History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 17

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania > Part 17

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" 8. Those Hollanders who have emigrated to New Sweden, and set- tled there under the protection of her royal Majesty and the Swedish crown, over whom Jost von dem Boyandh W has command, the Governor shall treat according to the content- of the charter and privileges 11 con- ferred by her royal Mujesty, of the principles whereof the Governor has been advised; but in other respects he shall show them all good will and kindness, yet so that he shall hold them also to the same, that they upon their side comply with the requisitions of their charter, which they have received. And icasomch as notice has already been given tbem that they have settled too near to Fort Christina, and as houses are said to be built at the distance of almost three miles from that place, they should therefore leave that place and betake themselves to a some- what greater distance from the said fort. So also does her royal Maj- esty leave it to the good pleasure and prudence of the Governor, when on the ground, duly to consider the deportibent of said Hollanders and the situation of the place of which they have taken possessivo, and, ac- cording to his judgment, either let them remain there quietly or make such a disposition and settlement of the matter as he shall find most snitable and advantageous to her royal Majesty and the participants in said company of navigation.

"9. The wild nationg12 bordering upon all other sides the Governer shall understand to treat with all humanity and respect, that no vio- lence or wrong be done to them by her royal Majesty or her subjects aforesaid ; but he shall rather, at every opportunity, exert himself that the same wild peuple omy gradually be instructed in the truths and

1 Cape Heslopen ; we follow the orthography of the text.

2 Usually written "Godyn's"; Delaware Bay being so called by the Hollanders after Sammel Godyn, who je 1629 received a patent for a large tract of land there as its patroon.

8 The river Delaware.

4 Now Christiana Creek.

6 Trenton Falls, ninety miles from the mouth of Delaware Bay.

G Written also "Varken's Kil," i.e., " Hog's Creek," which is now called Salem Creek. The ledians called it Oitsessingh, or Wootsessungsing.

7 Raccooo Creek. The " Naraticongs" are mentioned as an Indian tribe north of the Raritan. (See O'Callaghan, i. 49.)

8 It is not knowe whence these English settlers came, or the precise time of their coming. According to the text above it was in 1641. Ferris, in his " History of the Original Settlements on the Delaware" (Wilmington, 1846), p. 55, on what anthority he does not tell ns, says that it was in 1640, and adds, " Some have supposed they were squatters from New Haven ; some, adventurers from Maryland; and others, the pioneers of Sir Edmund Ployden." In all probability they were the same party of people from New Haven who, in the spring of 1642, set- tled on the Schuylkill.

9 Usually called " Manhattan's," also " Manhattoe," from an Indian tribe of that name. See O'Callaghan's " History of New Amsterdam," i. 1. 47.

10 O'Callaghan, in his " History of New Netherland," i. p. 366-367, calls this person Joost de Bogaert, and (in his nete on p. 367) says that "Io the translation in the new series of N. Y. Hist. Soc. Trans., p. 411, the nadie is misspelled." The spelling, however, is that of Acrelius, which we give above.

11 " Octroy och privilegin."

12 The Lenni Lepape, called by the elder Campanins " Rendi Reo- nappe"; by the English, Delawares. The Delawares were subdivided iuto the tribes of the Assiopinks, in the north; the Andastakar, ou Christiana Creek, Del .; the Rankokns, or Chichequaas, and the Mingoes, the Neshaminies, in Bucks Co., Pa .; tbe Schackamaxens, the Mantas, and the Minnesinke, above the forks of the Delaware.

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

worship of the Christian religion, and in other ways brought to civiliza- tion and good government, and in this manuer properly guided. Espe- cially shall he seek to gain their confidence and impress upon their minds that neither he, the Governor, nor his people and subordinates are come into those parts to do them any wrong or injury, but much more for the purpose of furnishing them with such things as they may need for the ordinary wants of life, and so also for such things as are found among them which they themselves cannot make for their own use, or buy or exchange. Therefore shall the Governor also see thereto that the people of her royal Majesty, or of the company who are engaged in trading in those parts, allow the wild people to obtain such things as they need at a price somewhat more moderate than they are getting them of the Ilollanders at Fort Nassau or the adjacent English, so that said wild people may be withdrawn from them and be so much the more won to our people.

" 10. In regard to the Governor's place of residence, Her Royal Maj- esty leaves it to him to provide and choose the samo according as be finds the case to be in the place, or it can be continued where it now is, and the residence arranged and ordered in the most convenient manner possible ; in like manner shall the Governor also provide a suitable place for a fortress either at Cape Hinlopen, or the island called 'James' Island,'1 or wherever else u good site for the same may be found; wherein he has especially to keep in view these considerations above all others, namely, that by such a fortification it should be possible to close up the South River, having it commanded by the same fortress, and that there should also be found there, without great difficulty, a suitable harbor wherein the ships of Tler Royal Majesty and her sub- jects could be in security, and, if need so were, continue to lie there over winter.

"11. And if the Governor does not find it necessary at once und hastily to fortify another new place, but can for the present properly defend himself by Fort Christina, then shall he so much the more zealously at once arrange and urge forward agriculture and the improvement of the land, setting and urging the people thereto with zeal and energy, exert- ing him elf above all other things that so much seed-corn may be com- mitted to the ground that the people may derive from it their necessary food.

"12. Next to this, he shall pay the necessary attention to the culture of tobacco2 and appoint thereto a certain number of laborers, so ar ranging that the produce may be large, more and more being set out and cultivated from time to time, so that he can send over a good quan- tity of tobacco on all ships coming hither.

"13. That better arrangements may be made for the production of cattle, both great and small, the Governor shall at once exert himself to obtain a good breed of cattle of all kinds, and especially of that which is sent out from this country, and also seek to obtain a supply from the neighboriog English, dividing everything with those who will use and employ it in agriculture in exchange for seed, and with such prudence As he shall find most serviceable to the members of the company.

"14. Among and above all other things, he shall direct his attention to sheep, to obtain them of good kinds, and as soon as may be seek to arrange as many sheep-folds as he conveniently can, so that presently a considerable supply of wool of good quality may be sent over to this country.

"15. The peltry trade with the natives he shall also, as far as possi- ble, seek to sustain in a good state, 3 exercise a careful inspection of all engaged in it, prevent all frauds in established commissions, and take cure that Iler Royal Majesty and her subjects, and the members of the company, may have reason to expect good return for their cargoes. In like manner he shall provide that no other persons whatever be per- mitted to traffic with the natives in peltries; hut this trade shall be carried on only by persons thereto appointed in the name of the whole company, and its ways.

"16. Whatever else it may at present be necessary to do in that conn- try will be best committed to the hands of the Governor in the country, according to the time and circumstance of the place, more especially as the same land of New Sweden is situated in the samo climate with Por- tugal ;4 so, apparently, it is to be expected that salt-works might be ar- ranged on the sea-cousts. But if the salt could not be perfectly evap-

orated by the heat of the sun, yet, at the least, the salt water might be brought to such a grade that it might afterwards be perfectly condensed by means of fire, withont great labor or expense, which the Governor must consider, and make euch experiment, and if possible put it into operation and make effective.

"17. And as almost everywhere in the forests wild grape-vines and grapes are found, and the climate seems to be favorable to the produc- tion of wine, so shall the Governor also direct his thoughts to the timely introduction of this culture, and what might herein be devised and effected.

" 18. He can also have careful search made everywhere as to whether metals or minerals are to be found in the country, and if any are dis- covered, send hither correct information, and then await further orders from this place.

" 19. Out cı the abundant forests the Governor shall examine and con- eider how and in what manner profit may be derived from the country, especially what kind of advantages may be expected from oak-trees and walnut-trees, and whether a good quality of them might be sent over here as ballast. Su, also, it might be examined whether oil might not be advantageously pressed out of the walnuts.

".0. The Governor shall likewise take into consideration and cor- rectly inform himself how and where fisheries might be most profitably established, especially as it is said that at a certain season of the year the whale-fishery can be advantageously prosecuted in the aforesaid Godin's Bay 5 and adjacently ; he shall, therefore, have an eye upon this, and send over hither all needed information as to what can be done in this and other matters connected with the country, and what furtber hopes may be entertained in reference thereto.

"21. The Governor shall also carefully inquire and inform himself in regard to the food and convenience for keeping a great number of silk-worms, wberewith a manufacture might be established, and if he discovers that something useful might thus be accomplished, he shall take measures for the same.

"22. Whatever else could be done in connection with the successful cultivation of the land, but cannot be introduced just for the present, this Her Royal Majesty will graciously have entrusted to the fidelity, foresight, and zeal of the Governor, with the earnest command and ad- monition that he seek in all matters to uphold the service and dignity of lIer Royal Majesty and the Crown of Sweden, as also to promote the advantage and interest of the members of the company in the conser- vation of the same land of New Sweden, its culture in every way possi- ble, and the increase of its profitable commerce.

"23. But far above all this, as to what belongs to the political govern- ment and administration of justice, everything of this kind must he conducted under the name of Her Royal Majesty and the Crown of Sweden, for no less reason than the country enjoye the protection of Her Royal Majesty and of the crown, and that the interest of the crown is.in the highest degree involved in the protection of that country, its cultivation and activo trade and commerce. To give the Governor spe- cific information herein cannot so well and effectually be dono at so great a distance; it must, therefore, be left to his own discretion and good sense that he, upon the ground, provide, arrange, and execute whatever conducee to bring matters into good order and a proper con- stitution, according as he finds the necessities of the time and place to require. At first, anıl until matters can be brought into a better form, the Governor niny use his own seal, but in a somewhat larger form, in briefs, contracts, correspondence, and other written documents of a public character.

"24. lle shall decide all matters of controversy which may arise ac- cording to Swedish law and right, custom, and usage; but in all other matters also, so far ns possible, he shall adopt and employ the laudable customs, habits, and usages of this most praiseworthy realm.

"25. He shall also have power, through the necessary and proper means of compulsion, to bring to obedience and a quiet life the turbu- lent and disorderly, who will not live quietly and pencefully, and espe- cially gross offenders, who may possibly be found ; he may punish not only with imprisonment and tho like duly proportioned means of cor- rection, but also, according to their misdeeds or crimes, with the loss of life itself, yet not in any other than the usual manner, and after the proper hearing and consideration of the case, with tho most respectable people and the most prudent associate judges who can be found in the country as his counsellors.

1 " Jaque's Eyland" was in the neighborhood of Fort Nassau, probably between that and where Philadelphia now is.

2 " Toback" is the Swedish spelling ; in modern Swedish it is " tobak."

$ In the original, "i godt exRe."

4 P'ortugal is situated between 37º and 42º N, latitude, and New Swe- den was between 38° and 41º of the same lutitudo.

& The Dutch under De Vries, in 1630, tried to prosecute the whale- fishery in the Delaware, Int found it unprofitable. (Seo New York Hist. Collect , New Series, vol. i p. 250 )

THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENTS.

"26. Above all things, shall the Governor consider and see to it that a true and due worship, becoming honor, laud, and praise be paid to the Most Iligh God in all things, and to that end all proper care shall be taken that divine sei vice be zealously performed according to the unal- tered Augsburg Confession, the Council of Upsala, and the ceremonies of the Swedish Church ; and all persons, especially the young, shall be duly instructed in the articles of their Christian faith ; and all good church discipline shall in like manner be duly exercised and received But so far as relates to the Ilolland colonists that live and settle under the government of Her Royal Majesty and the Swedish crown, the Gov- ernor shall not disturb them in the indulgence granted them as to the exercise of the Reformed religion according to the aforesaid royal charter.

"27. Io all else which cannot here be set down in writing, the Gov- ernor shall conduct himself as is suitable and becoming to a faithful patriot, and take into due consideration whatever is correspondent to his office, according to the best of his understanding and with the great- est zeal and care, also regulating himselfin accordance with that which may be here communicated to him by word of mouth ; and there is herewith given him a special list of the people who accompany him and of the means and equipment of his office.

"28. Finally, Her Royal Majesty is also well satisfied that the said office of his government shall continue and exist for three years, after the lapse of which he, the said John Printz, shall be free to return hither again, after the necessary arrangements have been made in re- gard to his successor, or some substitute in the said service. Should be, thesaid John Printz, have a desire to continue looger in this charge he shall have the preference over others therefor, provided that the ad- vantage and service of Her Majesty and the crown, and of the com- pany, so demand. Given as above.

" PAEIIR BRAHE, HERMAN WRANGEL, AXEL OXENSTIERNA,

" CLAES FLEMMING,

"GRABRIEL BENGTSSON OXENSTIERNA,1

Axo. GYLLENKLOU."2

The voyage to New Sweden was at that time quite long. The watery way to the West was not yet well discovered, and therefore, for fear of the sand-banks off Newfoundland, they kept their course to the east and south as far as to what were then called the Brazates.$ The ships which went under the com- mand of Governor Printz sailed along the coast of Portugal and down the coast of Africa until they found the eastern passage, then directly over to America, leaving the Canaries high up to the north. They landed at Antigua, then continued their voyage northward, past Virginia and Maryland, to Cape Henlopen. Yet, in view of the astonishingly long route which they took, the voyage was quick enough in six months' time, from Stockholm on Aug. 16, 1642, to the new fort of Christina, in New Sweden, on Feb. 15, 1643.

The Swedes who emigrated to America belonged 'partly to a trading company provided with a charter, who for their services, according to their condition or agreement, were to receive pay and monthly wages; a part of them also were at their own impulse to try their fortune. For these it was free to settle and live

in the country as long as they pleased, or to leave it, and they were, therefore, by way of distinction from the others, called freemen. At first also malefactors and vicious people were sent over, who were used as slaves to labor upon the fortifications. They were kept in chains, and not allowed to have intercourse with the other settlers ; moreover, a separate place of abode was assigned to them. The neighboring people and country were dissatisfied that such wretches should come into the colony. It was also, in fact, very objectionable in regard to the beathen, who might be greatly offended by it. Whence it happened that when such persons came over in Governor Printz's time, it was not permitted that one of them should set foot on shore, but they had all to be carried back again, whereupon a great part of them died during the voyage, or perished in some other way. Afterwards it was forbidden at home in Sweden, under a penalty, to take for the American voyage any persons of bad fame, nor was there ever any lack of good people for the colony.

Governor Printz was now in a position to put the government upon a safe footing, to maintain the rights of the Swedes, and to put down the attempts of the Hollanders. They had lately, before his arrival, patched their little Fort Nassau. On this account he selected the island of Tenackong as his residence, which is sometimes also called Tutaeaenung and Tenicko, about three Swedish miles from Fort Christina. The convenient situation of the place suggested its selec- tion, as also the location of Fort Nassau,4 which lay some miles over against it, to which he could thus command the passage by water. The new fort, which was erected and provided with considerable arma- ment, was called New Götheborg. His place of resi- dence, which he adorned with orchards, gardens, a pleasure-house, etc., he named "Printz Hall." A handsome wooden church was also built at the same place, which Magister Campanius consecrated on the last great prayer-day which was celebrated in New Sweden, on the 4th of September, 1646. Upon that place, also, all the most prominent freemen had their residences and plantations.

The Hollanders intruded upon the Swedes in their traffic with the Indians, and Printz therefore sought to keep them under. In the name of the High and Mighty States-General and of the West India Com- pany, under which all their transactions were carried on, they had never bought so much as a foot's breadth of land ; but from time to time sent in some partic- ular persons, who treated with the heathen on their own account, and thus tried to find out what course

1 These five names are historical. They fordied at that time the Swedish Council of State, who carried on the government immediately after the death of Gustaf Adolph the Great, and during the minority of his daughter Christiana, who was not quite six years old at the time of her father's death ( November, 1632), and consequently in her seventeenth year at the date of this document. She ascended the throne as actual sovereign on her eighteenth birthday, viz., Dec. 6, 1644. The Swedish colony in America was undoubtedly the work of the great Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, thoughi first suggested by Gustaf Adolphs.

2 Gyllenklou was secretary of the Council.

3 The Azores.

" Fort Nassau was built near the mouth of Timber Creek, below Gloucester Point, in New Jersey. It is said to have been built by Cor- nelius Mey in 1623; but when visited by De Vries, ten years afterwards (Jan. 5, 1633), it was in the possession of the Indians, among whom he was afraid to land. We have no evidence that the fort was reoccupied by the Dutch before the establishment of the Swedish colony in 1638. (See Voyages of De Vries in New York Ilist. Col., New Series, vol. i. p. 253.)

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

the Swedes would pursue in consequence. In the year 1646 came one Thomas Broen with a permit from Peter Stuyvesant, the Holland Director at New Am- sterdam, to settle himself at Mantas Huck, on the other side of the bay, directly opposite Tenakongh. This permit he showed to Governor Printz, and de- sired his aid in the building of his abode. The Gov- ernor promised this upon condition that he would place himself under the Swedish government. But when he saw beneath this the trick of the Hollanders, he himself bought of the Indians the land from Mantas Huck to Narraticon's or Raccoon's Kihl, and raised upon it a post to which the Swedish coat of arms was affixed, whereby the plan of the Hollanders was frustrated for the time.

Andries Hudde, appointed commandant ad interim at Fort Nassau, on the 12th of October, 1645, pro- tested in writing against Printz's land purchase of the 8th of September, 1646, and gave information of the same to the director, Peter Stuyvesant, namely, that Governor Printz sought to procure for himself all the land east of the river ; that, if he could make himself master of both sides, it was probable that he would export annually thirty or forty thousand beaver-skins. Now, as the Holland Company's treasury was entirely empty, and the Hollanders saw that they had no time to lose, they resorted to another plan. Some freemen -Simon Ruth, Cornelius Marizen, Peter Hermans- son, Andries Hudde, Alexander Boyer, and David Davids-united together and purchased of the In- dians a piece of land, extending from Ancocus Kihl to Tenakongh Island, another place higher up on the river than where the Governor had his residence, and also took a title therefor ; but with the reserva- tion that if the company wished to purchase it for themselves they might do so by refunding their pur- chase-money to them. Governor Printz protested against this as an unbecoming proceeding, which protest also Hudde sent over to New Amsterdam. Peter Stuyvesant, in his answer, complains of their inability to maintain their rights, and promises money to buy all the land from Narraticon's Kihl to the bay, which, however, was never done.

Governor Printz had blocked up the passage of the Hollanders to Fort Nassau by water, but they devised another method of evading his superior power. They entered into a treaty with the Indians for the land which lies between Maniqua's or Minqua's Kihl and the river, as far down as Bombe's Huck or Bambo Hook, and concluded the purchase on the 19th of July, 1651. That agreement was the only one which had yet been made in the name of the States-General and the West India Company. But by that they bought the land which the Minquesses had already, in Menewe's time, sold to the Swedes, and it is there- fore unreasonable to believe that the true owners of the land subscribed that bill of sale. Shortly after this Fort Casimir was built at Sandhuk. Governor Printz at once protested against it; but either he had

not the means of hindering it, or had not time for it, and so the matter rested. To remedy the injury which the Hollanders inflicted by Fort Casimir, Governor Printz erected upon the place called Wootsessung Sing another Swedish fort, which he called Elfsborg, one Swedish mile1 below Sandhuk and two miles below Christina, but on the eastern shore, from which that district of country was in former times, and even now is called Elsingborg. From this was fired a Swedish salute upon the arrival of Swedish ships. But its principal object was to search the Holland ships which came before it, and (which stuck very hard in their maw) to make them lower their flag. The fort was afterwards abandoned by the Swedes and de- stroyed, as it was almost impossible to live there on account of the gnats (myggor),2 whence it was for some time called Myggenborg. Besides these there were Fort Korsholm, at Passayunk, where the com- mander, Sven Schute, had his residence. Manä- yungh, on the Skorkihl or Skulkihl,3 was a fine lit- tle fort of logs, having sand and stones filled in between the wood-work, and surrounded by palisades, four Swedish (twenty-seven English) miles from Chris- tina eastwardly. Mecoponacka (Upland) was two Swedish miles from Christina and one mile from Götheborg, upon the river shore, on the same plan, with some houses and a fort. Other places were equally well known, though not fortified. Chinses- sing, a place upon the Schuylkill, where five families of freemen dwelt together in houses two stories high, built of white-nut-tree (hickory), which was at that time regarded as the best for building houses, but in later times was altogether disapproved of for such purposes. Karakung had a water-mill, which the Governor had built for the people, it being the first in the country. Chamassung was also called Finland, a district where the Fins dwelt by the waterside, and Neaman's Kihl, one and a quarter miles from Christina. Manathaan, or Cooper's Island, was an island opposite Fort Christina, so called from a cooper who dwelt there with two Hol- landers, and made casks or wooden vessels and small boats. Techoherassi was Olof Stillé's place. Grips- holm, Nya Wasa, etc., which are marked upon the oldest maps, were places laid out and occupied, but did not get established under the Swedish adminis- tration.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 17

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534