STATE OF NEW YORK

Published by the State under the supervision of

HUGH HASTINGS, State Historian

Volume I

ALBANY

JAMES B. LYON, STATE PRINTER

PREFACE.

Hon. TIMOTHY L. WOODRUFF, Lieutenant-Governor of the State of New York, Senate Chamber, Albany, N. Y.

Sir: Herewith I have the honor to submit to the Legislature the copy of two volumes of records relating to the ecclesiastical history of the State of New York, which by legislative enactment have been prepared under the supervision of the State Historian. The active prosecution of this work has been conducted, however, by the Rev. Edward T. Corwin, D. D., whose long residence in Holland and thorough knowledge of the Dutch language, well qualify him for the important task he has undertaken. Since 1841, when the State of New York dispatched John Romeyn Brodhead to Europe to collect documents affecting the history of this State, an impression has prevailed that Dutch correspondence of a priceless value bearing upon our colonial times, had been carelessly destroyed a hundred years ago. Dr. Corwin's researches, which prosecuted through the generosity of the Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church, have fortunately exploded this fallacy by the results which he produces in the two accompanying volumes.

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The general plan of the work contemplated an ecclesiastical history of New York, embracing every denomination, each secular narrative told by a representative member of the denomination, from the earliest Dutch times. To that end copious extracts from colonial and documentary records have been taken and utilized, and in order to forge missing links to the chain, quotations from standard religious publications have been made.

The first appropriation for this work was given by the Legi lature of 1899, and reads as follows:

"For translation of copied documents in the possession ecclesiastical archives of Amsterdam and the Hague, relati to the colonial history of the state of New York, and for the preparation for publication, the sum of five thousand dollars, as much thereof as may be necessary, said work to be done und the general direction of the state historian."

By July 1, 1899, all the preliminaries having been made und the advice and with the co-operation of Attorney-General John Davies and the State Comptroller, the late Colonel William Morgan, both of whom evinced earnest interest in the underta ing, the work of translating and transcribing the records beg and has been pushed with energy, consistent with accuracy, e since. The laborious effort necessary in putting into Engli records of this character, can only be understood by those w have had experience in handling them. The volumes now s mitted to the Legislature represent fifty per cent. of the ent material in hand, and cover the period from 1621 to 1700. 1 matter involved embraces the period of Dutch rule, the conqu of the Dutch by the English, the temporary reversion to Du rule, the restoration of the English domination and the Leis rebellion. Light is thrown upon many religious propositions the first time.

During its progress, the work received a serious set back the State suffered a serious loss in the untimely death of Corwin's assistant in translations, the Rev. Daniel Van F D. D. Advised by his physician of the efficacy of salt-water b ing, Dr. Van Pelt, who was suffering from a nervous affection, his home in Astoria about midnight on October 23, 1900, repaired to a lonely cove near Hell Gate. A few minutes 1 cries from the direction of the water were heard. The next m

ing the neighborhood was examined and clothing was found, c