinted in Hazard's Annals. In Plowden's petition it is described, "Near the continent of Vir- ginia, sixty leagues north from James City, without the bay of Chesapeake, is a habitable and fruitful island, named Isle Plow- den, otherwise Long Isle, with other small isles between 30° and 40°, about six leagues from the main, near De la Warre's bay, whereof Your Majesty, nor any of your progenitors, were ever possessed of any estate," etc. This territory Sir Edmund Plow- den desired should be named New Albion.
A description of this province was published in 1648 by Beau- champ Plantagenet and Robert Evelyn. It was dedicated to Plowden, "Lord Proprietor, Earl Palatine, Governor and Cap- tain-General of the Province of New Albion," and others-" in all, forty-four undertakers and subscribers, bound by indenture to bring and settle three thousand able, trained men in our said severall plantations in the said Province." It is believed Plow- den was in Virginia and New England for some seven to ten years, from 1620 to 1630; when he returned to settle his lands under the charter is uncertain, but there is evidence of his being in America in 1642; he was here during the time of Director Kieft and of General Stuyvesant, and of the Swedish governor John Printz. He again returned to England in 1646 or 1648, and found his affairs in a troubled state. In his will in 1698 he bequeathed the "county palatine of New Albion and the Peer- age to Thomas Plowden," having disinherited his son, who had mismanaged the estate.
It is a very curious fragment of early history, and so nearly lost in historic annals as to be invested with an air of doubt and mystery, as to the exact location of the various tracts claimed by Plowden, and the grants under his charter to others.
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CHAPTER IV.
FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT UNTIL THE GRANT TO PENN, 1664-1681.
THE English having assumed the control of the settlements made by the Dutch and the Swedes, treated them very liberally. They protected the inhabitants in their persons and estates, con- tinued the magistrates in their offices, allowed liberty of conscience in church discipline upon taking the oath of allegiance, declared they should be free denizens, and that they should trade to any part of His Majesty's dominions as freely as any Englishmen.
Fort Casimir became Fort Delaware, and Nieu Amstel, New Castle; Zuydt (or South) River was always thereafter designated as Delaware River. Sir Richard Nicolls was governor, with his residence at New York, and Captain John Carre remained in com- mand on the Delaware.
It is about this time (1667) we find the first mention of a " town" in one of the old deeds by Governor Nicolls, for ground connected with Peter Rambo's farm in Kinsessing. It refers to the town of Kinsessing in the bounds of Philadelphia, and must have been situated on Kingsessing Creek, somewhere in the neighborhood of the present Blue Bell Tavern or Suffolk Park.
In May, 1667, Colonel Francis Lovelace succeeded Richard Nicolls as governor, residing at New York. He established a court under his deputy, Captain Carre, and ordered that all who held lands without authority of the English government should apply to him for letters patent and pay quit-rents to William Tom. These patents were generally, with a few exceptions, to those bearing Swedish names.
Thus matters progressed peaceably until 1669, when a rebellion against the English authority was fomented. The ringleader, Marcus Jacobson, " the Long Finne," was finally arrested, branded with an R, and sold as a slave to Barbadoes. One Henry Cole- man, also a Finn, and, it is supposed, the Rev. Jacob Fabricius, with others, were concerned in it. Punishment was meted out to those arrested in the shape of fines and forfeiture of their goods.
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