that the building and ground of the said ... 1701 should be bought, if it could be had for a reasonable price; and also that the present alms-house and its grounds should be sold to pay for the other. The following were deputed to talk and to deal with the said ; viz., Of the Ruling Deacons. Jacobus Goelet Gerrit Duike Of the Church Masters. Jacob Boele Lendert Huige and they have requested me, Do. G. Du Bois, p. t. scriba, to bring in a report of their transactions, since Do. Selyns, otherwise now the Praeses, is sick. Purchase of Ground for New Poor House. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1700-1. (1701). (Otherwise, however, the ordinary time of Consistory meeting, since on the following Sunday, the Lord's Supper is to be administered.) Consistory met; Ministers, Ruling Elders, Deacons and Church Masters. The meeting was opened with prayer. 1. The committee made report of what they had done with Jan Pieterze Meet (alias Jan Tawbour); namely, that they had bought his house and ground, according to his deed, with the lease, which he, Jan Pieterze Meet had made to the man who now dwells there, with full power to give possession; and that the price was one hundred and forty pounds, New York money; the whole sum to be paid in five years, with the yearly interest of twelve pounds, to begin on the first of May, 1701; or the entire amount may be paid at once, with deduction of the interest. N. B. The lot lies bordering on the Wall, to the east of the house of Jacoby de Draaier; to the west of that of Jan Otto van Tuil, and to the north of the ground of the church. 1701 2. Farther, it is unanimously Resolved, That to pay for the foregoing purchase, the present alms-house should be sold to be offered and sold in such manner as the Deacons and Church Masters shall approve. Members present.- Do. Gual. Du Bois In Great Consistory, consisting of former Elders and Deacons, with the Ruling Elders and Deacons and Church Masters. After invoking God's name, Resolved, That so much of the ground around the church as is necessary shall be used for burying the dead, and that, at half the price which men give for a grave in the church; and that for this, permission shall be asked of the City, if such a course is deemed proper. Old Poor House to be Sold. Same day, March 17. After prayer, Resolved by the Ruling Elders and Deacons that since the present Poor House is daily becoming more dilapidated, and can no longer be occupied by the poor without continual and excessive repairs, it shall be sold by the Deacons to the highest bidder at the first opportunity.- Lib. B. 29. 1701 ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. A Letter to the Consistory of New York, and to My lord Bellomont. 1701, April 1st. The Deputati ad res Exteras report that the consistory of New York and also My lord Bellomont were written to according to the contents of the preceding acta. ix. 7. TOWN DECISION ABOUT ASSESSMENT TO BUILD A PRESBYTERIAN [1699, Town votes to tax for said Church, etc.] 1701, April 15. 1701, April 15 & 28. "Whereas, There have been several differences had, moven, and depending, within the town of Jamaica,* concerning the building a meeting-house or church within sald town; and also the accounts, demands and charges thereunto appertaining, which, with all controversies anyway relating thereto, being this 15th day of April, 1701, mutually referred to us by the parties "Jamaica was settled by Presbyterians." Before Mr. Denton left Hempstead the church was troubled with sharp contentions between the Independents and Presbyterians. In 1657 Gov. Stuyvesant visited Hempstead, and used his influence, to persuade Mr. Denton to continue his ministry there, his own church affinities inclining him to favor the Presbyterian form of government. But the troubles increasing, Mr. Denton left, and the Independents gaining the control, had a stated supply for a number of years. Then, through these continued dissensions,_the large increase of Quakerism, and the establishment of Episcopacy under the English rule, the Presbyterian Church gradually declined, and passed out of sight as an organized body. The Rev. Mr. Jenny writes, September 1729, "A few Presbyterians at Hempstead have an unordained minister to officiate for them, whom they could not support were it not for the assistance they receive from their brethren in the neighboring parish of Jamaica." This is the latest mention made of the existence of any Presbyterian church at Hempstead till after the lapse of many years, when the present flourishing church was organized. But the Presbyterian church planted by the hand of Richard Denton has never ceased to bear fruit. Two sons of Mr. Denton, Nathaniel and Daniel, with a number of their Presbyterian brethren, formed a colony, and on the 21st of March, 1656, purchased from the Indians a large tract of land, now included in the village and town of Jamaica. They immediately established religious worship. In a memorial of the inhabitants of Jamaica, signed by Nathaniel Denton and others, addressed to Governor Hunter, we find the following statement: "This town of Jamaica, in the year 1656, was purchased from the Indian natives by divers persons, Protestants, dissenters in the manner of worship, from the forms used in the Church of England, who have called a minister of our own profession to officiate among them, who continued so to do during the time of the Dutch government. This clearly indicates that they had preaching service from their first settlement in the town, and consequently the origin of the church at Jamaica dates back to 1656. They then took measures for the erection of a parsonage, as the following extract shows. December 20, 1662, a committee was appointed to "make ye rates for ye minister's house, and transporting ye minister." The exact date of the Rev. Zacariah Walker's call is not given, but on March 2nd 1663, the parsonage was assigned to him and his heirs. From this date to the present day there is a clear record of every minister who has served the church, together with the time of their service. George Mc. Nish, the eighth pastor, was one of the original members of the mother Presbytery of Philadelphia. That this church has always been a Presbyterian church there seems no room for doubt. It is so denominated in all the records where it is named. It has had a bench of ruling elders from time immemorial. November 25th 1770, it was voted to continue Mr. John Hobert among us in the work of the ministry, provided that he be ordained according 1701 on behalf of themselves and others concerned; we, hearing both parties, do give our award as follows: "That William Creed and Robert Reade, and all those of the west of Jamaica, that is, the Dutchmen, viz: Frederick Hendricksen, John Oakey, Hendrick Lott, Theodorus Polhemus and Eldert Lucas, who have not perfectly and wholly paid their rates assessed for building the church or meeting-house, shall pay their parts unpaid, within two weeks, and acquit each other of all former controversies: and we desire that they may amicably agree and live in love together."- Town Records, ii. 360. "Know all men by these presents, that we, Daniel Whitehead, Joseph Smith, Edward Burroughs, and Jonas Wood, Esquires, have received this 28th of April, 1701, of William Creed, Robert Reade, and all the Dutchmen living westward of the town of Jamaica, full satisfaction and payment for building of the church lately built in said town. Therefore we discharge and acquit them and their heirs, forever, according to the award." See Onderdonk's Jamaica, 6. to ye Rule & way of the Presbyterian way, & it is the unanimous mind of the towne that he be ordained Accordingly." Richard Denton was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1586. He graduated at Cambridge University in 1623, and then for seven years was the Presbyterian Minister of Coley Chapel, parish of Halifax, in the northern part of England. By the intolerant spirit of the times which led to the Act of Uniformity, he felt compelled to relinquish his charge, and to emigrate to America. This was probably, about 1630, and in company with John Winthrop and Sir Richard Saltonstall. The Rev. Mr. Alford speaking of the first settlers of Hempstead, says, "They were among the earliest inhabitants of New England, coming, as we have seen, through Wethersfield, from Watertown, in Massachusetts, and from that noted company who arrived with John Winthrop and Sir Richard Saltonstall." Mr. Denton first came from Watertown, Mass.; then in 1635, he commenced the settlement of Wethersfield; and in 1741 his name appears among the early settlers of Stamford; and then in 1644 he is recorded as one of the original proprietors of Hempstead, L. I. A part of his flock accompanied him from England, and also settled with him as their pastor; the descendants of some of them remaining there to the present day. Thus a Presbyterian Church was established in Hempstead, L. I., in 1644. But if, as indicated above, a colony of Presbyterians came with him from the old country and followed him till their final settlement on Long Island, he, a Presbyterian Minister, with a Presbyterian colony, the inference can scarcely admit of a doubt that he preached to a Presbyterian Congregation from their first arrival in 1630, till their permanent settlement on the Island. Mr. Denton served the Church till 1659, when he returned to England, and spent the latter part of his life in Essex, where he died in 1662, aged seventy-six years. Mr. Denton had a mind of more than ordinary gifts and attainments. He was from the very first noted as a man of "leading Influence." Rev. Mr. Heywood, his successor in office at Halifax, speaks of him as a good minister of Jesus Christ, and affluent in his worldly circumstances." In a report of the Church of New Netherlands in 1657 Revs. John Megapolensis and Drisius to the Classis of Amsterdam, occurs the following passage, "At Hempstead about seven Dutch miles from here, there are some Independents; also many of our persuasion and Presbyterians. They have also a Presbyterian preacher, named Richard Denton, an honest, pious and learned man." Gov. Stuyvesant in his letter to the people of Hempstead, under date of July 29th, 1657 says, "About the continuance of Mr. Denton among you we shall use all endeavors we can." Cotton Mather speaks of him as "our pious and learned Mr. Denton, a Yorkshire man who, having watered Halifax, in England, with his fruitful ministry was by a tempest, hurled into New England, where his doctrine dropped like the rain. Though he were a little man, yet had a great soul. His well accomplished mind was an Illiad in a nut shell. He wrote a system, entitled "Soliloquia Sacra," so accurately describing the fourfold state of man that judicious persons who have seen it very much lament the church's being deprived of it." In 1702 there were more than a hundred families, noted for their intelligent piety and christian deportment. They had a stone church worth six hundred pounds, and a parsonage with a glebe consisting of an orchard and two hundred acres of land valued at fifteen hundred pounds. Besides being the mother of other churches in the vicinity, it contributed families to build up the First Presbyterian Church in New York City, and subsequently Rutgers Street Church; also the founding of Elizabeth City, and largely the Presbyterian Church of Hopewell, N. J. Sources of information: Thompson's Hist. of L. I.. Woodbridge's Hist. Discourse, Onderdonk's Antiquities of Queens Co., Macdonald's Ch. Hist., N. Y. State Doc. Hist., Moore's Early Hist. of Hempstead, Jamaica Town Records, Nevins' Encyc. of Presbyterianism, Articles by Rev. Dr. Peter D. Oakey. ALBANY CITY RECORDS. Rev. John Lydius vs. Peter Bogardus. 1701 May 6th, 1701. Mr. Joh. Lydius, minister, Anthony van Schaik, Elder, and Harpt. Jacobse, Dyaken of ye Dutch Reformed Church of Albany, make application to the Commonalty by Complaint against Pr. Bogardus that he is about Infencing a certain Lott of grounde Situate, Lying and being in ye great pasture of ye southwards of ye said Citty, Belonging to ye Churchwardens, and in possession to which Lott they Owne a pretence. Desyreing ye Gent'n in Common Council to be aiding and assisting to them in ye premises, that ye further infencing may be stopt till ye arrival of Maj. Dirk Wessels, who is supposed can give some information relateing said lott. Ye Gent'n in Common Councill have taken ye request in Consideration, and sent for Mr. Bogardus, desyreing him to forbear fencing four or five days till Maj. Wessels arrives, but fyndeing unwilling to allow said days, are unanimously of opinion that said lott of grounds shall be no further Infenced till next Saturday, or the arrival of Maj. Dirk Wessels, who Emmediately shall be sent for.Munsell's Annals of Albany, Vol. iv. pp. 128-9. May 10, 1701. Pursuant to ye Resolution of ye Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and assistants in Common Council on ye 6th of May now instant, Maj. D. Wessels, Anthony van Schaik and Hendrik van Rensselaer, Elders in ye Behalfe of ye Churchwardens of ye Reformed Nether-dutch Congregation, doe appear and complain against Peter Bogardus about Infencing a certain parcel of pasture grounds situate, lyeing and being to ye southwards of this Citty, on the other side of ye Beavers Creek in ye great pasture belonging to said Churchwardens, as by their transport made over by Domine Godefridus Dellius on ye 31st of July 1690, viz. Imprimis, The said Mr. Wessels saith that in the year 1686, in July, before ye Charter was obtained, John Johnson Bleeker, ye said Wessels and Levinus van Schaick, then Magistrates, were in behalfe of ye Court appointed to Enquire by ye severall Inhabitants who had Lotts of grounds in the great Pasture aforesaid, among whom they came to Deritle widow of Volkert Janse and Geertruy widow of Jan Thomase to Desist their title of their Certain Parcel of pasture Land, (being that as aforementioned) whereupon ye said Geertruy proposed if the magistrates would procure a graunt from the governor, Thomas Dongan, for a peece of Land somewhere else at their own costs, upon which ye said magistrates went to ye Governor, who gave consent to a grant for any piece of vacant land in ye government to which ye said Geertruy replyed to Enquire for ye same, and so parted as by ye memorandum thereof, written by said Mr. Wessels, doth more at large appear by ye Deakens. 2ndly. That since ye magistrates having with Deritie ye widow of Volkert Janse and Geertruy widow of Jan Thomase upon account of said parcell of pasture grounde to whom it lately belonged, discounted to each of them ye summe of one pound sixteen shillings Currant Money, on ye 7th of Sept., 1691, as by ye Cittyes book held by ye late Treasurer, John Becker, doth appear, therefore desyreing of ye Gent'n in Common Council to maintain what was formerly transported by their Predecessors, and since said Great pasture is lett to hyre until November next, that ye Gent'n will be pleased to prevent ye further Infencing of said Bogardus until such persons from whom he bought said Pasture ground doe punctually performe there conveyance, and further alledging that this Commonality is to defend the premises. Whereupon said Pr. Bogardus doth Demonstrate a certaine Conveyance concernIng said Pasture grounde made over to him by ye aforementioned widow, bearing date ye 1st day of March, 1699/1700, together with a Certification and Consent on ye backside thereof, signed and sealed by Jonas Dow, eldest son of said Geertruy, dated ye 18th of February, one thousand seven hundred and one. Witnesses, Thomas Williams and Laurence van Alle. Whereby said Pr. Bogardus pretends to Infence ye same. |