USA > Pennsylvania > The German Pietists of provincial Pennsylvania : 1694-1708 > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34
15 Probably one of the shoals known as the Goodwin Sands.
16 Kelpius' MS. Journal.
3
18
The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
and carried it over the bank into a safe deptli, contrary to all experiences upon sea and to the surprise of the crew."
After a general thanksgiving service led by Magister Kelpius, in which all on board participated, the journey was continued through the channel. Eventually the Downs 17 were reached (February 2Ist) without further mis- hap; here a stop was made for over two weeks; a new anchor was obtained in place of the one lost, and the ship thoroughly overhauled, while waiting for the arrival of a good convoy, which was to have been sent from London. 18
Alluding to this delay at the Downs, Kelpius mentions in his journal-"On the 27th of February we sent letters to London and to Tob. Ad. Lauterbach and others in Ger- many, from whom we had received most cheering answers.
"On the 4th of March I received a letter from Samuel Waldenfield, in London, at the Lamp in Fennhard" Street, with a draft of the pious virgin Catherine Beerens van Bofing on Samuel Standerwick in Deal.20 This gentleman received me and my friend Selig 21 the next day very kindly. He listened with the greatest pleasure to our account of the Pietists in Germany, and invited us to repeat our visit ; we were prevented from doing so by our sailing."
This time while lying at anchor was utilized by the party in edifying discourses and biblical study. The expected convoy not arriving, sail was set on the eighth day of March,
17 " The Downs," a spacious roadstead in the English Channel, affording an excellent anchorage. It is between the shore and the Goodwin Sands and is much used by the British navy.
Is This was during the universal war then waged against Louis XIV. of France, 1689-1697. In American history it is known as "King William's War."
19 Query : Fenchurch Street?
20 Deal, a seaport and market town in Kent, England. It has no harbor.
21 Johann Selig, one of the members of the party.
19
The Final Start.
in company with eighteen otlier vessels, three of which were ine11-of-war.
Under date of the next day (March gtlı) the following memorandum in English is inserted in Kelpius' Latin diary in a different handwriting :
"Instructions for the better keeping company with their Maj's ship Sandador Prize under iny command.
"If I weigh in the day I will liaule home my foretopsail sheets and fire a gunn. If in the night, I will putt a liglit in the main top inast shrouds and fire a gun, which liglit you are to answer. If I weigh in a fog I will fire 3 gunns distantly one after another. If I anchor in the night or in a fogg, I will fire 2 guns a small distance of time one fromn the other and putt abroad a light more than my constant lights, which light you are to answer.
" If I lie by or try in the night, I will fire two guns and keep a light abroad more than my constant light in the Main shrouds and if through extreamity of weather we are forced to lye a Holl or under a Mizen, I will fire three guns and put abroad two liglits of equal height more than my constant light; and if I make sail in the night after blow- ing weather or after lying by or for any other reason I will make the same sing [sign?] as for weighing in the night, which light you are to answer.
"In case of separation if we meet by day the weathermost ship shall lower his Fore top sail and then the leward shall answer by lowering their main top sail.
" He that apprehends any danger in the night shall fire guns and put abroad three lights of equal highit and bear away or tack from it; but if it should happen to be strange ships, then make false fires and endeavor to speak with my ; and to better to know each other in the night, he that hails shall ask what ship is that and he that is hailet shall all- swer Adventure, then he that hailet first shall reply Rupert.
20
The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
THE "SARA-MARIA," CAPTAIN TANNER, Master. (From an old Dutch print.)
2I
Instructions for Sailing.
" If I have a desire to speak with you I will hoist a Jack- Flag in my mizen-top mast shrouds and make a weft with my ensign.
" If you have a desire to speak with my; you shall hoist your ensign in your Main-Top-Mast Shrouds.
"If in the night you chance to spring a leak keep firing of Guns and showing of lights."
Datesion Board this Majin Ship Saudades Prize March 5
Will Allow
After an uneventful sail of four days anchor was dropped in the harbor of Plymouth on March 12th, a good place for anchorage being secured under the guns of the fort. In this harbor the vessel remained for five weeks waiting for the convoy from London.
It was while here in port that letters were received from Lieut. Schmaltz22 and others in Erfurth, and friends in Cleves, Konberg 23 and elsewhere in Germany, questioning
22 Lieut. Schmaltz was a leading spirit of the Collegia Pietatis in Erfurth. He died in 1702. An entry in the town chronicle states " Lieut. Schmaltz could not be induced during his last illness to make any confession as to the person of Christ or the justification of a sinner before God ; he also refused to receive the sacrament."
When his' friends attempted to bury his body at night by torchlight, they were set upon by the anthorities, who drove back the mourners, the parish beadles (Stadt-Knechte) extingnished the torches, and took the body and buried it in an unconsecrated corner of the Mercatorum ceme- tery .- " Historia Civitatis Erffurtensis," pp. 1069.
23 This is evidently a typographical error in the original, no such place as Konberg is to be found on any atlas of that period. Königsberg is 110 doubt intended, the seat of the celebrated Albertine University (Collegium Albertinum) founded in 1544 by the Margrave Albert, and which at that period numbered 2000 students on its roster. In later years it became celebrated as tlie place where the philosophy of Kant was first propounded.
22
The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
the expediency of the party emigrating to the unknown shores of America, and urging the enthusiasts to return to home and friends, notwithstanding the edicts and inani- festoes which were being issued against all Pietists and religious enthusiasts. Kelpius in reply addressed commu- nications to Lauterbach, De Watteville, Meerkamp and others, declining their advice, and adhering to his determi- nation of going to Pennsylvania.
The expected convoy not arriving, a final start was made on the 18th of April under the protection of several foreign men-of-war, Danish, Spanish and Swedish24 then in the harbor, and which were to sail from Plymouth to Cadiz. For this purpose an agreement was entered into with the Spanish Admiral, Nicholas De Rudder, for a certain sum of money to convoy the vessel two hundred Dutch miles into the ocean ; and on the 25th of April the actual voyage to the new world commenced, in company with another Englishı vessel, the " Providence," carrying 18 guns.
After parting with the armed escort the two vessels fol- lowed a southwestern course, and for the rest of the month were favored with good weather and favorable breezes.
Magister Kelpius, in writing about their life on shipboard, states : "Our exercises on board the ship consisted in dis- courses of various kinds and interpretations of the Scrip- ture, in which those who felt inclined took part. We had also prayer meetings and sang hymns of praise and joy, several of us accompanying on instruments that we had brought from London."
On the Ioth of May the two vessels fell in with three French vessels, one a frigate of 24 guns; a lively action took place, lasting four hours, and resulted in the repulse
24 In this war, under the league of Augsburg, almost the whole of Europe was arrayed against France.
23
A Fight at Sea.
of the French frigate and the capture of a prize by the consort "Providence." Falkner has left us the following interesting details of this incident, viz. :
" On the roth of May our faith was again put on trial. We were only two ships and saw in the morning, when the weather was fair and quiet, three vessels in the distance. (Mark, when at sea a foreign ship comes in sight, immedi- ately alarm is given and everything put in readiness for an encounter.) Many of us became depressed in mind from a presentiment that they were hostile French ships. They steered directly towards us, but on account of the calm could make no headway for 5 or 6 hours. About noon we could see by the telescope that they carried white flags with lilies, enough to show, that this day things would take a French, not a Christian turn. As soon as this was ascer- tained, every thing was made ready for battle. The pas- sengers were given the choice to fight or not. We, of course, abstained of carnal weapons and taking the shield of faith sat down between decks behind boxes and cases, prayed and invoked the Lord, every one for himself, as on account of the great noise and the report of cannons nothing could have been heard. We had hardly got down, when a French frigate with 24 cannon and a merchant ship with 6 cannon made straight for our ship and opened fire so vigor- ously, that it was really time to pray for averting great calamity. The merciful Father made the enemies' balls drop into the water before our ship, only one cannon ball struck the ship over our heads without doing harm to anybody, though the ship got a hole two ells above the water line. In the mean time our cannon and ball were not idle, but did great damage to the enemies' ships, which we inferred from their retreat. But half an hour afterwards they re- sumed the attack. Then a 12 pound ball was sent right
24
The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
through the captain's room, but inflicted no damage; the captain's boy who carried a bottle in his hand came very near being hit ; the ball took the bottle so neatly out of his hand that he hardly knew the ball had done it. An hour later the frigate fell back a little and with the third vessel, which carried 12 guns attacked our fellow ship, which, however, made a good defense. Here it happened that a Frenchman on the merchant vessel while aiming with his rifle at our captain, while on the point of shooting, was rent to pieces by a cannon ball, before he could pull the trigger. Whether the shot came from our companion ship or ours nobody knows. The enemy stopped firing, expecting us to capitulate or else, designing to turn to our port, but it pleased the Lord to make an end of the racket that day and to drive the enemy to flight by means no one would have thought of. For the Lord put it into the heart of our captain to call all males on deck, and to make them join his crew in raising a pretended shout of joy. When this was done, and the enemy observed on our ship, contrary to ex- pectation, so many heads, whom, they thought, had been fighting and would continue to fight, it was as if their can- nons had at once become dumb and their courage sunk into the sea like a millstone. The Lord struck them with fear, so they suddenly turned their ships about and fled away fromn 11s.25 The large frigate gave the signal of flight ; but the others could not follow so swiftly and we miglit easily have captured both of them. Our captain, however, was satisfied when the merchant ships hoisting a white flag sur- rendered. Then we also stopped firing. The two other
25 It was at this point that the "Providence," the companion of the "Sarah Maria," came up and joined in the pursuit. Being the faster of the two, she chased and engaged the hostile frigate. The battle lasted four hours, but only three balls of the enemy struck, doing little damage to the ship and none to the men. (Kelpius' MS. Diary. )
The Capes of Virginia. 25
ships got off; the third fell into our hands. There were on board twenty four Frenchmen, among them one of the re- formed faith, who had been attending mass under compul- sion. Seven were taken aboard our ship, including this Huguenot, who liked our company and was pleased that we could speak his language and assuage in some measure his bruised conscience.26 The others were taken on board by our fellows. The ship had a cargo of sugar and came from Martinique under the 17th degree of Latitude. At first the prisoners raised a great wail and lamentation ; they had expected to land in France as freemen and had now to return to America in captiv- ity. But thus they NAVAL TROPHIES. had meant to serve
11s. The Lord fulfilled on them what is written Revel. ch. 13, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity." 27
After this episode nothing further of importance occurred, except several false alarıns by hostile ships, until June 12th, when, at 10 o'clock A. M., an eclipse of the sun was ob- served, the craft being in lat. 36° 45'. On the evening of . the same day (June 12th) the party had their first glimpse of the western world, the capes of Virginia were sighted, and two days later (June 14th) the "Sarah Maria" entered Chesapeake Bay. It took the travelers five days to sail
26 Kelpius makes no mention of this incident.
27 The distribution of the cargo, consisting of sugar and cider, gave rise to dissatisfaction, which the captain finally quelled by allowing to all an equal share in the "unjust Mamnon." (Kelpius' MS. Diary. )
4
26
The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
ANCIENT MAP SHOWING ROAD BETWEEN CHESAPEAKE BAY AND DELAWARE RIVER.
.. .
2
Ver Town
PHILADEL PHIA
Pegue CT
I'mat
vesaha
I
A
Brandy Wine
Cheftet
unter choke
P
A
. rudy Brun
Ratevon Brock
RITEX
I'ruape
Marcas de dy
LEM
E
W
J
Sirang !!
S! Georg
1
č OUNTY
CUMBERLAND
Baltimore
·favoriser Zimmer
E
Qların T.
Claphavu I
Back R.
.80
Gorgon
thankgy ('!
BumbaI
Fools I.
w'hefter
Chefer River
A
" Fortescue I.
E
il Cloudy
W A
KENT
Egg Mand
K
Boliin 1
WAR
DE
LA
C. Dover
Spaniards Point
A
Y
Bohemia A
NEWCASTLE
GLOUCES
Elk River
Needy 1.
Huskerig C!
Bwh live
Gunpowder Hier
Norr Tivi
A
EiGreenwich
Inteatt (!
TY
Duck .
De La. War River
PATAPSCO R.
Maurice Hiver
C . H
S
T. E R.
C. O U.N. T.Y
coderas
27
The End of the Voyage.
up the Bay of Virginia, during which time occurred one of the strangest and inost unaccountable episodes of the voyage. This was a disagreement between some of the party, in which a woman, who was one of the ship's com- pany, was evidently the leading cause, or at least a promni- nent character. All that is definitely known about the affair is the entry in the Kelpius diary 28-June 17th, under the sign of the sun-" that Falkner was excommunicated by Köster, as was also Anna Maria Schuchart." 29
That this estrangement between the leaders of the party was but temporary is shown by the fact that no subsequent mention of the episode appears in either the Kelpius or Falkner papers.
DEO Five days after the vessel had entered the capes of Virginia the anchor was dropped, and THAT the landing inade at the Bolie- mia Landing, as before stated. LAUS Daniel Falkner, in his account, ALLELUIA at this point notes : "We hope, in this land also, His mercy will not be wasted on us, especially as we are assured that we have come hither by His will."
28 Notabilis illa Falkneri a Costere excommunicatio, ut & Annæ Mariæ Schuchartinæ (?) Prophetissæ Erphortianae !
29 A further account of this person will be found under the chapter devoted to Köster.
4
A
0
THE ARRIVAL IN PENNSYLVANIA.
1
SEA
HE sun was past the me- ridian on Saturday, June 23, 1694, when a sloop, wliose deck was crowded with THE passengers, made fast to the pub- lic wharf of Philadelphia. This landing was built out from the 000 C sandy beach at the northwestern shore of the point where Dock Creek emptied its waters into the Delaware; this beach was almost immediately in front of the Blue Anchor Tavern,30 and was the same point where the Proprietor Wil- liam Penn had landed just twelve years be- fore.
The passengers, as they left the vessel and gathered upon the sloping beach, at first sight looked like a motley crowd ; they numbered forty
30 The Blue Anchor. This ancient hostelrie stood at what is now the northwest corner of Front and Dock Streets ; it was taken down in 1810. For an extended notice of this landing place see "Penna. Magazine," vol. x, p. 61.
29
A Philadelphia Landmark.
Blue Andher Tavern
the East fost in Front Street
the south front
THE BLUE ANCHOR TAVERN.
Fac-simile of the oldest known picture of this ancient landmark. The original is a pencil sketch in " Watson's MS. Annals," in the Ridgway Library, it bears the following endorsement : "View of the Blue Anchor Tavern, at which Wm. Penn first landed at Philada. Drawn as it really stood when viewed from the Drawbridge."
30
The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
men of various ages, all with intelligent features, and clad in strange attire. Some were in a coarse Pilgrim garb, others in the peculiar dress of the Teutonic university student, while others again wore the distinctive costume of the German interior provinces. It was the same party of religious enthusiasts who had crossed the ocean in the good ship " Sarah Maria."
After a short religious service the party, walking silently two by two, took a survey of Philadelphia, then nothing more than a straggling village of perhaps five hundred houses,31 as yet undivided into wards or divisions. Great was their surprise when they learned that, notwithstanding the promises of religious liberty that were granted by the char- ter of Penn, not a single house of worship other than those of the Quakers existed within the bounds of the Province ; 32
31 In 1700 there were about seven hundred houses; see "Scharff & Westcott," page 145.
32 Christ Church was not built until 1695. The first Baptist congrega- tion on the Pennepack had no house of worship until the year 1707 ( His- torical sketch by H. G. Jones, p. 11). The Presbyterians erected their first church in 1704. The Swedish Blockliouse at Wicacoa, although still standing, was then (1694) in a very ruinous condition, so much so that no services could be held in the building. The old Dutchi pastor, Jacobus Fabricius, so far back as 1685 petitioned the Provincial Council for per- mission to keep an ordinary or tavern [for the support of himself and family]. This was refused by Council in the curt sentence that "they don't think fitt to grant ye Petitioners request." [The action of Council was no doubt influenced by the known intemperate habits and life of that pioneer clergyman. "See Doc. Hist. N. Y.," iii, 243 ; " Hallische Nach- richten," new ed., pp. 619-20].
In August, 1693, Magister Jacobus Fabricius again petitioned William Markham, Lieutenant-Governor under Gov. Fletcher, and the Provincial Council. This time the petition was one for relief, and set forth that he had now became totally blind, and was reduced to the direst poverty, and that he had not whereupon to live.
Council " Ordered that the church wardens of their church have notice to appear att Council the ffifteenth instant, to make ansr to the said Com- plaint." This order was aimed against the Christina (Wilmington) con-
31
The Entrance into Philadelphia.
nor could the embryo city as yet boast of town-hall, court- house or prison. 33
Considerable commotion was caused at first among the staid inhabitants of the Quaker City by the advent of this party of strangely robed foreigners walking in a body through the streets. Naturally the question was asked, " Who were these peculiar people in outlandish attire and of foreign tongue ?"
The information vouchsafed was merely that they were Germani students who had became convinced of the Quaker doctrine, and were going to settle upon a tract some distance out of the city near the German township-a piece of news which allayed the fears of the inhabitants.
The first act of the leaders of this band of emigrants upon their entrance into BouffRAcher the city was to call upon Benjamin
Fletcher, Captain-General of Pennsylvania, and William Markham, his Deputy Governor, for the purpose, as an old manuscript states, "Of taking the Oath of Allegiance and ex- plaining their reason for coming to the Colony ;" 34 Pennsylvania then being a province under the Crown of England, and out of the control of William Penn1. 35 SEAL OF GOV. FLETCHER.
gregation of the lower counties. No notice whatever seems to have been taken of this action of Council. The death of the old clergyman is recorded in the same year .- " Records of Old Swedes' Church," Wil- mington, p. 7.
The present church at Wicacoa, "Gloria Dei" or "Old Swedes'," was not built until the year 1700.
33 When the General Assembly, consisting of fifty-four members, first met in the city of Philadelphia, they hired a room and paid the expense. The country members took lodgings out of the city and walked in to
32
The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately, we have no positive record where this unique cere- mony took
place. The
8pm Markham
probabilities
are that it was either at the "great house" built by Robert Whitpain on the lower side of Front Street between Walnut and Spruce, and which is said to have been the official resi- dence of Governor Fletcher when in Philadelphia, or at the Penn Cottage, which formerly stood on Lætitia Court near Second and Market Streets, the residence of Lieutenant- Governor Markham. It was in the latter house,36 then sur- rounded by ample grounds, that the Provincial Council
attend the meetings, frequently bringing their dinners with them .- "Hazard's Register," vol. v, 113.
31 This was then a custom of the country. See " Record of Rev. Ericus Bjork ;" "Records of Holy Trinity (old Swedes') Church," Wilmington, Del., pp. II.
35 In October, 1692, William and Mary, King and Queen of England, appointed Benjamin Fletcher, Governor of New York, to be also Governor of Pennsylvania and the lower counties on the Delaware. Thus Penn lost the government and jurisdiction over these provinces, without, how- ever, being deprived of his right as proprietary. In making this appoint- ment he was as little thought of as the charter that had been granted to him ; in order, however, to strengthen the royal authority, the new gov- ernor was invested with the power of negativing all laws, and none was to be in force, unless approved by the King. In April, 1693, Fletcher made his solemn entry into Philadelphia, where Governor Lloyd and his Council gave up the government to him without being thereunto author- ized either by the crown or the proprietary .- Ebeling.
The government of Pennsylvania remained under the Crown of Eng- land from April 26, 1692, to March, 1695.
36 This building was erected by Governor William Markham prior to the arrival of William Penn. The bricks and finer parts of the franie- work were brought from England, together with Penn's worknien (" ser- vants") to set them up. A few years ago this old landmark was taken down and re-erected in Fairmount Park. The illustration here given represents it as it appeared about thirty years prior to its removal.
33
The Sojourn in Philadelphia.
THE PENN COTTAGE, RESIDENCE OF LIEUT .- GOV. WILLIAM MARKHAM.
5
34
The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
held its deliberations at that time and for many years after- wards, while the Assembly for some years met in "the large room" of the Whitpain house.
In former years there was a curious tradition current among the older German residents in connection with the short sojourn of this party within the city. After the formality of reporting to the representative of the Crown had been complied with, arrangements were made for shelter and sustenance as best they could be for so large a party, and it was well after nightfall before this was completed.
When night had fairly set in a number of the strangers, tired and weary as they were, wended their way towards one of the highlands that loomed up just northiwest of the old city proper, and which are still known as "Bush-hill"' and "Fairmount." Arriving at a suitable point, dry leaves and brush-wood were hastily gathered, a tinder-box was produced, and fire struck with flint and steel. After the leaves and fagots were ignited, pine boughs were broken off and heaped upon the fire until a bright flame extended skyward.
Then the mystic rites incident to St. John's eve were performned, after which the burning brands were scattered down the sloping hillsides with considerable ceremony. The party then returned to the sleeping city, after having lit for the first time in America, so far as is known, the "Sanct Johannis" or "Sonnenwend-feuer," a mystic cere- monial and religious rite which dates far back into the most remote period of time when the early Aryans were yet a small colony in northern Europe. 37
37 The rite of the "Sonnenwend-feuer," held on the eves of June 24th and December 25tl1, to celebrate the recurrence of the summer and winter solstices, dates back to the dark days of lieathen mythology. The rite on the eve of the summer solstice consisted in building a fire on an eminence ;
The Arrival at Germantown. 35
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.