PETITION OF THE ELDERS OF THE DUTCH CHURCHES IN KINGS CO. To his Excellency EDWARD Lord Viscount CORNBURY her Majesty's Capt General and Governor in Chiefe of the Province of New Yorke and territoryes depending thereon in America &c. and Vice admiral of the same &c. The humble petition of the Elders of four dutch Churches in Kings County Brookland, fflatbush, fflatlands and New utrecht whose names are underwritten HUMBLY SHEWETH Vnto your Excellency that your petitioners of late were impowered by the people of their several townes to call and send for a minister either out of this province or out of Holland to instruct them in their mothers tongue in the place of their late Minister Mr Lupardus deceased and accordingly had severall meetings about said matter, and at last concluded to address yr Excellency ffor leave to send ffor and call one Mr Bernardus ffreeman Minister of Schenechida to be their Minister, whereupon may it please your Excellency a petition was prepared by yr Petitioners ffor that end and sent by Coll Gerardus Beekman to yr Excellency who promised the delivery of it, but ffailed in his promise, and writt us a letter that said petition was not well penn'd, and that there was some ffaults therein, and therefore would not deliver said peticon, soone after the receipt of which letter yr petitioners waited upon yr Excellency about sa matter at Coll: Merritts and yr Excellency was pleased to say you would give us an answer in a ffew days which at our return home we Infformed our people accordingly; notwithstanding all this a great part of the people of said towns were inraged with yr petitioners in craving yr Excellencyes leaue to Call said Minister and would haue noe patience to waite ffor y Excellencyes answer, but fforthwith some of the people of flatbush aforesd Craued an order from sd Coll. Beekman for a towne meeting which was granted, and in said towne meeting a great party of said people grossly affronted and abused said Joseph Hegeman one of yr Petitioners and Elders as aforesaid ffor not sending ffor said ffreeman, said Hegeman told them that he had waited upon yr Excellency about it, but would not call said Minister before he had yr Excellencyes leaue, to that severall replyed, that yr Excellency had nothing to doo with it, twas their priviledge to send ffor what Minister they please without yr Excellencyes leaue, and upon that immediately made an order to leaue sd Hegeman and other the Elders of flattbush out, and at said time chose Daniel Polhemus Aries Van der bilt and Inglebert Lott in their places fforthwith to send ffor sd ffreeman, a copy of which towne order has bin required of the clerke by one of yr petitioners which was refused saying it was Cutt out of the towne books by some of said towne that he would not name, soo likewise may it please yr Excellency the irregular proceedings in this affaire at Broockland aforesaid of one Claes Vandyke and Nicholas Brower who went lately about said towne taking subscriptions ffor sd minister without any order therefore, soe that may it please y1 Excellency yr petitioners lyes under a great hate amongst a great party of the people in doeing only their duty, said people noising among one another that 'tis the Elders ffaults that they haue not sd ffreman ffor their Minister. Yr Excellencyes petitioners therefore humbly prayes that y Excellency would be pleased to grant them the liberty either to Call or send ffor said Mr Bernardus ffreeman to be their minister or otherwise to send ffor Holland ffor a Minister to instruct them in their owne language according to the rules and methods of their Church discipline and ffor yr Excellencyes health & happiness yr petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray &c. DERCK AMERMAN JORES HANSON JOSEPH HEGEMAN STOFFEL PROBASKE GERRET STOOTHOFF JAQUES CORTLIJOU ORDER OF COUNCIL THEREUPON. [ Council Min. IX. ] IN COUNCIL; 20th Octob. 1702. Present his Excellency Edward Viscount Cornbury &c The petition of the Elders of the four Ditch Churches in King's County was read and ordered that the said petitioners or some of them do attend the Board on Thursday morning next at ten of the Clock, and make good the allegations in the petition; and ordered that Johannes Schenck Town Clerk of Flattbush do appear before this Board at the same time and bring with him the book of the orders made at the town meeting of the Inhabitants of the s town. DEPOSITIONS REGARDING THE ABOVE MATTER; m Then appeared before me Machiell Hansen Esq' one of her Majestyes Justices of the peace & Quorum ffor King's County in Nassaw Island JORAS REMSEN one of the ffreeholders in said County who did declare upon the holy Evangelists that Nicholas Brower and Claes Vandyke both of the Township of Broockland in said County on or about the sixteenth day of this Instant October Came to his house at Broockland aforesaid and askt him if he would signe with them to a paper to send ffor Mr ffreeman Minister of Schenectida to be their minister, and said Joras answered noe, not unless all the people alsoe signe & ffurther saith not &c. JOHANNES SYMONSE one of the ffreeholders of said towne of Broockland alsoe sworne saith that on or about the sixteenth |