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Domine Everhardus Bogardus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Quirinus Breen
Affiliation:
Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan

Extract

It was long believed that Domine Everhardus Bogardus was the first minister of the colony in New Netherland. This opinion was corrected when in 1857 there was discovered a now famous letter by Domine Jonas Michaëlius, the actual first minister, to Domine Smoutius of Amsterdam.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1933

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References

1 Ecclesiastical Records of the State of New York, published by the State under the supervision of Hugh Hastings, State Historian, Albany, 1901, I, 4868.Google Scholar

2 Encyclopedia Americana, New York and Chicago, 1928Google Scholar, Art. “Bogardus, Everardus.”

3 The following works are easily obtained in any large library: Brodhead, J. R., Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York, procured in Holland, England, and France, Albany, 1856, Vol. IGoogle Scholar; Idem: History of the State of New York, New York, 1853, Vol. IGoogle Scholar; Corwin, E. T.: Manual of the Reformed Church in America, 16281902, New York, 1902Google Scholar; Idem: A History of the Reformed Church, Dutch, Vol. III of American Church History Series, N. Y., 1895Google Scholar; Ecclesiastical Records of the State of New York, published by the State under the supervision of Hugh Hastings, State Historian, Albany, 1901, Vol. I; DrEekhof, A.: De Hervormde Kerk in Noord-Amerika (16241664), 'sGravenhage, 1913Google Scholar, Eerste deel, Hoofdstuk II; Idem: Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenbosk, Leiden, 1911Google Scholar, Art. “Bogardus, Everhardus”; O'Callaghan, E. B.: History of New Netherland, or, New York under the Dutch, New York, 1855, Vol. IGoogle Scholar; Wilson, Jas. G. (Editor): The Memorial History of the City of New York from its first Settlement to the Year 1892, New York, 1892, Vol. I.Google Scholar

4 Eccles. Records, I, 81 f.Google Scholar

5 Brodhead, : Hist, of the State of N. Y., I, 222f.Google Scholar

6 O'Callaghan, , op. cit.; Eccles. Records, I, 85.Google Scholar

7 Eekhof, : Nieuw Ned. Biogr. WoordenboekGoogle Scholar, “Bogardus”; Idem: De Herv. Kerk in N. A., I, 541Google Scholar; O'Callaghan, , op. cit., I, 167.Google Scholar

8 Eekhof, , op. cit., I, 52.Google Scholar

9 Ibid., I, 52.

10 Brodhead, : Documents, I, 206Google Scholar, where the Domine is in conference with leaders of the colony, discussing the tyranny of a governor (Kieft).

11 Extracts from the Voyages of David Pietersz. De Vries, in Collections of the New York Historical Society, 2nd Series, N. Y., 1841, I, 257f.Google Scholar After a conversation with Van Twiller De Vries “cannot conceive why the West-India Company sent to the colonies such a fool” as Van Twiller. He also relates of his sottish behavior with respect to the English merchantman which sailed up the river without paying duty.

12 Bellamy, Blanche Wilder: Governor's Island, Half Moon Series, Papers on Historic New York, N. Y., 1897, I, 145.Google Scholar

13 Van Rees, O.: Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche Volkplantingen in Noord-America, beschouwd uit het oogpunt der koloniale politick. Drie voorlezingen. Tiel, 1855, p. 35Google Scholar; Eekhof, , op. cit., I, 55.Google Scholar

14 Eccles. Records, I, 87.Google Scholar

15 Ibid., I, 127f.; Brodhead, : Hist, of the State of N. Y., I, 273.Google Scholar

18 Bogardus appears actually to have desired a trial. In July of 1638 the Council received his request to depart to the fatherland, but they “deem it necessary to retain the minister here, so that the church of God may increase more and more every day.” Eccles. Records, I, 116.Google Scholar

17 Ibid., I, 150f, “Classis of Amsterdam to the Consistory of New Amsterdam, April 22, 1642”; Eekhof, , op. cit., I, 5761.Google Scholar

18 Brodhead, , op. cit.Google Scholar, Van Dincklagen's repeated charges caused loss of confidence in the W.-I. Co., so that Van Twiller had to be dismissed. Eccles. Records, T, 151Google Scholar, in “Cl. of Amst. to Consist, of N. Amst.” “… Meanwhile we, here, shall not fail to defend the honor of a minister, our honored colleague, Rev. E. Bogardus …”

19 First quotation of MrsLamb, in Goodwin, M. W.: Annetje Jans' FarmGoogle Scholar, Half Moon Series, I, 74; MrsVan Rensselaer, J. K.: De Goede Vrouw of Mannahata, N. Y., 1898, p. 21Google Scholar, is the author of the second statement quoted.

20 Eekhof, , op. cit., I, 61f.Google Scholar, says 62 morgen; this should be 31 morgen (a morgen is 2 acres); cf. Brodhead, : Hist, of the State of N. Y., I, 266Google Scholar; Goodwin, M. W.: Annetje Jans' Farm, in loc., I, 72.Google Scholar

21 Eekhof, , op. cit., I, 63f.Google Scholar; Goodwin, M. W.: Fort Amsterdam in the Days of the Dutch, in loc., I, 253f.Google Scholar

22 Eekhof, , op. cit., I, 63f.Google Scholar

23 Van Rees, O., op. cit., p. 44f.Google Scholar

24 Vertoogh van Nieuw Nederland, weghens de Ghelegenheydt, Vruchtbaerheydt, en soberen Staet desselfs. In 'sGravenhage, 1650.Google Scholar In Collections of the New York Historical Society, Second Series, I, 127.

25 Statement of Arent van Curler at the house of Domine Bogardus concerning an utterance of Monr. de la Montaigne. cf. Brodhead, , Documents, I, 206.Google Scholar

26 Goodwin, M. W.: Fort Amsterdam in the Days of the Dutch, Half Moon Series, I, 251, 257.Google Scholar

27 Extracts from the Voyages of David Pieterss. De Vries, in loc., I, 265.Google Scholar

28 Ibid., I, 265; Eccl. Records, I, 163ff.Google Scholar

29 Eekhof, , op. cit., I, 94Google Scholar; also ibid., 93t., 96S., for details about letting the contracts; also “Contract for the Building of the Church,” in Collections of the New York Historical Society, Second Series, I, 282f.Google Scholar

30 Eekhof, , op. cit., I, 95, note 1.Google Scholar

31 Van der Donck, , in Eekhof, , op cit., I, 95.Google Scholar

32 Van Tienhoven, Cornells, Cort bericht ofte antwoordt (1650)Google Scholar, a supporter of Kieft, tries to enervate Van der Donck's charges, but does not contradict the wedding story; cf. Eekhof, , op. cit., I, 96Google Scholar; Goodwin, M. W.: Annetje Jans' Farm, in loc., I, 77Google Scholar, mistakenly attributes the wedding story to De Vries.

33 Eekhof, , Niemu Nederl. Biogr. WonrdenboekGoogle Scholar, Art., “Bogardus.”

34 Goodwin, M. W.: Fort Amsterdam, in loc., I, 246Google Scholar, says that “this gathering was noteworthy as the first effort at popular government in the colony and the burghers shrewdly made the most of it by appointing a Committee of the Twelve Men to cooperate with the Director.” Though it is substantially correct to say that this was a step toward popular government, it is not true that this gathering maneuvered the Director into accepting the Twelve Men. De Vries, who was one of the Twelve Men and who was at the meeting, relates that the Director proposed the Committee.

35 Extracts from the Voyages of De Vries, in loc., I, 265.Google Scholar

36 De Vries, , op. cit., I, 263Google Scholar, tells how Kieft wilfully sought satisfaction from the Raritan tribe for the killing of some hogs, while the evidence clearly pointed out that servants of the Company had done the deed. On September 1, 1641, he writes: “My people were murdered on Staten Island by the Indians of Raritans …, and so my colony of Staten Island was smothered in its birth, by the management of Governor Kieft, who wanted to avenge the wrongs of his people on the Indians.”

37 Ibid., I, 266.

38 Ibid., I, 266f.

39 Ibid., I, 268f.

40 Ibid., I, 269–272.

41 Goodwin, M. W.: Annetje Jans' Farm, in loc., I, 79f.Google Scholar

42 Dr. Eekhof neglects to bring out this background for the conflict between the Director and Bogardus, which accounts in part for the very harsh judgment on the Domine (to be referred to later in this paper).

43 Brodhead, : Documents, I, 205f.Google Scholar This document is not dated. Reference to Kieft's absolute control through the army, without deference to a council or to the Committee of Twelve Men, and in defiance of the general opinion, appears to be a warranted conclusion.

44 Brodhead, : Hist, of the State of N. Y., I, 416ff.Google Scholar

45 Ibid., I, 418. The Governor was deeply offended by this utterance. In his complaint sent to Bogardus, , 01 2, 1646Google Scholar, he accuses him of having conspired with certain “tramps,” among others with Marijn Adriaensen who had tried to assassinate him (Kieft); and when he was put in irons and sent to the Netherlands, Bogardus “fulminated strangely, even besmirching the pulpit with passion.”

46 ibid., I, 418, 760.

47 Eekhof, : Nieuw Nedcrlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek, “Bogardus.”Google Scholar

49 Eccles. Records, I, 216f.Google Scholar

50 Eekhof, : De Hervormde Kerk in Noord-Amerika, I, 76.Google Scholar

51 O'Callaghan, , op. cit., I, 266Google Scholar; Brodhead, : Hist. of the State of N. Y., I, 350.Google Scholar

52 Villard, , Garrison, Oswald: Early History of Wall Street, 16531789, Half Moon Series, I, 99.Google Scholar

53 Brodhead, , op. cit., I, 416.Google Scholar

54 Eccles. Records, I, 217.Google Scholar