INTRODUCTORY.

JACOB LEISLER "of Frankfort," as he is designated in the Dutch Records, came originally to this Country a soldier in the West India Company's service, in the year 1660. He sailed from Amsterdam in the "Otter," about the 1st of May of that year. After the colony passed into the hands of the English, he became a Trader, and we find him in 1672 subscribing 50 guilders" in Goods" towards the repairs of Fort James. Two years afterwards he was appointed one of the Commissioners for the forced loan levied by Colve, when his property was valued at 15,000 gl. on which the assessment was 1,060 gl. In 1678, he made a voyage to Europe when, with several other New-Yorkers, he was taken prisoner by the Turks, to whom he paid a ransom of 2,050 pieces of eight a 5s. each for his freedom. His fellow sufferers' liberty was purchased by a public subscription, taken up throughout the Colony. He was appointed, in 1683, by Gov. Dongan one of the Commissioners of a Court of Admiralty, and in 1689 purchased for the Huguenots the tract called New Rochelle, in Westchester Co. His subsequent history, as well as that of his times, will best be learned from the following pages.

JACOB LEISLER married Elsje Lookermans, widow of Corns. P. Vanderveen, by whom he had two children, Jacob and Mary. The latter married Milborne, who was executed with Leisler, after whose death she became the wife of Abraham Gouverneur. It is a singular and melancholy fact, and one from which we may learn wisdom, that in the heat of those days, Leisler's connexions were his bitterest enemies. Bayard and Van Cortland, who were of the Council that urged his execution, were his Wife's nephews.

Among the orig. MSS. in this Department, are the public accounts of the greater part of his administration-from July 1689 to Jany. 1691. The receipts for that period were £4,373-17-61. The disbursements, mostly caused by the war against the French, £4,894-10-94. We have also the Bills of Costs of the Crown Lawyers for prosecuting him and his associates for Treason. But want of space excludes these papers from this Volume. ED.

COPPIES OF SEVERALL LETTERS SENT TO BOSTONE.

[From Vol. in Sec's Office, endorsed, Papers &c., in Leisler's time.]

To the Governor and Committee of Safety at Boston :

[June 4, 1689.] Honored Sirs—I make bold to acquaint you of the securing of the fort by the traine bonds of New york. Here enclosed is the declaratione N: 1: In two dayes after the Governor & his Counsell with severall of their creatures had gained so much upon the people that they were afraied & halfe of myne company were they worked most upon had left me, but the second of this instant being my watch in the fort I came with 49 men & entered in the fort, without the word, nor to be questioned whereupon I resolved not to leave till I had brought all the traine bound fully to joine with me, The 34 wee had newes of three ships in sight upon which I tooke occasione to allarume the towne & gott five Captanes besides me & 400 men to signe the enclosed paper N: 2: which discouraged the adverse party, and since they have been indifferent still, The Lievt Governor Nicholls is departed last night without taking leave, It is beleeved he intends to goe with Colloll dongane who has layen in the bay this sixteen dayes. N: 3: is a copie of an evidence whereof we have three of the same tenor, N: 4 is a copie of an address to his maties sent to four merchants with Capt Selock & one with Capt wathland who has faithfullie promised to deliver for to be presented to the King, and depose what they know more, then wee declare, I have made one full Inventory of the fort with guns and ammunitione, and found of 33 great gunes but fifteen fitt to use of 50 barrells pouder was but one that could goe 7 degrees the rest &ct. 3. 4: & 5 some non at all, the most part of the country have invited the rest to appeare as a counsell of safty two men out of one County, the 26th of this instant In the mean tyme the fort is guarded by five companies two watches 11⁄2 company per night, and the Capt whose watch it is is for that tyme Capt of the fort, the Collector in the Custome house is a rank papist, I cannot gett the other Captanes to resolve to turne him out but acts still as before The Mayer medles with no civill affaires & discourages constables to keep the peace expecting some seditione for to make the Inhabitants odious, there is non acts others then in quality of a single Capt, sir Edmond Andross & his wicked crew have carried all the Records out of this country to Boston, I hope by the prudent care in the late expeditione at Boston have taken care to preserve it, and I request you to take a speciall care for it, till our Committee of safety may take some prudent care about it, the time will not permitt me to enlarge onely I desire your advice in approbatione in our actione, If wee deserve it and after myne respects I remain &c.

JACOB LEISLER.

Leisler's Declaration in favour of King William and Queen Mary. Whereas our intention tended only but to the preservation of the protestant religion, and the fort of this City, to the end that we may avoid and prevent the rash judgment of the world, in so just a design, we have thought fitt to let every body know by these public proclamation, that till the safe aryvell of the ships that wee expect every day from his royall Highness the prince of Orange with orders for the government of this country in the behalf of such person as the said royal highness had chosen and honoured with the charge of a governor, that as soon as the bearer of the said orders shall have

let us see his power, then and without any delay we shall execute the said orders punctually; declaring that we do intend to submit and obey, not only the said orders, but also the bearer thereof committed for the execution of the same. In witness whereof we have signed these presents, the 3d

of June 1689.

Major Nathan Gold

1689 June 16 in ffort wiliam.

Sir-I have send you an answer of yours dated the 5th of this instant by the messinger that brought it, with a copy of the traine bonds their declaratione & a proclamatione This is onely to enclose the paper N: 1: which is a copie of the adress wee have send to his Maties the King and Queen of England' & which is signed by five captanes in behalfe of their company and besides all the under officers, No: 2: is a copie of one evidence whereof we have three of one tenor here enclosed, is one coppy of a letter sent to each County of york Jurisdictione, If you please to direct to your collony & the collony can resolve to joine with the wholl country it would be thankfully accepted by the country, and it would discourage our adverse party who are dailly hatching & sowing seditione amongst us that we are obliged to watch 11⁄2 Company dailly whereby they hope to weary us out there aryues dailly still people of their seed which makes them prick their eares per advice I have made one full Inventory of the fort and artillery and found of 33 great gunes but 15 fitt to us, of 50 barrells noe more but one fitt to sling, a bullet about halfe way the river, the rest goes for nothing, we have all the gunes in one posture to play, and have fetched 3200 lb pouder out of the toune in the fort and have agreed with the pouder marker to mark the forts pouder good for 40 barrells he is to deliver 28 barrells good, the papist collector is still in his office, I can gett noe Capt to side with me to turne him out, our Mayer will medle with noe civill affaires and discourages the constables to keep the pass expecting some disorders for to make the Inhabitants odious I have writt to the Governor and counsell of safety at Boston & gave them an account of all, I have given to you, I desire an answer & your advice & further approbatione in our actiones If we deserve it, and after my respects recommend you yours & us in Gods protectione, I remaine &c.

To the Governor of Boston, 1689: the 19th June in fort wm

The above is a coppy of myne last to which I referre myselfe the tyme will not permitt me to send all the coppies sent before which I hope you have received by a sloope coming from pensilvania bound to Boston Capt ffitch who has been here & was bound in your parts-promised us & is able to communicate to you of all which was past before his being here to his departre to which I referre myselfe I being intrusted by the committee to keep & defend the fort for their Maties King William & Queen Mary, have made bold to open the letter for the Lieut ffrancis Nicolsone whereof the enclosed is a true coppy his creatures formerly in offices have done what they could to skaare our people of our actione in secureing the fort and endeavours to make such Impressione in them that all your ships are sold at Barbadoes by wanting of sir Edmond Andross passports and so seek daily for a divisione amongst us I indeavour to prevent what I can, the enclosed is a coppy of a depositione whereof we have one more of Jho: Davids of one tenor I have sent six men to Staten Island in the night & fetched him out of his house and had him here prisoner of warr in the fort for eight days after, which he makeing his excuse of being drunk and in a passione had said the word or such to that purpose without any intent was left out by a counsell of warre, but in that tyme I have send these eighteen men with orders to disarme

1 This paper will appear in a subsequent Vol. It would have been inserted here, but it belongs to another sett of Doc's.

all the papists, who after they understood of takeing the abovesd man were afraid & soe I suppose hid their armes, so they gott but four great gunes in one millhouse of Coll: dongan hidden under a blanket & covered with baggs of which I have them in the fort, here is one ship arryved of Barbadoes he brings certane news of warr with England & holland agt ffrance, and was published at Barbadoes and that Bostons ships were well received there and your actiones well commended I am daily working in the fort with sixteen carpenters & twenty men which I shall continow till it is truly in good posture of defence, I am digging up the old wall which was filled up by Coll: dongan I intend to stockaded the fort round and hope within three weeks if it please God to have it compleat, I shall be glad to have the honour of an answer of this & the former and having leave of you shall not faill to advise you of our further proceeding In the mean time after myne respects I recommend your Hon: to Almighty God and remain &c.

Albany ye First day of July1689.

The Proclamation for Proclaiming there Majs King William and Queen Mary King and Queen of England France and Irland &cc. being brought hither from N Yorke Imediately upon ye Receit thereof ye Mayr & Recorder caused ye Court of Aldermen & Common Council to assemble who attended accordingly and haveing considered of ye greatest solemnity yt could be used in so short a Time, appointed ye Cittzens to be in arms about 12 oclock which haveing done they went in ordr from ye City Hall up to there Majs. Fort where there Majts, were Proclaimed in solemn manner in English and dutch, ye gunns fyreing from ye fort & volley of small arms ye People with Loude acclamations cryeing God save King Wm. & Queen Mary, afterwards they marched doune to ye City hall where there Majts. were again Proclaimd ye night Concludeing wh ye Ringing of y Bell Bonefyres fyreworks and all oyr Demonstrations of joy.—Albany City Rec.

for william Jones in Newhaven:

Anno 1689: 10th July in New york.

Honored sirs-Sir the bearer hereof being bound to Newhaven I thought it my duty to acquaint yow of what is past since the departure from hence of Major Gold & Capt ffitch which I desire you after the perusall to send it to them as directed, I have since writt to Major Gold & made him acquaint that I had raised thirty four men, and brought them in the fort I was denied of some magistrates to administer to them the oath prescribed, and after I could not find so they are not sworne, yet some of the Committie of Safty are arryved & hope they will meet to day, wee expect with impatience the ten souldiers from your parts, he that was sent was not accepted by the advice of the bearer, the reasone I referre to his verball report, I was ordered to repaire the fort out of his Maties revenue since the first of June, but there is nothing nor like to be, they offer me the peoples entries who intends to dispute the legallity thereof I have a carpenter to work, but his work little appeares in a fort so out of repaire as this is, our adversaries & opposers in our present work keept us in a continuall feare, as you will find by the enclosed coppies & what follows. I am informed that they haveing knowledge that fifty men was ordered by the committee to keep the fort for his Matie and that I should beat the drum for them, they had amongst themselves listed 50 men who intended upon the beat of the drum to offer themselves voluntiers to serve his Matie for nothing, If refused by me to pike a quarrell and make some scandalous pretence upon me, If accepted to goe fairly in the fort with me & to turne me & the other appoynted officers out, butt I listed myne souldiers by still drum & they were frustrated, then the magistrats who also have been disapprovers of our actiones of securing the fort, send to me three of