F 12 i fy VJi't I ? Ho, icORNELL UNIVERSITY LISfiARY 3 1924 067 151 823 All books are subject to recall after two weeks. Olin/Kroch Library DATE DUE LttM iWHSP^r NOV" h^^mL (.?• J. ■ i^ffi^' Mad 'i. ^N9W mHj^ ^ipi^j^^*** - • nr^— ^ 2r7Dtn"^ fe'*^^ ■ FFP 7 ?003 j i 1 GAYLORD PRINTED inu sA. Production Note Cornell University Library produced this volume to replace the irreparably deteriorated original. It was scanned using Xerox software and equipment at 600 dots per inch resolution and compressed prior to storage using CCITT Group 4 compression. The digital data were used to create Cornell's replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39. 48-1984. The production of this volume was supported in part by the New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials and the Xerox Corporation. Digital file copyright by Cornell University Library 1993. fyxmll Wimmxiri Wihxum BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWNENT FUND THE GIFT OF Munvu W. Sage 1S91 .A'ldZS7^ :. ,.5j Jppo... Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924067151823 HISTORY OF FLUSHING HISTOEY OF THE TOWN OF FLUSHING LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK By HENRY D. WALLER FLUSHING J. H. RIDENOUR 1899 *^ L #J^^ r t C2Z ~^ o r-_ ■k^ ' />, . ^' A \^ 'L%nc^ Copyright, 1899 By J. H. RIDENOUR Flushing, N. Y. Press of the Flushing Evening Journal Flushing, N. Y. PREFACE In this age of many books one feels inclined to apologize for adding to the number. A history -of Flushing has never been published. This fact has seemed to the author a sufficient excuse for the present undertaking. Mandeville's Flushing Past and Present contains some valuable material ; but that material has not been digested, and has not been arranged in chronological order. The book cannot be called a history. The plan pursued by the author of the following pages has been, to tell the story of our town as simply and briefly as possible, avoiding the introduction of long quotations from old documents, and in foot notes referring the reader to the authority for every statement. Only so much of the history of the Province has been introduced as was deemed necessary to explain -events in the town. Without this occasional broader vision, our history would in many places be but a series of disconnected and meaningless entries. The author is indebted to many persons for kind assist- ance. The flies of local newspapers have frequently been referred to, in preparing the chapter on modern Flushing. To his friend, Mr. E. A. Fairchild, the author again acknowledges his indebtedness for valuable assistance and suggestions in the correction of proofs. CONTENTS Part I— New Netherland CHAPTER I. PAGE. Discoveries and Disputes, - . . . i CHAPTER II. Establishing the Colony of New Netherland - 7 Part II— The Dutch Colonial Period CHAPTER III. The Settlement of Flushing, - - - 14 CHAPTER IV. Troubles with New England. Captain Underhill Banished, - - ----29 CHAPTER V. Anabaptists and Quakers, - - - - 37 CHAPTER VI. Trouble with Connecticut. Captain John Scott, 48 vi CONTENTS Part Ill—The English Colonial Period CHAPTER VII. The Duke's Laws. Sedition Among Flushing's Militiamen. George Fox's Visit, - - 59 CHAPTER VIII. Another Year of Dutch Rule, - - - 72 CHAPTER IX. Revolutions and New Laws, - - - - 76 CHAPTER X. Quakers in Flushing, ----- 84 CHAPTER XI. The Church of England in Flushing. Governor Clinton, - - - - - - 98 Part IV— The Revolutionary Period CHAPTER XII. Men of the Time, - - - - -112 CHAPTER XIII. Beginnings of the Revolution, - - - 121 CHAPTER XIV. The British Occupation of Flushing, - - 130 CONTENTS vii Part V— The American Period CHAPTER XV. Manners and Customs, - - - - -154 CHAPTER XVI. Reconstruction, - - - - - - 162 CHAPTER xvn. Flushing's New Life, - - - - - 1 7*2 CHAPTER XVIII. Modern Flushing, - - - - - 184 Appendix I. The Charter - - - - --231 II. Signers or the Remonstrance, - - - 235 III. List OF THE Inhabitants IN 1698, - - - 237 IV. Provisions IN Flushing IN 1 71 1, - - 249 viii CONTENTS V. Muster Roll of Captain Jonathan Wright's Com- pany, 1 71 5, - - - - - - 253 VI Sufferings of the Friends in Flushing, During * THE Revolutionary War, - - - 255 VII. Additional Notes Relating to the History of Flushing, - - ----259 VIII. The Trees of Flushing, - - - - 269 IX. Titles of Books Quoted or Referred to, in this History, - - - - --273 Index, ---... 277 THE HISTORY OF FLUSHING PART I— New Netherland CHAPTER I DISCOVERIES AND DISPUTES To tell our story properly, we must begin at the begin- ning. Without a clear idea of the oonflioting claims to jurisdiction in New York, advanced by the English and the Dutch, or without a general knowledge of Colonial history prior to the settlement of Flushing, many of the references to our town, that may be found in the Colonial Documents, would not be understood. Jean and Sebastian Cabot, sailing under a commission from Henry VII of England, claimed the whole of North America for their sovereign. They passed the coast of Long Island, and were the first Europeans to do so. There is, however, no evidence that they saw the New York coast. They certainly did not land on its shore. 1498 2 HISTORY OF FLUSl^ING 1524 Early in the nex* century, Jean de Verrazzano, a Flor- entine in the service of Francis I of France, entered the " most beautiful bay" of New York. In his report to Francis, he says : ' ' After proceeding one hundred leagues, we found a very pleasant situation among some steep hills, through which a very large river, deep at its mouth, forced its way to the sea. . . We would not venture up in our ves- sel, without a knowledge of the mouth ; therefore we took the boat, and, entering the river [i. e. the Narrows], we found the country on its banks well-peopled, the inhabitants . . . being dressed out with feathers of birds of various colours. . . . We passed up this river about half a league, when we found it formed a most beautiful lake, three leagues in circuit. . . A violent, contrary wind . . forced us to return to our ships, greatly regretting to leaSve this region which seemed so commodious and delightful, "i Thus the French were the first Europeans that visited New York. Plans for colonization were frequently discussed by these first discoverers, but nothing was done. Nearly two centuries later, James I of England granted a charter for the colonization of ' ' that part of America, coromonly called Vir- ginia, and other parts and territories in America either ap- 1 Letter to Francis I, dated July 8, 1524. If. Y. H. 8. Coll., I (second series), lt5, Jf6. Brodhead's New York. 1, S. 1606 DISCOVERIES 3 pertaining to us, or which are not actually possessed by any Christian prince or people. ' ' The country described in this charter, extended from Cape Pear to Nova Scotia. None of the colonies organized under this charter, came to New York. In the meantime, a rival in exploration and coloniza- tion appeared. After a long and bitter struggle, Spain was compelled to acknowledge the independence of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. The energy and dauntless courage of these, now independent, Netherlanders soon caused them to push their enterprising commerce into many lands. The legend on their earliest coinage (1562), borrowed from Holy Scripture, "Thy way is in the sea and Thy paths in many waters," was not only a description of their Father- land : it was, as well, a prophecy of their achievements abroad. It had long been a favorite theory in Europe, that a passage to the East Indies could be found by sailing to the northwest. Henry Hudson, an Englishman, had already, in 1607 and in 1608, made two unsuccessful attempts to find this northwest passage. The London Company, under whose patronage he had sailed, declined to make further attempts. Not discouraged by his failures, Hudson sought, in Holland, assistance for another expedition. In response to his ap- peals, the Bnst India Company fitted out the Half-Moon, 4 HISTORY OF PLSUHING and placed him in command. The Half-Moon is described as a Vlei boat of eighty tons burden. It was a two-masted vessel and was a fast sailer. It was Inanned by a crew of twenty, Dutch and English, sailors. The commander, Hud- son, was an Englishman; the "under-skipper" was a Dutchman. To Hudson's clerk, Robert Juet, we are in- debted for an account of the expedition. After an eventful voyage, Hudson entered the Narrows, Sept. 3, 16>09. He had first attempted to enter the Rockaway inlet to Jamaica Bay. As he sailed up the majestic river that now bears his name, he felt confident that he had at last discovered the long- sought northwest passage to the Indies When he reached the head of navigation, he was compelled to change his mind. But he had discovered a country rich in fur, and "the finest land for cultivation that ever in my life I have trod. "2 The Dutch were not slow to avail themselves of the opportunity offered for trade in this new country. For a time, this trade was carried on by private enterprise. loll Hendrick Christiaensen and Adrian Block made a voyage to the Mauritius River, as the Hudson was then called, two 1612 years after Hudson's visit. During the following year, some 2 Hudson's Journal, quoted by De Leat. Flint's Early Long Island, p. 5. DISCOVERIES 5 influential merchants of Amsterdam equipped two vessels, the Fortune and the Tiger, and dispatched them, under the command of Christiaensen and Block, to trade with the natives at the Island of Manhattan. One of their vessels was burned at Manhattan. The Onrust 3 was built to take 1614 its place. In this, the first vessel built by a European at Manhattan, Block passed through the dangerous strait of "the Hell Gate," and sailed up Long Island Sound, explor- ing the bays on either side. It is probable, "therefore, that he was the first European to enter Flushing Bay. Block returned to Holland, during the same year. To the Am- sterdam merchants, who had inaugurated this trade with the Indians, a charter was granted, securing to them the exclusive right to trade in the regions they had explored. In this charter, granted by the States General, Oct. 11, 1614, the name New Amsterdam appears for the first time. The charter gave the grantees no power of government. It 1615 was to be in force for three years from June 1, 1615. At the expiration of that time, the States General refused to renew the charter. During the summer of the following year, an English -i e-i q vessel, commanded by Captain Thomas Dermer and owned by Sir Ferdinando Gorges, sailed through Long Island 3 Restless. 6 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Sound. Dermer, in his description of Long Island, said that the island had been "hitherto taken for main. " This was five years after Block's voyage in the Onrust. Dermer passed through Hell Gate — "a most dangerous cataract, among small, rocky islands" — and sailed as far south as Virginia. On his return, he met some Dutch traders at Manhattan, and warned them to quit the place, as it was English territory. This, it will be noticed, was ten years after Hudson's exploration, and eight years after the Dutch had established trade with the Indians at Manhattan. CHAPTER II ESTABLISHING THE COLONY OF NEW NETHERLAND The Dutch soon realized the value of Manhattan, and the necessity of making definite arrangements for defending and governing this new-world possession. A charter was granted to the West India Company, empowering it to col- onize, defend and govern New Netherland. This was the beginning of a new era. The charter provided that, for the next twenty years — from July 1, 1621 — no inhabitant of the United Netherlands should sail to any part of America, without the consent of the West India Company. The Com- pany was empowered to build forts, to appoint and discharge governors and civil and military officers, to administer justice and to promote trade. The appointment of governors and the instructions issued to them, were subject to the approval of the States General. All superior officers were required to take an oath of allegiance to the States General, and to the Company. The States General promised to protect the Company in the enjoyment of its rights, and to assist it with a grant of a million guilders — about $500,000. 1621 8 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Sir Dudley Carleton, the British ambassador at the Hague, protested against the West India Company's occu- pation of territory granted by James, to Englishmen. No attention was paid to this protest. England, in her contro- versies with Spain concerning papal grants, had always maintained that occupation conferred title, and that "prescription without possession is of no avail. " The Company was not fully organized, until two years i.D.irj drawn into the dispute, between England and Holland, concerning the ownership of Long Island. Lord Stirling, to whom the Plymouth Company had deeded the Island, died, leaving his title to his wife. She appointed a Scotch- 10 Prom contemporary documents we may learn the prices current, about the time of the settlement of Flushing. The prices are given in florins and stivers. There were twenty stivers in a florin ; a florin was equivalent to forty cents. An ax was worth about 2 fl. ; a scythe or spade, 2 fl. 10 St. ; a plough, 28 fl. 16st. ; a ploughshare, 25 fl. ; wheat brought 2 fl. 10 st. per schepel (3 pecks) ; Indian corn, 1 fl. lOst. ; oats, 1 fl. ; a horse, 160 fl. ; a cow, from 50 fl to 120 fl. — Account Books of Bensselaersvsyck. 0^ Callaglum's New Neth- erland I, 4.77. 11 Documents, II, 365. 20 HISTORY OF FLUSHING man, named Andrew Forrester, 12 to be Governor of Long Island, and gave to him a power of attorney. Forrester appeared in Flushing, in Sept. , 1647, and proclaimed him- self, Governor of Long Island. He exhibited his commision, to which was attached an old broken seal, but which bore no signature. He was also armed with a power of attorney, signed by "Mary Steerling. " The Schout notified Stuyves- ant of Forrester's arrival and of his claims, and asked for instructions. Forrester was arrested, and sent as a prisoner to Holland, that he might plead his cause before their High Mightinesses, the States General. The vessel, on which he sailed, put in at an English port, on its way to Holland, and Forrester made his escape. i3 During the same year, the Rev. Francis Doughty came to Flushing, as its first minister of the Gospel. He had been a Church of England clergyman, and was silenced for non-conformity. 1* In 1637, he emigrated to Massachusetts, and settled at Cohannet, now Taunton. Here he gave utterance to what was considered heretical doctrine. In a 12 Some historians speak of Forrester and Parret, who came as Lord Stirling's agent in 1639, as one and the same person. I can find no reason for this. The surnames are similar, but one is called James and the other Andrew. 13 Documents, I, SS6. 14 FlinWs Early Long Island, p. 163. THE SETTLEMENT 21 public address, he said he thought Abraham's children should have been baptized. This statement greatly scandal- ized Mr. Hook, the Pastor of the town, and his assistant, Mr. Street. They reported the matter to the magistrates, who ordered Doughty 's arrest. He was brought for trial before Wilson, Mather, and other ministers, and "was forced to go away from thence, with his wife and chil- dren. ' ' IS This was in 1642. He went first to Rhode Island, and then, with a company of friends, came to Long Island, "in order to enjoy freedom of conscience, "is New Nether land granted to Doughty and his company a patent for 13,.S32 acres of land at Mespat, now Newtown. Here they settled, Doughty acting as their minister. But the Indian war, already referred to, broke out. The colonists were scattered and their property was destroyed. For two years. Doughty preached to the English residents at New Amsterdam. At the restoration of peace, about 1645, Doughty and his com- panions returned to their land in Newtown, but not to the harmonious possession of it. Doughty desired to play the Patroon, whereas his companions regarded him as one of a number of equal pantentees. The case was referred to the 15 Plain Dealings or News from New England, Thomas Leehford, London I64.S, p. 41. Mass. Hist. Coll. Third Series, in, 96. 16 Biker^s Annals of Newtown, p. 17. 22 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Director-General and Council, at Manhattan. It was de- cided that Doughty had control over no land but his own farm. He refused to recognize the jurisdiction of the court, saying he would appeal to Holland. For this he was arrested, imprisoned, and fined twenty-five guilders. The matter was happily settled, for Newtown and for the Director-General, by Doughty's receiving a call to Flushing. It came out later, that Flushing's representatives had not acted from their own free will in this matter, but under intimidation by Stuyvesant. The Director-General took them, one by one, into a room, and, by threat, compelled them to sign the articles of agreement with Doughty. What arguments or threats were used, we are not told. The Director-General seemed to be very desirous to provide for Doughty — whether in order to relieve himself of a trouble- some person, or because he had exceeded his authority in punishing Doughty, it is hard to say. The agreement, however, was signed ; and Doughty was settled in Flushing, at a salary of 600 guilders a year. ^^ 17 Doughty was apparently not popular, as witnesses the following record; "June 10, 1647, Wm. Garretse sings libelous songs against the Rev. Francis Doughty, for which he is sentenced to be tied to the May-pole. " On the first of Feb., 1648, "William Harck, sheriff and associates, ap- pear in council, and request that the Hon. Director-General and Council would favor them with a pious, learned and reformed minister, and then order that each inhabitant THE SETTLEMENT 23 Flushing's only legal oflBoial, thus far, had been a Ig^g Schout. 18 In the third year after the settlement of the town, the Director-General and Council consented to make certain improvements in the formi of the local government (April 27, 1648). Hereafter a Schout, three Schaepens and a Clerk were to be elected by the freeholders, and confirmed by the Director-General and Council. These officials were to take an oath of allegiance to the colonial government and pledge themselves to obey and enforce "rules and articles" issued by that authority. The people were commanded "to respect said persons, each in his quality, and to lend them a helping hand, in the execution of their office. ' ' ^^ The first officials, chosen under this enlargement of the Charter, were : John Underbill, Schout ; John Townsend, John Hicks, William Thome, Schaepens ; John Lawrence, Clerk. should contribute to such godly work, according to his ability, and that an end bo put to the present differences in a manner that shall promote peace, quietness and unanimity in said town. ' ' — Siatorical Documents XIV, 8S. It is difficult to say whether this was during Doughty's incumbency or after his expulsion. We take it to be the former for it was when Harck was Sheriff, Underbill was evidently Sheriff when Doughty was expelled, for he it was who closed his church. 18 He was sometimes spoken of as Sheriff. On April 8, 1648, Thomas Hall, of Flushing, was fined twenty-five guilders for preventing the Sheriff from arresting Thomas Heyes. Mandmille, p. 4S. 19 Xaws of New Netherland, p. 96. 24 HISTORY OF FLUSHING These officials were to constitute a court, before which were to be tried all suits not involving more than fifty guilders. 20 The first recorded official act of Flushing's new Schout — Capt. John Underbill — was ecclesiastical in its nature. He did not approve of the Rev. Mr. Doughty's preaching. The minister was probably still sore from his treatment at the hands of the Director-General, and was not so guarded as he should have been, in his references to that official. Captain Underbill ordered the church closed, because the minister "did preach against the present rulers, who were his masters." 21 Doughty now gained permission to leave the colony and to go to Virginia. We find him again in Flushing, five years later, and after that, in Maryland. What finally became of him, is not known. Before leaving Flushing, he authorized bis son, Francis Doughty Jr. , to collect from the town his year's salary. Another son, Elias Doughty, later became a magistrate of Flushing. His daughter, Mary, married Adrian Von der Donck, a promi- nent man in the affairs of New Netherland. Van der Donck 20 Laws of New Netherland. The functions of a Schout were those of a Sheriff and a Public Prosecutor. The Shaep- ens were magistrates. Together, they constituted a court of civil and criminal jurisdiction ; and also formed an assembly with legislative powers, for municipal purposes. O' CaUaghan'' s New Netherland II, Sll et sg, 21 Riker^s Annals of Newtown, p, S3. THE SETTLEMENT 25 was Patroon of a colony above the "Sj)yt den Duyvel. " The colony was commonly called "de Jonkheer's Landt, " i. e., the nobleman's estate. This name survives in the corrupted form of Yonkers. We cannot pass over this appearance of Underhill as an official of Flushing, without some allusion to that remark- able person. Captain John Underhill has been called "one of the most romantic persons in our early history. ' ' We first hear of him, as an officer in the British forces in Holland. He emigrated to Massachusetts in 1630, with Win- throp, and became the Captain and Instructor of the military force of the colony. 22 The colony frequently employed him as a leader in expeditions against the Indians. He was a man of energy, determination and great bravery. He was also a religious enthusiast, much given to sanctimonious expressions in his writings, but a man of vile impurity of life. About 1637, he got into difficulty with the theologians of Massachusetts ; was cashiered and disfranchised, because of his association with Anne Hutchinson and the Rev. Mr. Wheelwright — the leaders of the antinomian enthusiasts. In 1638, we find him in England again, where he published an account of his Indian wars, under the title of "Newes 22 Mass. Eist. Ooll Fourth Series, VTI, 170. 26 HISTORY OF FLUSHING from America. "23 The next year he returned to Mas- sachusetts, only to fall again into trouble with the Church. One witness testified, that Underhill had been heard to say : "He had lain under a spirit of bondage and a legal way five years, and could get no assurance, till, at length, as he was taking a pipe of tobacco, the Spirit set home an absolute promise of free grace with such assurance and joy, as he never since doubted of his good estate, neither should he, though he should fall into sin." "The Lord's day follow- ing, he made a speech in the assembly, showing that, as the Lord was pleased to convert St. Paul, as he was a persecu- ting, so He might manifest Himself to him as he was taking the moderate use of the creature tobacco. "24 Underhill was banished from the colony and went to New Hampshire, where he became Governor of Exeter and Dover. But he had not gone beyond the reach of the Church. Friction with the ecclesiastical authorities still continued. In 1640, 23 In this account, Underhill relates how his life was saved on Block Island, by a helmet turning aside an arrow which otherwise must have pierced his forehead. His wife had pursuaded him to wear the helmet. ' ' Therefore, ' ' he said, ' ' let no man despise the advise and counsel of his wife, though she be a woman. It were strange to nature to think a man should be bound to fulfil the humour of a woman, what arms he should carry, but you know Grod will have it so, that a woman should overcome a man. ' ' 24 History nf New Englaiid, J. O. Palfrey, 1,578. Mass. Hist. Coll. Second Series. VI, 351. THE SETTLEMENT 27 the Church at Boston, of which he was still a member, sent for him to answer charges of gross immiorality — which, it was alleged, he had committed before leaving for Exeter and Dover. 25 He admitted his guilt, and confessed that he had perpetrated his base immorality under the guise of religion. He appeared "before a great assembly in Boston, upon a lecture day, and, in the court house, sat upon the stool of repentance, with a white cap on his head, and with a great many deep sighs, a rueful countenance, and abun- dance of tears, owned his wicked way of life, his adultery and hypocrisy, with many expressions of sincere remorse, and besought the Church to have compassion on him and deliver him out of the hands of satan. "2« The sentence of excom- munication and banishment, which had been passed against him, was removed after this act of humiliation. But he left Massachusetts and for a time settled at Stamford. While here, in 1641 and 1642, he was employed by the Dutch on 25 Underhill's manuscripts show that he was an illiter- ate man. Here is an extract from a letter, written at this time, to Governor Winthrop : " I am trobeld that chuch hard reportes should gooe out agaynst me, and my slfe not thorroli vnderstand mense displesure, tel this morning: I came simpli to satisfi the choch, not thincking to haf herd reportes agaynst me, thogh som smale ingling I had before. ' ' Mass. Hist. Coll. Fmirth. Series, VII, 181. 26 Thompson's Long Island. II, 357. Mass. Mist. Coll., Second Series VI, 358 et sq. 28 HISTORY OP FLUSHING Long Island in their Indian wars. In 1648, he appears as the Schout of Flushing, acting as censor of the pulpit. We shall hear of him again. He married, in Flushing, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert F-i&id — one of the original patentees of the town. She was his second wife. His first wife was a Dutch woman. 27 The appeal for "a pious, learned, and reformed minis- ter", already referred to in a note, was not answered. Flushing had still to pass through many religious com- motions. 1649 The village, however, continued to prosper, in a material sense. An official document, sent to Holland, speaks of "Flushing, which is an handsome village, and tolerably stocked with cattle. "2s The only tavern on the Island, except the one at the ferrry, was a"t Flushing. This we learn from the excise report. 29 27 Mass. Hist. Coll., Second ISeries, VI, 365. 28 Documents I, 285. 29 Documents I, 435. CHAPTER IV TROUBLE WITH NEW ENGLAND— CAPTAIN UNDER- BILL BANISHED The political disturbances in Europe were always, to 1651 some extent, naturally reflected in the colonies. William II, Prince of Orange, had married the daughter of Charles I, of England. When Charles was put to death, in 1649, his son, Charles II. , fled to Holland, where he was received with many expressions of sympathy. The popular sentiment, in Holland, following that of the beloved and heroic Prince of Orange, was always against Cromwell and the English Par- liament. The States General made repeated attempts to conclude a treaty with the English Commonwealth, but all efforts seemed to miscarry. The Trade and Navigation Act, passed by the English Parliament in 1651, struck, with great severity, at the Dutch, who were the common carriers of Europe. The strained relations and the constant friction lg52 resulted in an open engagement, between the Dutch and the English fleets, in the straits of Dover. This was in May, 1652. The States General, thereupon, wrote to Director- 30 HISTORY OF FLUSHING General Stuyvesant, to -warn him of possible trouble with the English, in these words: "Although we flattered our- selves with the hope that some arrangement would have been made, between our government and the commonwealth of England, we have been disappointed . . . This unexpec- ted rupture, which we have not courted, induced many merchants, trading to New Netherland, to solicit us to send an express to your Honor, so that you and the colonists might be informed of this state of things." After expres- sing the hope that the boundary disputes with New England had already been settled, "so that we have nothing to fear from New England," the letter adds: "We consider it, nevertheless, an imperious duty to recommend you to arm and discipline all freemen, soldiers and sailors . . . We warn you not to place an unbounded confidence in our Eng- lish inhabitants, but to keep a watchful eye on them, so that you may not be deceived by a show of service, through their sinister machinations, as we have been before deceived. If it happen, which we will not suppose, that those New Englanders did incline to take a part in these broils, and injure our good inhabitants, then we should advise your Honor to engage the Indians in your cause, who, we are informed, are not partial to the English, "i 1 O' VaUagan's New Netherland, II, 204 et sq. DocwrwnU, XIV, 186. TROUBLE WITH NEW ENGLAND 31 The reoommendation concerning the employment of In- dians, in case of an attack, was unfortunate. But the authorities in Holland regarded the Indians as subjects, and they had the example of the New Englanders, who had used Indians as soldiers in the Pequot war. Besides, it was to be done only in case of an attack. The vessel, bearing these instructions, was captured by the English, who thus learned the plans of the Dutch. On the feast of Candlemas, Feb. 2, of the following 1653 year, a more popular form of government was inaugurated at New Amsterdam, modeled after the government of the parent city, in Holland. One of the first acts of the new government, was to send letters to Virginia and New Eng- land, expressive of esteem and of hopes for continued friendly intercourse. 2 But rumors had become current, in New England, that Stuyvesant was inciting the Indians to an attack on the English. A meeting was held, in Boston, to consider the subject. Indians were interrogated, but they denied all knowledge of such a plot. Stuyvesant wrote letters, denying the charges and courting an investigation. The Commissioners of the United Colonies of New England appointed Francis Newman, Capt. John Leverett and Lieut. William Davis, to go to New Amsterdam and investigate. 2 OWallagan^s New Nefherland, II, 8I4. 32 HISTORY OF FLUSHING At the same time, five hundred troops were ordered to take the field, 'if God called the colonies to make war against the Dutch. ' ' Capt. Leverett was appointed Commander of this force, because "of the opportunity he now hath to view and observe the situation and fortifications at the Manhat- toes. ' ' Thus Leverett was to act as spy, as well as ambas- sador. The three delegates reached New Amsterdam, on the twenty-second of May. Stuyvesant offered every opportunity for an impartial investigation, but all his projMisals were rejected. It was plain that the New England committee came as inquisitors and not to make an impartial investi- gation. They came to demand satisfaction for wrongs which they claimed had been committed, not to ascertain, by impartial investigation, whether these charges were true. They concluded the conference, by demanding satisfaction for affronts offered "in former and later times. "^ As might have been expected, Capt. John Underhill was found to be in the thick of the trouble. By him, Flushing was made the headquarters of sedition. He had been in correspondence with the Commissioners of New England. When the three delegates left New Amsterdam, they came directly to his house, in Flushing. Here they met the Rev. Francis Doughty and his daughter, Mr§. Van der Donck. 3 O'GaUagan's New Netherland, II, Z^Z et sq. CAPTAIN UNDERHILL BANISHED. 33 Doughty said, "he knew more than he durst speak." Mrs. Van der Donck said, she knew that the Maquaas were "ready to assist the Dutch, if the English fell upon them. "* "Underhill openly charged the Fiscal, Van Tienhoven, with plotting against the English. He was therefore, arrested at Flushing, and conveyed to New Amsterdam under guard, "s He was not long detained, and was dis- missed without trial. Returning to Flushing, he committed open treason, by raising the Parliament's colors, and by issuing a seditious address. In this address, he states what had caused the insurgents ' ' to abjure the iniquitous govern- ment of Peter Stuyvesant over the inhabitants living and residing on Long Island. ' ' He declared, that the wrongs endured were "too grievous for any brave Englishman and good Christian to tolerate any longer," and called upon "all honest hearts, that seek the glory of God and their own peace and prosperity, to throw off this tyrannical yoke. ' ' ' ' Accept and submit ye then to the Parliament of England' ' — he adds — "and beware ye of becoming traitors to one another, for the sake of your quiet and welfare. "^ i Brodhead's Mew York, I, 555. 5 Brodhead''s New Ym-k, I, 556. 6 Brodltead^s New York, I, 556. This address, though inspired by Underhill, was evidently not written by him. His manuscript letters prove that he was incapable of such a composition, crude as it is. 34 HISTORY OF FLUSHING This much may be said in justification of Underhill's address ; Stuyvesant was tyrannical ; he was greatly disliked by both the Dutch and the English inhabitants. He would, in all probability, have been removed from office before this, had not the unexpected war with England come on. Un- derhill's appeal met with no response. He was ordered to quit the Province. He went to Rhode Island, and appealed to that colony for assistance to save the English. The Colony of Providence Plantations gave, under seal, "full power and authority to Mr. William Dyer and Captain John Underhill to take all Dutch ships and vessels, as shall come into their power, and to defend themselves against the Dutch and all enemies of the Commonwealth of England. "^ Under- hill afterwards settled at Oyster Bay, where he died in 1672. In November, of this year, 1653, Director-General Stuy- vesant received instruction from Holland, directing him, be- cause the English inhabitants of Hempstead and Flushing had allowed the English flag to be raised "by some free- booters, " " not to trust to any of that nation residing under our jurisdiction." Immigration was to be restricted, "that we may not nourish serpents in our bosom, who finally might devour our hearts."* 7 Hazard II, 2Jt9. Broadhead I, 557. 8 Documents, XIV, SI6. CAPTAIN UNDERHILL BANISHED. 35 In those days of small vessels, Flushing was not an unimportant seaport. News was received, at New Amster- dam, about the middle of December, that several English privateers had been seen hovering about, near Flushing. The Hon. Jean de La Montagne was sent to pursue and attack them. 9 With what success the expedition met, we are unable to state. Thus closed an eventful year. Flushing's Charter provided that, at the expiration of -i ase ten years, one tenth of the revenue, that should "arise by the ground, manured by the plough or hoe," should be paid to the government of New Netherland. i" The Council, therefore, issued instructions to the tithe-commissioners, concerning the manner of collecting the tithes. The town was "either to make an agreement regarding the tithes to be this year, or to leave the crops, mowed, sheaved, and in shocks, upon the fields, ' ' that the commissioners might "count off the tenth, as it is done in the Fatherland." The town authorities wrote to the Council, by their Clerk, Edward Heart, that they were "willing to do that which 9 Ducument, XIV, S37. 10 During the summer of this year, Aug. 6, 1655, the first cargo of slaves came, directly from Africa, to New Netherland, on the ship Witte paert. An ordinance was passed, levying a tax of ten per cent, on all negroes exported to other places beyoad New Netherland. Laws of New Netherland, p. 191. S6 HISTOEY OF FLUSHING is reasonable and honest," although "the insufferable in- solence of the Indians" prevented them from enjoying the ' ' land in peace, according to the pattent. ' ' They agreed to pay, "fiftie scipple of peas and twentie-five of wheat, "n 11 BocumeuU, XIV, 361, et CHAPTER V ANABAPTISTS AND QUAKE&S Flushing's religious experience, thus far, had not been 1656 altogether satisfactory. Since the Rev. Mr. Doughty's forced resignation, the village had been without the regular services of a minister. When, therefore, William Wicken- dam, a cobbler from Rhode Island — who did not stick to his last — essayed to minister to the religious wants of the people, he was by many kindly received. The Sheriff, William Hallet, offered his house as a place of meeting. Wickendam was not content with exhorting his neighbors and leading them in prayer. He undertook to administer the Sacraments. He "went with the people into the river and dipped them. ' ' The Dutch ministers, the Rev. John Megapolensis and the Rev. Samuel Drisius, sent to the classis of Amsterdam an account of Flushing's religious condition : "At Flushing, they heretofore had a Presbyte- rian preacher! who conformed to our Church, but many of them became imbued with divers opinions, and it was with 1 The Rev. Francis Doughty. 38 HISTORY OP FLUSHING them quot homines tot sententiae. They absented -themselves from preaching, nor would they pay the preacher his prom- ised stipend. The said preacher was obliged to leave the place, and to repair to the English Virginias. Now they have been some years without a minister. Last year a fomenter of error came there. He was a cobbler from Rhode Island, in New England, and stated that he was commissioned by Christ. He began to preach at Flushing and then went, with the people, into the river and dipped them. This becoming known here, the Fiscaal proceeded thither and brought him along. He was banished the Province. "^ We have, also, an official account of the trial. It states that William Hallet, born in Dorsetshire, age about forty, "has had the audacity to call and allow to be called con- venticles and gatherings at his house, and to permit there in contemptuous disobedience of published, and several times renewed, placats of the Director-General and Council, an exegesis and interpretation of God's Holy Word, as he confesses, the administration and service of the Sacraments by one William Wickendam, while the latter, as he ought to have known, had, neither by ecclesiastical nor secular authority, been called thereto. "^ 2 Documentary Mittory of New York, III, 71. 3 Documents XIV, 369. ANABAPTISTS AND QUAKERS 39 As the result of the trial, Hallet was degraded from office, fined £50 Flemish, and banished from the Province ; Wickendam was fined £100 and banished. When it was discovered that Wickendam was a poor man, with a family, and was a cobbler by trade, "to which he does not properly attend," his fine was remitted. He was, however, ban- ished, and so passes beyond our field of view. Hallet pleaded for mercy. His sentence of banishment was re- mitted, and he was allowed to remain in the Province as a private citizen, if he should pay his fine at sight. In the summer of the following year (Aug. 6, 1657), I657 the ship Woodhouse brought to New Netherland, several members of the Society of Friends. * Many of them went to Rhode Island, "where all kinds of scum dwell" — said Dom- ine Magapolensis. Some, however, came to Long Island, under the leadership of Robert Hodgson, and settled in Jamaica and Flushing. The Friends of Jamaica and Flush- ing, for a time, held their meetings in Jamaica, at the house of Henry Townsend. Townsend was arrested, fined £8 Flemish, and ordered to leave the Province within six weeks. A proclamation was issued, imposing a fine of £50 on any one who sheltered a Quaker for one might, one half 4 Flings Early Long Island, p. 175- Brodkead^s New Yorh, I, 636. 40 HISTORY OF FLUSHING of the fine to go to the informer. ' ' Any vessel, bringing Quakers to the Province, was to be confiscated, "s This cruel law called out the famous and noble remonstrance of Flushing, which was signed by twenty-eight freeholders of Flushing, and two from Jamaica. « The Remonstrance said : "Ye have been pleased to send up unto us a certain prohi- bition, or command, that we should not retaine or entertaine any of those people called Quakers. . . We cannot condemn them. . . neither stretch out our hands against them, to punish, banish or persecute them. . . We are commanded by the Law to do good to all men . . . That which is of God will stand, ''and that which is of man will come to nothing . . . Our only desire is not to offend one of these little ones, in whatsoever form, name or title hesappears, whether Presbyterian, Independent, Baptist or Quaker, but shall be glad to see any thing of God in any of them, desiring to do unto all men, as we desire that all men should do unto us, which is the true Law both of Church and State . . . Therefore if any of these said persons come in love unto us, we cannot in conscience lay violent hands upon them, but give them free egresse or regresse into our town and houses . . . This is according to the Patent and Charter of our 5 Laws of New Netherland. 6 Appendix II. ANABAPTISTS AND QUAKERS 41 town . . . which we are not willing to infringe or violate. "7 This Remonstrance, dated Dec. 27th., was written by Ed- ward Heart, the town Clerk, and carried to New Amster- dam, early in January, by Tobias Feake, the Sheriff, who 1658 had succeeded William Hallet in that office. Feake and Heart, together with Edward Farrington and William Noble, Magistrates and signers of the Remonstrance, were arrested and imprisoned. Noble and Farrington humbly craved pardon "for acting so inconsiderately," and, promising to offend no more, were pardoned on the tenth of January. About two weeks later, January 23rd. , Heart also weakened and pleaded for mercy. He said: "My humble request is for your mercy, not your judgment ; and that you would be pleased to consider my poor estate and condition, and relieve me from my bonds and imprisonment, and I shall endeavor hereafter to walk inoffensively unto your Lordships. ' ' He was pardoned, on condition that he paid the costs. On Sheriff Feake, fell the weight of Stuyvesant's wrath. The Sheriff had given lodging to ' ' that heretical and abominable sect called Quakers, ' ' and had been foremost in securing signatures to "a seditious and detestable chartabel. " For this he was degraded from ofBce, and sentenced to pay a fine of two hundred guilders, or to be banished. 7 Documents XIV. 40S. 42 HISTORY OF FLUSHING As the result of this disturbance, an ordinance was passed, March 26th., which stated that for this "seditious and mutinous" remonstrance, the town richly deserved "to be corrected and punished by the annulment of the privi- leges and exemptions granted ... by patent and by the enlargement thereof." Therefore, "in order to prevent in future the disorder which commonly arises from general town-meetings, or village assemblies," no such meetings should be held, without the consent of the Director-General and the Council. Instead of town-meetings, seven persons should "be chosen and appointed out of the best, most reasonable and most respectable inhabitants, who shall be called Tribunes or Town'smen, to be employed by the Schout and Magistrates as counselors on and about any Town matters. ' ' Whatever was decided by the Schout, Magis- trates and Tribunes, the inhabitants should obey, "on pain of arbitrary correction. ' ' The ordinance further stated, that, "for the want of a good, pious and orthodox minister, . . . the inhabitants had fallen into disregard of Divine worship, and profanation of the Sabbath . . . into heresy and indecent licentiousness. ' ' The town was, therefore, ordered, "to look out and inquire for a good, honest and orthodox minister. ' ' Each landholder was to be required to apply for a special patent and henceforth to pay an annual ANABAPTISTS AND QUAKERS 43 tax of twelve stivers for each Dutch morgan of land, for the support of the minister— the deficit to be made up, by the Director-General, from the tithes. All persons who were unwilling to submit to these requirements, were ordered to dispose of their goods and, within six weeks, to quit the Province. All others, and all new comers, were to sign a pledge of obedience, s In the midst of this attempt to stamp out Quakerism, IggO there came to Flushing a number of French Huguenots, who introduced the industry of horticulture, for which the town has ever since been famous. » Among the influential inhabitants of Flushing, at this 1661 period, was John Bowne, who is described as "a plain, strong-minded, English farmer, "lo He was born at Mat- lock, Derbyshire, England, in 1627. In 1649, he emigrated to Boston. Two years later, he visited Flushing, with his brother-in-law, Edward Farrington. Later, we find him settled in Flushing. Here, in 1656, he married Hannah, daughter of Robert Pieldn (or Feke, as the name sometimes 8 Laws of New Netherland, p. 338-42. 9 Flint's Early Long Island, p. 183. 10 Brodhmd's New Tork, I, 70S. 11 Underhill writes to John Winthrop, Jr., April 12, 1656: "Sir, I wase latli at Flushing. Hanna Feke is to be married to verri jentiele young man, of gud abilliti, of a louli fetture, and gud behaflor. ' ' Mass. Hist. Coll. Fourth ' :s, VII, 183. M HISTOBY OF FLSUHING appears), and sister to Captain John Underhill's second wife. Bowne's house, built in 1661, still stands on the avenue that bears his name, and presents a quaint and beautiful picture of early Flushing. Bowne's wife was a member of the society of Friends. Meetings at this time were held secretly in the woods. Bowne attended these meetings with his wife, at first out of curiosity, but he soon becam.e interested, and invited the Quakers to meet at his house. Later, he became a member of the society. The magistrates of Jamaica notified the Director-General, that Bowne's house had become a "conventicle" for the Quakers of all the neighboring villages. Bowne was arrested, fined £25 Flemish, and threatened with banishment. 12 He re- fused to pay the fine. After three months imprisonment, ' ' for the welfare of the community, ' ' he was told that he would be transported ' ' in the first ship ready to sail, ' ' should he continue obstinate. Bowne remained firm. On 12 An ordinance was passed, in September of this year, ordering, that "beside the Reformed worship and service, no conventicles or meetings shall be kept in this Province, whether it be in houses, barnes, ships, barkes, nor in the woods, nor fields, under forfeiture of fifty guldens, for the first time, for every person present, and twice as much for every person who exhorted or taught, or who shall have lent his house, barn or other place." "Seditious and erroneous books, writings and letters" were to be confiscated, and the importer and distributer of such writings wag to be fined 100 guldens. Laws of New Netherland, p. 4S8 ANABAPTISTS AND QUAKERS 45 the ninth of January, of the following year, he was sent to Holland, on the Guilded Fox. He stated his case to the Directors of the West India Company, who set him at lib- erty, and rebuked Stuyvesant. They wrote to the latter : "Although it is our cordial desire that similar and other sectarians may not be found there, yet as the contrary seems to be the fact, we doubt very much whether vigorous pro- ceedings against them ought not to be discontinued ; unless, indeed, you intend to check and destroy your population, which, in the youth of your existence, ought rather to be encouraged by all possible means . . . The conscience of men ought to remain free and unshackled. Let every one remain free, as long as he is modest, moderate, his political conduct irreproachable, and as long as he does not offend others or oppose the government. '^ Bowne returned to Flushing after two years' absence. At this early period, Quaker meeting was held at different houses ; viz. , those of John Bowne, John Farrington, Hugh Cowperthwaite, Ben- jamin Field and Dr. John Rodman, i* It must not be supposed that the Dutch were exceptional in their treatment of the Quakers. The Church of England colony in Virginia had similar laws; Puritan _ New England 13 Brodhead's New York I, 705 et sq. 14 Onderdonk^s Friends on Long Island, p. 94. 1663 1665 46 HISTORY OF FLUSHING had worse ones. In Massachusetts, Quakers were not only fined and imprisoned ; they were whipped, their ears were cut off, their tongues were bored with hot irons, and some of them were put to death, is Nothing can be said in justi- fication of persecution for religious belief ; but, in this cruel treatment of the Quakers, something may be said by way of explanation. The early Quakers were not all the quiet, orderly persons whom we to-day are apt to associate with the name. Many of them were the wildest fanatics. To read, for instance, that certain persons were arrested, fined and imprisoned for "bearing testimony," gives one the impres- sion that the civil authorities were altogether cruel and unreasonable ; but the action of the authorities does not appear so unreasonable, when we know that ' ' to bear tes- timony" frequently meant that women went through the streets, stark naked, crying: "Woe! Woe!" and called down curses on all who differed with them. If persons, of any name, should, to-day, thus destroy the peace and shock the sense of modesty of any community, they would, without doubt, be punished. The Quakers' disregard of titles and offices, we are inclined to consider a harmless idiosyncrasy, but in those days it not infrequently amounted to contempt of court, and open insult to officials. In New England, 15 EllioWs History of New England J, S89 et sg. ANABAPTISTS AND QUAKERS. 47 Quakers had been guilty of many excesses. '^ Some of the first Quakers that arrived in New Netherland, came from New England. The sect, therefore, had a bad name, before any of its members appeared among the Dutch. As stated above, all this is said by way of explanation, and not in justifioation of religious persecution. The injustice com- mitted was, in punishing a whole sect for"the misconduct of some of its members. The more reasonable Quakers, them- selves, condemned the excesses of these fa,natics; It is not generally remembered, that it was Charles II who compelled the Puritans to cease persecuting the Quakers. For the excessively religious New Englanders to be taught toleration by such a master, is one of the strange things in history. 16 Elliot's New England IT, S99. CHAPTER VI TROUBLE WITH CONNECTICUT— CAPTAIN JOHN SCOTT. lijrQ The line of division, between New Netherland and the colonies of New Haven and Connecticut, had, from the beginning, been the subject of much dispute. As early as 1650, a treaty, known as the Hartford treaty, was signed, which gave all of Long Island east of Oyster Bay, and that part of the main land east of Greenwich Bay, to the "United Colonies of the English," "until a full and final determin- ation be agreed upon in Europe, by the mutual consent of the two states of England and Holland." This treaty was ratified by the States General, but not by England. Six years after the treaty had been signed, the English en- croached upon Long Island, west of the line that had been agreed upon, and extended their settlements far into West Chester, i 1 The inhabitants of Flushing were also troubled by Indians. On April 13, 1662, Messrs. La-wrence, Noble and Hallet were sent to notify the Director-General that the Indians were demanding pay for the land in Flushing. They asked that the Indians' "mouthes may bee stopped and our selves preserved from any danger." Documents, XIV, 51S. TROUBLE WITH CONNECTICUT 49 Advice was finally received from Holland that all hope 1663 of settling the dispute in Europe must be abandoned. = Encroachment on the land of West Chester continued. Agents were sent from Connecticut to the English towns on Long Island, to stir up discontent. The Director- General, therefore, went to Boston, with the hope of settling the dispute. Nothing, however, was accomplished. The New Englanders denied that the Dutch had any right to lands in the new world. It was all the King's land : the Dutch were intruders. Stuyvesant was compelled to return empty-handed to New Amsterdam. In the meantime, the English towns on Long Island became restless. A petition, signed by certain inhabitants of Jamaica, Middleburgh and Hempstead, was sent to Hart- ford, praying that colony, ' ' to cast over us the scurts of your government and protecktion. ' ' In October, Stuyvesant sent a delegation to Hartford, to make one more attempt to settle the boundary question. In vain an appeal was made to the treaty of 1650: the Hartford men declared it void. After much debate, the 2 Edward Fisher was Clerk of Flushing during this year. Richard Cornell was sent to New Amsterdam to make arrangements for the tithes, being authorized to offer 100 schepel of grain — half of pease and half of wheat. Docu- ments XIV, 531. 50 HISTORY OP FLUSHING Hartford deputies announced, as their ultimatum, that West Chester must be given up to Connecticut, and that the Eng- lish towns on Long Island be allowed to occupy a position of quasi -independence — Connecticut agreeing to exercise no authority over them, if the Dutch would refrain from coercing them. New disturbances, which arose among the inhabitants of the English towns on Long Island, in November, com- pelled Stuyvesant to agree to these terms, Anthony Waters, of Hempstead, and John Coe, a "miller of Middleburgh, " with a force of nearly a hundred men, went to Flushing and the other English towns, declared that the country belonged to the King, removed the magistrates, and appointed others. To make the revolution complete, new names were given to several towns. Jamaica (or, as it was then written, Gemego) became Crafford; Flushing became Newarke; Newtown (or Middleburgh) became Hastings. Stuyvesant realized that he was powerless, and hastened to accept the terms offered by the Hartford convention. 1664 '^^® villages were now in the anomalous position of quasi-independence. They proceeded, therefore, to form a ' ' Combination. ' ' Prominent in this agitation was Captain John Scott. 3 Scott was one of the many restless English 3 O'Callaghan's Nev Netherland II, 497 et sq. CAPT. JOHN SCOTT 51 adventurers to whom the unsettled state of affairs in Amer- ica offered an attractive field of operation. He had been an officer in the army of Charles I, and was banished to New England by the Commonwealth. Thence he came to Long Island, and, according to his own statement, purchased about one third of the island. On receiving news of the Restoration, he returned to England. He asked the King to appoint him Governor of Long Island, or to authorize the people to elect a Governor and an assistant. Charles II was disposed to grant Scott's request, and referred the matter to the Committee on Foreign Plantations. Scott laid his claims, and his complaints against the Dutch, before this Committee. He then departed for America, armed with a royal letter, recommending him to the = protection of the New England governors. Connecticut invested him with magisterial powers, granted him a stipend for his services, and sent him to Long Island to bring the western towns under Connecticut's control. But many of the inhabitants of the Long Island towns had left New England because of persecution, and were not anxious to return to that affili- ation. They preferred independence, and invited Scott to assist them in maintaining it. The towns of "Heempstede, Newwarke, Crafford, Hastings, Folestone and Gravesend, ' ' therefore, formed a ' ' Combination. ' ' Scott was elected to 52 HISTORY OF FLUSHING act as their President, ' ' until his Royal Highness the Duke of York, or his Majesty, should establish a government among them. ' ' The towns further agreed to elect deputies to make laws for this new ' ' Combination. ' ' Efforts were made to induce the Dutch towns to join them, but without success. The action of Scott, in taking part in this com- bination, soon brought down upon him the hostility of both New Netherland and Connecticut. Stuyvesant sent dele- gates to Jamaica (or Crafford, as it was then called) to con- fer with Scott. He was at the time in Newwarke* (Flush- ing). On his return to Jamaica, it was agreed to allow the old order to prevail for the time being. This was in Jan- uary. Scott said he would return in the spring. He warned the Dutch delegates that the king had granted the whole of New Netherland to the Duke of York, who would certainly take possession of it — by force, if necessary. In March, Stuyvesant went, with a military escort, to Hempstead, to meet President Scott and the delegates from the English towns. It was agreed that the English towns should remain under the King for twelve months, or until the whole ques- tion should be settled in Europe, and that the Dutch towns should remain under the States General, for the same time. Scott's action on Long Island, naturally, did not please 4 Documents, II, S99. CAPT. JOHN SCOTT 53 the Connecticut authorities. They considered him a traitor to their interests. In the disturbance that followed, Flush- ing was visited by two distinguished men. John Winthrop Jr. , Governor of Connecticut, accompanied by deputies from Hartford, came in June. He removed the magistrates appointed by Scott, and put others in their places. Help was promised the magistrates and inhabitants, against all who might disturb them. Next came Director-General Stuyvesant. A contemporary document tells us: "The General, accompanied by Secretary Van Ruyven, Burgo- master Cortlandt and some other principal Burghers, as an escort, went thither himself in person, to protest against such irregularity. "5 The Dutch declared that they would be guiltless of the mischief and bloodshed that would cer- tainly follow. The protest was, however, in vain. ^ 5 Documents, II, 407, et sq. 6 During these troubles, the inhabitants of Flushing endeavored to secure the support of the Indians by again paying them for the land. Tapansagh, Chief of the Long Island Indians, and Rompsicka, appeared before the Direc- tor-General and Council, and stated that they had been summoned to Flushing by William Lawrence. There they met Noble, Robert Terry, Doughty and a houseful of others. They told the Indians that the land was really theirs and offered to buy it of the Indians. They also told the Indians that three ships were coming from England and would drive out the Dutch. The Indians replied that they had already, in 1635, sold the land to the Dutch and hence could not sell it again. Documents, XIV, 540- Calendar of Historical Manuscripts, I, SS8. 54 HISTORY OF FLUSHING The General Assembly of ConnectiGut then drew up charges against Captain Scott, ^ and called on all civil officers to arrest him. This document declared that Scott was guilty of "sundry hainous crimes and practices," "sedi- tions," "the disturbance of the peace of his Majesty's subjects, " " gross and notorious profanation of God's word, ' ' ' ' forgery and violation of solemn oath, ' ' and treachery to Connecticut. Scott was arrested, at Setauket, and taken to Hartford. Flushing stood by him in his trouble. A re- monstrance, signed by one hundred and forty-four inhabi- tants of Flushing, was sent to Hartford, stating that Scott had acted in accordance with the will of the people, and that, ' ' in their silence, the very stones might justly rise to pro- claim his innocence. "8 Scott addressed "A humbell petition to the Court at Hartford," in which he confessed his wrong-doings, and begged for mercy. He was released, and afterwards lived at Ashford, now Brookhaven, where he was the proprietor of the "Manor of Hope." Later, he had trouble with the English colonial officials, and emi- grated to the Barbadoes. In taking leave of the Dutch Colonial period, it may be 7 Thompson's Long Island, II, 321. 8 O'Callaghan's New Netherland, II, 5S2. CAPT. JOHN SCOTT 55 well to say something about the general condition of society at that time, and of the influence which society received from the Hollanders. ^ In the absence of shops, every farmer was, to a great extent, his own mechanic — carpenter, mason, wheelwright, blacksmith. His home was simple, but comfortable. White sand, sprinkled on the floor, took the place of carpets. High-backed chairs, ornamented with brass-headed nails around the cushioned seats and leather backs, were con- spicuous articles of furniture. Plates and dishes of pewter and wood furnished the table. In the more wealthy fam- ilies, silver plate, in the form of large trays, bowls and tankards, was not uncommon. Both Negro and Indian slavery prevailed. A species of white slavery was also common. Indigent immigrants, in return for the payment of their passage money, sold their service for definite periods, during which time they could be bought and sold like any other slaves, lo A public official 9 Furman's Antiquities of Long Island. Below is given a list of Flushing officials, during the Dutch period, and for a short time after : SCHODT-FISCALS (OR SHBKIFFS) 1647, William Hark 1657, Tobias Peake 1648, John Underhill 1658, John Mastine, (Town constable) 1655, John Hicks 1673, William Lawrence 1656, William Hallet 1674, Francis Bloodgood. 56 HISTORY OF FLUSHING known as "the negro whipper, " or "the town whipper, " was appointed for each town. The slaves, in Flushing, generally received very kind treatment from their masters. Nearly all the marriages were performed under the Governor's license. ^^ There was a special officer in New York, whose jurisdiction extended to Long Island, known as: "The First Commissary of Marriage Affairs." It was his duty to determine all matrimonial disputes. MAGISTRATES 1662, William Lawrence William Noble William Hallet William Hallet William Noble (appointed by Connecticut) 1664, 1673, John Hinchman Francis Bloetgoet Richard Wildie 1648, John Tousend John Hicks William Toorn 1651, John Underbill Thomas Saul Robert Terri 1652, John Hicks ( other two not recorded 1655, Thomas Saul William Lawrence Edward Farrington 1656, William Lawrence Edward Farrington William Noble (same names until 1662) TOWN CLERKS 1648, John Lawrence 1657, Edward Heart 1662, Edward Fisher Register of New Nelherland, p. 44, SS, 105. 10 Aug. 13, 1678. Indenture, Katharine Jeffreys to serve Chas. Bridges and Sarah his wife, Df Flushing, Long Island, for five years, in payment for her passage from Eng- land. Calendar of Historical Manuscripts, II, 73. 11 William Harck, Sheriff of Flushing, was fined 600 Carulus guilders and deprived of his office, April 3, 1648, CAPT. JOHN SCOTT 57 At funerals, a cold collation, with wines and liquor, was provided for the guests, and linen-scarfs and gloves were often distributed among them. Funerals became very ex- pensive affairs, and often very nearly resembled joyous feasts. Where the Dutch influence prevailed, Sunday -afternoon visiting was a common custom. To the Dutch we are in- debted for Santa Klaas, and for the custom of hanging up stockings at Christmas. New Year's day was celebrated with noise and hospitality. A group of men would assemble before the door of a neighbor and salute him with the discharge of guns. The person thus saluted would invite his friends into his house, to partalie of refreshments, and would then join them in saluting others. The company would thus go from house to house, until .all the men of a neighborhood were collected together, when they would proceed to some rendezvous, and pass the day in athletic sports and shooting at a target. St. Valentine's day was also celebrated with great hilarity. The whole of Easter week was a time of merry making, and was marked by the custom of presenting colored eggs to one's friends. for solemnizing the marriage of Thos. Nuton, widower, and Joan, the daughter of Richard Smith, without the consent of the bride's parents and contrary to the law of the Prov- ince. The parties were legally married on the 16th of the same month. Calendar of Historical Manuscripts, 1,115. 58 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Money was very scarce. Trade was carried on by the exchange of different kinds of produce, at prices fixed by law, or the Indian wampum was used as a circulating medium. Punishment for different misdemeanors was inflicted by whipping, branding, putting in stocks, banishing from the Province, or hanging. ^^ 12 "September 15th., 1733, Edward King, a tinker, was hanged for killing William Smith on the road near Flush- ing. " History of Queen's County, p. 51. PART III— The English Colonial Period CHAPTER VII THE DUKE'S LAWS— SEDITION AMONG FLUSH- ING'S MILITIAMEN— GEORGE POX'S VISIT. While Flushing was thus torn by three contending fac- 1664: tions, things were hastening to an end in Europe. On the twenty-second of March, Charles II gave to his brother James, the Duke of York, a patent for Long Island and that part of the main-land lying between the Connecticut river and the Delaware Bay. Lord Sterling's heirs surrendered their claims for a stipulated amount, though it does not appear that the price was ever paid. Colonel Richard Nicolls, a devoted Royalist, was appointed Governor of the Province, and Commander of the fleet that was sent against New Netherland. New Amsterdam was surrendered to the English, on the eighth of September, i New Amsterdam became New York ; and Fort Amsterdam became Fort 1. Brodhead's New York. I, 74S. O'Callaghan's New Nether- land, II, 536. 60 HISTOEY OF FLUSHING James. Director-General Stuyvesant surrendered, because compelled to do so by his own people, the burghers of New Amsterdam. Peter Stuyvesant, though arbitrary and quick-tempered, was a brave and patriotic man. After the surrender, he went to Holland to give an account of his action, and then returned to New York. There he lived, for a few years, on his farm. He was buried beneath a chapel which he had built on his estate. This chapel — St. Mark's in the Fields — has since been replaced by the present St. Mark's Church. '^ Beneath this church, no longer in the fields, rest the bones of the most illustrious Governor of New Netherland. Under the rule of Governor Nicolls, Long Island, Staten Island, and West Chester were united to form the district, or county, of Yorkshire. The present Suffolk county be- came the East Riding ; Staten Island, Kings County, and Newtown constituted the West Riding ; West Chester and Queens County, except Newtown, made the North Riding. Thus Flushing (the name Newwarke was dropped, without j^ggg official action) was in the North Riding of Yorkshire. An assembly of delegates from the various towns met in Hemp- stead, early in the next year, and adopted the Code of laws 2. Flint's Long Island, p. g97, THE DUKE'S LAWS 61 that are known as the "Duke's Laws. "3 The Duke's Laws were intended, ultimately, for the whole Province, but many of the provisions were evidently applicable to Yorkshire alone. A high-sheriff over Yorkshire was to be appointed, annually, by the Governor and Council. An under-sheriff was to be appointed for each riding. Justices of the peace were to be appointed, in each riding, and were to continue in office during the Governor's pleasure. These justices of the peace were to hold a "Court of Sessions," three times a year, in each riding . The "Court of Assizes" was to be held, once a year, in New York. Each town was to elect, annually, a constable and eight overseers. The constable and six of the overseers were to constitute a local court, for the trial of cases not involving more than £5. From this court of the constable and overseers, an appeal might be made to the Court of Sessions. The jurors of the Court of Assizes were to be chosen from the town overseers. The Church of England was not established in the Province by the Duke's Laws. These laws required that every town was to build and maintain a church. No minis- ter was to be allowed to officiate, who "had not received ordination either from some Protestant Bishop or minister," 3. The delegates from Flushing, were Elias Doughty and Richard Cornhill. Brodhead, II, 68. 62 HISTORY OF FLUSHING within his Majesty's dominion, or within the dominion of some foreign prince of the Reformed Religion. The overseers in each town were to act as assessors. Two of them were to be chosen to "make the rate," for the support of the Church and clergyman.* William Wells, of Southold, was the first High Sheriff of Yorkshire. Captain John Underhill appears again, as the Deputy-Sheriff of the North Riding. Elias Doughty, son of the Rev. Francis Doughty, was appointed Constable of Flushing. Doughty now brought suit against John Hicks, Captain William Lawrence and Captain John Under- bill, for the year's salary due his father. Why this matter had been allowed to rest for eighteen years, we are unable to say. The contract between the town and the Rev. Mr. Doughty could not be found. It had been destroyed a year before. Captain Lawrence's wife confessed that she had ' ' put it under a pie in an oven. ' ' Doughty recovered six hundred guilders. Each party was to ^ay its own costs. It came out in the trial that the sum now awarded to Mr. Doughty had already been offered to him, and that he had declined to accept it as the full amount due him. 1666 There was much dissatisfaction on Long Island, because the new laws made no provision for a representative form of 4. Brodhead's Neir York, II, 70, 71. SEDITION AMOKG FLUSHING'S MILITIAMEN 63 government. Several persons were arrested and fined for seditious utterances. Among them, was William Lawrence, of Flushing, who was fined £5, and required to make public acknowledgment of his fault. ^ Governor NicoUs came to Flushing, July 3, 1667, accom- 1667 panied by Captain Betts, to inspect the militia and put it into an effective condition. The militiamen were assembled and were addressed by the Governor and Captain Betts. Then occurred the following scene, according to the depo- sition of Captain Betts : ' ' After the Governor, among other matters, had told the people met together, that he would furnish them with powder for their present occasions, and would be content to receive fire-wood for it : he heard Wil- liam Bishop speak these words aloud, (vizt. ) 'That there was another cunning trick!' Upon which, the said Capt. Betts told the said Bishop, that if he had anything to say in answer to what had been proposed by the Governor, he was best to speak it to the Governor himselfe who was hard by, and not to mutter such words among the people — to which he made answer : ' It is very like that he hath sett ye here to hearken to what we say, that you may tell him? Whereunto Capt. Betts replied, ' It was not so, but since he thought so, he should take further notice of what he said. ' 5. Srodhead's New York II, 108. 64 HISTOEY OF FLUSHING Then Bishop returned answer, 'What have I said? I said nothing, but there is another cunning trick.' "s For these "seditious words spoken at Flushing," Bishop was senDGnced "to be made fast to the whipping-post, [in New York] there to stand, with rods fastened to his back, during the sitting of the Court of Mayor and Aldermen, and from thence to be conveyed unto the Common Goale till further order. "^ There must have been other evidence of disloyalty on that memorable third of July. The Governor sent orders that a town meeting be summoned, and that, at the meeting, an accompanying letter be publicly opened and read. This was done. The letter, which was addressed to the inhabi- tants of the town, stated that the Governor had, on the third of July, spoken, at the head of the militia company, of the necessity of cheerful and ready support. ' ' I did very much wonder," — he proceeds — "and am not lesse troubled at your absurd returns which have given me just cause to 6. Mandeville, page 44, cites this as 9,n instance of the persecution of Quakers. There is no evidence that Bishop was a Quaker. That he was a militiaman and, after his punishment, volunteered to serve again, is evidence that he was not a Quaker. The occurrence had nothing to do with Quakerism. It was apparently part of the general discontent with what was regarded as an arbitrary form of government. 7. Mandeville, p. 45. Brodhead, II, IZ4. SEDITION AMONG FLUSHING'S MILITIAMEN 65 call back my former favours to you and not to qualify you hereafter to receive from mee the civilityes truly intended. Now, because you have given me just reason to suspect your fidelities and your courage, at a season when a true English- man is most zealous, and seeks the first occasion to serve the king and country . . . You are to expect all the scorne and disdaine that lyes in my power against such meane spirited fellowes. ' ' After these bitter words, follow the orders which the local authorities were to enforce. The commissioned and non-commissioned officers are to be suspended: the colors, presented to the company by the Governor, are to be returned ; twelve matchlocks are to be returned to his Majesty's store, at the fort ; none of the company is to presume to appear in arms, without a special warrant ; ' ' none of that company which I saw stand in arms, under his Majesty's colors (whose names are enclosed) shall presume, upon any private occasion, to resort to New York for three months, under penalty of being arrested as a spy, unless he first report to the officer of the guard in the fort, state his business, and the length of time he desires to stay, "s The offence must have been grave that caused the Governor thus to humiliate the inhabitants of Flushing. 8. DocAiments XIV, 597. 66 HISTORY OF FLSUHING His action, however, seems to have put an end to all sedi- tion, during his administration. That some of the militia repented is evident from the fact that, on the twelfth of August, fourteen men sent their names to the Governor, stating that they were "ready to serve him on all occa- sions. ' ' In the list was the name of William Bishop. The others were : John Elce, Aaron Foreman, Edw. GrifBn, Jos. Hedger, Richard Long, William Noble, Nich. Parcell, Thos. Sadler, George Tippetts, Jos. Thorn, Jno. Thome, Geo. Wright, Jonathan Wright. ^ The Governor directed Mr. Cornhill to form them, and others "sensible of their late error, ' ' into a company, and forward the list to him. Later in October, a town-meeting was called, to elect two men each for the positions of captain, lieutenant, and ensign. From these, the Governor appointed the officers of the company, i" Some time during the next year, Elias Doughty and William Noble, overseers of the town of Flushing, were summoned before the Court of Sessions, at the Sessions House in Jamaica, for neglecting to pay the public rates of the town, and for failing to make an assessment for building a Sessions House, ii 9 Documents XIV, 59S. 10 Documents, XIV, 609. 11 Documents, XIV, 60S. SEDITION AMONG FLUSHING'S MILITIAMEN 67 About the middle of August, Governor Nicolls, who had for some time desired to be relieved of his duties in New York, surrendered the government of the Province to Colo- nel Francis Lovelace, who was a brother of John, Lord Lovelace, and a favorite of the king. Nicolls embarked, August 17th., amid many demonstrations of respect and regret on the part of those whom he had governed. It was said of him, at the time, that he had "kept persons of different judgments and diverse nations, in peace and quietness, during a time when a great part of the world was in wars. "12 The agitation for a representative form of government, which had met with no success during Nicolls's term of office, was resumed shortly after the arrival of Governor Lovelace. At the November Assizes, a petition was presented from Flushing, asking for privileges similar to those enjoyed by his Majesty's other subjects in America — "which priv- ileges, " said the petition, "consist in advising about and approving of all such laws, with the Governor and his Council, as may be for the good and benefit of the common- wealth ... by such deputies as shall be yearly chosen by the freeholders of every town or parish, "i^ Similar petitions 12 Maverick's letter to Lord Arlington. Brodhead, II, US. 13 Srodhead, II, 160. 68 HISTORY OF FLUSHING were sent in from the other Long Island towns, but Lovelace had no authority to grant such requests. 1670 We have still preserved for us, a description of this part of the Island, as it appeared to a writer of that period which we have now reached in our history. Daniel Denton, the son of the Eev, Richard Denton, of Hempstead, was at one time Clerk of Hempstead, and later held the same office in Jamaica. He published, in London, in 1670, ' ' A Brief Description of New York," in which much space is given to Long Island. Hell Gate, he says, at flood tide, "contin- ually sends forth a hideous roaring, enough to affright any stranger from passing any further. " " The fruits natural to the Island are Mulberries, Posimons, Grapes, great and small. Huckleberries, Cramberries, Plums of several sorts, Roseberries and Strawberries, of which last is such abundance in June, that the Fields and Woods are dyed red: Which the Countrey-people perceiving instantly arm themselves with bottles of Wine, Cream and Sugar, and instead of a Coat of Male, every one takes a Female upon his Horse behind him, and so rushing violently into the fields, never leave till they have disrobed them of their red colour, and turned them into the old habit ... In May you shall see the Woods and Fields so curiously bedeicke with Roses, and an innumerable multitude of Flowers, not only pleasing the SEDITION AMONG FLUSHING'S MILITIAMEN 69 eye, but smell, that you may behold Nature conteoding with Art, and striving to equal if not excel many Gardens in England. " Denton reported the "Indians few and harm- less, ' ' in his day. ' ' It hath been generally observed, ' ' he says, "that where the English come to settle, a Divine Hand makes way for them, by removing or cutting off the Indians, either by Wars one with the other, or by some raging mortal Disease, "i* An examination of the palisades around Port James, revealed the fact that they were in a bad siate of decay. The Court of Assizes, therefore, ordered that a tax be levied on the towns of Long Island, to furnish means for the necessary repairs. This met with such violent opposition that the order was never enforced. Two years later, the Governor asked for a voluntary contribution, or "benev- olence, ' ' from each of the towns. To this request Flushing promptly responded and forwarded a contribution of £20 15 s. 6 d. The Council, thereupon, ordered that thanks be given to the inhabitants, for their "forwardness, "is It was in June of this same year, that George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends, visited Flushing. He describes his visit, in these words: "From Oyster Bay, we 14 A Brief Desenption of New York, etc., p. 2, 4, 7. 15 Documents, XIV. 1672 70 HISTORY OF FLUSHING passed about thirty miles to Flushing, where we had a very large meeting, many hundreds of people being there ; some of whom came about thirty miles to it. A glorious and heavenly meeting it was (praised be the Lord God !) and the people were much satisfied, "i^ This "glorious and heavenly meeting" was held in the open air, the speaker standing under the great oaks that ever afterwards bore his name. The Fox Oaks were two in number and stood near each other. One of them fell on the twenty-fifth of October, 1841, and the other, in the year 1863. A stone, near the side- walk, on the west side of Bowne avenue, opposite the Bowne house, marks their site. Gabriel Furman describes the oaks, as they appeared in 1825. "Among other ancient remains, ' ' he says, ' ' may be reckoned the two venerable oak trees at Flushing, under the shade of which the famous George Pox preached, in 1672. I visited these trees, Aug. 4, 1825, in company with Messrs. Spooner and Bruce, and assisted Bruce in measuring them, which we did around the trunk, six feet from the ground. We found one to be thir- teen feet in circumference, and the other twelve feet, four inches, in circumference, "i^ 16 Fox's Journal, p. 453. 17 Lcng Island Antiquities, p. 78. SEDITION AMONG FLUSHING'S MILITIAMEN 71 During Fox's visit in Flushing, he was the guest of John Bowne. The couch on which Pox rested, after his exhaust- ing labors, is still to be seen in the Bowne house, together with many other quaint articles of furniture belonging to those olden days. CHAPTER VIII ANOTHER YEAR OF DUTCH RULE The war which broke out between England and Hol- land in 1672, had its effect on the American colony of New 1673 York. The Governor, Francis Lovelace, had gone to Hart- ford, to confer with Governor Winthrop about a post-offlce scherne which had for some time claimed much of Love- lace's thought. On his way home, he heard, at Mamaroneck, that the Dutch had taken New York. He at once crossed to Long Island to raise troops. At Justice Cornwell's, near Flushing, he met Secretary Matthias Nicolls. It was agreed that Nicolls should go on to the fort and that the Governor should keep out of the way of the enemy, and attempt to raise troops for the recapture of New York. Lovelace was, however, induced, by one of the Dutch ministers, to revisit his old quarters in New York. On his arrival he found that his house had been plundered, and he was arrested for debt. He was told that he could leave the country, if he would pay his debts. The Orange flag again waved over Manhattan ; New York Province again became New Nether- ANOTHER YEAR OF DUTCH RULE 73 land, and the city became New Orange. Flushing and the other English towns were compelled to submit to the Dutch. These towns were ordered by the Council "holden in Fort William Hendrick, " Aug. X3th. , "to send hither immedi- ately their Deputies, together with their Constables' staves and English flags, when they would, as circumstances per- mit, be furnished with Prince's flags instead of those of the English. "1 The deputies of Flushing appeared, on Aug. 22nd. , and surrendered "one English flag and one Constable's staff. ' ' They expressed a willingness to submit to the Dutch. The inhabitants of the town were, therefore, par- doned, and to them were promised "the same privileges and rights which are given to the inhabitants and subjects of the Dutch nation. ' ' The deputies were, however, warned that any further acts of disloyalty would certainly result in the ruin of the town. William Lawrence was appointed Schout, and Carel Van Brugge, 2 Secretary, for the five towns of Flushing, Jamaica, Middleburgh, Oyster Bay and Hempstead. Captain Wil- liam Knyff and Lieutenant Jeronymous de Hubert, accompanied by Ephraim Hermann, were sent to these 1 Mandemlle^ p. 30. 2 Van Brugge died at Flushing in 1682. New Nether- land Register, p. S7\ 74 HISTORY OF FLUSHING towns to administer the oath of allegiance. 3 They reported, on the first of September, that there were sixty- seven men in Flushing. Fifty-one of these had taken the oath of allegiance ; the others were not at home. Of these sixty- seven, twenty were Dutch. Before the middle of September, all the men in Flushing had taken the oath of allegiance to the States General. The magistrates were instructed to ' ' take care that the Keformed Christian Religion be main- tained, in conformity to the Synod of Dordrecht, without permitting any other sects attempting anything contrary thereto,"* Thus the Dutch Reformed Church was estab- lished in Flushing, but the village was not provided with a resident minister. "Cases relating to security of peace and justice, between man and man, ' ' were to be settled by the magistrates, without the right of appeal, when the amount involved did not exceed sixty florins. The Schout and Schepens were to settle such matters as laying out roads, disposing of lands, enforcing the observance of the Sabbath, and erecting churches and school houses. Francis Blood- good was appointed a special officer, to guard the interests of the Dutch inhabitants of Flushing and the neighboring towns. He was to instruct them to be always ready, on the 3 Documents, II, 589. i Laws of New Netherland, p. 476. ANOTHER YEAR OF DUTCH RULE. 75 receipt of notice of the arrival of an English ship, to repair, with arms, to New Orange, The magistrates were compelled to give up all arms furnished by former Governors of the Province. ^ Thus Flushing again became a Dutch town. But the Dutch government, and Dutch customs, did not long con- tinue. Before the close of the following year, the Province 1674 passed finally into the hands of the English. The record of an oflBcial act, during this second period of Dutch supremacy, helps to give us a picture of the times. On the twenty-second of February, 1674, James N. , of Flushing, was brought to trial for "divers evil deeds and actions, using force in breaking doors open, beating women and children, burning houses and threatening further acts of arson. ' ' The court decided that the prisoner was "not in possession of his right reason. ' ' He was, therefore, pardoned and sent to Staten Island, where he was to be put to work by the mag- istrates, who were "empowered to punish him if he behave badly. "6 5 Documents, II. 6 Documents, II, 689. CHAPTER IX EEVOLUTIONS AND NEW LAWS 1 fi7J. Peace between England and Holland, was declared. The treaty of Westminster restored the Province of New York to England. The English quietly took possession, on the tenth of November. New Orange again became New York. A day of thanksgiving was proclaimed. But it was not observed by all of the inhabitants of Flushing, as wit- nesses the following record: "On the twenty-first of November, Daniel Patrick and Francis Coley were arrested, for "contemptuously working on Thanksgiving Day and giving reproachful language to the magistrates that ques- tioned them. ' ' They were sent to the New York Court of Sessions, by Justice Cornell and Mr. Hinchman. Major Edmund Andros was appointed Governor of New - ._„ York, by the Duke of York. He was not a popular Governor, ioTo and had much trouble with the rather contentious population at the east end of Long Island. Andros visited Flushing, on September 15, 1675. There were indications that the Indians were becoming restless ; and the white inhabitants REVOLUTIONS AND NEW LAWS 77 began to fear a general uprising. The Governor, to quiet the Indians and to reassure his white subjects, sent an armed sloop to cruise in the Sound, and wefit, himself, in his pinnacle, "as farre as Mr. Pell's, to the Indyans there, and from thence to fflushing, and home by land, the better to settle the People's mindes. "i During the first thirty years of its existence, Flushing passed through many and great changes. The English were now secure in their possession of the province. Public and private affairs moved along in a quiet and orderly manner and left few marks in history. 2 Colonel Thomas Dongan, succeeded to the governorship of New York, in August, 1683. The instructions given to 1683 1. Documents^ XIV. 2. The taxes collected in Flushing, in October of this year, 1675, amounted to £18.3.10. The taxable property, of the town, consisted of " Negeres, Landes, Madoes, Horses, three yer olds, to yere olds, yerlinges, oxen and boles, cowes, thre yer oldes, yerlinges, swine and shepe. " The collector of taxes, appends this note at the close of his report: " Cap. Thoms hikes hath not yet prought in a list of his estate. ' ' The tax returns for 1683 amounted to £26. 15. 10. Documentary History of New York, II, 363, 300. In 1680 Henry Willis and John Bowne protested to the Governor and Council against the action of the Court of Sessions in fining them £10 for allowing marriages con- trary to the laws. When Willis and Bowne refused to pay the fines, Joseph Lee, Under-sheriff, seized a barn of corn from Willis and took from Bowne five milch cows. Docti- ments, V, 753. 1684 78 HISTORY OF FLUSHING him, by the Duke of York, provided for a General Assembly to consist of eighteen representatives of the freeholders of the Province. Laws passed by this body were to be subject to the approval of the Governor. Even after receiving his approval, they might be rejected by the Duke. Yet they were to be "good and binding," pending his action. The first meeting of this first representative body in New York, under English rule, was held in New York, October 17, 1683. Among the other laws passed, was one which divided the Province into counties. This abolished Yorkshire, with its three ridings, and established the county lines on Long Island as they exist to-day. All towns were required to renew their patents. Flushing and Hempstead made large grants of Land to Governor Dongan and thereby obtained advantage- ous patents. Flushing conveyed to him four hundred acres of land, extending south of Success Pond to the edge of Hemp- stead Plains. Hempstead gave him two hundred acres. This splendid property constituted the Manor of Queens Village. * The last Indian deed for land in Flushing, is dated April 14, 1684. The deed is made by Saokapowsha and other Indians, who are described as "the true owners and propri- 3 When Dongan resigned the governorship, he retired to his farm on Long Island. On the usurpation of office by Leisler, Dongan was compelled to leave the country. He afterwards became Earl of Limerick. REVOLUTIONS AND NEW LAWS 79 etors of all the land," These Indians " sell, ; for good rea- sons, " this land, "unto Elias Doughty, Thomas Willett, John Bowne, Matthyas Harvey, Thomas Hickes, Richard Cornell, John Hinchman, Jonathan Wright and Samuel Hoyt — who were the agents of the freeholders of the town. The Indians reserved "the priviledge of cutting bulrushes forever, within said tract."* The Duke of York became King James II. New York, 1 gft5 therefore, became a royal province, under the supervision of the Committee on Foreign Plantations. The General Assem- bly was abolished. On the twenty-third of April, James was proclaimed sovereign of the Province. New instructions were issued to Governor Dungan. These instructions gave the Church of England the same position in New York, that it had always occupied in the mother country. "Ye shall 1686 take special care," — said the Governor's instructions — "that God Almighty be devoutly and duly served throughout your Government ; the Book of Common Prayer, as it is now established, read each Sunday and holiday ; and the Blessed Sacrament administered according to the rites of the Church of England ; . . . that no minister be preferred by you to any ecclesiastical benefice, in that our Province, without a certificate from the most Reverend, the Lord Archbishop of 4 Mandevitk, p. ^9. 80 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Canterbury, of his being conformable to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, and of good life and conversation. " 3 While the Church of England thus became the established Church of the Province, liberty of conscience was secured to persons of all creeds. The Governor was directed, to "permit all persons, of *hat religion soever, quietly to inhabit within your government, without giving them any disturbance or disquiet whatever, for or by reason of their differing opinions in matters of religion ; Provided they give noe disturbance to the public peace, nor doe dis- quiet others in the exercise of their religion, "e The new militia law made all men, who refused to train, liable to a fine. A refusal to pay this fine was punishable by a seizure of goods. The Quakers refused to train, re- 1687 ^^^^ ^° P^y *^® ^^^- When their goods were seized to satisfy the fines, they complained that they were deprived of the liberty of conscience that had been promised them, by the Royal Instructions. ^ This explains the many cases of Quakers' being mulcted of their property. They were not cases of unreasonable cruelty, but of enforced payment of fines. A militia was necessary for the protection of life and 5 Documents, III, 36, 3~2- 6 Documents, III, 318, 359, 373. 7 Ducumentary History, III, 607 et sg. REVOLUTIONS AND NEW LAWS. 81 property. The authorities thought all the colonists should contribute to its maintenance. James II. had already united all the New England col- onies under one Grovernor — Sir Edmond Andros, New York's former Governor. This policy of consolidation was now extended to New York, New Jersey and all the territory between Passamaquoddy Bay and Delaware Bay, except Pennsylvania. These united colonies became the "Territory and Dominion of New England in America. ' ' Andros was now appointed Governor of this enlarged New England.* He was assisted in the government by a Council of forty- two, appointed by the King from the several colonies. No seat of government was named; the Governor and seven members of the Council could, at any time and at any place, make laws. ^ In these new instructions, nothing was said about the ecclesiastical supremacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Bishop of London. But the reign of James was short. William, Prince of Orange, invaded England, in the autumn of the year 1688. On the twenty-third of February, 1689, William and Mary were formally proclaimed King and Queen of England. This revolution in England threw the American colonies 8 Brodhead II, 501. 9 Brodhetid IT, 505. 1688 1689 82 HISTORY OF FLUSHING into confusion. An insurrection broke out in Boston, which resulted in the imprisonment of Andros. In New York Lieutenant Governor Nicholson and other officials appointed by James were accused of being Papists. Nicholson declined to proclaim the new king, until he should receive orders to do so. The people became impatient and mutinous. Jacob Leisler, a native of Germany, had come to New Netherland, as a soldier, about thirty years before this date. He was now a rich merchant, and Captain of the militia. In him was found a ready leader of the insurrection against Nicholson. Fort James was seized and its name was changed to Fort William. Nicholson, deprived of power, sailed for England. William and Mary were proclaimed King and Queen, in New York, on June twenty-second. Six days later, Leisler summoned a convention. Flushing sent two representatives, though the majority of the inhabitants of Queens County appear to have opposed his usurpation. This convention appointed Leisler "Captain at the Fort at New York" and thus started him on his short but despotic reign, i" 1690 The inhabitants of the towns of Flushing, Hempstead, Jamaica, and Newtown directed Capt. John Clapp to write 10 Brodhead II, S64-591 REVOLUTIONS AND NEW LAWS 83 to the King's secretary an account of their piiserable con- dition, stating that Leisler and his officials had been seizing and selling their property because they declined to obey him ; that these same officials had stripped their wives and daughters of their apparel, had shot and wounded English- men, and then sequestered and sold their estates." Colonel Henry Sloughter was appointed Governor of New York. He arrived in New York, March 19, 1691. Leisler 1691 was arrested, convicted of treason and murder, and was executed on May sixteenth. I'- 11 Brodheadll, 636. 12 Gov. Sloughter, died June 16, 1691, and was suc- ceeded by Colonel Benjamin Fletcher, in August, 1692. Fletcher was recalled in 1695, and Richard Earl of Bellomont was appointed to succeed him, in 1698. Among the Council of Bellomont we find the names of Thomas Willett and John Lawrence — presumably from Flushing. Bellomont died March 5, 1701. Governor Bellomont wrote to the Lords of Trade, in 1699, that "a great many men in that county (Queens) pretend themselves Quakers to avoid taking the oaths," but that these same pretended Quakers "got very drunk and swore and fought bloodily. ' ' CHAPTER X QUAKERS IN FLUSHING. 1692 Peace being once more restored, the inhabitants of Flushing had an opportunity to turn their attention to re- ligious affairs. Up to this date, there had been no building in Flushing devoted to public worship. The Friends were the only people who held regular services, and they met in private houses. The society had now become large enough to justify it in building a public meeting-house. Three 1694 acres of land, together with a dwelling-house, were pur- chased for £40 : and the Meeting-House was built, i 1 Following are the principal dates and facts connected with the Friends' meeting-house : 1692, the ground was pur- chased ; 1694, the meeting-house built ; 1696, the first yearly meeting was held in the new meeting-house ; 1704, the meeting-house was shingled, plastered and repaired ; 1707, a complaint was recorded that the monthly meetings were "cumbered with people having no business there," and that "children and young people disturbed the meeting by frequently running in and out;" 1716, orders were given for a new meeting-house ; 1719, the new meeting-house was completed ; 1707, Samuel Haight made the remainder of the 1699 to QUAKERS IN FLUSHING 85 The census, which was taken toward the close of the Jggg seventeenth century, reveals the fact that the town of Flushing had, at that time, five hundred and thirty white inhabitants and one hundred and thirty negroes. 2 Among the inhabitants, at that early date, may be found names of families that are to-day represented by many descendants in Flushing. In the journals of Roger Gill and Thomas Story — travel- ling Quaker preachers — we find frequent mention of visits to Flushing, where they were hospitably entertained and where they held satisfactory meetings. Thus Roger Gill X703 i front fence, hung the gate and provided a lock for it ; during the same year John Farrington was engaged, at £2 a year, to make fires ; 1748, Samuel Bowne and John May sat in the gallery, during the yearly meeting, to keep order ; 1752, complaint was recorded that the yearly meeting was much disturbed by "the rude and unchristian practice" of many who attended; 1760, "Thomas Franklin got an iron stove for the meeting-house ;" 1763, the gallery was taken down, the second story was built and divided into two rooms ; school was kept in one of these upper rooms ; 1773, Rebecca Walsh was engaged to build fires, at £1.10 per annum, and John Eagles was paid three shillings for mending the bellows ; 1776, the meeting-house was occupied by the Royal army as prison, barracks, hospi- tal, store-house ; the fence was used for fire wood ; 1783, the meeting-house was repaired and restored to its original use ; the ground was rented for £3 a year, the grass being reserved for the horses of Friends who attended yearly meet- ing ; 1794, yearly meeting was transferred to Westbury. OnderdonK's Friends on Long Island and in New York, pp. 94, 95. 2 Appendix, III. 86 HISTORY OF FLUSHING writes: "June 24, 1699. Lodged at John Rodman's. 3 Next day we went down the sound, in a sloop of John Rodman's, to Flushing . . . We lodged that night at Thomas Steven- son's. Aug. 25, we lodged at Samuel Bound's. So Friends received us very joyfully, and were glad that we were come. . . . Aug. 31, From thence to Flushing (5th day) to Samuel Down's. This day we held a meeting at Flushing. A good and large and lively meeting it was. " From the journal of Thomas Story, we cull the follow- ing ; "Aug. 30, 1699. After this we went with Samuel Bowne and his wife to Flushing, where we had a glorious meeting next day . . . Jan. 28, 1700. We went by water to Flushing, where the Iiord gave us a good and comfortable meeting ; and then rested at Samuel Bpwn's until the 30th . . . Feb. 1, 1700. I was at the monthly meeting at Flushing, where several marriages were presented, and the countenance of the Lord was over us for good . . . July 29, 1702. Returned to Flushing ; the next day I was at their week-day meeting, which was hard and shut up, at first, but ended comfortably ; and on the 31st, I visited several families and returned in the evening to Samuel Bowne's 3 John Rodman was a physician and Quaker preacher in Flushing for about forty years. He died October 7, 1713, aged 78 years, "He did abundance of good ... A man beloved by all sorts of people. ' ' Record of Men's Meeting. QUAKEES IN FLUSHING 87 where, nest day, I wrote divers letters. Thence crossed the Sound . . . March 16, 1703. I was at Flushing week day meeting, to which came some strangers. The meeting was very open and bright, and many truths of the Gospel were declared in the authority of it, to their satisfaction. "* Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, was appointed Governor of New York in 1702. s Cornbury was probably the most thoroughly disliked of all the Governors of New York. He was conspicuous for his zeal for the Church of England ; but was more conspicuous for his unjust extortion and reckless expenditure of the colonists' money. ^ It was sometimes doubted whether he was entirely sane. He was fond of masquerading in women's clothes, and "was fre- quently seen in the evening in this costume, strolling about on the ramparts of the fort, with a fan in his hand. ' ' A portrait of him, which represents him in this dress, is still preserved in England. ^ The first year of Lord Cornbury 's term of office was marked by the first appearance in Flushing of a Church of 4 OnderdonW s Quakers of Hempstead. Onderdonk's Quakers on Long Island and in New York. 5 King William died in 1702. His queen, Mary, was already dead. Mary's sister, Anne, succeeded to the throne of England. She appointed Cornbury, who was her uncle. 6 Roberts' New York, /, SS8-SS1. 7 Men, Women and Manners of Colonial Times, II, 104, 105. 1702 88 HISTORY OF FLUSHING England clergyman. He was the Rev. George Keith, a missionary sent out by the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." Keith had formerly been a Friend and, as a travelling minister, had visited the yearly meetings of the Friends in Flushing. He, hovpever, became dissatisfied with the doctrines of the Friends and took orders in the Church of England. The recently organized Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, sent him as a missionary to the American colonies. The Rev. John Tal- bot, chaplain of the war-ship which brought him to Amer ica, became his travelling companion and assistant, s Keith's journal, published four years later, gives us an account of his visit to Flushing, on September 24, 1702. Arriving in the village, he proceeded to the Quaker meeting which was in session. "After sometime of silence, " he stood up "in the gallery, where their speakers use to stand when they speak," and began his address. He was recog- nized, and his presence was resented. H« says: "I was so much interrupted by the clamour and noise that several Quakers made, forbidding me to speak, that I could not proceed." One of the Quakers spoke for an hour. His discourse, in the judgment of Keith, "was a ramble of non- sense and perversion of Scripture, with gross reflections both 8 History of St. George's Parish, p. 5, 6. QUAKERS IN FLUSHING 89 on the Church and the Government." Keith was accused of violating the Act of Toleration and was ordered out of the house. He maintained that it was a house for public religious meetings, and that all had a common right to it ; if the Quakers should put him out, he could prosecute them. Moreover, since they appealed to the Act of Toler- ation, he inquired whether they had fulfilled the require- ments of that act, by having their meeting-house licensed. The Act further required their preachers to sign thirty- four of the Thirty-nine Articles. Had they done this? They changed their line of argument and accused him of preaching for money, not for love. He replied that travel- ling Quaker preachers received pay, both from Friends in London and from the meetings they visited. He himself had received pay from that very meeting. He was then accused of misappropriating money entrusted to him. This he denied. On the third of December, Keith returned to Flushing, armed with a letter from Lord Cornbury, and protected by two justices of the peace. He read the letter, without effect, in the meeting-house. The Quakers again brought up the Act of Toleration, and Keith again turned it against them. They then said it did not apply to the American colonies. The Quakers tried to talk him down. He remained to hear 90 HISTORY OF FLUSHING three of their speakers, though, he says : "It was very grievous to us to hear such nonsense. "8 Whether the Church of England service was at this time established in Flushing, as a result of the visit of Keith and Talbot, it is impossible to state. Between these two visits of Keith and Talbot^viz., on the 29th of November, 1702 — the meeting-house in Flushing was the scene of another disturbance. Samuel Bownas, a Quaker preacher from England, was accused by William Bradford^*' of having, at a meeting recently held in Hemp- stead, spoken with contempt of the Church and her Sacra- ments. Bradford's deposition was suppbrted by a similar one, made by Richard Smith. A warrant was issued for Bownas's arrest. This was accomplished in Flushing. We shall allow Bownas to tell his own story. "On the twenty- ninth of the same month, [November, 1702] I was at Flush- ing on Long Island, it being the Half yearly Meeting, which 9 Journal of Travels. 10 William Bradford came to America with William Penn, in 1658, and set up a printing press in Philadelphia. He was a Quaker, but left the Society and joined the Church of England. This threw him out of sympathy with the authorities in Philadelphia. In 1693, he was invited to come to New York. Here he set up the first press in the Province, and was appointed public printer. In 1725 he established the New York Gazette, the first paper published in the Province. He died in 1752 and was buried in Trinity Churchyard. QUAKERS IN FLUSHING 91 was very large, Keith being expected there. When the meeting was fully set, the High Sheriff came with a very large company, who were all armed ; some with guns, others pitchforks, others swords, clubs, halberts, etc. as if they should meet with great opposition in taking a poor harmless sheep out of the flock. The Sheriff, stepping up into the gallery, took me by the hand, and told me I was his pris- oner. 'By what authority?' said I; he pulled out his warrant and showed it me. I told him that warrant was to take up Samuel Bowne, and my name was not Samuel Bowne, but that Friend's name is so, pointing at the Friend by me. 'We know him,' said he, 'this is not the man, but you are the man : pray then what is your name?' 'That is a question which requires consideration, whether proper to answer or not, for no man is bound to answer to his own prejudice ; the law forces none to accuse himself. ' Thus we pro'd and con'd a little time, and I got up from my seat, and John Rodman, Samuel Bowne, and sundry other Friends, walked out of the meeting, it not being proper to discourse there at that time ; and they, on conversing with the Sheriff, who in his nature was a very moderate man, having known Friends in England, easily prevailed on him to stay the meeting, with all his retinue, and afterwards they would consider what was best to be done. They will- 92 HISTORY OF FLUSHING ingly laid down their arms on the outside of the door, and came in, which increased the throng very much, "i^ Bownas was allowed to remain undisturbed, until the days of the Half-yearly Meeting had passed. He was then taken to Jamaica for examination. Refusing to give bond, or to allow any of his friends to do so, he was commmitted to jail. Among others, one of the justices of the peace offered to be surety for him, but Bownas would not allow it — preferring to go to jail. To follow the fortunes of Bow- nas, would take us too far afield. During his imprisonment, he supported himself by making shoes. After a year's im- prisonment, he was set at liberty. ^^ The Friends took the initiative in Flushing, in two great works of beneficence, i. e. education, and the freeing of slaves. In 1703, 5th. of 6th. mo. , the meeting decided : "A schoolmaster being judged necessary for the town of Flushing, it is thought fit by this meeting that Samuel Hoyt and Francis Doughty do seek out for a convenient piece of ground, to purchase it and build a school-house thereon, for the use of Friends, about Richard Griffin's lot 11 Life of Samvel Bownas, in tlie Friend^ Library, III, 25. 12 Bownas again visited Flushing, in 1726, "The meet- ing of ministers and elders was of good service, among them were some young ministers ; and at this Quarterly Meeting we had a solid time, a large appearance of young Friends of both sexes being there. ' ' Life, p. 56. QUAKERS IN FLUSHING 93 upon the cross way, which is near the centre of the town. " i3 This school-house was probably built, though we find no record of the fact. Six years later, however, we find this record: "Thomas Makins, schoolmaster hath signified to this meeting his willingness to sit with his scholars in the meeting and take care of them, which the meeting think well of, and desire him as much as may be to bring all Friends' children with him on Fifth day, and also unto the meeting-day appointed for the youth's meeting, "i* These youth's meetings were held on the last Tuesday in Febru- ary, May, August, and November, is Though not held on Sunday, these youth's meetings seem to be the beginning of the modern Sunday School idea, i. e. a special season for the religious instruction of the young. The first school held on Sunday was also conducted by Friends. It began about 1819 and was devoted to the education of negro children, in the elementary branches of secular learning, is The first agitation of the subject of slavery appears to have been at a meeting held in Flushing, in 1716, when the LS Minutei of Meetings, 7, S. 14 Minutes of Meetings, I, 54. 15 Manusm-ipt History of the Society of Friends in Queens Gounty, H. Onderdonk, Jr., p. 139. 16 Mandeville, p. 713. 94 HISTORY OF FLUSHING subject was brought up by John Farmer. It occupied the attention of Friends for four subsequent yearly meetings. In 1718, William Burling, of this meeting, published an address on slavery, which is probably the first anti-slavery publication in this country, i^ The traditional history of the Flushing Meeting-House does not agree with that to be gathered from the original records. On the third day of the ninth month, 1693, orders were given to cut the timber and have it ready for "raising" in the next first month, i. e. January 1694. The first meet- ing was held in the Meeting House on the fourth day of the eighth month, 1694. is This is one year earlier than the tra- ditional date. But the Meeting-House then built was not 17 Manuscript History, p. 153-155. The Friends in Flush- ing had not always opposed slavery. We have at least one instance of the meeting's raising money to enable an impe- cunious Friend to buy a slave. In 1684, John Adams bought a negro and was not able to pay for him. His "neces- sity" was laid before the meeting, on the 14th. of 8th. mo. "The meeting did appoint and desire John Bowne of iflush- ing and William Ricardson of West Chester to take ye charge in behalf of ye meeting, to procure the sum of money . . . the meeting doeth promise and Engage to Relmburs and pay the said sumb soe procured. ' ' Minutes of Meetings. 18 On the 28th of 9th. mo. 1702, Samuel Haight was paid £50 for the money he had ' ' layd out' ' in building the Meeting-House. QUAKERS IN FLUSHING 95 the one which now stands. It is sad thus to disturb a fond tradition, and to deprive our Meeting-House of its claim to so great antiquity, but the records seem to show that the present building was not erected until 1718 or 1719. We give in full the entries concerning this subject: "At a Quarterly Meeting at ye meeting-house at Westbury ye 23d. 12mo. , 1716-7. It is Concluded at this meeting. Unani- mously, that ye meeting house proposed to be built at flflushing upon friends land there, neare ye Ould Meeting, be left to Hugh Cowperthwait, Samuel Bowne, francis Dowtey, James Jackson ; for Westbury : William Willis, Nathaniell Jonson, John Titus, Jeremiah Williams, Thomas Percon ; for Newtown : Robert ffeald ; for New Yorke : Joseph Lathem ; for West Chester : Jeremiah Hunt ; and that the men above said shall have power to form ye said house and agree with workmen and carrey it on, according to their discression and Receave ye seaverall subscription to pay said workmen." This building was completed sometime before the close of 1719. At the Quarterly Meeting held on the 28th of 9th month, 1719, the following minute was recorded : "Inasmuch as mention hath bene mad that severall men are out of what may be dew them about building of ye meeting house at fflushing, there for ye meeting hath appointed James Jackson, Francis Dowtey, Robert flfeld, William Bur- 96 HISTORY OF FLUSHING ling, Nathanael Simens and John Rodman to in spect ye accoumpts a bout ye dis bursement and what Remains yet Unpaid, and give accoumpt to ye next Quarterly Meeting, "is The present Meeting-house was not originally a two- storied building. A gallery occupied the position of the present upper floor, until 1763. The meeting kept a very close supervision over the con- duct of Friends, and never hesitated to enforce its rules of discipline. Penitents were compelled publicly to "condemn" their action. If offenders refused to do this, after being "tenderly dealt with," they were "disowned." Here in a sample (1705) of many similar entries. '"William Thome condemns his disorderly and evil action in accompanying William Ford and Mary Hait, his cousin, in their rebellious endeavor to accomplish marriage without and altogether against the consent of her parents. The meeting advise him to give Samuel Hait satisfaction by desiring his forgiveness, and to make his paper of condemnation public, as far as his action was known ; That truth may be cleared, a committee visit Thomas Ford who was concerned in assisting his brother William with great endeavor to perform a disorderly 19 Minutes, I, I4, 39 No further reference to the subject can be found. QUAKERS IN FLUSHING 97 marriage by a priest. Thomas condemns his outrunning in going to New Rochelle about his brother's disorder in attempting to get married, "^o 20 Many similar cases of discipline may be gathered from the records. 1739, 7th of 12mo. , R L condemns himself for consenting to his daughter marrying outside of meeting, and for being with her where there was "fiddling and dancing." Another offence was, giving her a dinner at his own home. 1782, E L is disowned. He plays cards, is extravagant in dress and address -uses vain com- pliments. 1781, E daughter of S D is disowned ' ' for superfluous, and extravagance in, dress and address. ' ' 1775, "O W was at a horse race, attended with a fraudulent circumstance. He now condemns it and returns what he had so obtained." In 177i, it was reported; "Friends are clear of chewing tobacco in meeting, not clear of sleeping, no buying or importing of negroes. " Maimacript History, p. 139, 173, 175, ISl. CHAPTER XI THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN FLUSHING— GOV- ERNOR CLINTON 1704 Two years after the visit of Keith "and Talbot, the serv- ices of the Church of England were regularly held in Flush- ing, if not at an earlier date. The first Rector of Jamaica, the Rev. Patrick Gordon, who had come out from England with Keith and Talbot, died of yellow fever before he had begun his work. Until his successor should be appointed, the Rev. James Honeyman was licensed, by Lord Cornbury, to conduct services at Jamaica, Flushing and Newtown. He spoke of Flushing as " famous for being stocked with Quakers. ' ' The regularly appointed Rector of these three towns, the Rev. William Urquhart, was inducted in July, 1704. Of the inhabitants of Flushing, he wrote : "Most of the inhabitants thereof are Quakers, who rove through the county from one village to another, talk blasphemy, corrupt the youth, and do much mischief." He visited Flushing once a month, and held services in the CHURCH OF ENGLAND 99 Guard House, which stood near the corner of Broadway and Union street, i Mr. Urquhart lived in Jamaica. He held services in Flushing twice a month — once on Sunday, and once on a week day. He died in 1709. His controversies with the 1709 Nonconformists, conceruing the possession of the church and glebe, belong to the history of Jamaica. Lord John Lovelace, who succeeded Cornbury as 1708 Governor of New York, arrived on Dec. 18, 1708. He came down the Sound, on the Kingsale, and landed at Flushing. ^ Thence he proceeded to New York, where he was cordially received by the people. He died in the following year, and 1710 was succeeded, 1710, by Robert Hunter. The same year brought to the three united parishes of Jamaica, Newtown, and Flushing, a new Rector, in the person of the Rev. Thos. Poyer. Mr. Foyer was a native of Wales. He sailed for America, in December, 1709. After a voyage of over three months, he was shipwrecked on the coast oH Long Island, about a hundi-ed miles from his par- ish. Mr. Poyer proved to be a faithful and hard working 1711 pastor. In his report to the Society, May 3, 1711, he 1 Hiitory of 8t, George's Parish, si, 22. Antiquities of the Pariah Church of Jamaica, p. 16-20. 2 Documents, V, 67. 100 HISTORY OF FLUSHING wrote : "I thank God the Church of England increaseth, for among the Quakers at Flushing ... I have seldom so 1713 few as fifty hearers." Again, two years later: "The Churches increase beyond expectation, and among the Quakers in Flushing ... I seldom have so few as fifty, and often more than a hundred hearers. ' ' Mr. Poyer received £50, a year from the Society, and very little from any other source. The friction between the Church of England and 1717 the Nonconformists continued. Mr. Poyer wrote, in 1717 : "They make it their constant endeavour to tire me with their ill usage and to starve me. "3 The shop-keepers would not sell him provisions ; the miller would not grind his corn. The miller told him to eat his corn whole, as the hogs do. 1731 In 17,31, Mr. Poyer asked to be relieved of his duties, that he might return home ; but he died of small-pox, in the same year, and was buried in Jamaica. Two manuscript sermons, preached by Mr. Poyer in Flushing, are still pre served in St. George's Church. 1733 '^^^ Rev. Thomas Colgan succeeded Mr. Poyer, in 1733. He had been an assistant minister in Trinity Church, New York. His wife was the daughter oi John Reade. Mr. Colgan 's conciliatory methods did much to overcome the opposition to the Church of England. The first Episcopal 3 Documentary History of New York, III, 171. CHURCH OF ENGLAND 101 Church, in Flushing, was built during his rectorship. He wrote, in 1746, that they were "in a very likely way of 1746 having a church erected in the town of Flushing, a place generally inhabited by Quakers, and by some of no religion at all. "4 He expressed the hope, that the church would be ready for service in three months. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel sent, for use in the new church, a copy of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, bound together, which may still be seen in St. George's Church. "A Quaker gave some money, at the opening of the new church" — Mr. Colgan writes — "and afterwards thought he had not put enough in the plate, and gave more to the col- lector. " The churchyard was the gift of Capt. Hugh 1749 Wentworths and Mary his wife. Capt. Wentworth was a merchant in the West Indian trade. The deed is dated, April 7, 1749 — three years after the completion of the Church. "I7CQ It was during the rectorship of Mr. Colgan, that Flush- ' "'^ ing became the temporary residence of Sir George Clinton, 4 Documentary Histn-ry of New Torh\ III, 194. 5 The New York Post Boy, of October 25, 1756, contains the following: "Capt. Wentworth, being at St. Thomas, mustered as many New Yorkers as he could find (twenty- four hands in all), and in his own vessel, indifferently mounted with great guns, put to sea in pursuit of a French Privateer cruising off the harbor and chasing New York vessels. The Privateer thought best to disappear. ' ' 102 HISTORY OP FLUSHING the Governor of the Province. ^ How long the Governor lived in Flushing, we are unable to say. It is certain that he was here in 1753.'' On May .3, 175.S, the Provincial Council met in Flushing— present : the Hon. Jas. Alexander, Speaker, Archibald Kennedy, and Edward Holland. An address was presented to his Excellency, the Governor, who responded, in these words ; ' ' Gentlemen ; I thank you for this kind address, as it is a great satisfaction to me to have my conduct and administration meet with your appro- bation. ' ' One of Governor Clinton's letters to the Lords of Trade, is dated: "Flushing upon Long Island, ye 30 June, 1753." In this letter, he speaks of his lack of health, and expresses the 6 Sir George Clinton was the youngest son of the sixth Earl of Lincoln, He became Commodore in the navy, and later, in 17,32, Governor of Newfoundland. He was ap- pointed Governor of New York, in 1743, and retired in 1753. Returning to England he was appointed Governor of Green- wich Hospital; later, in 1757, Admiral of the Fleet; finally, a second time. Governor of Newfoundland, where he died, in 1761. 7 "He committed the error of secluding himself in the fort, or at his country seat, where he spent his time over his bottle, with a few dependents, who played billiards with his lady and lived on his bounty. He seldom went abroad ; many of the citizens never saw him ; and he did not attend Divine worship more than three or four times during his whole administration. ' ' New Tre accounts of the raids of these whaleboats at Bayside and Little Neck. Several houses were robbed at Bayside, among others that of John Thurman, a New York merchant. At Little Neck, Thos. Hicks was robbed of his law books and other property. Documents and Lett&i's, p. I46. David Haviland and Robert Lawrence offered a reward of ten guineas, Aug. 4, 1783, for the recovery of thirty-four sheep, which had been taken away in a boat at Abraham Lawrence's Point. Documents and Letters, p. I5I. 10 "David Golden, Esq., an inhabitant of Flushing, a gentleman of the first character and reputation as to honesty and veracity, told me that when the troops left that place, in the spring of 1781, there was not a four-footed animal left in the town (a few dogs excepted) nor a wooden fence standing within the township. ' ' Jones /, 368. Holt's Journal, Aug. 10, 1778, contains information fur- nished by a "gentleman who left Flushing, last Lord's Day. ' ' He stated : ' ' Bread was very scarce, pease and oatmeal being served out instead. Commissary rations were entirely stopped. Soldiers' wives were allowed quarter, instead of half rations. The Long Island people were selling off their small cattle and poultry, as they were daily robbed of them by the soldiery. Our friends on the island, since the battle of Monmouth, are in high spirits, and the formerly active Tories now begin to hang their heads and cry, peecavi. Documents and Letters, p. 14S. 146 HISTORY OF FLUSHING pelled to put their turkeys, geese and chickens in the cellars at night, and keep strict watch over them in the tields during the day. "It was no uncommon thing for a farmer, his wife and children, to sleep in one room, while his sheep were bleating in the room adjoining, his hogs grunting in the kitchen, the cock crowing, hens cackling, ducks quack- ing and geese hissing, in the cellar. ' ' Horned cattle were locked up in barns. But, in spite of lock and bar, they were not always safe. David Golden had a fine stall-fed ox, which he was reserving for New Year's, but the barn was broken open and the ox was driven away. "This robbing was done," adds Jones, "by people sent to America to pro- tect Loyalists against the persecution and depredations of rebels. To, complain was needless ; the ofHcers shared in the plunder. "*i The murder of James Hedger, already referred to, occurred in April, 1782. *2 He was living in the house of 41 Jones's History of New York During the Revolutionary War, I, 2&3. This history was written between 1783 and 1788. 42 This was Hedger's second encounter with robbers. Some time before this he found two men choking his sister. He ran for his gun. They, thinking he was trying to escape, ran around the house to intercept him. Hedger killed one of them and wounded the other. The body of the dead man, who was named Sibly, was hanged on a gibbet, on the Hempstead plains, and the regiment paraded before it. The wounded man received 1,000 lashes, save one. Documents_and Letters, p. 147. BRITISH OCCUPATIO.N 147 his sister, the "Widow Talman, at the mill, four miles east of Flushing. ' ' Hearing a noise, Hedger went to the door to call his dog, and was shot dead. The murderers secured property valued at £200, in specie, clothing and plate. They were afterwards discovered to be members of the 38th and 54th regiments of Grenadiers. One of them, named Perrot, confessed. Five others fled. Three of them were captured and taken to Bedford, whither the regiments had gone. There, two, named French and Porter, were hanged. *» Ten days after the murder, an address, signed by forty- seven inhabitants of Flushing, was presented to Lieut. Col. A. Bruce, of the 54th, commanding the 38th and 54th, thanking him for the quiet and security enjoyed by the community, for the politeness of the officers and the orderly and decent behavior of the soldiers. The address stated that, during the winter, there had been no occasion for murmuring or complaining.*''' Though this was after the murder, it must have been before the culprits had been discovered. Samuel Skjdmore, near Black Stump, was shot, while in his house — the ball having passed through the window. *5 43 Documents and Letters, p. J47. 44 Documents and Letters, p. I48. 45 HUtory of Queens County, p. S3. 148 HISTOEY OP FLUSHING The house of B. Areson, at Fresh Meadows, was robbed. One of Simcoe's men came and asked for cider. While Mr. Areson went to draw it, the soldier stole $10. He returned at night and carried away property valued at SIOO. Mr. Areson had a new, unfinished house. It and his barn were torn down by the Jagers. *^ James Bowne was awakened one night by a disturbance in his barn-yard. Going to the window to discover the cause of the noise, he received a musket ball through his arm. His son Walter, a lad about ten years old, in company with his cousin William Bowne, the son of Willet Bowne, went through the woods for Dr. Belden, to dress the wound. Willet Bowne also had an ex- perience with lawless marauders. His house was entered at night, and he was aroused by a company of partially dis- guised men who demanded his money. On his refusing to give it up, they tied his hands to the bed-post and applied a lighted candle to the ends of his fingers. But the old man loved his gold more than his fingers. The would-be robbers, being unable to discover his treasure, were compelled to go away empty-handed. Bowne recognized them, in spite of their disguise, or at least thought he did ; but magnani- mously declined to prosecute them. 46 Documents and Letters, p. 150. BRITISH OCCUPATION 149 On Christmas Eve, 1779, the house of Col. Hamilton took fire, and was burned to the ground. Everything in the house was destroyed — "elegant furniture, a stock of provis- ions and various sorts of wines, spirits, intended to regale his numerous friends, the military and other gentlemen of the neighborhood, at this convivial season. "*7 On the first day of August, 1782, Flushing was honored by a visit from His Royal Highness William Henry, the Prince of Clarence, who was afterwards King William IV. While in Flushing, the Prince was the guest of William Prince. His Royal Highness came to present a stand of colors to the King's American Dragoons, then in camp about three miles east of the village, on ground afterwards owned by James Lawrence. Col. Benjamin Thompson, afterwards Count Rumford, was in command. The regiment, consist- ing of four mounted and two unmounted troops, was formed in front of the encampment, with two pieces of light artillery on the right. About sixty yards in front of the regiment was a canopy, twenty feet high, supported by ten pillars. East of this was a semi-circular ^bower, for the accommo- dation of spectators. The standard was planted under the canopy. At one o'clock, the Prince arrived, accompanied 47 Royal Gazette, JV, Y., Jan. 5, 1780. Documents and Letters, p. I44. 150 HISTORY OP FLUSHING by Admiral Digby, General Birch, the Hon. Lieut. Col. Fox, of the 38th, Lieut. Col. Small, of the 84th, and other officers of distinction. He received the usual salute, the trumpets sounded, and the band played "God save the King. ' ' The Prince and his attendants took their places under the canopy. The regiment passed in review before the Prince, dismounted and formed in a semi-circle before the canopy. The Chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Odell, delivered an appropriate address. After this, the whole regiment kneeled, laid their helmets and arms on the ground, held up their right hands, and took the solemn oath of allegiance to their sovereign, and fidelity to the standard. After the Chap- lain had pronounced the benediction, the soldiers arose, re- turned to their former position, and fired the royal salute. They then mounted and saluted the standard. The standard was consecrated and placed in the hands of the Prince. He, with his own hands, presented it to Col. Thompson, who in turn delivered it to the senior cornets. At a signal, all the sol- diers and spectators gave three cheers, the band played "God save the King, ' ' and the artillery fired the royal salute. Thus closed the impressive ceremony. A feast was then prepared for the soldiers. An ox was roasted whole, "spitted on a hickory sapling supported on crotches and turned by handspikes. ' '*» 48 Boyal Gazette, iV. F., 178S. Documents and Letters, p. I49 BRITISH OCCUPATION 151 One of the most serious, indirect results of the Revolu- tion, which fell upon the farmers of Flushing, was the "almost total destruction of the wheat crop by the ravages of the Hessian fly." It was believed that this pest was brought from Germany, in grain imported for the British army. The price of wheat flour advanced from 35s. , per ewt. , in 1777, to 80s. , per cwt. , in 1779. It was an inhab- itant of Flushing, named Underhill, a farmer and miller, who discovered the remedy that saved the wheat crop, not only of Flushing, but of a large part of the country. The New York Packet tells the story thus : ' ' The insect that has destroyed the wheat many years past continues to spread, but it has no effect on the white-bearded wheat raised on Long Island. This wheat was brought here from the south- west during the war, and a few bushels sown by a Flushing farmer, grew well, and afforded a fine crop. He kept on, and has supplied his neighbors. It grew twenty bushels to the acre, and weighs over sixty pounds. It is of a bright yellow color, and makes fine flour. The straw is harder, and resists the poison of the fly, and supports the grain, while bearded and bald wheat were cut off. "*9 Farmers from different parts of the state sent to Flushing for seed, and found the result to be all that had been promised. 49 New York Packet, July 20, 1786. 152 HISTORY OF FLUSHING The war came to an end, and New York was evacuated in November, 1783. The exit from Flushing is thus de- scribed by a contemporary: "In the morning there were thousands of soldiers around. In the afternoon they were all gone, and it seemed lonesome. " ■''» Although the Friends of Flushing refused to take part in the war of Independence, they were at the same time engaged in efforts to accomplish another sort of freedom — the freedom of slaves from bondage. Samuel Underhill of New York is "dealt with," by the meeting held at Flushing, 5th of 6th mo. , 1765, for importing negroes from Africa. He acknowledges his fault and hopes to conduct himself more agreeably to the Friends' principles, ^i In 1775 a committee is appointed "to visit such Friends as hold negro slaves, to inquire into the circumstances and manner of education of the slaves, and give such advice as the nature of the case requires. "52 In the next year the committee reported that many Friends had slaves, but seemed disposed to free them. Some had already done so ; others justified slavery. Later in the same year, a committee is appointed "to labor with Friends who keep these poor people in bondage, in the 50 Flint's Early Long Island, p. 455. 51 Minutei^ V, 59. 52 Minutes, VI, S4. BRITISH OCCUPATION 153 ability that truth may afford, for their release." It was further decided that Friends could "have no unity" with those who held slaves, and that the meeting would receive no collections from slave-holders. 53 it was at another meeting ordered, that Friends should do nothing that involved an acknowledgment that slavery was right. 53 Minutes, VII, 4 et i PART V— The American Period CHAPTER XV MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 1783 Before entering upon this, the last, period of Flushing's history, it may be well to stop long enough to take a brief survey of the condition, habits and customs of the people at the beginning of our nation's life. It is hard to realize that scarcely one of the inventions and discoveries which we today regard as the marks of modern civilization, had then been made. There was then no railroad, no steamboat, no telegraph. In going from Flushing to New York one had either to take passage in one of the sloops, which sailed from Flushing several times a week, or had to drive over the country road which led him to Brooklyn, by the head of the Fly, through Jamaica and Bedford— a distance of about seventeen miles. The passage across the river, from Brook- lyn to New York, was not without danger, and was attended by frequent and annoying delays. The ferry-boats were MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 155 either clumsy row-boats ; flat-bottomed, square-ended scows, with sprit-sails; or two-masted boats, called perlaguas. i "When the wind blew with the tide, the passengers con- sidered themselves fortunate, if they were landed on the other side within an hour. In winter, the boats were frequently held fast for hours in an ice-jam. Boats thus situated often went to pieces under the pressure of the ice. In January, 1784, a boat was thus crushed and sunk, within a few feet of the New York shore. There were eight passengers on board. One was drowned ; the others took refuge on a cake of ice, and were carried down to the Nar- rows before they were rescued. 2 During the same year, a ferry-boat went down with five horses on board. Persons driving in from the country would sometimes wait two or three days for favorable weather to cross to New York. There was no postoffice on Long Island at this time. People at the west end of the Island were supposed to receive their mail in New York ; but, as early as 1775, a Scotchman, named Dunbar, rode once in two weeks through the Island, with the mail. Dunbar was not a public ofBcial, but had undertaken the work of post-rider as a private enterprise. He would go east by the North Shore, and 1 McMaster^s People of the United States, /, 47. 2 New York Packet, Jan. SS, 1784. 156 HISTORY OF FLUSHING return by the South Side. The day on which he was due at any place was called "post-day." Half the village would assemble at the inn to meet him. In addition to the few letters and the newspapers, a week old, he brought all the news of the road over which he had travelled. Persons who were unwilling to have the contents of their letters known to the post-rider, corresponded in cypher, for he did not hesitate to amuse himself, on his long and lonesome ride, by reading the letters he carried. A gentleman of the period, ^ if he was a person of means, wore a three-cornered hat, heavily laced. His hair was powdered and done up in a cue. His coat was light-colored, with a diminutive cape, a marvellously long back, and silver buttons. His small-clothes came scarcely to his knees ; his stockings were striped ; his shoes were pointed, and fastened with large buckles ; his vest had flap-pockets ; his cuffs were loaded with lead. When he bowed to a lady, he took up half the sidewalk, as he flourished his cane and scraped his foot. The lady, in returning his salutation, courtesied almost to the ground. She was gorgeously attired. Her gown of heavy brocade or taffeta was spread out over huge hoops, which extended two feet on each side. 3 McMaster's People of the United States, I, 66. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 157 Her hat loomed up like a tower, or she wore a muskmelon- bonnet. The farmer* had his one suit of broadcloth, which he wore on Sundays and on state occasions. It lasted him a lifetime, and was bequeathed to his son. His every-day suit of clothes was made from homespun. He had none of the agricultural implements used today. He plowed his land with a wooden bull-plow, sowed his grain broad cast, cut it with a scythe, and threshed it out on his barn floor with a flail. His house was never painted, and had no car- pets. He lighted his fire in the huge open fireplace with a flint, for there were no matches in those days. The spinning wheel and the loom were important and conspicu- ous articles in the house of the well-to-do farmer. His food was simple and coarse, and varied little, from day to day, throughout the year. The day laborer^ wore a pair of yellow buckskin, or leathern breeches, a checked shirt, a red flannel jacket, a rusty felt hat, cocked up at the corners, a pair of heavy shoes with huge brass buckles, and a leathern apron. If he fell into debt to the extent of a few dollars, he was liable to be cast into one of those filthy prisons, where men and 4 McMaster's People of the United States. I, 19. 5 McMaster's People of the United States, J, 97. 158 HISTORY OF FLUSHING women herded together — the lowest criminals and the unfor- tunate debtors. There he might stay until his clothes rotted on his back, or until he died. In those prisons, no clothes were provided for the naked, and such a thing as a bed was rare indeed. We who know but one unit of value, can scarcely con- ceive of the difficulties encountered by our ancestors in their money transactions, s In every state there were two units of value — the State pound, and the standard Spanish dollar. These state pounds, shillings and pence had no existence outside of the account books. They were not coins, but units of value. The pounds were divided into shillings and pence in the usual way. It required eight New York shil- lings, or ninety -six pence, to make a dollar; in South Caro- lina and Georgia, four shillings and eight pence had the same value ; in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, people counted seven shillings and six pence of their money to a dollar. Thus in New York State a customer would pay a Spanish quarter for an article marked at two shillings ; in Georgia, he would probably pay the same price, but the article would be marked one shilling and two pence. 6 McMmter's People of the United States, J, SS. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 159 The school houses were small, unpretentious buildings. They were not painted, outside or inside ; nor were the walls ceiled or plastered. A Dutch wood-stove was used to raise the temperature in. the school-house somewhat above the freezing point. The parents of the pupils carted the wood, the older boys out it, and the younger ones carried it in. The first pupil to arrive in the morning started the fire with live coals brought from the nearest house. The larger boys attended school only in the winter, the larger girls only in the summer. The girls swept the school-room once a week, and occasionally scrubbed it. On these latter occa- sions, the boys assisted by carrying the water. Dilworth's speller was a standard text-book. After the Revolution, it was gradually supplanted by Webster's spel- ling-book. The master was generally the only person who had an arithmetic. He wrote the "sums" in the pupils' "ciphering books," into which books the pupils copied the correct solutions after their work on the slates had been approved. The masters were generally single men, were engaged for a quarter, and would go from one school to another. They did not spare the rod. There were no steel pens, in those days, no ready-made writing books, there was no ruled paper. The school-master made and mended the quill-pens, and 160 HISTORY OF FLUSHING ruled the paper for writing-books, with a piece of lead. Ink was made by mixing Walkden's ink-powder with vinegar and water. ' The population of the town of Flushing was about 1600, at the close of the Revolutionary war. ^ There were not more than fifty houses in the village. Main street and Broadway were the principal thoroughfares. The village pona, about seventy-five feet wide and two hundred feet long, occupied the place where the park now is. East of the pond, and in front of the Friends' Meeting-house, arose a perpendicular bank of earth about eight feet high. It has been graded down to give the gradual incline of Broadway. The grade of Main street rose to the top of the wall in front of the Garretson property, at that point. The Quaker Meeting-house, sadly desecrated by the war, was, in outward appearance, about as it is to-day. St. George's Church was a small wooden building, with a slender spire, and occupied the site of the present church. John Holroyd was proprietor of the Queen's Head tavern. The Guard House, which was built as a means of defence, and afterwards used as a town jail, and which stood east of the Meeting-house, near the corner of Union street and Broad- 7 Alden J. Spooner, in History of Queens County, p. 55. 8 Mandeville, pp. S7, 75, 76. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 161 "way, had been destroyed during the war. The whipping- post stood in front of what is now the Flushing Hotel. The Bowne House, the Garretson House, the .Aspinwall House, the Duryea House, and a few other buildings, belong to this period. The localities known by the names of Head of the Tly (or Vleigh), Fresh Meadows, Black Stump, Bayside, 'Whitestone,9 had the same names at the close of the Revolu- tionary War. The neck of land occupied by College Point was then known as Lawrence's or Tew's Neck, lo All elections were held at Jamaica, until 1799. All voting was mva voce, until after the Revolution, when secret ballots were cast for Governor and Lieutenant-Governor. The vote for assemblymen was viva voce, until 1787. 9 A part of Whitestone for some time bore the name of Cookie Hill. The village was first called Clintonville ; but in 1854, when the postofEce was established, the old name Whitestone was restored. 10 Tew's Neck was later known as Stratton Port. Its present name of College Point owes its origin to the fact that St. Paul's College was established there by Dr. Muhlenberg in 1846. Other local names, such as "Quarrelsome Lane" and ""Lonely Barn," have long disappeared. 1779 CHAPTER XVI EECONSTEUCTION New York was not evacuated until Nov. 25, 1783 ; but the work of reconstruction and of the punishment of Loyal- ists began four years earlier. The Act of Attainder and Confiscation was passed in 1779. By this act, fifty-eight of New York's best inhabitants were adjudged and declared guilty of felony, and were sentenced "to suffer death as in cases of felony, without benefit of clergy, for adhesion [to the enemies of the State. ' ' Among this number was David Golden, of Flushing. The act was supposed to have origin- ated with Sir James Jay. His brother, John Jay, wrote from Madrid, concerning this act : ' ' An English paper con- tains what they call, but I can hardly believe to be, your Confiscation Act. If truly printed, New York is disgraced by injustice too palpable to admit even of palliation, "i This act could, of course, have no effect until after the declaration of peace. It was then relentlessly enforced, though clearly opposed to Article Fifth of the treaty. The 1 Flint, p. 453. RECONSTRUCTION 163 emigration of Loyalists to Canada began as early as 1782. 1782 Negotiations for peace were then being carried on, and the end was plainly seen. The emigration that affected Queens County was the one which took place in the following 1783 spring, when "The Spring Fleet," consisting of twenty square-rigged ships, carried more than 3000 persons to New Brunswick, Canada. 2 These emigrants from Queens County founded the city of St. John's and gave the city its first mayor — Gabriel G. Ludlow, whose farm lay partly in North Hempstead and partly in Flushing. ^ Early in the next year, Congress sent copies of the 1784 Fifth Article of the treaty to the several state legislatures, with the note : "It was the desire of the Congress to have it communicated to them for their consideration. ' ' New York was especially bitter against the Loyalists. The city and the surrounding country had been occupied by the British throughout the whole time of the war, and the Patriots had been driven from their homes. On their return, they determined that the Loyalists must go. They declared that if the Loyalists were allowed to remain they would 2 Flint, p. 493. At the election for assemblymen, in 1786, there were only 25 votes cast in Flushing and 359 in the whole county. The majority of the voters had been disfranchised. 3 Ludlow's farm was confiscated and sold to Captain Berrien and Isaac Ledyard, of Newtown, for £800. 164 HISTORY OF FLUSHING depart themselves. The New York legislature replied to the note of Congress: "That while this legislature entertain the highest sense of national honor . . . they find it incon- sistent with their duty to comply with the recommendation of the said Congress."* 1785 ^^^ courts, which had been closed during the war, were again opened. The county seat was established at Jamaica, and Willet Skidmore and others, of Flushing, signed a petition for the erection of a new Court-house. Cadwallader D. Golden, the Assistant Attorney General, writes thus of the court, a few years later: "The Court of Queens County is at all times the least orderly of any court I ever was in. The entry to the Court-house is lined, on court days, with stalls of dram-sellers and filled with drunken people, so as to be almost impassable. ' ' The Constitution of the United States was signed, Sept. 1788 17, 1787. It was ratified by New York, July 26, 1788. On August 8th the adoption of the Constitution was celebrated in Flushing by a large gathering of people from different parts of the country. A colonade, constructed of evergreens, was erected on the green. Above the colonade were the standards of the states that had ratified the Constitution. At the east end of this enclosure stood a canopy of white 4 Flint, p. 467. RECONSTRUCTION 165 linen, about which were curtains caught up with blue rib- bons. Across the front of the canopy were the words : "Federal Constitution, September, 1787." Under the canopy, on a platform covered with a rich carpet, stood the president's chair. The day was ushered in with a salute by the artillery. At three o'clock, in the afternoon, the dis- charge of guns announced that the banquet was served. The president, Uol. William S. Smith, was conducted to the chair, "and the gentlemen sat down with that hilarity usual on such an occasion. ' ' Many patriotic toasts were drunk, and Mr. John Mulligan, a student of "Columbia Col- lege, delivered an oration.* Washington was inaugurated, in New York, as the first President of the United States, April 23, 1789. On the 1789 tenth of the following October, he came to Flushing to see the Linnean Gardens of William Prince. "Pursuant to an engagement formed on Thursday last, ' ' says Washington, in his diary, "I sett off from New York, about nine o'clock, in my barge to visit Mr. Prince's fruit gardens and shrub- beries, at Flushing, on Long Island. The Vice President, Governor of the State, Mr. Izard, Colonel Smith and Major 5 "This unexpected exhibition to the auditory, the graceful manner and interesting subject, excited the ad- miration of the hearers and commanded loud plaudits to the youthful orator." New York Daily Advertiser, Aug., 13, 1788. 166 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Jackson accompanied me. These gardens, except in the number of young trees, did not answer my expectations. The shrubs were trifling and the flowers not numerous. The inhabitants of the place showed us what respect they could, by making the best use of one cannon to salute. "^ Mandeville states that, in 1858, thfere still lived in Flushing an old negro, James Bantas, who remembered the visit. He said : "A large tent, made of cedar bushes and other evergreens, was erected and extended diagonally from Alfred C. Smith's corner toward the Flushing Hotel. In this were tables abundantly spread, and dinner was served. When the people were shouting and swinging their hats, Washington, who wore a three-cornered hat, raised his and bowed in recognition of their approbation."'' The party crossed to the mainland and stopped, on their way to the city, at the country seats of General and Gouver- neur Morris, in Morrisania. At Harlem they were met by Mrs. Washington, Mrs. Adams, and Mrs. Smith. They dined with the ladies at a small tavern kept by Captain Mariner, s Shortly after Washington's visit, October 22nd, the house of Jeremiah Vanderbilt, the town Clerk, was burnt 6 Washington's Diary, Saturday, Oct, 10, 1789, p. 17 ei sq. 7 Mandeville, p. 64. 8 Washington^ Diary, p. 18. RECONSTRUCTION 167 and the town records were destroyed. That event has made the writing of the history of Flushing no easy task. Nellie, a slave of Capt. Daniel Braine, and Sarah, a slave of Van- derbilt, were the incendiaries. ^ They were brought to trial, 1790 September 8th, of the following year, convicted and sen- tenced to be hanged, on October 14th. Sarah, because of her youth, was afterwards reprieved. Judge Robert Yates pre- sided at the trial and Aaron Burr, as Attorney-General, was the'prosecutor. During this year* Washington made a second visit to Flushing. There was much discussion about the selection of a permanent seat of government. The President took great interest in the question and inspected many places proposed, lo Harlem Heights, Westchester, and various places on Long Island were proposed. "Washington, having pre- viously sent over his servants, his horses and carriage, crossed to Brooklyn and drove through Flatbush, New Utrecht, Gravesend, Jamaica, and beyond. ' ' He spent nearly a week on the island. On his way back, he break- fasted at Henry Onderdonk's in Roslyn and dined at Flush- ing. From Flushing, the party drove to Newtown, thence to Brooklyn. Concerning this part of his trip, the President 9 New York JournM, October^ 1789. 10 LamVi History of New York, II, S7S. 168 HISTORY OF FLUSHING said: "The road is very fine and the Country in a higher state of cultivation and vegetation of Grass and grain, for- warder (?) than any place also, I had seen, and occasioned in a great degree by the Manure drawn from the City of New York — before sundown we had crossed the Ferry, and was at home. "11 1791 The inhabitants of Flushing and of the neighboring villages now turned their attention to the subject of provi- ding themselves with better educational facilities than they had hitherto enjoyed. A number of residents of Flushing and of Jamaica met at the residence of Mrs. Joanna Hinch- mau, in Jamaica, March 1, 1791, to make arrangements for building an academy in Jamaica. A committee of twelve was appointed to solicit subscripitons. The academy was completed, and was opened for students, May 1st, of the following year. It was called Union Hall, because built by the united efforts of Flushing, Jamaica and Newtown. The opening of the academy was the occasion of much rejoicing, and was celebrated by a dinner at Hinchman's inn, Jamaica. 12 Maltby Gelston was the first Principal. The academy did good work for many year§. It was closed in 1873. 11 Washington's Diary, p. 1S6. 12 Queens County in Olden Times, p. 79 et sq. 1792 RECONSTRUCTION 169 The freeholders of Flushing, who had already secured patents from the Dutch and the English, were now com- pelled to have their rights confirmed by the authorities of the State of New York. This was done, Feb. 24, 1792, by a lengthy document, called: "Exemplification of Flushing Patent. ' ' It rehearses the Patent granted by Governor Dongan, and adds: "All which we have oatised to be ex- emplified by these presents. In testimony whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made patent, and the Great Seal of our State to be hereunto affixed. Witness our truly and well-beloved George Clinton, Esquire, Governor of our Said State, General and Commander in Chief of all the Militia and Admiral of the same, at our City of New York, the twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and in the six- teenth year of our Independence, "is In the summer of 1798 Congress passed two laws, com- 1798 monly called the Alien and Sedition Laws, which caused great discontent and excitement throughout the country. They were occasioned by the trouble with -France. They gave the President power to send out of the country all aliens who were thought to be dangerous or who were sus- pected of plotting against the Government. If such sus- 13 Mandemlle, p. 2S. 170 HISTORY OP FLUSHING pected persons did not leave the country, they were liable to imprisonment and would never be allowed to become citizens. Writing or speaking false, scandalous or malicious things against the Government, the President, or Congress, were made punishable offences. These acts threw the country into great eicitement. The people were divided into two factions. The Federalists, who were accused of being under British influence, wore black cockades on their hats, demanded the orchestras in the theatres to play the ' ' President ' s March, " " Yankee Doodle, ' ' and ' ' Stony Point," They tore down the French liberty-cap from poles and put the American Eagle in its place. The Republicans were termed Jacobins. They were French sympathizers. They wore the tricolor cockades, tried to drown the sounds of "Yankee Doodle" in the theatres with demands for "Ca-ira" or the "Marseillaise" hymn. They waylaid young men at night and tore off their black cockades. Musicians in the theatres were pelted, and fiddles were smashed, because the music did not suit one or the other faction. Meetings were held all over the country, protesting against the Alien and Sedition Laws, or endors- ing them. 1* 14 McMoiter^s People of the United States, II, 308-4I6. RECONSTRUCTION 171 Newtown declared against the laws, "and called upon Flushing to cooperate with them in petitioning for the repeal of the laws. A meeting was called in Flushing. It was held some time in December, at the inn kept by John Bradwell. Lewis Cornwall was chosen chairman and David Gardner, clerk. Flushing declared for the Federalists and the black cockade. The meeting resolved that : ' ' We place the utmost confidence in the wisdom, patriotism and integrity of the President of the United States and both houses of Congress, and cannot believe they would pass an act contrary to the Constitution or the interest of these States . . . We shall use our endeavors to assist the Govern- ment in the execution of these laws and all others. "i5 15 Queens County in Olden Times, p. 89. CHAPTER XVII FLUSHING'S NEW LIFE 1800 Up to the beginning of the present century the road to New York ran through Jamaica to Brooklyn, where the river was crossed by means of a ferry. In 1800, a company was formed in Flushing, to build a bridge over the creek. William Prince was President of the company. The bridge, then erected, was washed away two years later ; but it was - soon rebuilt. Since then, several bridges have been erected at the same spot. Before the construction of this bridge, foot-passengers were taken across the creek in small row- boats. James Rantas and Thomas Smith, two colored men, acted as ferrymen for many years. The construction of the bridge was soon followed by the opening of a road from the bridge to Newtown. This was accomplished only after much opposition on the part of the farmers. William Prince and John Aspinwall were especially active in securing this improvement. A stage was now established by William FLUSHING'S NEW LIFE 173 Mott, to run between Flushing and Brooklyn, by way of Newtown and Bedford, i Union Hall, in Jamaica, does not appear to have satis- 1803 fied the educational needs of Flushing. St. George's parish, therefore, built, and for a short time maintained, an aca- demy in Flushing. It stood on the church property, at the corner of Main and Locust streets. After two years' ex- periment, the parish conveyed the academy to a board of trustees, for the term of nine hundred ninety-nine years, "at the annual rent of six cents when legally demanded." The trustees were : William Prince, Thomas Philips, David Gardner, Samuel H. Van Wyck, Daniel Bloodgood. 2 They called the academy Hamilton Hall. The prospectus of the school stated that it was "situated at the pleasant and healthy village of Flushing," with a Principal who had been "regularly educated in the University of Gottingen;" and describes the curriculum as embracing "Greek, Latin, French and English languages — German and Hebrew if required — also the various branches of Mathematics, Eead- 1 Mott was on the road for seven years. He was suc- ceeded by Carman Smith, Greenwall, Kissam, John Boyd and others. Boyd drove for seventeen years. His was the first stage from Flushing that crossed the ferry to New York. His route was across the Grand street ferry, up Grand to the Bowery, and down the Bowery to Chatham square. Mandeville, p. 71. 2 History of St. George's Parish, p. 75. 1810 174 HISTORY OF FLUSHING ing, Writing, Arithmetic, English Grammar, Bookkeep- ing." The patrons were assured that attention would be given to "the health and morals of young persons sent for education. "^ Hamilton Hall was not successful. It was returned to the vestry of St. George's Church, in 1810, for $1,125. The vestry again attempted to maintain the school ; but, after a few years' struggle, abandoned the undertaking and con- verted the building into a Sunday School. The building was subsequently removed to the southwest corner of Wash- ington and Garden streets, where it still stands. 1811 Up to this time, the Quaker meeting and St. George's Episcopal Church were the only religious organizations in the town. The next to appear was the African Macedonian Church. The Rev. Benjamin GrifBn, a white preacher, officiated for this negro congregation in his circuit. There were at this time no Methodists among the white people of Flushing. * 3 Queens County in Olden Times, p. 94. 4 The African Methodist Church was not built until 1837. MandeviUe,p. 165. Following are the Pastors, with the dates of their com- ing to Flushing : Rev. Henry Hearden, 1821 ; Rev. Stephen Dutton, 1823; Rev. William Quim, 1824; Rev. Jacob Mathias, 1826 ; Rev. Samuel Todd, 1826 ; Rev. Israel Scott, 1828; Rev. Jeremiah Miller, 1829; Rev. Israel Scott, 1831; Rev. Edward C. Afrioanus, 1850 ; Rev. Japheth P. Camp- bell, 1853; Rev. William H. Ross, 1854; Rev. J. R. V. FLUSHING'S NEW LIFE 175 To the "Flushing Female Association" is to be awarded IglA the honor of having established the first free school in Flushing. This Association, organized Feb. 12, 1814, was composed of a number of public-spirited women, most if not all of whom were members of the Society of Friends, who banded together to further the interests of education. Each member paid $2,00 a year into the treasury. Contributions soon began to come in from the outside, to assist the Asso- ciation in its work. 5 The school was opened April 6, 1814, in a dwelling in Liberty street, near the site of the building now owned by the Association. For a few months the Thomas, 1855; Rev. George Wier, 1856; Rev. James M. Wil- liams, 1857 ; Rev. Leonard Paterson, 1858 ; Rev. William Moore, 1860; Rev. Geo. W. Johnson, 1862; Rev. D. Dorrell, 1864; Rev. William H. Ross, 1866; Rev. Edward B. Davis, 1867; Rev. Henderson Davis, 1868; Rev. Abraham C. Crippen, 1871 ; Rev. Benjamin Lynch, 1872 ; Rev. Chas. H. Green, 1874; Rev. Jas. M. Williams, D. D., 1875; Rev. E. T. Thomas, 1876; Rev. John Prisby, 1877; Rev. Edw. B. Davis, 1878 ; Rev. T. C. Franklin, 1879 ; Rev. J. G. Mobray, 1880; Rev. William F. Townsend, 1882; Rev. Chas. N. Gib- bons, 1885; Rev. T. B. Reed, 1888; Rev. Israel Derricks, 1890; Rev. Jas. J. Moore, 1891; Rev. William Heath, 189.3; Rev. Peter E. Mills, 1894 ; Rev. Jas. W. Fishburne, 1897 ; Rev. William H. Bryant, 1898. 5 The following bequests were received : Thomas Tom, $250 : Thomas Lawrence, $100 ; Matthew Franklin, £150, "the interest to be applied to the use of finding poor negro children books, and also toward paying their schooling, them that their parents did belong among the people called Quakers"; Nathaniel Smith, $500; James Byrd, $200. Charles and Scott Hicks furnished wood for the school for eleven years. Mandeville, p. 1S8. 176 HISTORY OF FLUSHING members of the Association served in turn as teachers. The pupils, white and black, were admitted free of charge, ex- cept in the cases of a few whose parents were able and wil- 1815 ling to pay. Mary McMannus was engaged as the first teacter, at a salary of $15 per quarter, and with an allow- ance of 826, per quarter, for her board. The income of the Association, for the first year, was $570. 51. ^ 1 Q-i y This charitable work in behalf of the negro population of Flushing, was soon followed by a more comprehensive act in their behalf by the State of New York. On March 31, 1817, an act was passed, freeing all slaves who had been born after July 4, 1797, so soon as they should reach the age of twenty-eight, for males, and twenty-five for females. Every child born in slavery after the passage of the act, should be set free on reaching the age "of twenty-one. The slaves in Flushing had always, as a rule, been kindly treated. The Quakers had been working for nearly a hundred years for the abolition of slavery. Their sympathy for the slaves and their interest in the negroes' education and general well-being were widely known. Flushing became the rendezvous of freedmen, who hoped to secure the bless- ings of freedom without its responsibilities. A very unde- sirable element was thus added to the population of the 6 Treasurer's Book of the Flmhing Female Association. FLUSHING'S NEW LIFE 177 village. These negroes became so numerous, so aggressive, so lawless, that the peace and quiet of the community were greatly disturbed. They filled the streets at night ; they held out-of-door dances and barbecues, which generally degenerated into drunken brawls. Town ordinances and the mild influence of the Quakers were without avail. The 1825 apprentices and other young men of the village took matters into their own hands. They formed a sort of vigilance committee and attacked with volleys of rotten eggs, these noisy gatherings which made sleep impossible. A few at- tacks of this sort had the effect of breaking up the gather- ings, or at least of transferring the orgies from the public square to the shanties on Crow Hill and Liberty street.'' Some ten years or more after the Rev. Mr. Griffin began 1822 his ministrations among African Methodists, a group of white people organized a Methodist Church, They wor- shipped for a time in a private house adjoining Garretson's seed store, in Liberty street. Their first Pastor was the Rev. Samuel Cockrance. Their church was built in 1822. It stood on the south side of Lincoln street, about midway between Main and Union streets, s 7 MandeviUe, p. 67. Sislory of Queens County, p. 91. 8 A new church was built, in 1843, on the east side of Main street, just north of Washington. In 1875, the church was removed to its present site in Amity street. In 1834 the 178 HISTORY OF FLUSHING The first post-offlce in the town was located at the Alley. It was in this year moved to the village. This change met with much opposition, even on the part of people living in the village. While the postoffice was at the Alley, they said, the mail was left at the Flushing hotel which was open at all hours. The post-office, they feared, would be open only at certain hours, and would not furnish the accommo- dation then enjoyed. » Methodist Church in Flushing was separated from the cir- cuit and became a station with a resident Pastor. Follow- ing are the names of the resident Pastors, with the dates of their coming to Flushing : Rev. Alexander Hulin, 1834 ; Rev. David Plumb, 1835; Rev. John L. Gilder, 1836; Rev. ■William Thatcher, 1837; Rev. Daniel Wright, 1839; Rev. George Brown, 1840; Rev. Elbert Osborn, 1841; Rev. John J. Matthias, 1842; Rev. Benjamin Griffin, 1843; Rev. David Osborn, 1845; Rev. John W. B. Wood, 1847; Rev. John B. Merwin, 1848 ; Rev. Samuel W. Law, 1850 ; Rev. Abraham S. Francis, 1851 ; Rev. Ira Abbott, 1852 ; Rev. William F. Col- lins, 1854; Rev. Thomas H. Burch, 1856; Rev. J. L. Peck, 1858 ; Rev. R. H. Hatfield, 1860 ; Rev. Horace Cooke, 1864 ; Rev. G. R. Crooks, 1866 ; Rev. G. Taylor, 1869 ; Rev. W. H. Simonson, 1872 ; Rev. George Stillman, 1875 ; Rev. Levi P. Perry, 1877 ; Rev. Alvine C. Bowdish, 187& ; Rev. Robert W. Jones, 1880 ; Rev. C. C. Lasby, 1883 ; Rev. Thomas S. Poul- son, 1886 ; Rev. Harvey E. Burnes, 1889 ; Rev. John W. May- nard, 1891 ; Rev. George L. Thompson, 1893 ; Rev. Theodore S. Henderson, 1896 ; Rev. A. H. Wyatt, 1898. 9 Mandeville, p. 73. The first Postmaster was Curtis Peck, who kept the office in the Pavilion. Then followed in office : William Peck, Dr. Joseph Bloodgood, Dr. Asa Spalding, Francis Bloodgood, Charles W. Cox. FLUSHING'S NEW LIFE 179 The year that brought the post-oflBce to the village was also marked by the experiment of running a small steam- boat between New York and Flushing. In the following year, a boat built expressly for the route began regular daily trips, She was the Linnaeus, commanded by Capt. Jona- than Peck. 10 St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church had its beginning in 1826. There were then but twelve members of that Church in Flushing. They invited the Rev. Father Farn- ham, of Brooklyn, to visit Flushing and minister to their spiritual needs. He came and celebrated the first Mass in October of this year, in a building in Main street. Some time after this, in 1835, a house in Liberty street was pur- chased, and fitted up for public worship. The Rev. Michael Curran and the Rev. Felix Larkin, of Astoria, held service here once a month. This building was twice enlarged, and answered the needs of the congregation for a number of years. This year was also an important one for Flushing's edu- cational interests. In the fall of this year, the Rev. Wil- liam A. Muhlenberg became the Rector of St. George's 10 The Linnaeus ran for ten years. She was followed by the Flushing, Capt. Curtis Peck ; the Statesman, Capt. Elijah Peck ; the Star, Capt. Elijah Peck ; the Washington Irving, Capt. Stephen Leonard ; the Island Star, Capt. Silas Reynolds ; the Enoch Dean, Capt. William Reynolds. Mandemlle, p. 7S. 1823 1826 180 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Church. 11 He took rooms in the Pavilion hotel. One day at dinner he overheard some gentlemen discussing the sub- ject of building a boys' school in Flushing. He joined in the conversation and quite without premeditation said that if they would put up a suitable building, he would undertake the management of the school. He thought little more about the subject, and was surprised to receive a visit from the gentlemen that evening. They came to accept his pro- position. The Flushing Institute was incorporated, the corner-stone was laid, Aug. 11, 1827, and the school began 1828 its first session in the spring of the following year. The Institute was a success from the start. Mr. Muhlenberg was unusually happy in his management of boys and had the faculty of soon winning their confidence and respect, i^ 11 Some of our well-known hymns — such as "Like Noah's weary dove," "Saviour who Thy flock art feeding," and probably "Shout the glad tidings" — were written loy Mr. Muhlenberg, during the first few months of his resi- dence in Flushing. Muhlenberg's Life, p. S3. 12 "In their griefs, who so tender and sympathizing as he ! One of the younger boys, son of Francis S. Key, author of the 'Star Spangled Banner,' was under Mr. Muhlenberg's care when his father died. Tidings of the event came late in the day, with a request for the boy to be sent home the next morning. 'Never, if you can help it, tell bad news at night, ' was a life-long maxim with Mr. Muhlenberg, and the little fellow was allowed to retire undisturbed with the rest, while the devoted school-father attended himself to the arrangements necessary for an early morning start." "He could exercise a little muscular Christianity at need. One of the students attempted a practical joke upon FLUSHING'S NEW LIFE 181 He pursued the policy of trusting the boys and placing them on their honor. It is said that he always wore rather heavy and creaking boots, that he might not appear at any time to steal upon the boys unawares. At this stage of our history we must refer to the split that occurred in the Friends' Meeting. It is not within the scope of this work to discuss the causes that led to it. Suffice it to say that at the yearly meeting, in 1829, certain -i qqq members of the meeting separated themselves from the others and established the "Orthodox" Meeting. The old Meeting-house was retained by that portion of the society which was henceforth known as the "Hioksites. " At a* monthly meeting held in Flushing, 7th day, 3rd month, 1829, the committee that had been appointed to collect the names of all the members belonging to the meeting, i. e. the Hicksite meeting, reported that there were seven men, sixteen women, and eleven minors, in all thirty-four, "who have attached themselves to the society that separated himself, by walking into his chamber at midnight, in the regulation, long, white bed gown, as a somnambulist. Mr. Muhlenberg instantly penetrated the disguis6,-and springing out of bed grappled the youth tightly and drew him to the wash-stand, where stood a large ewer full of water, the whole contents of which he discharged upon his head. The discomfited lad slank away as he could. He had anticipated great fun in telling his comrades the next morning how finely he had scared the Rector." Muhlen- berg''s Life, pp 106. 122. 182 HISTOEY OF FLUSHING during the yearly meeting. ' ' Two men and one woman were undecided to which meeting they would attach themselves. Twenty-seven men, forty-two women, forty-two minors, in all one hundred and eleven remained "attached to this monthly meeting. "13 The Orthodox Quakers built a Meeting-house just east of the old Meeting-house. The Orthodox meeting is now extinct ; the Hicksite meeting ife very small. 1835 The Institute continued to flourish, but Dr. Muhlenberg — he received his degree about this time — was of a restless disposition, and was always planning something new. He now entertained visions of a thoroughly equipped college. To realize these, he bought one hundred seventy-five acres 1836 °* ^^^^ ^t Strattonport and on Oct. 15, 1836, laid the corner-stone of what was designed to be an extensive struc- ture, to cost about $50,000. But the building never rose above the basement story. The panic of 1837 deprived him of the assistance of friends on whom he had relied. A wooden building was put up, in which the Grammar School 1 S^S ^^® opened in 1837. Temporary buildings were erected for the College, and St. Paul's College was opened, with a full corps of professors, in 1838. The school at the Flushing In- stitute was now moved to College Point, as that locality was thereafter called. 13 Becords of the Monthly Meetings. FLUSHING'S NEW LIFE 183 The same home-like sympathy between Eector and pupils, that marked the school life of the Institute was maintained at St. Paul's College. The Doctor wrote hymns and carols, composed music for them and led the pupils in singing. The well-known Christmas carol, "Carol, brothers, carol, ' ' was composed at this time, i* The college flourished until 1844, when Dr. Muhlenberg moved to New York to become Rector of the Church of the Holy Communion. 14 The following statistics of the college were reported, Jan. 13, 1840 : ' ' Number of students, 105 ; volumes in Libra- ries, 7,000; value of property, $70,000; annual cost of salaries of professors and instructors, $9,000." Muhlenberg^s Life, p. I4I. CHAPTER XVIII MODERN FLUSHING We are now approaching the end of our story, and shall 1837 hereafter confine ourselves to the Village of Flushing. The Village was incorporated, April 15, 1837. The Gazetteer of the State of New York, published the year before, describes Flushing as a village of about one hundred and forty dwel- lings, "some of which are neat and several magnificent." There were then in Flushing : one Episcopal Church ; two Methodist Churches, "one for whitp and the other for colored worshippers ;" two Quaker Meetings; "the Flush- ing Institute ; a respectable Seminary for ladiesi ; six ox- tensive stores ; three hotels ; one tide grist-mill ; the exten- sive and celebrated garden and nursery of Messrs. Prince, known as the Linnean Garden. ' ' Two sloops belonged to the village ; a steamboat ran twice a day to New York ; stages ran to Brooklyn. The Gazetteer adds : ' ' The facility of conveyance, the attractiveness of the Linnean Garden, 1 Kept by Joshua Kimber, who had succeeded Lindley Murray Moore in 1827. Mr. Kimber's school occupied the house that still stands just west of the old Meeting-house. MODERN FLUSHING 185 the delightful voyage, whether by land or water, make this a favorite place of resort to citizens of New York. "2 The village boundary line began at the creek, just beyond the bridge on the College Point causeway, and ran east, crossing Whitestone avenue about three hundred feet beyond Bayside avenue — just including the Osgood property. At a point near the junction of Bayside avenue and Parsons avenue, the line turned south, and ran to the corner of San- ford avenue and Long Lane (now S. Parsons avenue). From this corner, which marked the farthest limits of the village in that direction, the line ran west to the creek, forming an acute angle with Sanford Avenue, and crossing Jamaica avenue just south of the Jaggar homestead (now Captain Hinman's). Sanford avenue was not open below Jamaica avenue. Bowne avenue was the street farthest east. Long Lane began at the village limits, and ran south. Jaggar avenue was a private lane leading from Main street to the Jaggar house ; Lincoln street was then called Liberty street ; Amity street was not opened, neither was Locust street east of Main, s A tide mill, kept by William Hamilton, stood at 2 Gazetteer of tlie State of New York, p. 635. 3 North Prince street was not opened until 1841. It was first called Linnean street. Furman says : "In the month of July, 1841, eleven human skeletons were unearthed, in excavating the ground to run a road through the Linnean Garden. . . The place where they were found has been for 186 HISTORY OF FLUSHING the bridge on the College Point causeway. There were no houses northeast of the Park, except a few which stood in large country places, such as those of Walter Farrington and Samuel B. Parsons, on Broadway, and Silas Hicks, Henry Mitchell and Howard Osgood, on Whitestone avenue. On the west side of Main street, the Redwood property extended from the L. I. Railway Station to Amity street. On the east side, the Wright property was on the corner of Madison street ; next came the Institute ; then the Leggett property and the Garretson property. The lower part of Main street was more thickly settled, but even there the houses stood apart from each other, with gardens between. The Pavilion, once a famous hotel, stood on the corner of Bridge street and Lawrence avenue, where the old electric power house now stands. The Town Hall stood where the fountain now stands, facing on Main street;* the school house was on the lot now occupied by the Empire Hose Company's building, in Lincoln street. The population of the village was less than two thousand. fifty years used as a horticultural nursery. They were within a circle of thirty feet, their heads all lay to the east, and some nails and musket balls were found with them. ' ' Long Island Antiquities, p. 98. 4 The old Town Hall was removed to Bridge street after the erection of the new Town Hall, in 1864, and has since been used as a shop. It is now occupied by Joseph Crooker. MODERN FLUSHING 187 Soon after Dr. Muhlenberg had moved his school to College Point, a girls' school was established at the Flush- ing Institute, and the name of the building was changed to St. Ann's Hall. The Rev. Dr. Frederick Schroeder was the Principal of this new school. Among other attractions, St. Ann's Hall was provided with "a gymnasium, with a great variety of alluring calesthenic exercises, a hippodrome for horsemanship, nine hundred feet in circumference, and archery grounds extending the whole length of the garden and the hippodrome. ' ' St. Thomas's Hall — a school for boys— was built this same year. It stood where St. Joseph's Academy now stands. The Rev. Francis L. Hawks, D. D. , was the Prin- cipal and Proprietor. He was assisted by ^fourteen instruc- tors. The school had accommodations for one hundred and twenty pupils. The chapel was spoken of as "one of the most beautiful in the country. ' ' Flushing was busy at this time not only with educa- tional matters ; religious affairs also claimed the attention of the people. A new Church, the Protestant Reformed Dutch Church was organized, with seven members. Services were held, after the organization, in the school house in Church street, the Rev. William R. Gordon, of Manhasset, oflBciating. Mr. Grordon was afterwards settled here as the 1839 1842 188 HISTOEY OF FLUSHING first Pastor of the Church. Two years later, the congrega- tion built a very attractive stone church, on the corner of Washington and S. Prince streets, at a cost of $12,000.5 This year witnessed the beginning of Flushing journal- ism. To Charles R. Lincoln is due the credit of beginning this important work. The first periodical printed in Flush- ing was the Monthly Journal of the Institute, issued by the Institute during Dr. Muhlenberg's time, but this had no connection with subsequent journalism in Flushing. Mr. Lincoln came to Flushing, in 1840, to publish the Reposi- tory, edited by the students of St. Thomas's Hall, and The Church Record, edited by the Rev. Dr. Hawks in the in- terest of the Episcopal Church. The Repository was pub- lished about a year and a half. The Church Record con- tinued about six months longer. Then Mr. Lincoln estab- lished the Flushing Journal. The first number appeared in October, 1842. This was a specimen number. Its regular weekly issue, did not appear until March of the fow- 5 The corner stone was laid, Aug. 16, 1843. There were present on this occasion and taking part in the service the Rev. Drs. De Witte and Brownlee, of New York, and the Rev. Dr. Garretson of Newtown. Mr. Gordon's successors in the Pastorate of the Church were ; Rev. G. H, Mandeville, 1851 ; Rev. William W. Holloway, 1859; Rev. E. S. Fairchild, 1865; Rev. O. E. Cobb, D.D., 1872; Rev. James Demarest, D.D., 1890; Rev. Rockwell H. Potter, 1898. The new Re- formed Church, at the corner of Amity street and Bowne avenue, was built in 1892. MODERN FLUSHING 189 lowing year. The Journal was the only newspaper in Flushing until 1852, when George W. Ralph, started the Public Voice. The Public Voice continued about a year and a half. In 1855, Walter R, Burling, a compositor on the Journal, established the Long Island Times as a weekly. Thomas H. Todd, who afterwards established the Long Island Star (of Long Island City), and Eugene Lincoln, the founder of the Glen Cove Gazette, were also compositors on the Journal at this time. Burling issued the first daily in Flushing in 1865, when the Flushing Daily Times appeared. The two papers continued without further change, the Journal as a weekly and the Times with a slight change of name as a daily and weekly, until the death of Mr. Lincoln in 1869.6 After Mr. Lincoln's death, the Journal was con- tinued by his estate under the editorship of Joseph E. Lawrence, at one time editor of the Golden Era of San Francisco. In 1870 the Journal was purchased by E. B. Hinsdale, and William H. Gibson became the editor. Five years later, C. W. Smith purchased the Journal. In 1878 6 Charles Richmond Lincoln, was born in Dorchester, Mass., in 1806. He learned his trade as printer in New York. Here he began the publication of a daily paper called The Star. A fire destroyed his printing oflBce shortly after the commencement of this enterprise. In 1836, he went to Greece with the Rev. Dr. Hill to act as printer to the Epis- copal mission established in Athens. After his return from Greece he came to Flushing. 190 HISTOEY OF FLUSHING the Times became the property of the Rev. E. S. Fairchild, who edited it for about a year, when Walter R. Burling again became editor and proprietor. In 1879, Mr. Smith, proprietor of the Journal issued the first number of the Evening Journal. Thus Flushing had two dailies. The next change came in 1881, when the Long Island Times Publishing Company purchased the Times and engaged George R. Crowley as editor. About a year later the Times became the property of L. E. Quigg. Robert Wilson, the foreman of the Times, severed his connection with the paper at the time of its sale, and in 1883 established the Long Island News. Mr. Quigg was editor of the Times until 1886, when the paper was purchased by C. W. Smith of the Journal. Mr. Smith published both the Journal, and the Times until the following year, when he suspended the Daily Times and sold the Weekly Times to James H. Easton. Three years later, in 1890, the Journal was sold to J. H. Kidenour, the present editor and proprietor. In 1897, Mr. Easton sold the Long Island Times to the Flushing Pub- lishing Company, C. W. Smith returned to Flushing to become its editor, and the daily edition was revived. The Journal has within the last few years established a well- equipped job printing department, and has turned out some fine specimens of book making. MODERN FLUSHING. 191 Dr. Hawk's school had a short life. After four years, it was closed because of financial difficulties. The property 1 qaq was purchased by Gerardus B. Docherty, L L. D. , and Dr. Carmiohael. Dr. Carmichael withdrew after a year.' In 1845, Ezra Fairchild, who had conducted a boys' school in 1845 New Jersey since 1816, made arrangements with Dr. Docherty to take possession of St. Thomas's Hall, and bring his school from New Jersey to Flushing. Mr. Fair- child and his school came to Flushing, but Dr. Docherty, for some unknown reason, did not carry out his agreement concerning the surrender of St. Thomas's Hall. The school was forced to take refuge in the Pavilion. Here it was established for a year. Mr. Fairchild then took from Dr. Schroeder his unexpired lease of St. Ann's Hall. Later .l-o^O the property was purchased, and the old name of Flushing Institute was restored. The school and the name remain to-day. Under Mr. Fairchild and under his son, E. A. Fairchild, the present proprietor, s Flushing Institute has 7 Dr. Docherty continued until 1848, when the Rev. William H. Gilder purchased the property and opened the Flushing Female College. Mandeville, p. 126. 8 The relationship between Master and pupils, at the Institute, is well illustrated by the following unique announcement of the opening of the fall term, which appeared in the New York dailies, Aug.- 10, 1868: "Dear Boys— Trouble begins Sept. 15. E. A. Fairchild." This advertisement was copied far and wide. Harpers Monthly 192 HISTORY OF FLUSHING had a long and useful career. There are Institute boys all over the United States and in most of the Central and South American countries." The game year that brought the Fairchilds to Flushing to re-establish the Institute, saw the opening of Sanford Hall, as a private asylum. Sanford Hall had been erected in 1836 by the Hon. Nathan Sanford, as a private resi- reprinted it, with the note: "Is there extant a boy — be he boy of fifty or boy of ten — who will not appreciate the grim humor of the following advertisement. " Mrs. SpofTord, in the Galaxy, commented on it. 9 Many prominent men in these southern countries made their acquaintance with the English language at the Institute. Their initial efforts, preserved by the Principal, furnish some rare specimens of composition. Here is an essay on Divine Providence. "God has observing the order more maravilloua and exact in life and death of man ; both are measure and regular of best way ; and nothing is more evident than the wisdle of God in the poblation of world. In a number give of years, die a proportional number of lives of all ages. By thirty fifeth and thirty sixth, persons lives die one every one year ; but the proportion of birth is great. For tenth year in the same space and time and between the same number of individuals are birth twelve. In the fierst year about third children die generally one : in the fifeth one of every twenty fifeth ; and so forth decrease the number of death till the age twenty fifeth, to another time begin increase. How evident is the -care of the divina providence extend upon his creature till the same moment in which enter in the world, she watch and protect withou any distinction between the poor and rich, the great and small. The life is in extreme uncertain allthou by the strong of the physical constitution some individual there are none subject to sickness, they can however strong he may safe by a contagion of one epidemic. ' ' MODEEN FLUSHING 193 dence. 10 It is said to have cost nearly $130,000. Mr. San- ford died soon after its completion. In 1844 it was bought by Dr. James Macdonald and his brother Gen. Allan Mac- donald. In the following year they moved their institution for the treatment of nervous diseases from New York, and established themselves in Sanford Hall, n Contemporary with the interest in education, was the development of agricultural interests. The Queens County Agricultural Society was organized in 1841, with BflBngham -'^~*" Lawrence as its first President. The fifth Fair of the Society was held in Flushing. "The American Institute, of New York, held a plowing and spading match. There was a band of music from Governor's Island. The performers and dele- gates rode through the village in a wagon tastefully deco- rated, and drawn by thirty-six yoke of oxen. The exhibition- tent was decked with flowers from Flushing's far-famed 10 Sanford was elected U. S. Senator, 1815 : in 1823, he succeeded Jas. Kent as Chancellor of the State of New York ; in 1826, he was again elected U. S. Senator. He died in Flushing, Oct. 17, 1838. 11 Dr. McDonald died, in 1849. "His funeral took place on May 8th. . . The shops in the village were closed, and it was a day of sincere and general mourning. . . Thus passed away from the earth, one of God's noblest men, be- loved in life and lamented in death by all who knew him. ' ' MandeviUe, p. 13S. Dr. Barstow was resident Physician of- Sanford Hall for forty-one years He moved to New York in 1895. 19i HISTORY OF FLUSHING nurseries. Dr. Gardener gave the address in the Keformed Church." 1848 The Board of Education was organized under an act of Legislature, in 1848. The first Board consisted of Ef- fingham W. Lawrence, Edward E. Mitchell, Samuel B. Par- sons, William H. Fairweather, and Thomas Leggett, Jr. But the history of Flushing's public schools goes back at least to 1843. In that year we find a Board of Trustees comprised of John W. Lawrence, John Wilcomb, William W. Valk, M. D., and Samuel Willet, Clerk, in charge of school district No. 5, which comprised the whole of the village and some additional territory. About this time, 1843, a new school-house was erected at a cost of 8950. This school-house stood at the corner of Garden and Church streets, on what is now part of the lawn in the rear of Henry A. Bogert's house. Some time before 1844, the school established by the Flushing Female Association had re- ceived assistance from public funds. In that year this help was withdrawn, and the money was devoted to the school directly under the care of the trustees. Now came a critical period in the history of our public schools. To the wis- dom and perseverance of Samuel B. Parsons and Thomas Leggett, Jr. , Flushing is indebted for the impetus given at that time to the interests of education. A larger and better MODERN FLUSHING 195 school-house and better provisions for education were needed. But it was difficult to overcome the indifference of the people and their unwillingness to submit to a slight increase in the tax rate. Many stormy meetings were held. Finally, at a public meeting held Dec. 26, 1847, ' ' it was re- solved, by a vote of thirty-seven to five, to raise three thousand dollars by tax, and to authorize the Trustees to sell the old building, to contract for a new one on the plan of the New York public schools, and to pro- pose a suitable site." In the next year (1848) many meetings were again held, and much discussion ensued concerning a site for the new school. The Legislature authorized "the Board to raise $6,500 by tax or mort- gage for the erection of a building, limiting the annual assessment to one-fifth of one per cent, on all taxable property in the District. ' ' The lot on Union street was purchased, and the school-house was built which was torn down in 1897. The school opened in November, with seven teachers and three hundred and eighty-one pupils. Thomas F. Harrison was the first Principal. From that time to the present there has been a constant growth in the size and efficiency of the schools. The Village of Flushing did not grow rapidly at this igci period of its history. In 1851 it had a population of about 196 HISTOEY OF FLUSHING 2,000 — not many more than it had at the time of its incor- poration. It, however, still maintained its reputation as a desirable place residence. Barbour's Historical Collections, published this year, speaks thus of our village: "Its various attractions, with great facility of communication with New iTork, have induced many wealthy citizens to locate in its immediate neighborhood. Some of the private residences are among the most imposing and splendid edi- fices in the State. The Village of Flushing contains a num- ber of flourishing literary institutions for both sexes. This place is also distinguished for its excellent nurseries of fruit and other trees. "12 The year 1851 witnessed the establishment of another Church in Flushing, i. e. the First Congregational Church. The Council that was convened to accomplish its organiza- tion met in the school-house in Church street, July 1st. The Rev. D. C. Lansing, D. D. , was chosen Moderator and William C. Oilman, Scribe. Among those present and taking part in the proceedings were the Rev. Dr. R. S. Storrs and the Rev. Dr. Henry Ward Beecher. The organization effected consisted of eighteen members, three of whona were received on profession of faith, eleven by letters from the 12 Historical Collections, p. S91 et sg. MODERN FLUSHING 197 Reformed Church of Flushing, four by letters from other places. The first Pastor was the Rev. Charles O. Reynolds. The first Church-building of the society was dedicated, Jan. 29, 1852. It stood on the east side of Union street, south of the corner of Washington street. ^^ On September 29th, of this year, the County Fair was again held in Flushing. "The delegation from the American Institute and invited guests rode from the steamboat wharf to the Pair grounds in a wagon drawn by fifty-six yoke of fine oxen, with music, under the escort of Bragg's horse guards and the Hamilton Rifles. . . There was a plowing match and a fine display of flowers and fruits. The horses . . . were of truer form and points than those at the State Fair. ' ' Before another County Fair was held in Flushing a rail- 1854 road had been constructed between Hunter's Point and Flushing. It began operations in 1854. |The Flushing station was the present Main street station — then at the 13 The present Congregational Church was built in 1856. The old building was then moved to the rear of the new Church, and was used for a Sunday school. There it stood until a few years ago. Following is the list of Pastors of the Congregational Church : Rev. Charles O. Reynolds, 1851; Rev. S. Bourne, 1854; Rev. Henry T. Staats, 1860 ; Rev. Henry H. McFarland, 1863 ; Rev. Martin L. "Williston, 1870 ; Rev. Albert C. Reed, 1873 ; Rev. James O. Averill, 1879; Rev. John Abbot French, D. D., 1881. Dr. French was not a stranger in Flushing when he was in- stalled as Pastor. He had some years before, from 1866 to 1868, served the Church as "Stated Supply." 198 HISTORY OF FLUSHING outer edge of the -village. It was at first intended to run the road to Williamsburg, but this route was afterwards 1855 abandoned. 1* The effect of the'railroad on the attendance at the next Fair, which was held in September, 1855, was very perceptible. The ten o'clock train brought nearly four hundred people. E. A. Lawrence, the Supervisor of the Town, met the guests, and made a speech of welcome, which was responded to by George W. Clinton, the orator of the day. They all then proceeded to the Fair grounds on Sanford avenue and Union street. The New York Times, in its account of the Fair, said: "There was one other production, however, which eclipsed everything else, both in number and beauty of the specimens — a production which, though by no means indigenous to Queens County, is nevertheless brought to a perfection there that one but seldom sees so general elsewhere. We mean, of course, the lovely women. Such a collection of elegant, well-bred, handsome, intelligent-looking, fascinating young ladies was surely never seen before. ' ' 1857 In 1857 the village limits were extended by removing the southern boundiry, which formerly crossed Jamaica 14 The first Board of Directors : Wm. Smart, David S. Williams, Samuel B. Parsons, James Strong, Aaron C. Un- derhill, James W. Allen, Isaac Peek, John D. Locke, Jona- than Crane, Thomas Leggett, Jr., William H. Schermerhorn, George W. Quimby, D. S. Duncombe. MODERN FLUSHING 190 avenue, just south of Sanford avenue, to HiHside avenue — then called Ireland avenue. There was little, if any change made at this time in the other boundary lines. The next Fair in Flushing was held Sept. 22, 1858. The 1858 invited guests, in a carriage drawn by fifty-six oxen, accom- panied by "Sheldon's splendid band," drov'e through the principal streets. Fully seven thousand persons attended this Fair. The Fair was held on a ten-acre lot, belonging to Thomas Legett, Jr. , is which was enclosed by a high board fence. "Simon R. Bowne exhibited twenty of his fine horses ; and E. A. Lawrence, a fat ox weighing 2500 pounds. Gabriel Winter contributed a floral temple. . . The pick- pockets reaped a harvest in a small way. ' ' In 1866, the Town of Hempstead gave to the Agricultural Society, for a nominal sum, the ground at Mineola where the County Fairs have since been held. The year 1854 saw the completion of the present St. 1854 George's Churohis and the beginning of St. Michael's. 15 Back of the Town Hall, between Farrington street and Congress avenu6. 16 This is the third Church built by St. George's parish. The second, now used for a Sunday school, was built in 1821. Grace Church, Whitestone, was part of St. George's parish until 1858, when it became an independent parish. St. Paul's Chapel, College Point, was built in 1860. All Saint's, Bayside, was built in 1892, and the district was set apart as a separate parish. Following are the Rectors of 200 HISTORY OF FLUSHING The former was consecrated, June 1st., by the Rt. Rev. Jonathan M. Wainwright, Provisional Bishop of New York. It cost $33,000. The corner stone of St. Michael's Church was laid June 24th. The Church was far enough advanced towards completion to admit of its being used for public worship on Christmas Day. It was not finished until two years later, when it was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Loughlin, Bishop of Brooklyn, i'' Within the same year the First Baptist Church of Flushing was organized, with the Rev. Howard Osgood as its Pastor. There were, at the time of the organization, St. George's Church and the dates of their induction : Rev. William Urquhart, 1704; Rev. Thomas Poyer, 1710; Rev. Thomas Colgan, 1733; Rev. Samuel Seabury, 1757; Rev. Joshua Bloomer, 1769 ; Rov. William Hammell, 1790 ; Rev. Elijah D. Rattoone, 1797; Rev. Abram L. Clarke, 1803; Rev. Barzillai Buckley, 1809; Rev. John V. E. Thome, 1820 ; Rev. William A. Muhlenberg, 1826 ; Rev. William H, Lewis, 1829 ; Rev. J. Murray Forbes, 1833 ; Rev. Samuel E. Johnson, 1834; Eev. Robert B. VanKleeok, 1835; Rev. Frederick J. Goodwin, 1837 ; Rev. George Burcker, 1844 ; Rev. J. Carpenter Smith, 1847 ; Rev. H. D. Waller, 1898. 17 The lot on which St. Michael's Church stands was purchased in 1841. A wooden building was erected in the same year, and used until the present Church was built, in 1854. St. Michael's parochial school was organized in 1851. The first school-house stood between the Church and rectory. In 1854, it was moved across the street. In 1880 the present school-house was built. The resident Pastors of St. Mich- ael's Church are as follows : Rev. Dennis Wheeler, 1848 Rev. John McMahon, 1851; Rev. James O'Beirne, 1853 Rev. Henry O 'Loughlin, 1873; Rev. John McKenna, 1877 Rev. Eugene J. Donnelly, 1892. MODERN FLUSHING 201 nine members. The first Church-building of this society was erected in the following year. It stood in Washington street, between Union street and Bowne avenue. In 1872, this building was moved to the corner of Jamaica avenue and Jaggar avenue, where it still stands, and is now used for a Public Library. The present Baptist Church, at the corner of Sanford avenue and Union street, -was built in 1890. In the same year, the Park Branch of the Baptist Church was built. It is a neat chapel standing in Bowne avenue, Hitchcock Park. is The school property which had been known as St. 1860 Thomas's Hall, and later as the Flushing Female College, was purchased, in 1860, by the Rev. James O'Beirne for the Sisters of St. Joseph. This has since been the Mother House of the order. St. Joseph's Academy— a school for girls — was established by the Sisters, and has been in suc- cessful operation ever since. Its commanding location, its fine buildings and beautifully-kept grounds, make St. 18 Following are the Baptist ministers who succeeded the Rev. Howard Osgood : Rev. Frederick Graves ; Rev. John Bray ; Rev. C. W. Nichols ; Rev. John Higgs ; Rev. D. Meason; Rev. Harvey Alley; Rev. R. T. Middleditch, D.D. ; Rev. L. F. Moore, 1875; Rev. A. S. Burrows, 1881; Rev. William Morrison, 1886 ; Rev. D. Powell Chockley, 1892 ; Rev. Charles E. Knowles, 1891. 202 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Joseph's Academy one of the very attractive features of the village. 19 1861 When the war of Rebellion broke out, it found in Flushing a well-organized company, ready to answer the call for troops. 20 The Flushing Guard was organized, about 1839, as Light Infantry, and was attached to the 93rd Regi ment, N. Y. S. M. At its first parade, in 1840, it had twenty-six uniformed men. In 18i3, the company was changed to Artillery ; in 1845, it was again changed to Light Horse Artillery, and was attached to Storm's famous First Brigade. At that time it was commanded by Capt' William A. Mitchell, and was attached to Col. Hamilton's Regiment. The Battery offered its services at the outbreak of the Mexican war, but they were not accepted. In 1848, the Battery had won a reputation throughout the State, in Light Horse evolutions. Its drill called together many celebrated tacticians. It became known as the "Incom- parable" and was called "Bragg's Battery," in honor of the hero of Buena Vista. 19 The central portion of the Academy was built in 1868 ; the west wing, in 1872 ; the Chapel, in 1879. The school has about 130 pupils. 20 Another military organization in Flushing was the Hamilton Rifles, organized 1849. They made up Company A, in the 15th Regiment, N. Y. S. M. The 15th Regiment was made up of Queens County men and was commanded by Col. Charles A. Hamilton. Mandemlle, p. 83. MODEEN FLUSHING 203 At the outbreak of the war, the Battery was commanded by Capt. Thomas L. Robinson, and was attached to the 15th Regiment, N. Y. S. M. When the call came for troops, in 1861, the regiment failed to offer its services. A committee of Flushing's citizens, therefore, proposed to the officers of the Battery that, if the Battery would enlist, the committee would equip the soldiers with all things needed. Permission having been received from Washington, the officers began recruiting to fill the ranks ; and the Flushing Battery was ready to march to Washington, Dec. 2, 1861, with five commissioned officers and one hundred and fifty men. 21 This was th^ only company organized in the county. Other volunteers joined companies and regiments elsewhere. Flushing furnished in all about two hundred and fifty volunteers during the War. The Flushing Battery returned to the village, June 7, 1864, and was received with great enthusiasm. The company 21 The officers were : Capt. Thos. L. Robinson ; First Lieuts. Jacob Roemer and William Hamilton ; Second Lieuts. Henry J. Standish and William U. Rawolle. Captain Robinson was dismissed from service, March 4, 1862 ; Lieutenant Roemer, was promoted Captain and com- manded the Battery (known as Battery L. ) throughout the war. He was commissioned Bvt. Maj. Deo. 2, 1864. Lieu- tenant Standish resigned, in 1862. The following officers also served in the Battery at different times during the war : First Lieuts. Moses E. Brush, Thomas Heasley ; Second Lieuts. William Cooper, J. Van Nostrand, Chas. R. Lin- coln, Alonzo Garretson, J. J. Johnson, William E. Balkie, George H. Durfee. Major Roemer' n Reminiscences. 1864 20i HISTOEY OF FLUSHING marched down Main street to the Flushing Hotel, where a bountiful feast had been prepared for oiEcers and men. On June 21st. , the company was mustered out of service. 22 Flushing's first railroad ran through Winfield to Penny 1869 Bridge, leaving Woodside to the north. From Penny Bridge the road followed Newtown Creek to Hunter's Point. Conrad Poppenhusen and associates laid out a road 22 ' ' The reception, given to the Battery by the citizens of Flushing, was an overwhelming one, and, doubtless, there are many still living in the village who will remember that joyful day. I can yet see the crowds filling the street, and cheering at the top of their voices as the brave boys of the 34th New York Battery entered the village. ... I know we marched down Main street to the hotel, where a splendid dinner was waiting for us, but how I reached the place I hardly know. Conducted by Mr. C. R. Lincoln, who took me by the arm, we marched through what seemed to me a sea of faces on either side, while the assembled multitude shouted, hurrahed, and showered us with flowers. We finally reached the hotel and were put in charge of my be- loved pastor, the Rev. Dr. J. Carpenter Smith. He led me to the head of the table in the dining room, and then, in behalf of the citizens of Flushing, bade=my command and my- self partake of what they had provided for Flushing's heroes. Near the close of the banquet, the following brief re- sume of the Battery's doings was given: 'This Battery has taken part in 57 different engagements, has marched 18,758 miles, and thrown from its guns during this time over 56 tons of iron. The whole number of enlisted men that have belonged to it during its four years' career is 271, of whom 19 yielded up their lives in the service of their beloved country, and 47 have been discharged for disabilities in- curred in the field, through wounds or disease. ' ' ' Roertwr^i Meminitcences, pp. SOS et sq. MODERN FLUSHING 205 from Hunter's Point through Woodside, and thence directly to Bridge street. Before this road was built, the Poppen- husens purchased the old road east of W infield. They then built the road from Hunter's Point through Woodside to Winfield, and also the College Point and Whitestone branch. This was in 1869. Later they completed their original line by running a road from Woodside directly to Bridge street. This road left Corona, Newtown, and Win- field some distance to the south. Thus the trains from Main street and the trains from Bridge street ran on two distant roads from Flushing to Woodside. This combina- tion of roads, now under the control of the Poppenhusens, was known as the Flushing and North Shore Railroad, In 1872 the Central Railroad of Long Island was built. This was commonly known as the Stewart road. It was run in harmony with North Shore road, branching off from that road just below Lawrence avenuH, and running through Garden City and Hempstead to Babylon. The Pop- penhusens were becoming a very influential element in rail- road interests on Long Island. They came into competition with the Long Island Railroad on the South Side. By way of retaliation, Oliver Charlick, President of the Long Island R. K. , built a road parallel to the North Shore road from Woodside to Flushing. This road was opened in 1873. The 1872 1873 1870 206 HISTORY OF FLUSHING old station still stands on Jaggar avenue, just south of Brad- ford avenue. The Charlick road, or the White Line as it v?as called, put down the price of an excursion ticket to Long Island City to fifteen cents. The North Shore road was com- pelled to do the same thing in the following spring. Two years later, in April, 1875, Oliver Charlick lost the Presidency of the Long Island ft. R. The Poppenhusens had been buying stock in this road wherever they could find any for sale. In 1876 they were found to be in full control ; Conrad Poppen- husen was elected President of the Long Island R. R. ; the fare on both the Charlick road and the North Shore road was advanced ; and on April 17th of the same year, all trains were discontinued on the Charlick road. The Cen tral, or Stewart road never paid, and was abandoned in 1878. The Woodside branch was abandoned about tne same time. This, in brief, is the history of Flushing's railroads. In 1870, the subject of supplying the village with a water system began to be agitated. Two years later, the Trustees were authorized to proceed with the work. The question of a site for the pumping-house and of the source of water supply caused much discussion. Douglass Pond, Kis- sena Lake, and Spring Lane were proposed. The Trustees were equally divided between Douglass Pond and Kissena Lake. The State Legislature was asked to change the number MODERN FLUSHING 207 of Trustees from six to seven, that the question might be set- tled. This change was made, and Douglass Pond was selected. The system was completed and put into dperation, Dec. 1874 3, 1874, The event was the occasion of a great celebration. Houses were decorated ; a procession marched through the streets ; a dinner was served at the Flushing Hotel ; and a public meeting, with speeches, was held in the Town Hall in the evening. The water in the pond did not prove to be satisfactory. Wells were dug which have since supplied the village with an abundance of pure water. In 1886, mains were laidtoWillets Point. The stand-pipe was erected in 1897. In 1883 the area of the village was considerably en- - „„„ iooo larged. The community had grown beyond the old limits. The boundary lines at that time established were those in force when the village became a part of New York City. An intelligent notion of the extent of the village will best be gained by stating where these boundary lines crossed the principal thoroughfares leading out of the village. On Whitestone avenue the village extended to the limits of Whitestone village, just beyond the residence of J. F. B. Mitchell; the union of Broadway and Sanford avenue marked the limits of the village toward the east; the line running south included the corner of the Flushing Cemetery near the entrance ; the southern line crossed Jamaica ave- 1884 208 HISTORY OF FLUSHING nue at the bridge over the outlet of Kissena Lake ; the western line followed the creek. In the winter of this same year, 1883, the Art Class of Flushing was organized with seven members, for the pur- pose of aiding in the establishment of a hospital. 23 The by-laws of the Art Class limited the membership to twenty- five. This number was soon reached, and constituted the class for years. Sales of fine needle-work were held by the class, in New York and Flushing, just before Christmas and Easter. In this way the class earned, and paid to the trus- tees of the Hospital about S300 a year, for many years. 2* Early in the year following the organization of the Art Class, i. e. on February 4, 1884, the Flushing Hospital and Dispensary was incorporated. Soon after the incorpora- tion of the Hospital, on April 3rd, the trustees elected a Board of Lady Managers. 25 This board for three years did 23 The original members of the Art Class were : Miss Marie Bramwell, President ; Mrs. Eugene T. Lynch, Secre- tary ; Mrs. R. S. Bowne, Mrs. John Gihon, Miss Constance V. Bramwell, Mrs. E. M. Travers, Mrs. E. F. Thompson. 24 The class was disbanded in 1896, having contrib- uted to the Hospital about 14000. 25 The first board was composed of Mrs. J. L. Hicks, Mrs. E. T. Lvnch, Mrs. R. S. Bowne, Mrs. Abram Bell, Mrs. W. B. Worrall, Mrs. A. K. P. Dennett, Miss F. Bur- dett. Mrs. Hicus was for years First Directress. Of the Lady Managers, Mrs. Hicks, Mrs. Bowne and Mrs. Lynch after- wards became Trustees of the Hospital, and served many years. MODERN FLUSHING 209 the work of the Hospital. The managers visited the sick poor in their homes, supplied them with medical attend- ance, with medicines and nourishing food, and when neces- sary with the care of a nurse. Cases that could not be properly treated at home were sent to hospitals in New York and Brooklyn. During the winter of 1884-85, the Board of Lady Managers rented a house at No. 41 Congress avenue, and established there a temporary hospital. The work grad- ually widened, and the interest in it increased until 1887, when the Hospital at the corner of Forest and South Par- sons avenues was built. The ground was given by John Henderson, who also loaned the Trustees $3000 toward building the Hospital. When Mr. Henderson died, in 1890, he diTected that this debt be cancelled, but his estate was not able to pay all of his bequests, and his Executor has de- clined to release the Hospital. Soon after the erection of the Hospital, in February 1888, the Trustees elected as their successors members of the Board of Lady Managers. From that date until 1895 the Trustees of the Hospital were women. In the latter year men were again elected, includ- ing all the members of the medical board. Since then the hospital has been entirely under the care of male Trustees. In addition to the Art Class, the Hospital has had the assistance of the Green Twigs — a society of young ladies. 210 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Besides helping the Hospital in other ways, this last- named organization has given the Hospital an ambu- lance, surgical instruments and case, and furniture for certain rooms. The work of the Hospital has grown from year to year. 26 The training-school for nurses was started in 1890; the Babies' Ward, the gift of Charles H. Senflf, was built in 1893, at a cost of $4000. Since 1895, the Hospital has re- ceived an annual appropriation from the town. This source of revenue was lost when Flushing became a part of New York City. In 1897, Charles H. Senff gave the Hospital $10,000 for a new surgical ward, and F. Augustus Scher- merhorn gave $4000 for a new kitchen and laundry. In this same year a legacy of $500 was received from the estate of Anton Eoesingh, and one of $2500 from the estate of Han- nah Willets. The Flushing Hospital is the only "institution of its kind in Queens County outside of Long Island City. It has from the start received the cordial support of the physicians of the town, and has thus been enabled to do a good and 26 In 1894, the Hospital treated 257 indoor patients at an expense of $7800 ; in 1895, 242 patients, expense $8700 ; in 1896, 273 patients, expense $11,000; in 1897, 393 patients, expense $12,555. The property of the Hospital, in 1897, was estimated to be worth $25,000. MODERN FLUSHING 211 much needed work. It is an ingtitution of which Flushing may wel) be proud. To attempt to give a detailed account of all of Flush- ing's institutions would carry us beyond the scope of the present work. ^7 We must content ourselves, therefore, with a brief survey of the village as it is to-day, and so bring our 27. The Athletic Club has a gymnasium on Jaggar Avenue, and Golf Links on Whitestone avenue. The Nian- tic Club House stands at the corner of Sanford and Parsons avenues. The Young Men's Christian Association, organ- ized in 1895, occupies a house in Locust street. The Good Citizenship League, a woman's club, was organized and in- corporated in 1891. The United Workers, organized in 1893, is a society for the improvement of the condition of the poor. Connected with this organization are the Wom- an's Exchange and the Day Nursery. The United Workers was the outgrowth of the work of the Good Citizenship League. The Business Men's Protective Association began its work in 1893. Its object is to cooperate in the collec- tion of bills and in determining the financial standing of customers. The Association has shown its public spirit in encouraging public improvements. The officers are : George Pople, President ; John J. Trapp, Secretary and Attorney; D. H. Van De Water, Treasurer. In addition to the older schools of Flushing, whose history we have followed, should be mentioned the Flushing Seminary and Kyle's Military Institute. The former is a school for girls. Hans Schuler, B. D. , Ph. D. , is the Prin- cipal. Dr. Schuler purchased the school kept by Mrs. Mas- ters, in 1888, and organized the Flushing Seminary. Mrs. Masters' predecessor was Miss S. O. Hofifman, who estab- lished the school in 1874. Miss Hoflfman's school was at first for day scholars only. In 1876 a limited number of boarders were received. Kyle's Military Institute, a board- ing school for boys, Paul Kyle, Principal, was first estab- lished in College Point. It came to Flushing in 1892, and 212 HISTORY OF FLUSHING history to a close. The Village of Flushing has always been a place of residence. Those institutions have been fostered that would render the village attractive to persons seeking homes ; manufacture has not been encouraged. 28 The village streets are macadamized, well-shaded with fine trees of many varieties, lighted by gas and electricity, and swept and sprinkled at public expense. =9 The side- walks are paved with stone flagging. A complete system of sewers extends throughout the village. The steam and electric cars make frequent trips between Flushing and the city. These conveniences and improvements have made Flushing located in its present building at the corner of State and Farrington streets. Flushing has two banks — the Flushing Bank and the Queens County Savings Bank. In addition to the Churches referred to in the foregoing pages, Flushing has a German Lutheran Church, incorpo- rated in 1893, the Rev. Dr. R. Mekler, Pastor ; and a Baptist Church for colored people — the Ebenezer Baptist Church. The Church building of the Lutheran societj was built in 1894. The 17th Separate Company of the N. Y. S. M. was or- ganized in 1876. The Armory, located in Amity street, be- tween Main and Union streets, was built in 1894. 28. The principal manufacturing establishments in Flushing are — the machine shops of J. L. Bogert, the Sash and Blind Works of C. W. Copp, the De Bevoise Waist Co., Heinrich Franck Sohne & Co. Coffee Addition Works, the Harway Dye-wood Co., B. & W. B. Smith's Glass Works. 29. This at least was the condition of Flushing in the year 1897. MODERN FLUSHING 213 an attractive home for business and professional men of New York. Here they find pleasant homes amid rural sur- roundings, within easy reach of their plaCBS of business. A number of artists have been attracted to "Flushing by its quiet beauty. The annual exhibition of their work is one of the pleasant events in the village life. It is interesting to note how many of the improvements and conveniences that are to-day enjoyed by the inhabitants of Flushing were unknown ten years ago. In this respect, however, our village is not different from many other com- munities, so rapid has been the development of those things which add to the comforts of life. Among the older institutions of Flushing that have not been already described, are the Fire Department, the Gas Works, and the Public Library. The earliest legislation on the subject of our Fire Department was a law, passed March 24, 1809, entitled: "An Act for extinguishing fires in the Village of Flushing, in Queens County." This law created a Board of Trustees, to consist of not less than three or more than five members, who were to constitute "The Fire Com- pany of the Village of Flushing. ' ' These Trustees were to be elected annually, by "certain persons . . . who have associated for the purpose of purchasing a fire-engine, and such other inhabitants as may be proprietors of the said 214 HISTORY OP FLUSHING engine, when purchased for the use of the said village. ' ' The Trustees were authorized "to appoint a sufficient num- ber of firemen (willing to accept) not exceeding eighteen, to have the care, management, working, and using the said flre-engine. " The first Captain of the Fire Company seems to have been a man named Stansbury. He was succeeded by Treadwell Sands, who served twenty years. The engine- house stood on Main street, where Van Siclen and Towns- end's green grocery now stands. Before the purchase of the fire-engine, the only means of fighting a fire was by pouring on water from buckets which were passed along a line of men extending from the nearest pump to the fire. The pres- ent Fire Department was organized in 1854.30 Public cisterns, located in different parts of the village, supplied the water. When the present water system was established, in 1874, fire-engines gave place to hose-carriages, and the cisterns were filled up or covered over, ^i The Gas Company was incorporated Oct. 16, 1855, with a capital of $20,000, and the exclusive right of supplying 30. Mandeville, p. 80. 31. Officers of the Fire Department, 1897 : James H. MoCormick, Chief Engineer ; John Carrahar, First Assist- ant ; George Townsend, Second Assistant ; Geo. W. Worth, Treasurer. Names of the various companies : Empire Hose Co. No. 1, Rescue Hook and Ladder Co., Young America Hose Co. , No. 2 ; Mutual Engine Co. , No. 1 ; Flushing Hose Co., No. 3; Murray Hill Hose Co., No. 4. MODEKN FLUSHING 215 gas to the village for twenty years. Gas was turned on in January, of the following year. Five years later the Com- pany reported two and a half miles of pipe, one hundred metres, eighteen street lamps, and a monthly consumption of 100,000 cubic feet of gas. In 1868, new works were built with a greater capacity. 3^ The Flushing Library Association owes its origin to Edw. L. Murray, L. Bradford Prince, 33 Joseph K. Murray, F. A. Potts, and other public spirited men. It was organized in 1858, and incorporated in the following year. The first oflacers of the Library were : E. A. Fairchild, President ; L. B. Prince, Secretary; J. Milnor Peck, Treasurer. The library was at first open only to members of the Association, who paid an annual fee of one dollar. In 1884 it became a free library. To-day it has 7,000 books, and an annual circulation of 19,608. The library, when first organ- ized, was located in a room at the northeast corner of Bridge and Prince streets ; then it was moved to a room over 32. MandeviUe, p. 79. History of Queens County, p. 109. The first officers of the Gas Company were ; Jamea K. Lowerre, President ; Gilbert Hicks, Treasurer ; Charles A. Willets, Secretary. 33. L. Bradford Prince was born in Flushing, in 1840. He was elected a member of the Assembly five years in suc- cession, 1870-1875 ; a member of the Senate in 1875 ; ap- pointed naval oflSoer of New York, 1878 ; Chief Justice of Mexico, 1879 ; Governor of New Mexico, 1889. 216 HISTORY OF FLUSHING the drug store at 51 Main street ; then to the southwest room in the Town Hall. Later we find it in the Savings Bank building, in a building on the north side of Amity street, east of Main street, and in the store room at 129 Main street. In 1891, the present building was purchased from the Baptist Church. 3* But the past ten years have brought to the village a greater number of improvements than any previous period of five times the length, ss Ten years ago the streets vrere not macadamized. They were not sprinkled, except in certain localities where individuals, by private subscription, sought to protect themselves from dust. There was no means of protection against the discomforts of mud; The streets were poorly lighted by an insufficient number of gas lamps. There 34. The present officers of the Library are : President, William Elliman ; Secretary, Walter L. Bogert. 35. The names of the Trustees who have served within this period should be recorded. They are : E. V. W. Ros- siter, James T. Chapman, James A. Renwick, John H. Wilson, Nicholas Mehlen, Samuel Berrien, Francis F. Kee- ler, M. J. Quirk, Patrick R. Brogan, Ernest Mitchell, Fred- erick P. Morris, John D. Hashagen, John Hepburn, James F. Connor, James A. Macdonald, John W. Crawford. E. V. W. Rossiter was President of the Village for six years. He declined the nomination for re-election, in December, 1894. Henry Clement served as Treasurer of the Village for twenty-five years. He resigned in January, 1891. Mr. Clement died Sep. 8, 1895. Clinton B. Smith was Clerk of the Board of Trustees from 1889 to 1898. Edward E. Sprague was for many years Corporation Counsel. MODERN FLUSHING 217 were no electric lights ; there were no electric fire signals. 36 Cows were allowed to run at large. When the Village Trus- tees passed an ordinance, in 1890, forbidding cattle to run loose on the streets, the measure met with no little opposi- tion. A liberty-loving correspondent of the Evening Journal asked i ' ' Whether the craze for the removal of fences is to be indulged in at the expense of our personal liberty?" The ordinance was enforced, the President of the Village personally assisting in its enforcement. The result has been that fences, being no longer necessary, have been gradually removed, to the great improvement of the appearance of the streets. "Within the past ten years, the free delivery of the mail has been established, two electric roads have been built, 37 the steam road has completed the change from a 36. The electric fire signals were established in 1893 ; the electric street lights in 1896. 37. The Flushing and College Point Electric Road was incorporated in 1887 ; the track was laid in 1888 ; the first car was run on Thanksgiving day, 1889. The motive power was a storage battery. This system was found to be im- practicable. In 1890 the Trustees gave consent to use over- head wires. Early in 1891 cars began to make regular trips. In 1894 the road passed into the hands -of a Receiver. In 1895 the electric road from Long Island City was built to Flushing. The company operating this road purchased the Flushing and College Point road. The system is now known as the New York and Queens Co. Railroad. In 1896 the Brooklyn Heights Electric Railroad was built to Flushing. The first through cars were run on October 24th, of that year. 218 HISTOEY OF FLUSHING single to a double track. Ten years ago Murray Hill, now covered with block after block of pleasant homes, was a nur- sery ; Ingleside and Bowne Park were farms. The greatest advantage that Flushing has enjoyed over many other localities, an advantage that has made these many improvements possible, has been an honest govern- ment. Party politics have not entered into the election of Village Trustees. Voters have never been notified of the party affiliations of candidates. Very few, if any, of the Trustees have sought office from other motives than a desire to serve the public interests. In their efforts to improve the village and to protect it from threatened evils, the Trus- tees have been ably supported and assisted by the Flushing Village Association. 88 The subject of better streets began to be agitated in 1890 1890. The Village Association at once took up the subject, and secured the consent of a sufficient number of tax-payers to empower the Trustees to issue bonds to pay for the con- templated improvement. From that time, the work went steadily on until the close of the year 1897, when, with few exceptions, all of the streets were macadamized and in per- fect order. 38. The Flushing Village Association was organized in 1886. MODERN FLUSHING 219 In 1894 a great danger threatened the community. The Flushing Jockey Club, organized and backed by a number of pool-room men of New York, leased the Flushing race- track, and inaugurated a season of races. The great evil of this institution was, that it was established to "make for- eign books, "i.e. the races run on the Flushing track were of secondary importance, and were simply an excuse for opening booths where bets were placed on races all over the country. This brought to Flushing a great crowd of disrep- utable characters, and threatened to destroy the peace and quiet, and to corrupt the morals of the community. The Trustees passed an ordinance making the practice unlawful. The Village Association called a mass meeting to protest against the evil. The Association appointed a committee to co-operate with the Trustees, and authorized the com- mittee to draw upon the treasurer of the Association for any money in his possession that might be needed to carry out its work. Certain "boon-makers" were arrested on warrants sworn out by John D. Hashagen and Ernest Mitchell, Village Trustees. The defendants were brought before County Judge Garretson, and convicted of violating the Ives law, the very law under which they claimed pro- tection. An application was made to Supreme Judge Bartlett for a stay of proceedings, on a writ of certiorari. 1894 1896 220 HISTORY OF FLUSHING This was denied, and the fines were paid. Being thus deprived of the privilege of making books on foreign tracks, the Jockey Club began to lose money. After its one season, it did not return to Flushing. The Village Association did not content itself with merely opposing the Flushing Jockey Club. The State Constitutional Convention was in session at Albany during that summer. A committee of the Village Association con- sisting of Joseph K. Murray, Foster Crowell, James T. Franklin, L. M. Franklin, G. Webster Peck, sent a petition to the convention begging that the article of the Constitu- tion which prohibited lotteries might be so amended as to include a prohibition of pool-selling and all forms of gam- bling. The amendment was adopted by the Constitutional Convention, and ratified later by popular vote. At the November election, 1894, the question whether Flushing should be consolidated with New York CJity, was submitted to the people. Flushing voted against the prop- osition — 1,407 to 1,144. In spite of this vote, the work preparatory to the extension of the limits of New York City, so as to include the town of Flushing, went steadily on. Flushing opposed this measure at every stage of its progress. While the bill was before the Senate's Committee on Cities, March, 1896, a delegation from the Village Association con- MODERN FLUSHING 221 sisting of John W. Weed, Foster Crowell, Albert S. Thayer, William Bunting, Jr., George W. Hillman, Jr., G. Webster Peck, appeared before the committee to protest against the proposed legislation. Mr. Weed was the spokesman for the committee. Later, a memorial, addressed to Governor Mor- ton and the State Legislature, and signed by more than seven hundred residents of Flushing and Jamaica, protest- ing against the measure, was forwarded to Albany. But the bill was passed, signed by the Governor, and sent to the Mayors of New York, Brooklyn and Long Island City. The Village Trustees and the Village Association appointed com- mittees to appear before the Mayors and show why the measure should be vetoed. 39 The Mayor of New York and the Mayor of Brooklyn vetoed the bill ; but it was re-passed by the Legislature, signed by the Governor, and became a law, in April. The Village Association did not, however, relax its efforts in behalf of Flushing. Consolidation was inevit- able ; the next question was to secure as fevorable provision for Flushing as possible. The work of framing a charter 39. The committee from the Village Trustees was : James A. Macdonald, Ernest Mitchell, James A. Renwick, John Hepburn. Frederick Storm, Assemblyman, assisted the committees from Flushing, in various ways, during the flght against consolidation. 1897 222 HISTORY OF FLUSHING for the enlarged city was placed in the hands of a commis- sion.*" The Village Association appointed a committee to look after the interests of Flushing, While this work was going on. The committee consisted of S'oster Crowell, Albert S. Thayer, John W. Weed, James A. Macdonald, and Wil- liam Bunting, Jr. The proposed charter was published in December, 1896. The Charter Commission offered to grant public audiences, for twelve days in January, on ques- tions connected with the charter. The Village Association's committee asked to be heard on the following subjects ; (1) "The basis of representation, and the method of choos- ing representatives in the municipal assembly, to be chosen from the more sparsely inhabited boroughs, especially Queens; (2) Provision for direct means of public inter-com- munication between portions of the city separated by water. ' ' The Commission granted a hearing on the first question, January 6th, and on the second question, three days later. John W. Weed spoke for the committee. The original draft of the charter gave the Borough of Queens two oouncilmen out of thirty- five, and three aldermen out of one hundred and one. These oouncilmen and aldermen were to be chosen from the Borough at large. The commit- 40. Judge Harrison S. Moore, a resident of the Town of Flushing, (his home is at Little Neck) was a member of the Charter Commission. MODERN FLUSHING 223 tee sought to secure for Queens a larger representation in the municipal assembly, and a provision that the representa- tives be chosen from sections of the Borough rather than from the Borough at large. As the result of the first hearing, the charter was amended so as to provide that there be one alderman for each assembly district ; and three councilmen, instead of four, for each Senatorial distirict except Rich- mond and Queens, which should each have two. The char- ter was further amended so as to provide that in Queens one councilman should be chosen from Long Island City and Newtown, and one from Flushing, Jamaica, and Hemp- stead. Thus the efforts of the Association Committee secured for the Borough of Queens a larger representation in the municipal assembly, and for the old towns of the county something approaching local representation. The committee appeared before the Commission, January 9th, on the subject of inter-communication between differ- ent portions of the city, with the result of securing a change in the charter allowing the city to construct, own, maintain and operate a department of public docks and ferries. The Board of Education, represented before the Charter Commission by Joseph Fitch and John Holley Clark, also secured a change in the charter giving the Borough of 224 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Queens two assistant superintendents, in addition to tlie one superintendent as originally provided. Though the Village Association had been able to effect several important changes in the city charter, still the docu- ment was far from being all that was desired. As a last effort, therefore, the Association's committee addressed a communication to Governor Black, in April, 1897, stating many objectionable features in the charter, and requesting him to veto it. The charter received the Governor's ap- proval, and on the first of January, 1898, the Town of Flushing became a part of New York City. The Village Association, in addition to the service above referred to, did much to defeat the scheme for con- necting Newtown Creek and Flushing Bay by a ship canal. An exhaustive report on the subject was submitted to the Secretary of War, who, in making an unfavorable report to Congress, used many of the arguments originally advanced by the Village Association. 1895 While Flushing was beginning this struggle for exist- ence, the town passed the 250th anniversary of its settle- ment. It is to be regretted that the year was allowed to pass without due commemoration. The Society of Friends, how- ever, arranged and carried out in the same year, viz., on MODERN FLUSHING 225 May 29, 1895, a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the building of their Meeting-house. For this enterprise they are to be commended, but if their own records are to be relied on, their gathering was one year too l&te to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the opening of their first Meeting- house, and at least twenty-two years too early to celebrate the bi-centennial of the present Meeting-house. However, on the day above named nearly two thousand Quakers and their friends assembled in Flushing, from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and Indiana. Old friends exchanged greetings, places of interest were visited, speeches were made. *i On the First Sunday in November, 1897, the Rev. J. 1897 Carpenter Smith, S. T. D. , completed his fiftieth year aa Rector of St. George's Church. The anniversary was ap- propriately celebrated by his congregation; and the older residents of the village, of every creed, joined in presenting their congratulations. Within the limits of the Town of Flushing are also the villages of College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Douglaston 41. Programme of the public meeting : Historical Sketch, James Wood ; Position of Woman in the Society of Friends, paper by Marianna W. Chapman ; What the Soci- ety of Friends has Accomplished for the World, paper by Aaron M. Powell ; poem by Mary S. Kimber. 226 HISTORY OF FLUSHING and Little Neck. College Point, before it was taken into the city, was an incorporated village ; so was Whitestone. Col- lege Point is a manufacturing place ; its population is mainly German. It has a fine water front and many beautiful homes. The development of College Point's business interests was mainly due to the enterprise of Conrad Pop- penhusen, who settled there, in 1854, and erected a large factory for the manufacture of hard-rubber goods. The Poppenhusen family were instrumental in extending the rail- road to College Point. The village has good schools, churches of various denominations, a fine water system, and many social and charitable organizations. The first means of communication between Flushing and College Point, across the meadows, was a plank walk, built by Dr. Muhlenberg. The causeway was built in 1855. The trains of the Long Island Railroad and the electric cars now furnish frequent communication between Flushing and College Point, Further east on the North Shore is Whitestone. It has a fine water-front, many pleasant homes, good schools and churches. Still further east is Willets Point, a Government Post. This point of land, at the narrows which are generally regarded as the dividing line been the East river and Long MODERN FLUSHING 227 Island Sound, was fomerly a part of the Willets farm. In 1861, it was purchased by the United Stktes, and fortified as a military post. It later became the headquarters of the Engineer corps of the army. Beyond Willets Point is Little Neck Bay, in early times known as Matthew Garretson's Bay. On the western side of the Bay is situated the Tillage of Bayside, with its many large and comfortable country places ; on the other side are the villages of Douglaston and Little Neck. On the first of January, 1898, the town of Flushing, with all its villages, became a part of New York City. THE END. APPENDIX APPENDIX. THE CHARTER, OCTOBER lo, 1645.1 Know all men, whom these presents may any wayes con- cerne, That We WiUiam Sieft, Eaqr. Gtovernr Genii of the Province called JV^cw Netherlands, w'li ye Counoill of State there established, w'li ye Virtue of a Commission under the hand and Seale of the High and Mighty-Lords, the Estates Genii of the United Belgick Prminces, His Highness, Frederick Hendrick, Prince of Orange, and the Right Honoi>le Lords, the Lords Bewint Hebbers, of the West India Company, Have given and graunted, And by virtue of these p'nta, do give, graunt and confirm unto Thomas ffarington, John Towns- end, Thomas Stiles, Thomas SauU, John Marston, Robert ffidd, ThortMs Applegate, Thomas Beddard, Laurence Dutch, John Lau- rence, WiUiam Laurence, William Thome, Senry Bautell, William, Pigeon, Micheall Milliard, Bobert ffirman, John Hicks, Edward Han't, their heires, Excors Adrnt's Assignes, Successors or Associates, or any they shall joyne in Associacon with them, a certaine quantity or parcell of Land, with all the Havens, Harbors Rivers, Creekes, Woodland, Marshes, there unto belonging, and being upon the Northside of Long Island, to begin at y« westward part thereof, at the Mouth of a Oreeke upon the East River, now commonly called and knowne by the name of fflushing Oreeke, and so to run East- ward, as farr as Mathem Oarretsons Bay ; Together w'li a Neck 1 Laws and Ordinances of New Netfierland. New York Deed Book, n, 178. 232 HISTORY OF FLUSHING of Land commonly called Tues Neck, being bounded on the Westward part thereof, with the Land graunted to Mr. Francis Doughty and Astoaiatea, and to the Eastward part thereof, with the Land graunted to ye Plantacon and Towne of Sempsteed, and so to rune in two direct lines, unto the South of ye Island, that there may be the same Latitude in breadth, on the South side, as on the Northside, for them and their Patentees, Actually, really, aiid perpetually to 'enjoy, and Possesse, as their owne free Land of Inheritance, for them and the said Patentees, their Associates, heires. Successors and Assignes to Improve and Manure at their own best advantage according to their discretion. Always Provided ye said Patentees or Associates, shall settle such a competent Number of ffamilyes, w'^in the space of two yeare, after the date hereof, as the Governor Gen'l of this Province, for the time being, or any hee shall appoint, shall think convenient, may be accommodated, within the said Limitts ; Alwayes Provided the first Settlers, to be sufficiently accommodated, excepting for and to the use of the above said Right HonoWe the Lords Bewint Hebbers, a certain Parcell of Land, within the Towne of ffliishing, for their own use; flurther giving and graunting. And by virtue of these pr sents. We do give and Graunt, unto the said Patentees, their Associates, Heires, Executors Admtoi"s Successors and Assignes, upon the said Land to build a Towne, or Townes, w'li such necessary 'ffortifications, as to them shall seeme Expedient; and to have and Enjoy the Liberty of Con- science, according to the Custome and manner of Holland, without molestacon or distvtrbance, from any Magistrate or Magistrates, or any other Ecclesiasticall Minister, that may extend Jurisdiccon over them, with Power likewise, for APPENDIX I 233 them the said Patentees, their Associates and Successors to Nominate, Elect, and Choose, a certain Officer over them, who may bears the name or Title, of Scout or Constable, Wee do hereby give graunt and Confirme, as large and ample Power and Authority, as, 'is usually given to the Scout of any Village in Holland, or Constable in England, for the apprehencon of any Malefactor, or any that shall go about to diaturbe the Publique Peace and tranquility of the said Towne of fflushing. And him or them to bring before the Governor Genii of this Province, for the time being, and there to make Proces ag^' such delinquents ; flfurther giving and graunting, And by virtue of these P' nts, we do give and graunt unto the said Patentees, their Associates and Successors to have and enjoy the free Liberty of Hawking, Hunting, fflshing, ffowling within their abovesd Limitts, And to use and Exercise all manner of Trade and Commerce, according as ye Inhabit'^ of this Province may or can by virtue of any Priviledge or Graunt made unto them, indueing all and singular the said Paten- tees, their Associates and Successors wth all and singular the immunityes of the Province, as if they were Natives of the United Belgiek Provinces ; Alwayea Provided, the said Patentees, their Associates and Successors shall reverendly respect the above named High and Mighty Lords for their superior Lords and Pat- rons, so long as they shall continue within the Jurisdiction of this Province, and at ye expiracon of ten yeares to begin from the day of the date hereof, to pay or cause to bee paid to an Officer, thereunto deputed by the GovernC Genii of this Province, for the time being, the tenth part of the Revenue, that shall arise by the Ground manured, by Plough or Howe, in case it be demanded, to be paid to ye sd Officer, in the ffield, before it bee Housed, Gardens, 234 HISTOEY OF FLUSHING or Orchards, not exceeding one Holland Acre, being ex- cepted; And in case any of ye sd Patentees, their Asso- ciates, Heires, Executes Admtors Successors and Assignea shall onely improve their Stocks, in Grassing or Breeding of Cattle, Then the Party so doing, shall at the expiracon of the ten yeares aforesaid. Pay or cause to be paid, such reasonable Satisfaction in Butter or Cheese, as other Townes shall do in like Cases ; Likewise enjoyning the said Patentees, their Associates, Successors and so forth, in the dating of all Publick In- strumta to upe the New Stile, together with the Weights and Measures of this place. In Witnesse whereof, we have here unto sett our hand and Seale of this Province, dated this tenth day of October, 1645, stilo novo, in the Jfovt AmaUrdam. Memorandum, before the Ensealing hereof. It was Agreed, and Ordered by the Governor ^ the Land should rune North and South, but as farr as the Hills. Willem Kieft Ter Ordinnantie, &C. Cornelius Van Tienhoven, SeereU. II SIGNERS OF THE "REMONSTRANCE OF THE Inhabitants of Flushing. L. I. , Against the Law Against Quakers. "2 [Dec. 27, 1657.] Edward Heart Olericus. Tobias Feake The Marke of William Noble William Thome, seignior The marke of William Thome Junior Edward Tarne(?) John Storer Nathaniel HefEerd Beniamin Hubbard The marke of William Figion The marke of George Clere Elias Doughtie Antonie Feild Richard Stocton Edward Griffine Nathaniell Tue Nicholas Blackford The marke of Micah Tue The marke of Philipp Ud Edward ffarington Robert ffield, senior Robert field, junior Nick Colas Parsell Michael Milner Henry Townsend 2 Historical Documents XIV, 403. 236 HISTORY OP FLUSHING George Wright John Foard Henry Samtell Edward Heart John Mastine John Townsend Ill AN EXACT LIST OF ALL Ye Inhabitants Namks Wti^iN Ye Towne off FFLUSHING AND P'ciNCTS OF OlD AND YoUNG FFREE- MEN AND SeRUANTS WhITE & BlACKE &C, I 698. 3 Coll : The Willett and Mtrs Alena his wife Elbert 1 Cornelius 9-^ Abraham { ^"""^^ John ilLTbeth (Daughters John Clement : Servt Negros flrancis | Jeffrey Hary Jack )-7 and Dick Mary ) Justice Tho: Hukes and Mrs Mary his wife 9 -j Isaac : Benjamin — Charles I a„„„„ Wm Stephen Charely f fones Mary ; daught Negros: Will Cuflee Ig Sherry ffreegeft and Jane ) Majr. Wm Lawrense and Deborah his wife William Richard Obadiah Darnell 11 Samuel John Adam Debo : Sarah Negros James Tom I „ Lew Bess 2 child ) 3 Documentary History of New York, I, 43S. 238 HISTORY OP FLUSHING Richard Cornell and Sarah his wife Sone Richard ( Sarah ) 6 i Elizabeth V Daug ( and Mary ) Negros Tom ) Lewi Toby V6 Sarah and Dina ) ' John Esmond and Elizab : his wife John and Mary Wm Jewell serut ' Samll : Thome and Susana his wife Benjamin ) 8 -! Samuel and > Sone Nathan ) Jane Kesia I -j-j . and Deborah j Negros Coffe ) Dina Kate >-5 Charles Tony ) James Clement and Sarah his wife Thomas Jacob 12 Joseph and two [ Sones Samll and Nathan Mary ] Hannah tx Margarett f ^*"S Bridgett J Negros Toby Dutch Inhcbbita/KU Cornelius Barn ion and Anna his wife Johannis sone APPENDIX III 239 Alke Anna Elizabetli and [ Da : Arante ) Negros Antony ] Jack Corose >-6 Mary Isabella ) Martin Wiltsee and Maria his wife 6 Cornelius Hendriok Johannis and Margarett Elbert Arinson and Cataline hia wife 5 Rem and Elbert sones Anneke — negro Dick'r Garratt Hanson and J anneke his wife Hance Rem Jan ) „ 10 Peter Danll Jores ( ° Janake Cattaline Dau Negro Jeffrey 1 Lorus Haff Canuerte his wife Jewrin Peter I Sones 11 Johannis and Jacob j Stinchee Maria J Tuntee Margaretta > Dau Sauta ) Edec : Van Skyagg and Ebell his wife 7 Cornelius ffrancis and Arian Elizabeth Rebecca Poulas Amarman 3 and Abiena his wife Abena : Daughter Bam Bloome and 4 ffammily his wife Garratt, Johannis Eliz Bloodgood 5 Wm and Elizabeth one negro Will 240 HISTOEY OP FLUSHING Dirick Poules and Sarah his wife 8 Peter Thynis Rich'd: Wm Jon Charles Sarah one negro Tom 2 John Bloodgood and Mary his wife 2 Powell Hoff and Bachell his wife 2 John Jores and Maria his wife Deriok Brewer and 3 his wife Hannah 1 child French Inhabits John : Genung 3 and Margreta his wife : John : sone negros 2 ffrancis Burto and Mary his wife 5 John ffrancis Abigal : Daug Sarah Doughty '^aTfSones Sarah Seruant Negros : Okee and Mary 2 Mary Perkins Abigale Daug Bess : Robin Maria I o Hanes S 2 Ann Noble Abigale Serut Negros : Jack Jan 2 3 Mary Bowne Annis Ruth ; Daugh Negros : James and I « Nell f ^ APPENDIX III 241 Arther powell and 4 Margrett his wife Richard Arther sonea John Hinchman and Sarah his wife 7 John James Mercy Mary and Sarah Negroo Hetchtor 1 Richard Chew and ffrances his wife 7 Rioh'd Henry Tho Hannah Charely Mary Elizabeth Thomas Runley and 4 Mary his wife Thomas sone Hannah flranoia Doughty and Mary his wife 8 Elias palmer ffrancis Obadiah Sarah Charely Mary Negros Vaster Rose 2 John Talman and Mary his wife 7 John James peter Mary Elizabeth Charles Tom Sarah 2 oh 5 John Thorne Senr and 5 Mary his wife Hannah and Sarah Wm Negros Alex wo : 2 ■William ffowler Carp and Mary his wife 8 William John Joseph Benj Mary Rebeca Negro Jack 1 John Thorne Jun'r 242 HISTORY OF FLUSHING 6 Katherin his wife John Mary Eliz : Deborah Henry Taylor and 5 Mary Sarah his wife Sarah phebe Negro Tonny 1 Edward Greffln ju 4 Deborah his wife Edward Mary 2 William Owen and Mary his wife 2 Hugh Cowperthawt Mary Southick Negro Anthony — 1 2 Henry flranklin and Sarah his wife 1 negro 3 Patience Cornelius Elias: Mary— Tho : ffarrington and Abigale his wife Thomas Kobert Benjamin — 8 Elizab : Bridgett Abigale Negros — Mingo In Winnee ( Harman Kinge 6 and Mary his wife John Joseph Benj. Ifranois Toby 1 William ffowler wea 3 and Judith his wife William sone Thomas Willett 3 and Sarah his wife Sarah — Daughter Negro Lay — 1 Thomas Hinchman APPENDIX III 243 i and Meriam his wife Thomas and Sarah — 2 George Langley and Rebeca his wife Mary and Sampson — 2 Matt flarington 5 and Hannah his wife Matthew Sarah and Edward John Man ton ffrances John 5 Cornelius Deborah Ebell— Thomas Yeates and Mary his wife 6 Mary ye mother Wm Benj Jane Elias Doughty Elizabeth his wife 5 Elias Eliz : Thomas Negro : Jack — 1 Charles Doughty and Elizabeth his wife 6 John Charles — Sarah Elizabeth 1 negro black boy 1 John Harrington and Elzbth his wife John Edward Matthew 13 Thomas Sam'll Robert Mercy Margrett Dorythy Anna — Elizabeth Sam'll Bowne and Mary his wife 6 Samll Thomas Ellmer Hannah Negros Simon Nany mingo 3 Joseph palmer 6 and Sarah his wife 244 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Dani'll Esther Kic'h pricilla Tho : Hedger and Elizabeth, his wife Eliakim Thomas 11 Mary Hannah — Jane Sarah Deborah Elizabeth Joseph Thome and Mary his wife — Joseph William 11 Thomas John- Benjamin Abraham Hannah Mary Susan 1 Negro Tom : — 1 Sam'll Haight and Sarah his wife — 10 Nicholas Jonathan David John Sarah Mary Hannah phebe — and 1 negro 1 Thomas fford and 3 Sarah his wife — Thomas Child 2 Esther fford William Negro Anthony — 1 John Embree and 6 Sarah his wife Robert John Samll Sarah Hatham'U Roe and 3 Elizab'th his wife David Charles Morgan and Elizabeth his wife 7 Charles James Thomas Sarah Ephraim Sophy Negros : peter James John Cornelius and Mary his wife — APPENDIX III 245 10 John Dani'll Sam'll Joseph. Deborah Mary phebe Sarah Negro : Zambo : 1 Jona Wright Senr and Sarah his wife 9 Sam'll Richard Charles Job : Mary Hannah John Henry Wright and 4 Mary his wife Hannah Sarah Jona : Wright Ju 4 and Wine his wife Jonathan Elizabeth Dauid Wright and 4 Hannah his wife Dauid phebe Joseph Lawrense and Mary his wife 4 Richard Thomas 1 Negro Jack — 1 2 John Hopper Peintr and Christopher 2 John Hopper Jun and Margarett his wife John Harrison and Elizabeth his wife 7 William Edward Henry Eliz Ann Negros Hechtor ) q Kate r Margery Smith 3 Judeth Hannah Samuel Tatem and Elizabeth his wife 6 Sam'll Eliza patience Mary negro — 1 Benj Havileind and 5 Abigaile his wife Adam Benj John 246 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Abigale Bethia William Benger and 5 his wife Elizabeth. John Jacob Eliz John Jeauiland and 3 Sarah his wife John Thomas Wildee and Elizabeth his wife 8 Edward Rioh'd Tho Obadiah Isaaih Eliz'bth Edward Greffein Se 3 and Mary hib wife Deborah Negro ; Jack : — 1 John Rodman and Mary his wife 9 John Samuell — Joseph William Thomas An Eiliz : Negros — 11 John Lawrence and his wife Elizab'th 7 William Richard Eliz : Mary Deborah Negros James Rose Bess Robin Moll — 5 Benj ffeild and Hannah his wife 6 Benj John Antho Sam'll Negros Jo : Betty — 2 John Greffin and Elizabeth his wife 5 John Benj Isaac Joseph Elizab'th Rich'd Greffin and 5 Susan his wife Sam'll Sarah Rich'd Dauid Roe Mary APPENDIX III 2i7 his wife Mary : Negro Sam 1 Rebecca Clery Athelena Rebecca phebe Negro : 1 Philip Odall and his wife Mary Philip Mary John Elizab'th Deborah Joseph Hedger and Hannah his wife — Joseph Margrett Uriah Sarah Hannah Antnody Badgley Elizab'th his wife Anthony George — phebe : 1 Negro 1 Dan '11 Patrick and Dinah his wife Sarah James fifeke One Negro 1 John Ryder and his wife, John Robert Hettie Wintie One negro 1 Dennis Holdrone Sarah his wife Josiah Genning and Martha his wife one child Edee Wilday Rebecca and Mary ffreemen — men Tho : Lawrense James Clement Ju'r John Clement John Huker Jacob Cornell 248 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Thomas fleild Joseph ffeild Derick Areson John Areson John Yeates John Man James ffeke Robert Snelhen Tho: Steuens John Dewildoe Abraham Rich Robert Hinchman Inhabitants 530 Negros 113 According to ye best of our Knowledges Jonathan Wright James Clement [Endorsed. ] a trew Lest as it is returned to us by the above constable and Clerk the Last of augost 1698. Tho. Hicks Danl'l White Jolin Smith Edward White Samuel Mowett John Tredwell William Hallett IV AN ACCOUNT OF Each Inhabitant of fflushings Prouisions as ffol- LOWET.4 [A. D. 1711.] Bacon Wheat Indian Cheese Butter lb. bu3h. bushels Jus. William Bloodgood. . . .120 13 30 180 Jus. David Wright 55 10 6 18 Benj:ffleld 160 130 20 240 James Clement Junr 20 6 12 John Eodman 90 80 210 Mary Talman 40 18 127 flfrancis Doughty 40 20 100 Thomas Rushmore 50 15 Thomas Weekes 198 190 48 300 Margret Powell 30 Joseph Hedges 15 5 15 Joseph Van Cliff 130 10 1 54 Joseph Eodman 150 60 20 100 Phillip Udall 18 25 2 24 Obadiah Lawrence 40 6 10 60 Samll Haight Junr 36 6 70 JewrinEyder 12 4 5 16 Tho Hinchman 6 6 5 4 Copy of Document in New York State Library^ LV, 1S9. 250 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Bacon Wheat Indian Cheese Butter lb. bush, bushels Matthew flfarington li 110 20 186 Sarah ffranklin 45 13 3 230 Thomas ffield 40 100 2 70 John Marston 80 35 25 28 Jon Bloodgood 13 1 Jacob Doughty 70 70 8 75 Stephen Ryder 17 10 20 35 Samuell Talem 65 40 64 John Baldwin 45 10 John Mann 27 4 12 Richard Dachy 40 5 24 Anthony Badgley 23 6 1 Eliakim Hedges 86 80 2 24 Benj: Thorne 25 20 3 42 4 Samll Thorne 90 75 2 75 3 John Essmond 10 30 Jacob Heaviland 12 Benj Heaviland 10 15 34 John Hickes 25 30 10 John Van Wyck 95 6 12 170 Charles Hickes 40 22 2 36 Thomas Hickes 60 20 150 Hugh Cowperthwt 96 1 81 Wm Doughty 45 6 Sarah Doughty 30 4 Henry Wright 70 20 John Yeats 48 John ffarington 45 98 Elias Cornelius 30 2 Samll Bowne 170 15 15 60 Mary Bowne 45 9 9 15 4 Thomas flord 38 6 APPENDIX IV 251 Bacon Wheat Indian Cheese Butter lb. bush, bushels Samuell Haight 45 40 12 125 Joseph Thome 125 20 10 140 ffrancis Burto 6 1 John Hopper 15 Christopher Hopper 20 2 45 Stephen fEord 30 4 36 John Genunge 90 5 6 65 John Embree 85 80 2 65 Sarah Wright 22 1 Charles Wright 20 Richard Greffin 75 24 Maj. Wm Lawrence 220 200 50 200 Joseph Lawrence 90 5 1 130 Edward Greffin 18 18 2 18 Nathaniell Roe 140 140 3 90 John Greffin 28 4 3 72 Elizeth Wilday 40 Wm Lawrence Junior 50 4 1 32 John Lawrence 40 10 2 30 Thomas Parmitter 70 Henry Taylor 43 3 30 Jonathan Wright 48 40 2 30 John Ryder 40 8 25 3 William flowler 120 10 84 Joseph Thome 140 20 20 128 John Taylor 24 William Thorne 185 140 5 115 Mary Thorne 84 9 2 John Washborne 3 1 8 Richd Cornell 23 6 5 322 Richd Cornell Junr 5 4 36 Jacob Cornell 83 8 60 252 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Bacon Wheat Indian Cheese Butter lb. bush, bushels Samll Thome Junr 40 7 3 80 10 Nicholas Haight 12 3 9 Charls Doughty 50 6 3 48 James Jackson 50 20 6 Elias Doughty 57 8 2 Peter Stringam 12 Peter Haff 15 2 2 Thomas Clement 20 2 John Burto 8 2 80 Cornels Hoglant 38 20 16 Barn Bloome 30 14 25 Dirck Brinker 68 20 2 80 35 Tho Acreson 15 11 Peter Mefor 35 50 7 Lawre HafE 46 6 6 Joseph Palmer 18 4 Anthony Glean 50 6 Wm Burling 55 30 3 Tho Rattonne 30 Jon Lowcie 6 3 Tho Willett Junr 90 7 20 75 Coll Tho Willett 250 80 25 156 Samll Ketcham 25 1 Tho Chambers 6 12 Jerim Genung 50 1 40 John Clement 28 1 20 John Vanleiw 50 5 2 James Clement 90 4 2 50 Joseph Thome 13 Danill Lawrence 12 John Serls 12 Endorsed, "Accot of Provisions in flushing, July 1711." V A LIST OF THE Officers and Souldiers Belonging to the Com- pany OF Jonathan Wright, Captn. 5 [A. D. 1715.] Willm Thorne, Lieutenant Anthony Badgeley j q • ^ John Tallman, Ensign Tunis Covert i John Taylor ) Corporals James Lewis, Junr ) Thom Gleane, Drummer. Johanus Van Wick Wilm Burlihg Nathl Roe Steven fEoard Steven Ryder Thom : Clement Christopher Hopper John Baalding Samll Clemment Benjamin Afield Joseph Lawrence John Embree Joseph Hedges John Hix Thom : Rattoone ffrancis Doughty 3 unr Wm Hix Steven Hix Elikiam Hedges Thom : Hix James Talman Joseph ffield 5 This is to certify that the above, with the copy on sheet No. 1 is a correct copy, and of the whole thereof, of a document on page 59 of a manuscript volume, in the custody of the Regents of the University of the State of New York in the State Library, entitled New York Colonial Manu- scripts, vol. 60. George Rogers Howell, Archivist. 254 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Cornelius Mastou John Bloodgood Samll Embree Thorn : Eacason John Washbon Ram Oderyonson Samll Bowne Junr John flfarington John Griffen Richard Griffen Charles Doughty Elias Doughty Senr Thom : ffoard Senr John Esmund Senr Joseph Thorne, Bay Side Thom ffield James Clement John Yeats Nicholas Haight John Ryder fErancis Yeats Thom : Bowne Willm Smith Jacob Griffen Thom: Carle Adam Lawrence Samll Stringam Thom: Stringam John Doughty Samll flield Thom: Hedges Benjmn ffowler Harculus Ryder Richd Willdey Isaiah Willdey Thom : Willdey John Coe Richd Lawrence Abraham Gray Samll Griffen Richd Lawrence of ye Neck Thom : Lawrence David Roe Thomas Thorne John Bowne Thom : ffarington, Bay Side Thom : flarington of ye Towne Samll flarington James Cromell Elias Doughty Danll Lawrence Samll Lawrence Cornelius Van Wick Garret Bloome Thom : Jaxson Uria Hedges Thom : Hinchman Junr VI SUFFERINGS OF THE FRIENDS IN Flushing During the Revolutionary War. 6 Taken from Daniel Bowne, for refusing military service, by Captain Hoogland's warrant, a silver watch, worth £1, 1776 and a looking glass, worth £Z. 29th of 8th month. Taken from John Bowne, by the Major of the Light Horse, for the use of the army, 21 old sheep, at 13 shillings each, and 15 lambs, at 11 shillings each ; and 9th of 9th month, taken by Captain Moxome, 31 bushels of oats, at 3 shillings per bushel. Distresses made upon the goods of Ebenezer Beaman, by order of the militia officers : A dictionary^ worth 12 shil- lings ; two large pewter basins, 16 shillings ; diaper table- cloth, and pewter funnel, 28 shillings ; looking-glass, £3 ; an iron-shod cart and tackling, £14 ; a horse, £18, 14 s. Taken from John Lawrence by the militia Sergeant, for not appearing under arms, a warming-pan, to the value of £1. Taken from Ann Field, by order of Captain Hoogland, being to serve military purposes, a watch worth £8 ; 2J^ I'm bushels of wheat, £1. 10 s. ; a horse, £25. Taken from John Bowne, for not appearing with the militia, a fat hog, £5. 6 Onderdonk's Documents and Letters, Second Series, p. 59. 1778 1780 256 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Taken from John Bowne, by Captain Hoogland, for not appearing under arms when required by the militia officers, household goods, worth £2. 3s. 6d. Taken from John Farrington, a gun, worth £2 ; a table, £3 ; 2 hogs, £8. 10 s. April 3. Isaac Underhill and Thomas Willett, being desired by the British commanding officers at Flushing to view the damages, or quantities of timber cut off a certain tract of timber-land, consisting of about 35 acres, belonging to John Bowne, conclude that there has been taken 5 stand- ard cords for the use of His Majesty's troops. David Golden certifies the above appraisers to be men of fair character, and well qualified to make the estimate. 1781 Jacob Lawrence, with three others, took from Ebenezer Beaman, a riding saddle, worth £5. Three turkeys, worth 50 shillings, taken from Ann Field, on a demand of 24 shillings for guarding the fort at Whitestone. Taken from John Bowne, on demand of 39 shillings, to defray the charge of guarding the fort at Whitestone, a pair of boots, £2. 8 s. 12th of 2d month. Jacob Lawrence, Sergeant, with others, took away from James Bowne, 11 fowls, worth £3, on a demand of 39 shillings for guarding the fort. 24th of 2d month. David Rowland, Sergeant, came to Isaac Underhill 's, and demanded £4 for money advanced for a horse to go to the King's service, and for expenses in guarding the fort, etc. , and on his refusing to pay it, went into his mill and took 8 bushels of Indian corn, worth £4. 3d month. There came to John Farrington's house, David Rowland, a Sergeant under Captain Hoogland, for a APPENDIX VI 257 demand of £3. 8s. , took away a piece of linen, worth £3. 6 s, being levied by way of tax, as was said, to defray the expense of guarding the fort at Whitestone. Taken at sundry times, from John Burling, jr., for fines, by order of Captain Hoogland, to answer militia pur- poses ; A pewter dish, worth 8 shillings ; 6 pewter plates, 12 shillings ; a pair of tongs, 12 shillings ; a tablecloth, £1. 10a. ; 7 pewter plates, 14 shillings ; a copper sauce-pan, 8 shillings ; a pair of andirons, £2 ; 6 silver tea spoons, £1. 10s. Taken by Philip Husted, 2J^ bushels of corn and bag, to defray the expense of guarding the fort at Whitestone, £1. 10s. Jacob Lawrence took, on demand of 27 shillings, an overcoat and a dunghill fowl, worth 50 shillings. Taken from Willet Bowne, at sundry times, by order of Captain Hoogland, being fines to answer military purposes, a geography, worth 14 shillings ; 6 pewter plates, 12 shil- lings ; 2 bushels of wheat and the bag, £2 ; 9 bushels of corn, £3. 12s. ; a watch, £8 ; 2 bushels of corn and the bag, £1. 4 s. 4th of 3d month. Then came Moses Fowler, and de- manded of Phebe Cornell £4. On her refusal to pay, he searched her closet and found money to the value of £3. 18s., being levied by way of tax, as was said, for defraying the expense of guarding the fort at Whitestone. 29th of 6th. month. Philip Husted, Sergeant, and Jacob Lawrence with him, demanded 25 shillings of Solomon Underhill, for guarding the fort, and took wheat to that value. xioZ Taken from John Parrington goods worth £3. 11 s. 4 d. 258 HISTORY OP FLUSHING Total amount of distraints of Friends in Flushing, from 1776 to 1782, was £194. lis. lOd. 7. 7 The Friends who escaped oppression by the military authority suffered at the hands of their co-religionists : ' ' 1776. Samuel Cowperthwait assisted at the fortification in New York, and is not priiicipaled against defensive war- fare. He is disowned." "Jonah Hallet is disowned for bearing arms. ' ' VII ADDITIONAL NOTES Relating to the History of Flushing. "As for freedom and pleasure to hackl, hunt, fish and fowle, theare is great varietie, and all daynties of fruits that Ittaley or the Gardens of Spaine affordeth, may be had out of those ritch grounds, for it is as hbtt as Spaine ore Italley and as full of pleasure and comforte. " Tfw Commod- ities of the Island Called Maniti ore Long lale which is in the Con- tinent of Virginia, for sale at the Sign of the Two Storks, no date. 1647, Thomas Eobertsen deeds a house and plantation, in Flushing, to George Wolsey. 1648, Jan. 17. Order issued by Council to John Tonsen and others of Flushing, to appear before the Council, and show cause why they refuse to contribute to the support of a minister, and oppose the nomination of a sheriff. Inhabi- tants ordered to proceed to a nomination of such an ofiBcer. Calendar I, 116. 1649, Aug. 14. Anneke van Beyern, widow of the late Daniel Patrick, now the wife of Tobias Feci, of Flushing, L. I., gives power of attorney to Adriaen van der Donck, who is about to depart for Fatherland, to investigate the state of her affairs there, and collect whatever may be com- ing to her. Calendar I, 4S. 1652, March 11. Mark Menloff is compelled to confess the guilt of stealing and killing a hog. March 25. Maria de Truy, wife of Jan Peeok, testified that she had heard certain 260 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Indians speak about the above. March 25. MenlofE and his whole family banished. GaUndar 1 1^5 et sg. 1654. Goodman Harck's wife complains against Richard Pontum, who is suspected of having burnt her barn. Calen- dar , 141. 1655, June 1. Divorce granted to John Hicks from his wife Harwood Long. Calendar I, 14-9. 1658, Nov. li. Widow of William Hajck is ordered to render an account, to Robt. Terry, John Tonson, William Palmer and John Coo, for certain cattle belonging to Thos. Farrington, a minor. Calendar I, S02. 1661, Oct. 20. Jacob Kip complains that Jno. de Sweet has taken his canoe. Calendar J, S30. 1662, Jan. 12. Roelof Jausen, collector of excise, brings suit against Samuel Edsal for buying liquor from Manhat- tans, without a permit. Judgment for the defendant. Calendar I, 2SS. 1662, July 2, Complaint is entered against William Bentfield for exporting liquor from Flushing to New Eng- land, without paying duty. GaUndar I, S39. 1677, Oct. 9. Governor Andros employs John Thompson of Seatalcott "to goe to Flushing and other parts upon Long Island, to search for sea coal mines, of which he had prob- able information." 1676, "We are informed that a person belonging to Flushing, that formerly made a profession of truth has been taken with the Ranters, and that of late has signified that he sees the evil of his outrunnings, yet doth not frequent the assembly of the Lord's people, so Francis Cooley and John Adams are desired to speak to the party. Manxiscript History^ p. 109. APPENDIX VII 261 1680. Town of Flushing is charged " To hew & cryes, " £1. Is. 1680, Feb. 20. Little Neck at this date is called Corn- bury. Calendar II, 85. 1682, Feb. 16. Christian Dean and Thos. Robinson give information that the magistrates of Flushing do not prevent wheat being shipped in Cornbury Bay. Calendar II, 98. 1690, Oct. 30. Commissions issued to Samuel Edsall, Thomas Williams and Hendrick Ten Eyck, or to one of them, to command a sloop, with volunteers, and proceed to Flushing Bay and secure the persons and papers of sus- pected rebels. Calendar II, 199. 1692, Sep. 10. "Jno Bowne, Hew Coperthwait and Jno Rodman having spake, in behalf of fEriends with miles (foster ; about their dissatisfaction with him in his sarving George Keith boockes to ye greef of flfriends. Minutes of [Keith attacked the Quakers, charging them with heresy. His books therefore appear to have been on the Quakers' Index Expergatoriits. ] 1702, Sep. 28. Flushing meeting of Friends sends an address to Lord Cornbury, "setting forth ye Late Sufferings of friends, haveing their votes being Refused and their Goods Distrained on, for Building a Dwelling house for the Nonconformist Preacher in Newtown and elsewhere." Minutes of Meetings. [It was reported at the next Quarterly meeting that the Governor had restored the goods which had been taken from Friends. ] 1703, May 20. John Embree, inhabitant and freeholder of the town of Flushing, petitioned for an injunction 262 HISTORY OF FLUSHING against William Lawrence, restraining him from trespassing on his land. Calendar II, 313. 1703, Aug. 2. William Lawrence complains that John Embree has trespassed on his estate, called Tews Neck. Calendar II, 315. 1704, April 4. Thos. Worden, of New York, pipe maker, asks for license to dig clay on Island of Nassau, between high and low water mark. Referred to Justices of Queens County, to report whether the locality be within the bounds of the patent of Flushing. Calendar II, 323. 1711. Great scarcity of provisions on Long Island, vide appendix IV. 1715, Aug. 12. Anthony Gleane of Flushing, black- smith, asks for letters of administration on the estate of Jas. Bettersby, school master of the same place. Calenda/r II, JfiT. 1719, May 28. Thos. Hinchman of Flushing gave afll- davit that he had heard Justice Whitehead say, that it was as lawful to play cards as it was to read the Bible. Calendar II, /^O. 1726, June 17. Patent granted to Charles and Francis Doughty and others, to establish a ferry between the east side of William Thome's Neck and the west side of Deborah Lawrence's Neck, on the mainland. Calendar, II, 495. 1736, March 3. "Last Thursday night, about 10 or 11 o'clock, the house of Benjamin Lawrence, of Flushing, was burnt to the ground and nothing of his goods saved. The man and woman were abroad about their afEairs, and at that time, the man, coming home, saw the house all in a flame, and ran in and pulled his four small children out of their bed, and threw them naked upon the snow, and APPENDIX VII 263 attempted to fetch out some of his goods, but the fire was so far advanced, that he could not get the least rag to cover them from the piercing cold of that night, but all was burnt. N. Y, Gazette, March 3, 1736, ( Onderdonk. ) ' ' The same day, Thos. Willet had occasion to drive his cattle over a creek, on the ice, which breaking in, he lost eight cows." 1736, Sept. 27. "On the 6th inst. , the house, ware-house and all the goods and merchandizes of Mr. John Foster, at Flushing, at midnight, were consumed to ashes, and little or nothing saved, but his books, papers and the Scriptoir which they were in. ' ' 1751, March 13. Edmorid Annely advertises his pottery at 'Whitestone — "he having set up the potter's business by means of a German family that he bought, who are sup- posed by their work to be the most ingenious that ever arrived in America. ' ' lp59. "It was reported at this meeting that Benjamin Thome has hired a man to go in the Army to War in his Son's Stead, also, that John Rodman has hired a man to go in his Eum. ' ' A few months later: "It appears to this meeting, by the persons appointed to speak to Benjamin Thorne, as also his owne mouth that he still continews unwilling to con- demn his Miss conduct in Hireing a man to goe to War in his Son's Stead, or to give Friends Satisfaction for the Same, it is the Judgment of the Meeting that we can have no younity with such Practices, nor with him untill hee both condemn and leave the same. ' ' The report concerning Rodman : ' ' Hireing a Man in his Koome for the Expedition was not unadvised, but the result 264 HISTORY OF FLUSHING of Mature consideration, and if the like occasion offered, he should doe it again. ' ' Mimites of Friends^ Meetings ( Flint, 18S.) 1786, Oct. 12. " Died at Moorfields, Flushing, on Sunday evening, aged 34, Mrs. Gertrude Onderdonk, the amiable consort of Lambert Moore, Esq. , formerly comptroller of His Majesty's customs. The funeral sermon was preached by his nephew, the Rev. T. L. Moore, the Episcopal Minister of S. Hempstead. ' ' "Died at Flushing, Sunday, se'nnight, Gerard G. Beekman, Esq., aged seventy-seven, a citizen of New York, whose hospitality and good old wine endeared him to many friends. He had retired from business, to pass the remain- der of his life in quiet and enjoy those rational amusements which the delightful plains of Long Island afforded him." New York Journal, Sept. 5, 1796. 1878, May 7, Judge Murray Hoffman died at his resi- dence in Flushing. He was buried in St. Mark's Church- yard, New York City, May 10th. Judge Hoffman was born in New York City, Sept. 29, 1791 ; he graduated from Co- lumbia College, 1809 ; was admitted to the Bar ; was Assist- ant Vice-Chancellor, 1839-43 ; elected Judge of the Superior Court, in 1853, and held the position of judge until 1861. Among his published works are: OfiBces and Duties of Masters in Chancery (1824) ; Treatise on the Practice of the Court of Chancery (3 vols., 1840-43) ; Treatise on the Cor- poration of New York as Owners of Property, and Compila- tion of the Laws relating ot the City of New York, Vice- Chancery's Reports (1839-40) ; Treatise on the Law of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States (1850) ; Ecclesiastical Law in the State of New York (1868) ; The Ritual Law of the Church, etc. (1872). APPENDIX VII 265 Judge Hoffman took a lively Interest in the affairs of his Church, and was often a member of her conventions. He was a man who "will long be remembered in the annals of the Bar of this country as a distinguished member of the profession, and whose memory will be bept green in the hearts of Churchmen for the contributions he has from time to time made to its canonical literature" — (New York Times.) His funeral was attended by a large number of distin- guished men — bishops and clergymen, judges and lawyers. 1885, October 23. "Morris Franklin, President of the New York Life Insurance Company, died at his home in Flushing, yesterday. He had been ill several weeks with a severe cold. He was born, Oct. 20, 1801, on Broadway, near Leonard street, this city. Morris Franklin was educated by Goold Brown, studied law with Benjamin Clark, and was admitted to practice almost upon reaching his majority. His interest in politics was always great, and he was an enthusiastic Whig. When the Board of Aldermen was com- posed of leading men of the city, he was one of its directing members, representing what was then the Seventh Ward. For two years he was its President. He was elected an Assemblyman, serving three terms, and was in 1842 sent to the State Senate. Later, he became the Whig candidate for Mayor, but the day before the election the result of the contest was so doubtful that he yielded to the advice of his friends, and permitted a Whig coalition with the Know- Nothings, James Harper being elected. Mr. Franklin was a member of the Volunteer Fire Department, and for many years its foreman. During the great fire of 1835, he held a hose in Wall street all night. Just forty years ago, the Nautilus Life Insurance Company was bought out by a newly organized corporation, calling itself the New York Life Insuarance Company, and Mr. Franklin abandoning 266 HISTORY OF FLUSHING the practice of law became its first President. This ofiBce he retained till his death. Mr. Franklin was a Director of the Central National Bank and of the Empire City Fire In- surance Co. , and a Trustee of the House of Kefuge. He moved to Flushing in 1863, and has held the offices of Trus tee and President [of the village] several times. ' ' — (New York Tribune.) Mr. Franklin was also a Warden of St. George's Church, and took an active interest in all affairs that affected the well-being of Flushing. 1888, December 20, The Hon. John W. Lawrence died at Willow Bank, in Flushing. Mr. Lawrence was born in Flushing in 1800 ; at the age of sixteen he entered the mer- cantile house of Hicks, Jenkins & Co. ; at the age of twenty- one he became a partner in the firm of Howland & Law- rence in the shipping and commission business. Mr. Law- rence was for fifteen years President of the Queens County Savings Bank, for some years President of the Seventh Ward Bank of New York, for a third of a century President of the Lawrence Cement Company, and for some time he held a similar position in the Rosedale Cement Company. For fifteen years he was President of the village of Flushing and for many years Warden of St. George's Church. In 1840, he was elected a member of the Assembly ; in 1845 he was elected a member of Congress. He declined to accept a re- nomination for Congress. He also declined the nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor of the State. 1894, August 14, James Strong, S. T. D., LL.D,, D.D., was buried in Flushing cemetery. Dr. Strong was born in New York City, Aug. 14, 1822 ; graduated at Wesley an University, Middletown, Conn., 1844; teacher of ancient languages in Troy Conference Academy, West Poult- ney, Vt. , 1844-46 ; professor of Biblical literature and acting APPENDIX VII 267 President of Troy UniYersity, 1858-61; then professor of exegetical theology in Drew Theological Seminary, Madi- son, N. J. Dr. Strong was also one of the company of Bible revisers. He was the author of Harmony and Exposition of the Gospels (1852) ; Harmony in Greek (1854) ; Scripture His- tory, etc. (1878) ; Irenics, (1883) ; one of the editors of Lange'a Commentaries and of McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. Dr. Strong resided in Flushing some time between 1846 and 1858, and proved himself a public-spirited citizen. He did much for the interests of public education in the crisig of 1848 ; he was one of the first Directors of the Flushing's first railroad, in 1854; and assisted in establishing the Flushing Cemetery where he was buried. 1894, December 3, Benjamin W. Downing died. Mr. Downing was born at Glen Head, L. I., in 1835. He began life as a school teacher. He later studied law, and opened an ofiBce in Flushing. In 1864, he was elected District Attorney of Queens County. He held the ofiBce of District Attorney for many years, and secured the conviction of a number of notable criminals. He was removed from office by Governor Cleveland for receiving money from the rela- tives of a murdered man to assist in the prosecution of the murderer. Mr. Downing protested that none of this money remained in his hands, but was at once paid to detectives. Mr. Downing was twice a candidate for the office of County Judge, but was both times defeated. During Mr. Down- ing's residencce in Flushing he was closely identified with local interests ; he served as Trustee of the Village for sev- eral terms and was at one time President ^of the Board ; he was a member of the Board of Education for about twenty years and at one time President of that body ; he was largely 268 HISTORY OF FLUSHING interested in Flushing real estate, Mr. Downing removed from Flushing in 1882. Population of the Town and Village of Flushing : Year. Village. Town. 1790 1,607 1800 1,818 1810 2,230 1814 2,271 1830 2,820 1840 4,124 1850 about 2,000 5,376 1860 10,188 1870 6,223 14,650 1880 6,683 15,906 1890 8,436 19,803 VIII THE TREES OF FLUSHINGS Flushing has long been noted for the great number, rare beauty and unusual variety of its trees. The nurseries have given Flushing this advantage. The Huguenots began horticulture here in the seventeenth century. As late as 1839, there were still fruit trees standing, of the varieties introduced by the French. William Prince began his nur- sery, in 1737. It increased in size, until, in 1860, the gar- dens and nursery of W. R. Prince & Co. comprised 113 acres. The Bloodgood nursery was established in 1798, by James Bloodgood. The Commercial Garden and Nursery, of Parsons & Co., were established in 1838. The Kissena Nurseries are the successors of the Parsons nurseries. These are the oldest and most extensive of Flushings nurseries. Until 1840, Flushing had practically the monopoly of this industry. Flushing can boast of one hundred and forty genera of trees, with from three to twenty species to each genus. Thus there are about two thousand varieties of trees standing within the limits of the town. Of specimen trees, i. e. as nearly perfect examples of their kinds as possible, we have many. Of Tulip trees we may mention two magnificent specimens, in the grounds of Bobt. B. Parsons. These trees are seventy-five feet high, 8 Condensed from a Lecture delivered, by Dr. J. W. Barstow, before the Good Citizenship League, in 1893. 270 HISTORY OP FLUSHING and more than three feet in diameter at the base. With- out doubt, they are the finest Tulip trees on Long Island. A fine specimen of the European Linden is to be found in the grounds of Jos. K. Murray. It is a perfect cone, a beautiful object to the eye, and a striaing feature of the landscape. In the adjoining nurseries of Keene & Poulk is a Cut-leaf, Drooping Birch of exceptional size and beauty — probably the finest specimen of its kind in the United States. There are many varieties of Beeches in Flushing. There are some native Beeches still standing on the hillside across the Creek and in the rear of the old Remsen place, but the greater number of our Beeches came from England and Norway. The finest specimen of the English Beech stands in the S. B. Parsons property on Broadway. A noteworthy specimen of the Cut-leaf Beech stands not far from it. In the same enclosure is a choice specimen of the Drooping Beech. But the largest and most perfect specimen of the Drooping Beech is in the grounds of Mrs. Jackson, in Washington Place. Some years ago, Sir Joseph Hooker, Director of Kew Gardens, pronounced this tree the finest of its kind in the world. Another perfect specimen, though smaller, is in the grounds of Jas. W. Renwick. Maples, in all their many varieties, constitute the larger part of Flush- ing's shade trees. Of these, six varieties are native. Of imported Maples, the Japanese Maples are the most con- spicuous. Though dwarfed in size, the exquisite shapes and colors of their leaves have made the Japanese Maples a valuable and popular group. They were first introduced by the Parsons Bros., in 1854. Until about fifteen years ago Flushing could boast of English Elms, second only to those on the Boston Commons. Since the appearance of the Elm Beetle, the English Elms have all but disappeared from Long Island. There are still some good specimens of the APPENDIX VIII 271 American Elm in the village. We have certain trees, inter- esting because of their rarity. A beautiful row of the Southern Cypress stands in Broadway, in front of the S. B. Parsons place. They were planted by Mr. Parsons about fifty years ago. Especial attention is drawn to the double row of the Chinese Taxodium on Parsons Avenue, just south of Broadway. These trees were planted by Robt. B. Parsons about fifty years ago. There is no such group of these rare trees in the United States. Two magnificent specimens of the Cedar of Lebanon are among our most prized trees. One of these stands in the door-yard of the Prince House, on Bridge street and Lawrence Avenue, and the other is within the limits of the old Bloodgood Nursery, on Bayside Ave- nue, opposite the Wickham place. These trees are nearly a hundred years old. Of nut trees, besides our native Chestnut, Walnut and Hickories, we have the Spanish and Japanese Chestnuts, the Butternut, Madeiranut, Pecan, Bitter Almond, and English Filbert. Nearly all of these produce their fruit yearly. To our native Dogwood are to be added other flowering trees of rare and beautiful varieties, e. g. the exquisite Japan- ese flowering Apple, Peach and Cherry. But among the flowering trees, the chief glory belongs to the Magnolias, of which we have five native varieties and others chiefly Japanese and Chinese. Our evergreens — in great and bewildering variety — some from all parts of the world, from Maine, from Oregon, from the Colorado Canons, from the slopes of the Himalayas. They cannot be matched by any similar collection on earth. Two specimens of Primaeval Oaks still stand, one in State street and one in the Hicks place, on Whitestone Avenue. They belong to the same group as the old Fox 272 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Oaks. The old Oak that, until two years ago, stood in the middle of Parsons Avenue, was estimated by the late Prof. Asa Gray, in 1872, to be about six hundred forty years old. IX TITLES OF BOOKS Quoted, or Referred to, in This History. [The many other books "consulted" do not appear in this list. ] History of the State of New York, John R. Brodhead 2 vols., New York, 1859, 1871. History of New Netherland, E. B. O'Callaghan, 2 vols., New York. Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York, E. B. O'Callagan, Editor, 14 vols., Al- bany 1856-1883. Representation of New Netherland, Adriaen Von der Donck, 1650. Translated by Henry C. Murphy, 1849. History of Long Island, Benjamin F. Thompson, 2 vols., 1843. Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, Albany. Massachusetts Historical Collections, 41 vols., Boston, 1806-1871. Documentary History of New York, E. B. O'Callaghan, 4 vols. , New York, 1850. The Annals of Newtown, James Eiker, Jr. , New York, 1852. New England History, Chas. W. Elliott, 2 vols, New York, 1857. History of New England, J. G. Palfrey, 5 vols., Bos- ton, 1858. Newes from America, John Underhill, London, 1638. 274 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Flushing Past and Present, Rev. G. Henry Mandeville, Flushing, 1860. Early Long Island, Martha Bockee Flint, New York, 1896. A Brief Description of New York, Daniel Denton, London, 1670. Journal of George Fox, Philadelphia, -1832. Long Island Antiquities, Gabriel Furman. Register of New Netherland, E. B. O'Callaghan, Al- bany, 1865. Quakers on Long Island and in New York, Henry Onderdonk Jr. Quakers of Hempstead, Henry Onderdonk Jr. New York. The Planting and Growth of the Empire State, Ellis H. Roberts, Boston and New York, 1887. Men, Women and Manners in Colonial Times, Sidney George Fisher, Philadelphia, 1898. A Journal of Travel from New Hampshire to Oaratuck, on the Continent of North America, George Keith, London, 1702. History of St. George's Parish, Flushing, J. Carpenter Smith, Flushing, 1897. Antiquities of the Parish Church, Jamaica, including Newtown and Flushing, H. Onderdonk, Jr. , Jamaica, 1880. The Friends' Library, 6 vols. , Philadelphia, 1839. History of New York During the Revolutionary War, 2 vols. , Thomas Jones, New York, 1879. Genealogical Notes of the Colden Family, E. P. Purple, New York, 1873. Biographies of Francis Lewis and Morgan Lewis, Julia Delafleld, 2 vols.. New York, 1877. The American Revolution, John Fiske, 2 vols.. New York, 1896. APPENDIX IX 275 American Archives, 9 vols. , Washington, 1837-1851. The Empire State, B. Lossing, New York. Journals of the Provincial Congress, 2 vols., Albany, 1842. History of Queens County, New York, 1882. Queens County in Olden Times, H. Onderdonk, Jr., Jamaica, 1865. Documents and Letters to Illustrate Revolutionary Inci- dents of Queens County, H. Onderdonk, Jr., New York, 1846. Second Series, Hempstead, 1884. Gazetteer of the State of New York, Thos. G. Gordon, Philadelphia, 1836. Calendar of Historical Manuscripts, 4 vols., Albany, 1865-1868. Orderly Book of the Maryland Loyalists Regiment Kept by Capt. Caleb Jones, Brooklyn, 1891. Letters of the Brunswick and Hessian Officers During the American Revolution, Albany, 1891. B. F. Steven's Facsimiles of Manuscripts in European Archives Relating to America, 25 vols. , London. A History of the People of the United States, John Bach McMasters, 5 vols., (5th unpublished). New York, 1892-1895. History of the City of New York, Mrs. Martha J. Lamb and Mrs. Burton Harrison, 3 vols. , New York. Diary of George Washington, Richmond, 1861. Life and Work of William Augustus Muhlenberg, Anne Ayres, New York, 1881. Reminiscences of the War of the Rebellion, Bvt. Maj. Jacob Roemer, L. A. Furney, Editor, Flushing, 1897. Manuscript History of the Society of Friends in Queens County, H. Onderdonk, Jr. In the Archives of the West- bury Meeting. 276 HISTORY OF FLUSHING Minutes of Friends' Meetings, Previous to 1805, In the Archives of the Sixteenth street Meeting House, N. Y. Minutes of Friends' Meetings, since 1805, In the Ar- chives of the Westbury Meeting. Historical Collections of the State of New York, J. W. Barber, New Yorli, 1851. INDEX This Index contains references to the notes and the Ap- pendix, as well as to the History. A Additional Notes, 259 African Macedonian Church, 174 Agricultural Society, 193 Alien and Sedition Laws, 169 Andros, Governor, 76, 81, 82 Applegate, Thomas, 15 Areson, B. , robbed, 148 Art Class, 208 Artists' Exhibition, 213 Athletic Club, 211 Attractions of Flushing, 212 Aspinwall, John, 108, 111 B Banks, 211 Baptist Church, 200 ; Pastors of, 201 Baptist Church, African, 212 Barclay, Rev. Henry, 136 Barstow, Dr. J. W., 193, 269 Bayside, 199, 227 Beacons during the Revolution, 134 Beddard, Thomas, 15 Beekman, Gerard G. , 264 Bishop, William, seditious words of, 63 Block, Adrian, enters Flushing Bay, 5 Bloomer, Rev. Joshua, 111, 130 Board of Education, 194, 223 Bownas, Samuel, arrested, 90 Bowne, John, 43, 44 Bowne, Joseph, 125 Bowne House, the, 71 Bowne, Willet, tortured, 148 278 INDEX Bradford, William, 90 British troops enter Flushing, 131; occupy Flushing, 132- 153 Bridge over Flushing Creek, 172 Burling, William, publishes anti-slavery address, 94 Business Men's Association, 211 C Cabot, Jean and Sabastian, 1 Census, in 1698, 85 ; at different times, 227 Charter of Flushing, 14, 231 ; enlarged, 23 ; restricted, 42 ; exemplified, 169 Charter of New York modified, 221-223 Christiaensen, Hendrick, 4 Christmas customs, 57 Church of England, under the Duke's Laws, 61 ; established in New York by law, 79 ; introduced into Flushing, 98 Clarence, Prince of, in Flushing, 149 Clinton, Gov. George, in Flushing, 102 Coal mines, sought for, 260 Court records, extracts from, 260 Coin, scarcity of, 17 Coldeu, Cadwallader. 114-116 ; connection with Stamp Act, 121 ; writes to Earl of Dartmouth, 123 Colden, David, 116, 145 Colden, Cadwallader David, 117 Colgan, Rev. Thomas, 100, 105 College Point, 182, 226 Combination of English towns, .50 Commodities of Long Island, 259 Committee Men, 123, 125, 131 Confiscation Act, 162 Congregational Church, 196 ; Pastors of, 197 Connecticut, trouble with, 48-54 Conscience, freedom of, among the Puritans, 14 ; secured by the Charter of Flushing, 14, 18 Consolidation with New York opposed, 220-224 Constitution, U. S., adoption of celebrated, 164 Cornell, Richard, 49 Cornbury Bay, 261 Cornbury, Lord, 87 INDEX 279 Corsa, Col. Isaac, 106 Courts, Queens County, 164 Oowperthwaite, Hugh, 45 Customs during Dutch supremacy, 57 D Davia, Lieut. William, 31 Debts, imprisonment for, 157 Denton, Daniel, description of Long Island, 68 Depredations by soldiers, 145-148 Dongan, Governor, 77 ; Flushing gives a farm to, 78 Douglaston, 227 Downing, Benjamin W. , 267 Doughty, Rev. Francis, 12, 14, 20-22, 24, 32 Doughty, Elias, 24 ; brings suit for his father's salary, 62 Duke's Laws, 61 Dutch, liberal government of, 14 ; recapture New York, 73 ; administer oath in Flushing, 74 ; customs of, 57 Dutch, Laurence, 15 Dutch Reformed Church, vids Reformed Dutch Church Dress at time of Independence, of gentleman, 156 ; of lady, 156 ; of farmer, 157 ; of laborer, 157 Drisius, Rev. Samuel, on religious condition of Flushing, 37 E Eagles, John, 125 Easter customs, 57 Education, encouraged by Friends, 92 Electric railroads, 217 Episcopal Church, vide. Church of England and St. George's Church. Exemplification of Patent, 169 English, the, not trusted, 30, 34 English towns seek alliance with Connecticut, 49; Com- bination of, 50 Evacuation of New York, 162 F Fair, County, at Flushing, 193, 197, 199 Fairchild, Ezra and E. A. , 191 Farret, James, 10, 20 Farrington, Thomas, 15 280 INDEX Parrington, John, 45 Farrington, Edward, 41 Peake, Tobias, 41, 259 Perry-boats, 154, 262 Field, Robert, 15 Field, Elizabeth, 28 Field, Benjamin, 45 Firman, Robert, 16 Fire Department, 213 Fires, 262-63 Fisher, Edward, 49 Flushing, origin of name, 15 ; limits of town, 16 ; called Newarke, 50; a refuge during the Revolution, 125, 126; condition during the Revolution, 132-153 ; in 1836, 184 ; village incorporated, 184 ; boundaries of village, 185, 198, 207 ; condition in 1851, 196 ; condition in 1897, 212 Flushing Female Association, 175 Flushing Guard, 202 Flushing Battery, 203 ; ofBoers of, 203 ; returns home, 204 Flushing Journal, 188 Flushing Times, 189 Flushing Seminary, 211 Flushing Village Association, 218-224 Flushing Jockey Club, 219 Flushing Female College, 191 Flushing Institute, 180, 182 ; becomes St. Ann's Hall, 187 ; re-established. 191 Flushing Hospital, 208-211 Forrester, Andrew, 20 Fox, George, visits Flushing, 69 Fox Oaks, 70 Franklin, Morris, 265 Free Schools, 175, 194 Friends, arrive in Flushing, 39; laws against, 40; early meetings of, 44 ; why persecuted, 45-47 ; fined, 77, 80 ; dis- sipated men personate, 83 ; Meeting-house, 84, 94 ; influ- ence on education, 92; anti-slavery agitation, 93, 94; dis- cipline of, 96, 97, 261, 263 ; Meeting-house during Revolu- tion, 132 ; suffering of, 132, 255 ; efforts to free slaves, 152 ; Orthodox and Hicksite, 181 ; celebrate 200th anniversary of Meeting-house, 224 INDEX 281 French and Indian War, 105 French, neutral, 106 Funeral customs, 57 G Garretson, Matthew, Bay of, 227, 231 Gas Company, 214 Gill, Roger, Journal of, 85 Good Citizenship League, 211 Gordon, Rev. Patrick, 98 Government, honest, 218 H Hamilton, Col. Archibald, 112-114; house burned, 149 Hamilton Hall, 173 Hamilton Rifles, 202 Half-Moon, enters N. Y. Bay, 4 Hall, Thomas, 23 Hallet, William, 38 Hark, William, 22, 23 Hart, Edward, 16, 35, 41 Hartford Treaty, 48 Hashagen, John D. , 219 Hawks, Dr. Francis, 187 Hedger, James, 146 Hessian Fly, 151 Henderson, John, 209 Heyes, Thomas, 23 Hicks, John, 16, 23, 260 Hicks, Thomas, 124 Hodgson, Robert, 39 Holland and the English Parliament, 29 Hoffman, Miss S. O. , School of, 211 Hoffman, Judge Murray, 264 Honeyman, Rev. James, 98 Hood, Zacharias, 121 Hospital, Flushing, 208-211 Howe, General, before New York, 126 Hudson, seeks northwest passage, 3 Huguenots, 43 K 282 INDEX I Indians, give title to Queens Co. , 11 ; war with, 12, 13 ; their character, 17 ; to be employed in war, 30 ; trouble inhabitants of Flushing, 36, 48 ; attempts to buy land from, 53 ; last deed, 79 Institute, vide. Flushing Institute. Inhabitants in 1698, list of, 237 Ives Law, 219 J Jones, Judge, 118, 145 Journalism, 188-190 Keith, George, 88, 98 Kieft, Governor, 11 Kvle's Institute, 211 L Lawrence, John, 15, 16, 23 Lawrence, William, 15, 16, 63 Lawrence, John W. , 266 Lawrence, Mrs. William, burns contract with Rev. I Doughty, 62 Leisler, John, Flushing complains against, 83 Leverett, Capt. John, 31 Lewis, Francis, 117-120, 135 Lewis, Francis, Jr., 120 Lewis, Morgan 120 Library Association, 214 Lincoln, Charles R. , 188, 189 Little Neck, 227 ; called Cornbury, 261 Long Island, description of, 68 ; opposed to Congress, 122 Long Island Sound, explored by Block, 5; by Dermer, 5 Lovelace, Governor Francis, 67 ; in Flushing, 72 Lovelace, Governor John, in Flushing, 99 Loyalists, 131, 136, 163 Ludlow, Gabriel G. , 163 Lutheran Church, 212 Maodonald, Dr. J., 193 Maedonald, Gen. Allan, 193 Magistrates of Flushing, 56 M INDEX 283 Manners and Customs at close of the Revolution, 154-161 Manufacturing establishments, 212 Marriage laws, 56, 77 Marriages in Flushing, 136 Marston, John, 15 Matinecock Indians, 16 May, Cornelius Jacobson, 8 Meeting-house, Quaker, 84, 94, 95, 132 Megapolensis, Dominie, and the Indians, 13 ; on the relig- ious condition of Flushing, 37 Methodist Church, African, and Pastors, 174 Methodist Church and Pastors, 177, 178 Milliard, Michaell, 16 Militia of Flushing humbled, 64 Minister, Reformed, 28, 42 ; inhabitants refuse to support, 259 Mitchell, Ernest, 219 Money, 158 Moore, Mrs. Lambert, 264 Muhlenberg, Dr. William A. , 179 Muster Roll, 127 N Napier, Capt. and Mrs. , 139 Negroes in Flushing, 176 New Albion, 10 New Amsterdam, 5 ; becomes New York, 59 New England, trouble with, 10, 31, 48, 49 New Netherland, 7, 8 Newarke, Flushing named, 50 New Year's customs, 57 New York, discovered by French, 2 ; claimed by English, 8 ; ceded to English, 59 Nicolls, Governor, 59 ; visits Flushing, 63 ; leaves for Eng- land, 67 Noble, William, 41 O Officials of Flushing, 55, 56, 216 P Patent of Flushing, vide Charter Patent, each landholder required to apply for, 42 284 INDEX Patentees, 15, 16 Patroon, power of, 9 Pigeon, William, 16 Pinfold, Edmund, 125 Pipe-clay, 262 Plowden, Sir Edmund, 10 Population of town and village, 268 Post-office, first, 178 Post-rider, 155 Poyer, Rev. Thomas, 99 Prince, William, Nursery of, 137 Prince, L. Bradford, 215 Prices, in 1645. 19 ; during the Kevolutiorii 138 Prisons, 157 Privateers, 35, 138 Prosperity of Flushing, 19, 28 Provisions in Flushing in 1711, 249 Public Schools, 194, 195 Puritans object to the Dutch's occupying'New York, 9 Q Quakers, mde Friends, Quebec, capture of, celebrated, 107 Queens County Loyalists, 123-125 R Railroads, 197, 204, 205 Reconstruction, 162 Records of town burned, 167 Roemer, Major Jacob, 203, 204 Roesingh, Anton, 210 Reformed Dutch Church established by law, 74 ; organized in Flushing, 187 ; Pastors of, 188 Religious condition of Flushing, 37, 107, 110, 139 Remonstrance against religious persecution, 40 ; signers of, 235 Representative government desired 67 Revolutionary War, Flushing in the, 121-153 Roman Catholic Church, vide St. Michael's Church, Robinson, Beverly, 136, 140 Rodman, John, 45, 86, 263 Rodman, Thomas, 125 INDEX 285 S Sanford, Nathan, 193 Sanford Hall, 192 Saint Ann's Hall, 387 Saint George's Church, 108, 199, 225 ; Rectors of, 200 Saint John's, N. B. , settled by Queens Co. Loyalists, 163 St. Joseph's Academy, 201 St. Michael's Church, 179, 199 ; Pastors of, 200 Saint Paul's College, 182 Saint Thomas's Hall, 187, 191, 201 Saull, Thomas, 15 Sautell, Henry, 16 Scott, Oapt. John, 50-52, 5i Schools, 159, 186, 194, 195, 211 Schroeder, Dr. Frederick, 187 Schermerhorn, F. A., 210 Sohuler, Hans, 211 Seabury, Rev. Samuel, 107, 110, 111 Senflf, Charles H. , 210 Sessions House, tax for, 66 Settlement of Flushing, 15 Sheriffs of Flushing, 55 Skidmore, Samuel, 147 Slaves, first importation of, 35 Slavery, Indian, negro and white, 55 ; encouraged by Friends, 94 ; in Flushing, 137 ; Friends oppose, 152 ; aboli- tion of in New York, 176 Smith, Col. Joshua, recruits for regiment of, 128 Smith, Dr. J. Carpenter, 225 Society, condition of in 1664, 55-58; at close of the Revolu- tion, 154-160 Sports during Revolution, 134 Stamp Act, 121 Stages to New York, 173 Steam-boats to New York, 179 Stiles, Thomas, 15 Sterling, William Earl of, 10, 19 ; his claims settled, 59 Story, Thomas, Journal of, 86 Streets improved, 218 Strong, Dr. James, 266 Stuy vesant, Peter, 30 ; character, 34 ; persecutes Friends, 40, 41 ; rebuked, 45 ; visits Flushing, 53 ; death of, 60 286 INDEX Talman, John, 124, 125 Tavern in Fushing, 28 Taxes, 77 Tithes, 19, 35, 49 Thanlisgiving Day, 76 Thorne, William, 16, 23 Thome, Thomas, 125, 130 Thompson, Col. Benjamin, 149 Tom, Nathanael, 124, 128 Tories, vide Loyalists, Town meetings forbidden, 42 Townsend, Henry, shelters Friends, 39 Townsend, John, 15, 23 Treadwell, Mr., 108, 110 Trees in Flushing, 269 Troops in Flushing, during Revolution, 140-143 Trustees of the Village, 216 U Underhill, Captain John, Schout of Flushing, 23 ; account of, 25-28; guilty of sedition, 32; his address, 33; turns against the Dutch 34 ; letter of, 43 ; Deputy Sheriff of North Riding, 62 Union Hall, 168 United Workers, 211 Urquhart, Eev. William, 98 Van Beyern, Anneke, 259 Van Brugge, Carel, 73 Vanderbilt, John, 131 Vanderbilt, Jeremiah, 166 Van Wyck, Cornelius, 131 Verrazzano, Jean de, 2 Village Association, 218-224 W Wampum, 17, 18 War of Rebellion, 202 ^ Washington, George, in Flushing, 165, 167 INDEX 287 Water system, 206 Weed, John W. , 221, 222 Weiser, Conrad, visits Gov. Clinton in Flushing, 103 Wentworth, Capt. Hugh, 101 Whitestone, 161, 226 Wickendam, William, 37 Willet, John, 125, 126 Willet, Thomas, 127 Willeta Point, 226 Willets, Hannah, 210 Winthrop, Gov. John, in Flushing, 53 Wright, Capt. Jonathan, militaTj company of, 258 Y Yorkshire, Flushing in North Biding of, 60; abolished, 78 Young Men's Christian Association, 211 m