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recorded that no service was held in the afternoon of Sunday the 4th September, on account of the obstructions that surrounded the church. But the services were held on the succeeding five Sundays, and they were suspended on the 16th and 23d of October, while the old church was in process of demolition (geen kerck gehouden om dat de oude kerk als gebroken wiert). On the 30th it is mentioned that children were baptized in the new church in the afternoon. It has been mentioned elsewhere that one of these children, the first that was baptized, was the last person for whom the bell was tolled in 1806, the year in which the church was demolished. On the 13th November the new church was consecrated, when a considerable sum was contributed towards its construction (Is de nieuwen kerck in geweyt en het genen voor en nade middah in quam is gegeven aen de ouderlingen gegeve tot vorder op bouwen van de kerck hetwelk was een konse rabele som.)

At the same time the domine's house was still unfinished, and the poor house had expensive repairs. Nevertheless the deacons delivered over to their successors, Hendrick Ten Eyck and Jacob Lansingh, 6502 guilders and 14 stuyvers, in seawant, the currency of the time, besides bonds to a large amount, for loans made at different times.

Here end the records of the deacons. They serve to fix with certainty the dates of many important events, and to establish other facts of which there remain no other memorials.

SEATINGS OF THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH.
1730 To 1770.

Minutes of the Consistory.

These Minutes are copied from a Book in the Archives of the First Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, upon the outside of which is the following inscription:

Memorandum Boeck wegens de Vrouw en Mans Plaatse in de Kerck en enige Ordie besloten syn Kerkeraade van de Nederduytse Gereformeerde Kerk in Albany.

This book consists of the orders of the consistory concerning the burials in the church and the regulation of the pews; also a list of all the persons, male and female, occupying seats in the church, with the numbers of the pews or slips, and the numbers of their seats in the same, as well as the changes which took place in the seatings during a period of about thirty years, it would seem. It is evidently a copy from an earlier record of the same sort; the earliest date in it being 1738, indicating that it was made after that time; and the earliest dates in the second column, which are mostly in a different hand, and are probably the changes that took place after the list was made out, are of 1760. The book was therefore made about this latter date; and the changes cease about 1770. The following is the first entry:

9

Copey Uyt Kercke Boeck A.

Kerckenraad gehouden in Albany den 19 Maart, 1718.

Present

Jacob Staats,

Johannes Schuyler,

Johannes Cuyler,

Johannes Roseboom,

Stephanis Groesbeek,

Barent Staats,

Ouderlinge.

Rutger Bleeker,
Volkert Van Veghten,

Diakone.

Bevinden Een Vast Stellinge Van Voorgaende kerkeraede aengaende het Regulement van't begraven van de dooden in de kerck sulx by ons verder overwoogen synde is vast gestelt dat voor Lyke van kinderen tot 10 Jaren sal betaelt werden aen de ouderlinge ten behoove van onse kerck twentigh schellinge, boven de tien Jaren tot vyftien Jaren twee pondt, parsoone boven de vyftien Jaren drie pondt, zynde behalven de costen tot dood graven en clock luyer en dat alle graave en kisten sullen in vervolgh gestelt werden aen malecander by reegen in goede order gemaakt en dat het sullen syn platte kisten, en belangende de vreemdelinge Sulx wert altyt gelaat aen de kerckmeesters wat de soodaniege sullen betaalen wert verder gerefereert aen opgemelde Resolutie van kerkenraade gemaakt den 11 October, 1716.

Kerkenraad gehouden in Albany,
den 20 Maart, 1718.

Present, Jacob Staats, Johans Schuyler, Johans Cuyler, Johans Roseboom, Ouderlinge: Stephanes Groesbeek, Barent Staats, Rutger Bleecker, Volkert Van Veghten, Diakone.

Synde by voorgaende K: keraade gehouden den 5 December Ao 1716, overtyt geven van de vrouliede plaatsen in onse kerk vast gestelt onder anderen dingen dat by het ofsterven of vertreeken van Eenige der selve welke plaatse vergeeven syn der soodanige plaatsen vervallen aen des selfs naast bestaende, mits betaalende twe stuck van achten en behoorlyk contribuierende tot predecants tractament doch by manquement van sulx voor de tyt van twe Jaaren sullen soodaniegen plaatse vervallen ter disposietie van de ouderlinge als breeder by gemelde resolutie en vast stelling can blycken welker zaak verder nu overwogen synde ten beste. De kerk is vast gestelt dat in plaats van twe Jaren manquement van betaaling als boven het sal voort aen syn Een half Jaer voor soo danigen binnen de lamute van de stadt Resideerende en buyte in de county Een Jaer mits de soo daniege nalaatige voor of Eerst daer van kennisse werde gegeven, verder vast gestelt by desen om disorder voor te komen dat niemant sal vermooge its te maaken ofte timmeren ofte doen maaken of timmeren in de kerk sonder order ofte voorgaende Consent van de E'kerkenraad. Kerkenraad gehouden in Albany. Den 5 December, 1716.

Present, Pieter Van Brugh, Robert Livingston, jun., Albert Ryckman, Jonas Douw, Ouderlingen: Hendrick Ten Eyck, Jacob Lansingh, Johans Van Veghten, Ryer Gerritse, Diakone.

Aen teekeninge van de vrouwen En Jonge Dochters haer sitt plaetsen gegeven in de nuuwe neder duytsche gereeformerde kerk alhier volgens d resolutie aen de of Staenden zey als meede hoe de plaetsen verde van tyt tot tyt zyn vergeven volgens de Resolutie.

Then follows the list of pews and the names of the occupants, with the number of the seat which each occupied, and the date when a successor took it. The women's seats came first. Thus, in

Pew No. 1, seat No. 1, the original occupant seems to have been succeeded in 1747 by Geertruy Roseboom, who was followed in 1764 by Geertruy, daughter of Jacob Roseboom, junior. In seat No. 2, the original occupant, whose name does not appear, was succeeded in 1757 by Annatje daughter of Isaac Staats. No. 3 in 1749 was occupied by Elizabeth Simns, who in 1762 resigned it to Annatje, daughter of P. Van Alen. No. 4 was Scharlotte Coeymans, before whose name no date appearing, it is supposed that she was the original sitter; in 1762, she was succeeded by Scharlotte, daughter of Andries Ten Eyck. It may be conjectured that the former died and was succeeded by her niece and namesake. No. 5, the last seat in this pew, was occupied by Elizabeth, vrouw of Pieter Lansing, who came into possession of it in 1752, and seems to have continued until this book was disused, about 1770. This is all we have of pew No. 1. If we could locate it on the floor of the church there would be no difficulty in seating the whole church, and pointing out where any of the worshippers had their seats.

The numbering of the seats continues with regularity from 1 to 24, when 56 intervenes that and No. 25, the latter being represented as van binne uyt, which is supposed to mean that the entrance to it was on another aisle. The numbers then follow regularly until we arrive at 33 and 34, which are represented as blank. The succession is again regular to 44 and 45 which are said to be blanck. They then continue regularly to No. 56, which seems to have been a single seat, while the seat previously designated as 56, between 24 and 25 had 7 seats, an unusual number, all the pews from 1 to 16 inclusive having 5 seats, and from 17 to 24 inclusive having 6. No. 27 has 8; also No. 30. No. 37 has but 5. Then from 38 to 43 inclusive have 6. Nos. 46, 47, 48 have each 5. No. 49 has 6. Nos, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 have 5. No. 56 which follows is marked in the margin with from 1 to 5, but there is only one name entered, which name is different from any of those written opposite the numbers in pew No. 56 that is placed between Nos. 24 and 25, and must therefore have been a different seat. Nos. 57 and 58 have each 5. No. 59 has 3. Nos. 60 and 61 have 5. No. 64 has 3. Nos. 63 64 have 5. No. 65 has 6. No. 66 has 5. Then follows 86 with 5, then 85 with 4 seats. has 5 seats, numbered as 1, 2, 1, 2, 3. No. 71 has 5 seats numbered, and 1 which is said to have been uyt gewonne by het timmeren van de banke. No. 72 ditto. No. 80 follows, 5 seats. Then No. 73 with 5 seats, and 1 uyt gewonne as before. Then Nos. 75, 76, 77, each 5 seats. No. 78 has 3 seats. Then comes another No. 78, which had been a pew for old men, having 2 numbered and 2 unnumbered seats, and the remark that in 1762 another seat was made in it for Elizabeth Van Sante. No. 79 has 5; also No. 81 which follows. Nos. 82 and 83 have each 6. No. 84 has two numbered, but seems to have had two more placed in it, who were privileged to sit in 't gemeen, that is in common, or as it happened or they could agree. Then comes No. 5, the Patroon's pew, occupied by Catharine Van Rensselaer, who had also 3 other seats reserved in the same pew.

No. 70

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