Thank you to Mae Robinson for bringing to our attention this amazing piece.
Written between 1902 and 1907 this work consists of ten leaflets by Henry Augustus Stoutenburgh (1842-1919.) Volumes 1 and 2 published by the Press of E. Storer, Volumes 3 through 10 by Knickerbocker Press.
Fully available for reading below, volume three opens with a summary of the persecutions of men during the Reformation in the Netherlands and picks up with the beginning of the settlement in New Amsterdam. An account of arrangements to provide the benefits of various stock indicates business at its most original for the sake of prospering. For instance, two cows were given for use by the Governor for four years, to be returned with half of their increase.
The Governor is also noted to be frustrated with a lack of records pertaining to births, deaths, and marriages, followed by an observation by the author that apparently there was an oversight of checking the family Bibles, where such records were commonly noted.
The occupation and settlement by English, Scottish, and Dutch is referenced and unanswered questions posed as to the reasons the area became peopled as it did. The Dutch were observed by the author to enjoy smoking their pipes in peace.
The author refers to himself as a “compiler” and states there is little original material. This work deserves a leisurely perusal and has much to offer on its many faces.
A Documentary History of the Dutch Congregation of Oyster Bay
Read the Full Book Below
