USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Germantown > The settlement of Germantown, Pennsylvania, and the beginning of German emigration to North America > Part 11
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
112 A mutilated copy of this Appeal is in the Friends' library on Arch Street above Third.
155
Proclamation of the Judges.
" Whereas, the government of this Province, being by the late King of England's peculiar favor, vested and since continued in Governor Penn, who thought fit to make his and our worthy friend, Thomas Lloyd, his Deputy Gover- nor, by and under whom the Magistrates do act in the gov- ernment, and whereas it hath been proved before us that George Keith, being a resident here, did, contrary to his duty, publicly revile the said Deputy Governor by calling him an impudent man, telling him he was not fit to be a Governor, and that his name would stink, with many other slighting and abusive expressions, both to him and the magistrates : (and he that useth such exorbitancy of speech towards our said Governor, may be supposed will easily dare to call the Members of Council and Magistrates im- pudent Rascals, as he has lately called one in open as- sembly, that was constituted by the Proprietary to be a Magistrate) and he also charged the Magistrates who are Magistrates here, with engrossing the magisterial power in their hands, that they might usurp authority over him : saying also, he hoped in God, he should shortly see their power taken from them: All which he acted in an inde- cent manner.
" And further, the said George Keith, with several of his adherents, having some few days since, with unusual insolence, by a printed sheet called an Appeal, etc., tra- duced and vilely misrepresented the industry, care, readi- ness and vigilance of some magistrates and others here, in their late proceedings against the privateers Babbitt and his crew, in order to bring them to condign punishment, whereby to discourage such assemblies for the future ; and have thereby defamed and arraigned the determina- tion of the principal judicature against murderers; and not only so, but also by wrong insinuations have laboured
I56
The Settlement of Germantown.
to possess the readers of their pamphlet that it is incon- sistent for those who are Ministers of the Gospel to act as Magistrates, which, if granted, will render our said pro- prietary incapable of the powers given him by the King's letters patent, and so prostitute the validity of every act of government, more especially in the executive part thereof, to the courtesie and censure of all factious spirits, and mal- contents under the same.
" Now forasmuch as we, as well as others, have borne and still do patiently endure the said George Keith and his adherents in their many personal reflections against us and their gross revilings of our religious Society, yet we can- not (without the violation of our trust to the King and governor, as also to the inhabitants of this government) pass by or connive at, such part of the said pamphlet and speeches, that have a tendency to sedition and disturbance of the peace, as also to the subversion of the present gov- ernment, or to the aspersing magistrates thereof. There- fore for the undeceiving of all people, we have thought fit by this public writing not only to signify that our pro- cedure against the persons now in the Sheriff's custody, as well as what we intend against others concerned (in its proper place) respects only that part of the said printed sheet which appears to have the tendency aforesaid, and not any part relating to differences in religion, but also these are to caution such who were well affected to the security, peace and legal administration of justice in this place that they give no countenance to any revilers and con- temners of authority, magistrates or magistracy, as also to warn all other persons that they forbear the further pub- lishing and spreading of the said pamphlets, as they will answer the contrary to their peril." 113
113 Smith's History in Hazard' Register, Vol. VI., p. 281.
157
The Court.
" What we intend against others concerned," would seem to imply that a bolt was being forged over the heads of Abraham op den Graeff and the remaining three signers of the insolent pamphlet; but it was never discharged. The yearly meeting at Burlington disowned Keith, and this action the yearly meeting at London confirmed. Dirck op den Graeff was one of those who signed the testimony against him and one of those giving a certificate to Samuel Jennings, who went to London to represent his opponents. Hermann op den Graeff, on the other hand, was among a minority of sixty-nine, who issued a paper at the yearly meeting at Burlington, favoring him. The results of this schism were extensive and grave. It placed a weapon in the hands of the enemies of Friends which they used in Europe, as well as here, without stint. Ecclesiastically it led to the foundation of the Episcopal Church in Pennsyl- vania. Politically it threatened to change the destinies of a Commonwealth, since it was one of the principal reasons assigned for depriving Penn of the control of his province.
The incorporation of Germantown rendered necessary the opening of a court. In its records may be traced the little bickerings and contentions which mark the darker parts of the characters of these goodly people. Its pro- ceedings conducted with their simple and primitive ideas of judicature, written in their quaint language, are both instructive and entertaining, since they show what manner of men these were, whose worst faults appear to have con- sisted in the neglect of fences and the occasional use of uncomplimentary adjectives. From among them is ex- tracted whatever, during the course of about thirteen years, relates to the Op den Graeffs.
1696. "The 3rd day of the 9th month, before the per- sons constituting this Court of Record, proclamation was
158
The Settlement of Germantown.
made and the overseers of the fences did present as insuffi- cient the fence of Hermann op den Graeff, Abraham op den Graeff, Isaac Jacobs, Johannes Pottinger, Lenert Arets and Reinert Tyson."
" The 6th day of the 9th month, after proclamation, the overseers of the fences being appointed to appear before this Court, did present as yet insufficient the fence of Her- mann op den Graeff, Abraham op den Graeff, Isaac Jacobs and Johannes Pottinger."
James de la Plaine, Coroner, brought into this court the names of the jury which he summoned the 24th day of 4th month, 1701, viz: Thomas Williams, foreman; Peter Keurlis, Hermann op den Graeff, Reiner Peters, Peter Shoemaker, Reiner Tyson, Peter Brown, John Umstat, Thomas Potts, Reiner Hermans, Dirk Johnson, Hermann Tunes. Their verdict was as followeth : We, the jury, find that through carelessless the cart and the lime killed the man ; the wheel wounded his back and head, and it killed him."
1700-I. "The 7th day of the 9th month, Abraham op de Graeff and Peter Keurlis were sent for to answer the complaints made against their children by Daniel Falckner and Johannes Jawert, but the said Abraham op de Graeff being not well and Peter Keurlis gone to Philadelphia, this matter was left to the next session."
20th of IIth month, 1701. "The sheriff complains against Abraham op de Graeff's son Jacob, for having taken a horse out of his custody. The said Jacob answers that he brought the horse thither again. The Court fined him half a crown, besides what his father is to pay the sheriff according to the law of this corporation."
" The sheriff, Jonas Potts, gave Abraham op de Graeff the lie for saying that the said sheriff agreed with Matthew
159
Court Records.
Peters to take for his fees 7s, 6d., which upon acknowledge- ment was forgiven and laid by."
December 28th, 1703. "Abraham op de Graeff did mightly abuse the Bailiff in open court, wherefore he was brought out of it to answer for the same at the Court of Record."
2Ist of Ist month, 1703-4. " Abraham op de Graeff being formerly committed by James de la Plaine, Bailiff, for several offences mentioned in the mittimus, and the said Abraham having further, with many injurious words, abused the now Bailiff Arent Klincken in open Court of Record, held here at Germantown, the 28th day of Decem- ber, 1703, was fined by this present Court the sum of two pounds and ten shillings and he to remain in the Sheriff's custody until the said fine and fees be satisfied."
13th of 4th month, 1704. "The action of Mattheus Smith against Abraham op de Graeff was called and the following persons attested as jurymen, viz : Paul Wolff, Tunes Kunders, William Strepers, Dirk Jansen, Jr., John Van de Wilderness, Dirk Jansen, Sr., Walter Simens, Henry Tubben, John Smith, Lenert Arets, Hermannus Kuster and Cornelius Dewees. The declaration of Matthew Smith being read, the answer of the defendant was that he proffered pay to the plaintiff, but that he would not accept of it, and brings for his evidences Edward Jerman and Joseph Coulson, who were both attested and said that Abraham op den Graeff came to the ordinary of Germantown, where Matthew Smith was and told to the said Smith that he should come along with him and receive his pay, and that the said Abraham had scales at home; but Smith did not go. The plaintiff asked the said German and Coulson whether they heard the defendant proffer any kind of pay- ment ; they both said no. The jury's verdict was as fol-
160
The Settlement of Germantown.
loweth : The jury understand that Matthew Smith refused the payment which Abraham had offered, the said Matthew is guilty ; but Abraham must pay the sum which the arbi- trators had agreed upon. Paul Wolff, foreman."
October 3d, 1704. "The action of Abraham op den Graeff, against David Sherkes, for slandering him, the said Abraham, that no honest man would be in his com- pany, was called, and the bond of the said David Sherkes and Dirck Keyser, Sr., for the defendant's appearing at this Court was read ; the cause pleaded, and as witnesses were attested Dirck Keyser, Sr., Dirck Keyser, Jr., Arnold Van Vosen and Hermann Dors, whereupon the jury brought in their verdict thus : We of the jury find for the defendant. The plaintiff desired an appeal, but when he was told he must pay the charges of the Court and give bond to prose- cute he went away and did neither."
Dirck died about May, 1697, leaving a widow Nilcken or Nieltje, but probably no children. Hermann, about September 29, 1701, removed to Kent county, in the " Territories," now the State of Delaware, and died before May 2, 1704. In a deed made by Abraham in 1685 there is a reference to his " hausfrau Catharina," and May 16, 1704, he and his wife Trintje sold their brick house in Germantown. Soon afterward he removed to Perkiomen, and traces of the closing years of his life are very meagre. Of the two thousand acres purchased by the three brothers from Telner, eight hundred and twenty-eight were located in Germantown and sold, and the balance, after the deaths of Dirck and Hermann, vested in Abraham through the legal principle of survivorship. He had them laid out in the Dutch Township fronting on the Perkiomen, where he was living April 6, 1710, and where he died before March 25, 1731. On the 27th of August, 1709, he gave
16I
The Op den Graeff Brothers.
to his daughter Margaret and her husband Thomas Howe, a tailor of Germantown, three hundred acres of this land. In consideration of the gift Howe " doth hereby promise to maintain the within named Abraham op den Graeff if he should want livelihood at any time during his life, and to attend upon him and be dutiful to him." It is to be hoped that this covenant was more faithfully kept than sometimes happens with such promises when men in their old age drop the reins into other hands. His children beside Mar- garet were Isaac, Jacob, and Anne, the wife of Hermann In de Hoffen. In their youth he sent Isaac and Jacob to school to Pastorius. It is probable that after the Keith difficulty he did not renew his association with the Friends, and that his remains lie with those of the In de Hoffens (Dehaven) in the Mennonite graveyard on the Skippack near Evansburg. His name has been converted into Upde- graff, Updegrave and Updegrove, but those who bear it are not numerous.
CHAPTER VIII.
WILLIAM RITTENHOUSE AND THE PAPER MILL.
ILLIAM RITTEN- HOUSE was born in the year 1664, in the principality of Broich, near the city of Mulheim, on the Ruhr, where his brother Heinrich Nicholaus and his mother Ma- ria Hagerhoffs were living in 1678. At this time he was a Mappen von malbeim resident of Amsterdam. We are told that his ancestors had long been manufacturers of pa- per at Arnheim. However this may be, it is certain that this was the business to which he was trained, because when he took the oath of citizenship in Amsterdam, June 23d, 1678, he was described as a paper maker from Muhlheim. He emigrated to New York, but since there was no printer in that city, and no opportunity therefore for carrying on his business of mak- ing paper, in 1688, together with his sons Gerhard and Klaus (Nicholas) and his daughter Elizabeth, who subse-
162
THE SETTLEMENT OF GERMANTOWN.
IF5.99
RITTENHOUSE PAPER-MILL.
BIRTHPLACE OF DAVID RITTENHOUSE.
163
Frame's Description.
A Short DESCRIPTION Penntilbanta,
Or, A Relation What things are known, enjoyed, and like to be difcovered in in the faid Province.
... das a Tale of Grand Will .. .. of England.
By Richard Frame.
Printed and Sold by William Bradford in Philadelphia, 1 6 9 2.
quently married Heivert Papen, he came to Germantown. There, in 1690, upon a little stream flowing into the Wis- sahickon, he erected the first paper mill in America, an event which must ever preserve his memory in the recol- lections of men. He was the founder of a family which
164
The Settlement of Germantown.
in the person of David Rittenhouse, the astronomer, phil- osopher and statesman, reached the very highest intel- lectual rank.
In 1692 William Bradford printed a poem by Richard Frame, an early resident of Philadelphia, entitled " A Short Description of Pennsilvania or a relation of what things are known, enjoyed and like to be discovered in the said Province." In it Frame writes :
" The German-Town of which I spoke before, Which is, at least in length one mile or more, Where lives High German People and Low Dutch, Whose trade in weaving linen Cloth is much, There grows the flax, as also you may know, That from the same they do divide the Tow; Their trade fits well within this habitation, We find convenience for their Occasion, One trade brings in imployment for another, So that we may suppose each trade a brother ; From linen rags good paper doth derive, The first trade keeps the second trade alive ; Without the first the second cannot be, Therefore since these two can so well agree, Convenience doth appear to place them nigh, One in Germantown, t'other hard by. A paper mill near German-Town doth stand, So that the flax which first springs from the land, First flax, then yarn, and then they must begin, To weave the same which they took pains to spin. Also when on our backs it is well worn, Some of the same remains ragged and Torn ; Then of the Rags our Paper it is made ; Which in process of time doth waste and fade : So what comes from the earth, appeareth plain, The same in Time, returneth to earth again."
165
Holme's Relation.
While this is perhaps not very attractive as to verse, it furnishes proof of the fact that in 1692 the paper mill was in operation, and consuming to some extent the waste of linen which the weavers of Germantown were making. In 1690 Robert Turner, William Bradford, the printer in Philadelphia, Thomas Tresse and William Rittenhouse had formed a company for the purpose of erecting the mill, and Samuel Carpenter, a wealthy merchant in Phila- delphia, had agreed to convey to them twenty acres of ground upon a lease for nine hundred and ninety-nine years at a rental of five shillings per annum. The mill was constructed, but no formal lease was executed.
Before February 9, 1705-6, the interests of Turner and Tresse had been purchased by Rittenhouse, who was now the sole owner, and upon that day Carpenter made a lease to him for a term of nine hundred and seventy-five years at the same rental. It was Bradford's interest in the mill which was referred to by John Holme in " A true relation to the flourishing State of Pensilvania," written in 1696, when he says :
" Here dwelt a printer and I find, That he can both print books and bind ; He wants not paper, ink nor skill, He's owner of a paper mill. The paper mill is here hard by And makes good paper frequently, But the printer, as I do here tell, Is gone into New York to dwell. No doubt but he will lay up bags, If he can get good store of rags. Kind friends when thy old shift is rent, Let it to the paper mill be sent."
166
The Settlement of Germantown.
And Gabriel Thomas in his description of Pennsylvania in 1697 says : "All sorts of very good paper are made in
PENSILVANIA
Watermark used by Rittenhouse.
the German-town as also very fine German linen such as no person of quality need be ashamed to wear."
Bradford wrote to London, November 18, 1690 : " Samuel Carpenter and I are building a paper mill about
167
Rittenhouse Paper Mill.
a mile from thy mills at Skulkill, and hope we shall have paper within less than four months."114 But notwithstand- ing this modest statement, it is quite plain that Ritten- house was the most important member of the company, upon whom the others relied for the skill both to construct the mill and to conduct the business. It was not long be- fore Bradford had become embroiled in the schism started by Keith, had quarreled with his patrons the Quakers, who assisted him in the establishment of his press, and with Carpenter, his financial support, and had gone away to New York. In 1697 he leased his one-fourth interest for ten years to William Rittenhouse and his son Klaas upon their undertaking to furnish him " Seven ream of printing paper, Two ream of good writing paper, and two ream of blue paper " every year during the term. He was further to have the refusal of all " ye printing paper that they make and he shall take ye same at ten shillings per ream " and the refusal of " five ream of writing paper and thirty ream of brown paper yearly and every year during ye said term of ten years, ye printing paper to be at 20 s and ye brown paper at 6 s per ream." For a period of twenty years all the American paper used in Philadelphia and New York was supplied from this mill. The first water- mark used was the word "Company," but this was soon superseded by the letters " W. R." on one-half of the sheet, and on the other a clover leaf in a shield with a crown-like top and the word Pensilvania underneath. The clover leaf was adopted from the town seal of Germantown. The next watermark consisted of the letters "K. R.," the in- itials of Klaas Rittenhouse. About 1700 a sudden flood carried away the mill with a quantity of paper, material and tools, but a more substantial structure was erected to
114 Letters from Pennsylvania, London, 1691, p. 8.
I68
The Settlement of Germantown.
take its place in 1702. Bradford finally parted with his interest June 20, 1704.
Rittenhouse has still another claim to be remembered for his connection with the work of the community at German- town. In the year 1686 a little church was built.
Although it is so described by Pastorius, there is no doubt it was a Quaker meeting house. Ere long the Men- nonites began to feel that they were numerous enough to establish a distinctive organization, separate from that of the sect of the Proprietor. Rittenhouse was their first preacher. We have fortunately an account of the origin of this movement from the pen of a contemporary, Jacob Godschalks, from a city called Gog in the land of Cleeve. He says : "The beginning or the origin of the community of Jesus Christ here at Germantown, who are called Men- nonites, took its rise in this way, that some friends out of Holland and other places in Germany, came here to- gether, and although they did not all agree, since at this time the most were still Quakers, nevertheless they found it good to have exercises together, but in doing it they were to be regarded as sheep who had no shepherd, and since as yet they had no preachers, they endeavored to instruct one another. In the year 1690 more Friends from Crefeld and elsewhere came into the land, who were also of our brethren and added themselves and attended our exercises in the house of Isaac Jacobs.115 These last mentioned friends from the first found it good, or judged it better for the building up of the community to choose by a unanimity of voters a preacher and some deacons. Thereupon was William Rittenhouse, born in Mongouer- land, chosen preacher, and Jan Neues of Creveld, as dea- con, and the first named entered upon the performance of
115 Van Bebber.
THE SETTLEMENT OF GERMANTOWN.
MENNONITE MEETING HOUSE, GERMANTOWN.
The Mennonite Church. 169
his duties on the 8th of October, 1702. They undertook a second election of two preachers and Jacob Godschalks from Gog, and Hans Neues from Creveld were chosen preachers. These two last mentioned at first served the community by reading, but afterwards a difficulty arose between Hans Neues and Arnold Van Vossen, and since the first thought that he was wronged, he separated him- self from the community and did not again unite with it. In the year 1707 some brethren came to us out of the Palatinate, who for a whole year kept by themselves. The 18th of February, 1708, the first chosen preacher, Willem Ruttinghausen died, to the great regret of the community. Since now Jacob Godschalks alone served the community, and the Brethren from the Palatinate had united with us, they considered it necessary to choose be- sides three men as deacons and overseers, which happened the 22d of March, 1708, and there were chosen Isac Van Sinteren, Hendrik Kassel and Conrad Janz. A month afterward, April 20th, there were besides two preachers chosen, to wit : Herman Casdorp and Martin Kolb. After that we remained some time living in good peace. Mean- while some persons presented themselves in order to be taken into the community through baptism, whereupon the community, then consisting of thirty-three members, in- cluding the preachers and deacons, having consulted to- gether, ordered that the request of these persons should be complied with, and accordingly the administration of this rite was conducted by Jacob Godschalks and water bap- tism performed for the first time in the land, May 9, 1708. The persons to whom baptism was administered were eleven in number, and our community increased to forty-five mem- bers. The 23d of May we celebrated the suffering and death of our Saviour by observing the Lord's Supper as
170
The Settlement of Germantown.
instituted by the apostles. In 1709 some more Brothers and Sisters came to us throughout the Palatinate, so that on the 6th of April, 1712, our community at Germantown, and thence extending to Schippak, was so increased that we had ninety-nine members." 116
It appears that the Mennonites wrote from Germantown to Amsterdam asking that a preacher be sent to them. The letter is lost, but it was answered by Gerhard Roosen, Pieter Van Helle, Jacob Van Kampen and Jean De Leoni in a communication addressed to Claas Berend, Paul Roosen, Heinrich van Sintern, Harmen Kasdorp and Isaac Van Sintern at Germantown, informing them that no preacher was willing to take the long and dangerous jour- ney, advising them prayerfully to select one of their num- ber for the performance of these duties.117 On the 3d of September, 1708, Jacob Gaetschalk, Harman Karsdorp, Martin Kolb, Isak Van Sintern and Conrad Jansen wrote to Amsterdam " a loving and friendly request " for " some catechisms for the children and little testaments for the young." There was no bible at the meeting house, and only one copy in the whole membership. They added " that the community is still weak and it would cost much money to get them printed, while the members who come here from Germany have spent everything and must begin anew, and all work in order to pay for the conveniences of life of which they stand in need." They had asked Wil- liam Bradford in New York concerning the publication of a confession of Faith, but found that it would cost so much that the purpose had to be abandoned. The letter bore fruit, because " The Christian Confession of the Faith of
116 Life of Hendrick Pannebecker, p. 48. The original document in Dutch is in my possession.
117 Cassel's History of the Mennonites, p. 140.
17I
Mennonite Confession of Faith.
The
Chriftian
CONFESSION
Of the Faith of the harmlefs Chriftians, in the Ne- therlands known by the name of
MENNONIST S.
BIBLIOTHEEK
DER
AMSTERD
Printed in the Year,
WEREEN DOOPSG GEMEENTE
172
The Settlement of Germantown.
The
Chiltian CONFESSION
Of the Faith of the harmlefs Chriftians, in the Ne- therlands, known by the name of
MENNONISTS.
AMSTERDAM: Printed, and Re-printed and Sold by Andrew Bradford in Philadelphia, in the Year, 1727.
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.