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GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRAR
3 1833 00676 5405
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2009 with funding from
Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
http://www.archive.org/details/marriagebaptismaOOIond
y
THE DUTCH CHURCH REGISTERS, LONDON.
THE
MARRIAGE, BAPTISMAL, AND BURIAL
REGISTERS,
1571 TO 1874,
MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS,
DUTCH EEFOBMED CHUECH, AUSTIN FRIAES,
LONDON.
WITH A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE STRANGERS AND THEIR CHURCHES.
EDITED BY
WILLIAM JOHN CHARLES MOENS.
[ PEIVA TEL Y PRINTEBQ
LYMIXGTOjS".
1884.
LYMINGTON :
KING AND SONS, PEINTEES,
HIGH STREET.
Xo. //3
OF 300 COPIES PRINTED.
1358113
TO
§k^ ^lajx^tj), lEiUiiini III,
KING OF THE Ts^ETHEELAXDS,
AS THE PROTESTANT HEAD OF THE NATION
WHOSE PERSONAL HISTORY IT TENDS TO ILLUSTRATE,
THIS VOLUME,
BY HIS GRACIOUS PERMISSION, IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
PREFACE.
Attextiox at last is being drawn to Parish Ecgisters. Many are being copied and publislicd ; tbe ontcnts of these arc thus accessible to all, -svithout loss of time and without expense being incurred by laliing long journeys to consult them, to say nothing of the difficulty found by many in reading the mting of olden times. Here in England, this work has been left to the Harlcian Society and to a few mateurs, who, with an innate lore of collecting and imparting genealogical lore, have devoted their time to uch work. With regard to this all-important source of family history, England, as a country, is far ehind Erance and Belgium, where the old Registers of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials have, for years ast in all communes, been carefully transcribed and arranged in alphabetical order. These new liegisters re open, at the offices of the Mat Civil, for the fi-ee inspection of the public, and permission is generally ccorded to refer to the original Registers. Holland is slowly awaking to the consciousness of the dcsira- ility of a like state of things ; the Town Councils of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Haarlem, and other towns ave had, are having, or are about to have, theii* respective Parish Registers copied and arranged. The bciety formed to collect together all the matter connected with the history of the Walloon churches in Holland, in the most spirited way possible, has had copied and arranged in one vast collection all the liegisters of the numerous Erench or ^\^alloon churches in the various towns of Holland, where the refugees 'om Belgium and Erance during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and their descendants assembled together br divine worship conducted in the Erench tongue, according to the tenets of the reformed religion. It is inch to be desired that the eighty-nine Registers of the French and Walloon Churches established at ondon, Canterbury, JS^orwich, Plymouth, Southampton, and Thorpe-le-Soken, dating from 1567 to the resent day, and now in the ciistody of the Registrar General at Somerset House, London, should be eatcd in a similar manner by some existing Society, or by one formed for the special purpose.
All, who have made research in the Low Coimtries for particulars of family history, have been nearly ertain to find, that as soon as they have traced back to the 16th centiuy, there occui's a dark period of Ibscurity, with but little sun to throw its light on the object of their search. The sought for name is ound again abundantly in the earlier years of that century and those preceding it. Lucky, veiy lucky is he enquirer, if he can break through the darkness of the " times of the troubles," when the tyranny and .vil rule of King Philip II, carried into full effect by the agency of the cruel Duke of Alva, caused untold housands of his subjects to fly for refuge to England, Germany, and Switzerland, in order to save their ves and to worship their Creator openly and securely according to the tenets of the Reformed Church.
At first, and for some time after their coming to this country, the refugees married mucli amongst thcm- ?lves, but gradually as they became better known and appreciated many made alliances vrith English amilies.'
The dark and difficult period, to the genealogist, of the times of the troubles in the Loav Countries has eeu duly experienced by me in researches I have made in some sixty towns during the past eight years, ■)r matter connected with my family history. I was aided in those researches with the most generous jelp of very many friends residing in those towns, and I universally met with the greatest kindness from 11 the various ofRcials, from whom I had to obtain leave to consult the Registers in the archives entrusted ) their care. I have felt that I, in my turn, could help to dispel some of the difficulties found in those irk times by editing the Registers of the Dutch (Xederduijtsche) Church at Austin Eriars, London, which .•as the most important, in this country, of all the Churches of the Refugees from the Netherlands.
Very many members of noble families were to be found amongst the strangers who sought refuge on our
^ The entries of these marriages will be generally found in the Registers of the English parish churches, where the isbauds so marrying went to worship with their wives and families.
VI
PREFACE,
shores ; many of their children and descendants were absorbed in this country by marriage, though manj of them went to protestant Holland when the times became quieter. England was thus, so to speak, i bridge, by means of wliich many Belgian families made their way to Holland, where they afterwards estab^ lished themselves.
Nowhere can a reference be found to any earlier Registers than those now existing in the Archives o; the Church. From the following entry made in the minute book of the Consistory 13 May, 1571, it woulc appear that, prior to that date, no Marriage or Baptismal Registers had been kept. "It is determinec "■ that, for the future, all persons who marry in our Church, and the children who are baptized shall, vtdtl "the names of the fathers and witnesses, be entered in a separate Register. "
From this date the Registers are complete. The applications to marry, from 1569 to 1571, having pre viously been entered in the Minute Books. ^
These Registers are in a good state of presentation, with the exception of a small portion of the marriage: from 1612 for a certain number of years, where some of the days of the month have been cut off througl carelessness when the volume was re-bound.
The celebration of Man'iages having been discontinued in the Church for some years, they were agaii solemnized after the 20th December 1856, according to the following notice with the above date attached t( it, which appeared in the London Gkizette of the 2nd January 1857. — " The Dutch Church, Austin Friars "in the Parish of St. Peters-le-Poor, was duly registered for solemnizing Man-iages therein, pursuan' " to the Act of 6th and 7th William IV. Cap. 86."
From the commencement of the Registers the years were reckoned by New Style, beginning with 1 s' January. Very many Baptismal entries were imperfectly made, the ceremony having often taken place a' the homes of the parents and the details having apparently been forgotten by the Ministers officiating. These imperfect entries could not be arranged under family names, but are given as they appear afte; letter Z.
Some Baptisms took place at Mortlake, in the Parish Church, and were entered in the Austii Friars Registers, many of the Dutch Colony having been engaged in the tapestry and carpet factory tha was established there shortly after the year 1619. Some few entries of the tapestry weavers are to be founc in the Parish Registers at Putney and Mortlake ; the Low Country names soon being changed, such ai HuUenberghe into HuUiberry, etc.
The Burial Register commenced only in 1675, though an order was made 26 April 1657, that sucl a book should be kept. Stow, in his Survey of London, the first edition of which was published in 1598 stated that " Since this Church hath been appropriated to the use of the Dutch nation, few have beei " buried here except the Ministers belonging to it, and the Elders or others of more eminent quality " or wealth." The various inscriptions given in the edition by Strype, 1720, are of a date later than 1675* A few stones, in which fine brasses were formerly inserted with armories quartered in the foreigi fashion, are still to be found in the South Aisle. One in particular may be mentioned, with marks whert the brasses once were, with foreign quarterings of arms of a man with his three wives and numerous progeny but no record can be found of the names of the persons buried under it. All the monuments and inscrip tions, noticed by Stow, of English families prior to 1550 have been removed.
From the Registers of the Austin Friars Church it appears that there were about 1000 Marriages anc 4000 Baptisms between May 1571 and December 1601. In the year 1591-2 there were more Baptism: than in any other year ; after J 593 they decreased greatly in number. This points to the fact that manj members of the church must have left London for Holland about that time.
In 1602 there were 107 Baptisms. In 1691 there were 40 Baptisms.
|
1620 „ |
„ 76 |
1700 , |
24 |
||
|
1630 „ |
„ 72 |
1766 , |
1 |
||
|
1640 ,, |
,, 50 |
1800 , |
3 |
||
|
1649 ,, |
,, 23 |
1811 , |
10 |
||
|
1654 „ |
„ 8 |
1820 , |
1 |
||
|
1670 „ |
„ 17 |
1839 , |
0 |
||
|
1680 ,, |
„ 42 |
1844 , |
5 |
These particulars taken every few years tend to shew the numbers frequenting the Dutch service.
^ An earlier Minute or Act Book has recently been found from 1561 to 1563. Not having yet examined this Bmall 4to. MS., I cannot say whether any applications to marry are there entered.
PREFACE. VH
It may bo necessary to explain to English genealogists and others, that in the loth and first half of the 16th centuries wlien two christian names appear, the second one almost invariably -would be the baptis- mal name of the father ; and that when two such names appear with " sen " added to the second with the surname omitted, it was thus entered according to the then custom in Holland. As an example may be given the long and careful search that was made both abroad and in this country for Apollonia, daughter of Baldwin Ridley, the w^fe of Francis Tyssen, as given in the visitation of London, and whom he must have married in Holland. Hopeless seemed the search, when at last she was found under the guise of Leuntje Eauwens, i.e. Leuntje ( the diminutive of Apollonia). Ploontje, I'leuntje, Leuntje, daughter of Bauwcns, Baldwin ; the surname of Ridley being omitted. The proof was found in an original register kept by one of the family, in the writing of the period. In Friesland, so general was this omission of the surname, that it is quite impossible to make genealogical research with the aid of the Parish Registers, protocols of the ]S^otarics alone being of avail. It is a curious fact that in Holland, these Notarial locuments are by the special law of the country secret papers, not accessible to the public, who cannot, though the inquirer belongs to the family to which they refer, see deeds which affect him, unless he can give the name of the Notary who (bow them and their exact date. This to a seeker after unknown particu- lars is impossible to give, while in the majority of cases the Notary under whose care the collection is placed, is unable to read the old writing of the period required. This law holds good even for documents of the 16th and 17th centuries, which can have no effect on property at the present day. Research there- Pore for facts, connected not only with family history but with the history of the nation and of painters and others connected with art, is very difficult in that country, and why this law should not be altered or re- laxed, with regard to documents before 1811, it is difficulty to say, seeing that the like documents are free to the public at all the State and other archives in Belgium and other countries. Even in the province of Grelderland, where there were no Notaries in past times, and where all family and other documents were passed before the Magistrates of the various towTis, the Registers of the courts are always accessible and open for inspection. In England all State and domestic papers up to a certain date, and all the records of the law co'ui'ts, are open for research and inspection; all "Wills and Testaments previous to 1784, can be sought for and copied by literary inquirers without payment of fees, while all such documents to the present lay can be penised by the general public on the payment of a fee of one shilling, and copies are given at a fixed low rate. It is earnestly to be hoped that the increasing interest in family and other research will induce an alteration of this law in Holland, which, alas, in times past, notoriously has not hindered but rather concealed the abstraction of many all important family documents from these collections of deeds passed by the Notaries. If altered, as wished for by many in that countiy, the law would be assimilated to that of other nations.
It will be noticed that the Marriage Register of the Dutch Church at Austin Eriars is of a most im- portant character, the biiih places of both parties to the marriage being given in every case ; by means of which indications, research can be pursued in those towns where the refugees came from. The " Lidmaten Boeken " or Member Books of the Chiu'ch fi'om 1584 are fortunately preserved, though an earlier one is missing ; an index of the first volume, aiTanged according to the baptismal name, only existing. These give similar indications in many cases, and it is my intention to devote some spare hours to the copying and arrangement of the names of men who were admitted members of the Dutch Church. Besides these, the Afkonding or Memorandum Books, where the banns were entered, also exist from 1615, these are also of great importance because many banns were published at the church at Austin Eriars of Maniages which were celebrated at the other Dutch or perchance at English parish chui'ches. These Dutch churches established in England were eight in number, viz., London, Norwich, Colchester, Maidston, Canvey Island, Yannouth, Sandwich, and the Dutch Chapel Royal, St. James. Unfortunately, with the exception of the Dutch Church, Aiistin Friars, and of St. James, London, of Colchester and Norwich, all the Registers are missing. Those of Austin Friars are, as has been stated, perfect from 1571, Burials having taken place only since 1675.
The Registers of the Dutch Chapel Royal, St. James, fi'om the date of its establishment in 1689 to 1809, are now in the keeping of the Registrar General at Somerset House, numbered 40 in the list of the Foreign Churches. Those of Colchester, known to be in existence, consist only of the Baptisms from 1645 to 1728, when service in the church seems to have been discontinued ; this volume, the existence of which was un- known to Mr. J. S. Bum, who had made every inquiiy concerning these Registers, I found amongst some old books and papers in an ancient box in the Austin Friars Church, where it had probably been reposing, tmknowTL of, for more than a hundi'cd years. Those of Norwich are imperfect, commencing only in 1676.
Viii PREFACE.
Burn, in his "History of the Foreign Refugees" (London, 1846), p. 202, states that " The Eegister of ' ' of this church was referred to in 1717, for the purpose of a grant of arms to John Mackrell, of Norwich, and " contained the baptisms of several of his ancestors from 1593. It is now in possession of one of the elders " or deacons of the church, etc." This is unfortunately not the case now, whatever it might have been in 1846, for after careful inquiry made by the late Mr. J. R. Daniel Tyssen, the Rev. Adama van Scheltema, and myself, no other Registers than those alluded to above can be found.
In the pedigree, given by Burke in his Landed Gentry, of De Home, of Stanway Hall, it is stated that " Oliver de Horno, of Xova Kirk, near Ipres, Flanders, came over to England with his wife in the year " 1596 or 1597, and settled at Norwich." " But not well liking a strange country, and hearing of a cessa- " tion of the persecution in Flanders," says his great-grandson," after his wife was delivered of a son, whom " he named Abraham, the first in the Register of that congregation there (the Dutch), leaving his small family " to God Almighty's protection, he shipt himself for Flanders to seek a settlement there again, but in his "return was taken sick of the plague, and dyed on ship board." If this statement of Mr. George de Home, of Colchester {h. 1662, d. 1729), be correct, the lost Registers of the Dutch Church at Norwich commenced in 1596 or 1597.
In speaking of the eight churches where Divine service was performed in the Low Dutch tongue, the numerous churches in this country of the refugees from Belgium, speaking the French language must not be forgotten. It is probable that many of the refugees frequented both the Dutch and Walloon churches, and no research can be complete without reference to the Registers of both Churches.
The Registers still preserved of the French and Walloon Churches are as follows : — London from 1599, Canterbury from 1581, Norwich from 1595, Southampton from 1567, Thorney Abbey, co. Cambridge, fi'om 1654 ; these are, with the exception of the last which was in the possession of the Curate of Thorney in 1846, to be found, as before stated, deposited with the Registrar General at Somerset House.
In course of time many curious alterations of the names of the strangers occurred, besides those formerly caused by the Registrars simply spelling them according to their pronunciation, such as " Savage "for " de Wilde," and "Field" for " Yan de Yelde," "Wood" for " duBois," and so on.
Many families are descended from those whose names are found in these Registers, such as Hoste, De Home, Yansittart, Corscllis, Bocve, Tyssen, Turck, Browne, De Bert, Yan den Bempde Johnstone, and others. These families, as well as others without number descended from the refugees in the female line,, will find entries which they may have sought for in vain elsewhere.
With regard to the Burials, which, as has been stated, were only recorded from 1675, and the fee for which was £ 5 to £ 15, the entries are of importance, as they show in many cases the relationship existing between various members of the church.
As a means of identifying Ihe more important members, lists arc given of the ministers, ciders, and deacons of the Austin Friars Church, with the dates of their appointment.
An account of the history of the Strangers from the Low Countries, and of their churches in England, will appear to many to be wanted as an introduction to the family particulars of the members of their mother church of the refugees. This is given as an Historical Introduction. Mr. J. Sotherden Burn, in his " History of the Foreign Refugees," published in 1846, gave much gleaned from county histories, Strype's and Stow's Works, and the Record Office. Since then the domestic scries of State papers have been arran- ged and calendars made. These and the MS. history of the Dutch Church by the Rev. Simeon Ruytinck, which was published in 1873 by the Marnix Society of Utrecht, and the exhaustive " Life and Works of Jan Utenhovc," by the Dr. and Rev. F. Pyper, Leiden, 1883, together with the archives of the Dutch Church, have enabled me to add to the knowledge imparted by the late Mr. Bum. Mr. Wm. Durrant Cooper, F.S.A., who edited the Camden publication of 1862, gave lists of the foreign protestants and aliens resident in England, 1618-1688. We are also indebted to the Rev. David C. A. Agnew for hia " French Protestant Refugees, " 1871, which includes many particulars of the Walloons. Ample materials now exist for an extended history of the Dutch strangers, which it is to be hoped will some day be taken up more seriously than has hitherto been the case.
My warm and hearty thanks are due, and are now given, to the worthy minister of the Austin Friars Chui-ch, the Rev. A. D. Adama Yan Scheltema, who has in every way given ready access to the archives entrusted to his charge, and such facilities as were necessary to enable me to complete the task undertaken. The same acknowledgment and sincere thanks I also give to J. J. Howard, Esq. L.L.D., F.S.A., and Robert Hovcnden, Esq., for so generously placing at my disposal the results of their labours in copying the
TREFACE. IX
inscriptions and armorial bearings on the monumental stones. It may here be stated that some sixteen to I'lghteen stones Avith inscriijtions are under tlic floors of the two vestiies and the raised stone portion of the jhancel, tliese therefore could not be co])ied, tliougli some portions of a few appear after the inscriptions rhic-h are more or less perfect. This will account for th(^ numbers of the inscriptions under nineteen being aissmg.i Printers' difficulties in arranging the proof caused the numbers on the stones not to appear in cgiilar order. The information tliese inscriptions give, in addition to that found in the entries of the }urial Register, is so important, that any publication of the Registers would be incomplete without their ddition, and I have most gladly a vailetl myself of tlie kind offer to add these to the Registers. The time iken to engrave the armories lias caused much delay in biinging out the work, but the valuable addition as been weU Avorth Avaiting for. It is to be hoped that the result Avill prove useful to many both at home ml m the jS'etherlands, and also in America, where there are many families descended from the religious L'fugees from the former country. Should this prove to be the case the labour of deeyphering, copving, id arranging the contents uf the i.ld Registers and Monumental Inscriptions, Avill not haA'c been'time ■;elesslA- thrown aAvaA'.
W.J.C. MOEXS.
WKKD, Lv.MIXGTOX.
oOth Xovember, 188-i.
' Sonic of these have been -iven from Stow's Loiulon.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
Thr earliest settlers from tlie Ketlierlands in this country, appear to have been AYilliam of Ypres and his followers, who were called over by King Stephen, to aid him against Maude the Empress, in the year 1138. "William built a "great messuage, sometime called Ipres Innc," near the church of St.Thomas the Apostle, London, where he dwelt receiving great favour from the King.i It is stated that Flemish weavers came over to this country as early as 1253 and taught the art of making linen. King Edward I, at the request of the foreign merchants, gave them many pri^nleges by the Carta Mcrcatoria,- which enabled the Strangers to reside and carry on trade in this country. This charter was confirmed 27 Richard III, 9 Henry YI, and 4 Edward IV. The Guildhall of London belonged in 1280 to German merchants,^ who probably established themselves here to enjoy the privileges of this charter.
Several statutes were passed in the reign of Edward IIP in favour of merchant Strangers, which gave ■ them permission to bring their merchandize into this country and to sell it by wholesale or retail without let or hindrance, on paying the usual customs, subject, however, to the franchises and free customs granted by previous sovereigns to London and to other cities and boroughs. They had also protection and safe conduct to come and dwell in the realm, and " to return thither with their ships, wares, and all manner off merchandize." _ j
About the year 1336, King Edward III, in order to draw to this country the profitable trade of manu-;- facturing English wool, which had become almost a monopoly of the Netherlands' weavers, sent abroad; 'Emissaries ' to induce the journeymen or apprentices " to come over to England bringing their mystery with them, which would provide their welcome in all places. Here they should feed on fatt beef and mutton till nothing but fulncssc should stint their stomachs ; yea, they should feed on the labours of their own hands, enjoying a proportionable profit of their pains to themselves; their beds should be good, and their bed-fellows better, seeing the richest yeomen in England would not disdain to marry their daughters unto them, and such the English beauties, that the most envious forreigners could not but commend them."
"Persuaded with the- promises, many Dutch servants leave their masters and make over for England."' "The King having gotten this treasury of forreigners, thought not fit to continue them all in one place
but bestowed them thorow all the parts of the land that cloathing thereby might be the better
dispersed."^ A colony of " old Dutch, who left their country on acr-ount of an inimdation, came to this country in the reign of Henry I, and settled in Pembrokeshire. " A prime Dutch cloth-maker in Glouces- tershire had the surname of AYeb given him by King Edward there ; a family still famous for their manu- facture."*^ The abundance of Fuller's earth found in England seemed "to point out our land for the staple of drapery."
In 1356 these weavers of woollen cloth, brought in by Edward III from Flanders, lived in Candlewick. Ward, London ; they were allowed to hold their meetings in the churchyard of St.Lawrence Poultney, while the weavers of Brabant met in that of St.Mary Somerset. " There were then, in this city, weavers of divers sorts: to wit, of cbapery, of tapery and napery."'' Another company of linen weavers from the IN'etherlands established themselves in London in 1368. " Saw one ever a stranger company than that band of a hundred and twenty Dutchmen, who came over to convert meriy London to sadness," "marching bare backed, flogging each other as they went and chanting psalms through the streets of the city.,'
The Corporation of London obtained a charter in 1376, restraining foreigners fi'om selling by retail, and in 1379, when Whittington was passing out of his apprenticeship, the city petitioned the King against certain rights of importation and sale which had been granted to them. The feeling against the Strangers was so
(1) Stow's London, Bk. Ill, 8. (') Fuller's Church Hist., IV, p. 110, 111. j
('-) Burn's Refugees, p.l. C^) Fuller, IV, p. 112.
(») Acta Regia, p. 93. (') Stow's London, Bk. II, 8.
(*) 4th year, cap. 2; 37th year, cap. 2, 3, 11, 13, 17, 26, ; 38th year, cap 2.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. XI
great, that in 1381 the houses of the foreign merchants -vrere burnt. ^ " In the rebellion of "Wat Tyler in the same year, they executed many Flemings as well as Englishmen ; they brought thirteen Flemings out of the Augustine Friars' Church, in London, and seventeen out of another Church, and thirty two in the Vintry, and so on in other places in the city, as also in South wark, all which they beheaded." From this it would appear that the Austin Friars Church was used at an early day by the Strangers. -
In 1 398, Sir llichard Whittington, Mayor, and in 1 399, Drew Barringtine, Mayor, decreed that no foreigner or stranger should sell any woollen cloth except in Eakewell Hall, in Basinghall Ward, where a weekly market had been established.^ In 1391, many noble Strangers attended the " royal Justs and Tumaments " at Smithfield, as recorded by Froisart, "namely Yalcrine, Earl of St. Pol, who had mariied the King's sister; ■William, the young Earl of Ostarvant, son to Albert of Baviere, Earl of Holland and Hcnault "*
Philip, Duke of Burgundy, after many misunderstandings with England, granted in 1446 numerous important privileges to the English at Antwei-p, which were confirmed at a meeting held specially for the purpose at Ghent. In the beginning of the reign of Edward IV, 1463, and in subsequent years, inquisitions were taken, shewing the names of the foreigners residing within the city of London, chargeable to the alien subsidy.^ In the reign of Richard III, the Nctherlanders resident in England, complained of the taxes k^vicd on them, contrary to the terms of the intercourse, and in 1486 the foreign merchants appealed to the Emperor [Maximilian to complain that they were charged so much a head passing from Calais to Dover and returning " as if they had been Jews or infidels ;" that besides this, a second toll was levied specially for the King, and that the Lord Mayor levied " scavage " on them in London. Also that the custom dues on teach piece of lace had been raised fi'om fourteen pence to five shillings and nine pence, and that the jcustom-house oiScers, the searchers and packers, all levied black mail ; that the English pirates so robbed ithem, that they had to pay a shilling in the pound for insurance. The result was, after complaining for ten years, that on the 24th February, 1495, a commercial treaty was made between Hcuiy YII and Philip, xircliduke of Austria, which accorded free trade to all towns and ports of each nation besides other mutual arrangements.
On Tuesday in Easter week, 1517, the citizens of London, incited by a semion preached by Dr. Bell, a Canon of the Spittal, attacked and illtreatcd the Strangers, having been instructed to do so by one John Xincolne, a broker. On the 30th April their houses near Leadenhall and Blanchapelton were pillaged. ;The riot was so serious that 278 citizens and boys were arrested, and on the 7th day of May, John Lincolne, Shirwin, and two brothers named Belts, were condemned to death ; Lincolne was hanged, and the others were respited and imprisoned."
Shortly after the condemnation of Luther and his adherents at the Diet of "Wonns in 1520, severe ordin- ances (Placaten) were issued against the reformers and their followers, when many of them left the Il^ether- 'lands and came over to settle in England ; some bringing large amounts of money with them.
The disputes between Henry YIII and the church, conceming the divorce of Catherine of Arragon, which ended in the execution of Cardinal Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, and Sir Thomas More, brought easier times to the religious refugees from the ^Netherlands. The Pope, Paul III, resented this treatment of a high, dignitary of the church, and issued a sentence of excommunication against the King of England, which |was dated at Rome, 3rd of September, 1535." Speedy was the action and subtle was the response of King 'Henry VIII and his ad\'isers. Tyndale was at that date in prison at Vilvoorde, having been arrested in the ' May of the same year by the Procurator General of Brussels at the instance of Heniy VIII, his councU, and Tunstall, Bishop of London.*
Just aboiit this period a new and entire translation of the Bible into English had been printed abroad.
■It was completed October 4th, 1535, and was ready for issue in England when opportunity offered. That
; opportunity was offered by the indignation of the English King at the action of the Pope. The printed
sin ets of the first complete English Bible were soon imported as a trade article with the aid of the merchant
Strangers, who had fled for refuge to this country from the severe laws enforced against all those who had
joined, or in any way favoured, the reformed religion. AVhat bettor defiance to the Papal power could be
I found than an issue of the Bible in the vulgar tongue. That issue, ready printed, was permitted to be sold
(') Besant and Rice's Whittiugton, ISSl, p. 92 and 152. {^) Record Office, Subsidies. (-) Burn's Foreign Refugees, p. 1S6. (^) Stow's London, Bk. I, p. 253.
(») Stow, Bk. Ill, p. 66. (') Burnet's Ref. CoU. Records III, 9.
( ) Idem, p. 239. (S) Antony Wood, vol. I, p. 42. Brandt's Hist, of the
Reformation, Bk. Ill, p. 70.
Xii HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
openly, being provided in this country with a dedication to Henry YIII, signed by Myles Coverdale, in his own words " as I was reqnyred." Allegiance to the See of Eome was thrown off and veiy soon every en- couragement was given to spread the truths of the Gospel.
While collecting materials for this short history of the Strangers fi'om the Low Countries and of their churches in England, an important document came to light from the archives of the Dutch church at Austin Priars, which will go far to uni'avel " a tangle of misconception and conjecture " concerning the history of the first complete English Bible, of which Mr. H. Stevens, in his History of the Bible in the Caxton Cele- bration Exhibition of 1877, untied the first knots.
Before the newly discovered evidence is given at length, it would be well to consider the position of the controversy, both before and after Mr. Stevens' discovery of the reference made to the history of the Cover- dale Bible by the Eev. Symeon Euytinck in his Life of Emanuel Van Meteron, the author of the History of the Xetherland wars, given at the end of the edition of 1614 and partially reprinted by Mr. Stevens ia "The Bibles in the Caxton Exhibition," 1878. This rediscovery of details, apparently unkno-wn to English students, was an important one and formed a fresh starting point for bibliographers. The passage in question was brought to the notice of Mr. Stevens at Geneva, and he relates that he nursed it with care for four years before he announced it to the English public at the time of the Caxton Celebration, 1877.
It will be granted that all the facts hitherto known of the history of this Bible of 1535 are comprised in the able and critical works on the subject by Mr. E. Eiy, 1867; Dr. Eadie, 1876; and Mr. H. Stevens, 1877 and 1878. It will therefore be unnecessary to refer much, if at all, to the older writers, whose state- ments and opinions have been well sifted. The special thanks of all interested in the subject are due to these three authors for their able treatment of the matter, old and new, connected with the Coverdale Bible. Their critical wi'itings contain all that can possibly be gleaned on the subject from internal and external I e-vadence hitherto known.
In comparing the facts stated and the deductions made by these authors with the statements deposed to by Emanuel Yan Meteren ( for of these points alone is it necessaiy to treat in making remarks concerning the Dutch Church document) it has been considered prudent to keep as closely as possible to the very words used, giving references for the sake of satisfaction. The statement of Dr. Eadie, ^ that from 1528 till 1535 the places of Coverdale' s residences were unknowTi, has been cleared up by Mr. Stevens' reference to Kuytinck's Life of Van Meteren, which also answered Mr. Fry, who writes^ "we have not been informed where Coverdale resided whilst he was engaged in the work of translation."
Mr. Stevens however appears to hold that Coverdale only went abroad in 1534, and adduces this as an; argument against the notion that he was the translator of the Bible that bears his name, the period elapsing from that date to the 4th of Oct., 1535, not giving sufficient time to getthrough his great task. Dr. Eadie relates that " Thomas Topley, an Augustine Eriar of Stoke Clare, confessed, when examined in 1528, that having heard Sir Miles Coverdale preach, ' his mind was sore withdi'awn from the blessed sacrament, inso- much that he took it but for a remembrance of Christ's Body.' "^ All must agree with Dr. Eadie's con- clusion that after such evidence it could have been no longer safe for Coverdale to remain in England. There is no reason to doubt Eoxe's statement that he went to Hamburgh and was with Tyndale there in 1529. We know that Tyndale had been at Antwerp three years before this date, for the third edition of his translation into English of the New Testament was printed there at the end of 1526 by Christopher of Endhoven.^ Mr. Stevens therefore may be mistaken when stating that Coverdale only left England to go abroad in 1534. There can be no reason to doubt that he was with the many other English refugees at Antwerp the greater part of the time he was absent from England until the date of the completion of the work of translating and printing the Bible of 1535. Mr. Eiy writes^ "it yet remains a mystery from what press it was issued ;" on this point Dr. Eadie satisfies himself , stating*' " from typographical evidence that his translation was completed and printed " in Zurich. It is difficult to imagine how Dr. Eadie gives 'Mi. Ely's " Bible by Coverdale " as an authority in this point."
At all times and by all writers, except Mr Stevens, the great work of translating the first complete English Bible of 1535 has been attributed to Myles Coverdale, who was second alone to William Tyndale- In his name this Bible of Bibles was issued, and, as the sole translator, he signed the dedication to King Henry VIII, and wrote the prologue to the reader. Strong evidence was necessary to upset all the accumu-
(1) Vol. I, p. 257 (^) Bible by Coverdale, p. 4.
(2) The Bible by Coverdale, p. 4. («) Vol. I, p. 271.
(3) Eadie, I, 256. C) Vol. I, p. 271. (*) Eadie, I, 174.
HISTOEICAL INTRODUCTION. xiii
ated evidence of ages, and to depose that self-depreciating, hizmble, and unambitious man from the posi- •'ion he has always held. To the place of honour that Coverdale occupied, the Antwerp merchant, Jacob fsm Meteren, was exalted, a position which the literary world was unwilling to accord to him, considering |;hat the text of lluytinck did not justify Mr. Stevens' deduction. ^ The place of publication hitherto un- mown was by Mr. Stevens' discovery announced to be Antwerp ; tlie translating and printing of the work being correctly stated to have been at the cost of the same Jacob van Meteren.
' Though the study has been continued for seven years, after carefully considering the details of the luytinck statement for four years, I find very little to modify or change," is Mr. Stevens' conviction even low in 1884.- Xailing his colours, as he does, to the mast, it will be well to give in his own words the ustory of liis discovery and the deductions he draws. Some of these were correct, though his idea that the ^iblc of 1.535 was printed at Antwerp and "his conclusions that the translation itself was the work of Tan Meteren and only revised by Myles Coverdale, can hardly now be maintained. "^
It will no doubt bo considered satisfactory by all interested in this subject, that the deductions so .uthoritatively put forward in 1 877 should be examined by the light of the new evidence so lately discovered. t is certain that " any information in addition to that already reported cannot be devoid of interest to all onversant with this branch of bibliography, and especially to those who are possessors of the first bible in IngUsh."^
Mr. Stevens writes as follows : ^ " As to Coverdale and our first complete English Bible, finished the Ith of October, 1535, The Most Puecious Volujie m oite Lan-guage, what do we know? Absolutely lext to nothing. Where it was printed, or by whom, or under what circumstances, no historian or libliographer has as yet given us any tnistworthy information." " jSTo literary mystery for the past three enturies has elicited so much inquiry, or so many investigators, especially of late and latest years ; yet Pip to the opening day of this Caxton Celebration, the 30th of June, 1877, all is but mere conjecture." 'The very variety of these conjectures proves their falsity, and shows that they are really and tnily mere 'onjocturcs, Avithout the slightest base or foundation." He tells us'J how the statement of Ru}-tinck, in the ife of Emanuel van Meteren, dropped into his mouth after " lying under our noses in most of our libraries ;or two centuries and a half unnoticed." He " assigns the honour of producing our first English Bible to intwei-p," " the home of Jacob Yan Meteeex, the probable translator of our first Bible, who employed Miles Coverdale " to set forth " and father "this specyall translacyou"." "" Coverdale' s duties and re- sponsibilities in revising and setting forth this special translation, at Antwei-p, in 1534-35, at the cost and ipharges of Jacob van Meteren, who was also, we believe, its original translator out of " Douche and Latyn" into English were, we take it, precisely the same as Avhen in 1537-38 here-s-ised and set forth the Great jBible in Paris at the cost and charges of Grafton and "WHiitchurch." "He was employed and required aot only to revise and see the Bible through the press, but to father the translation." "We have in the above definite and positive statements of Mr. Stevens the following, viz : 1. — That Jacob van Meteren was the original translator out of " Doxiche and Latyn." 2. — That Coverdale was only the reviser and setter forth. 3. — That the Bible of 1535 was so translated, revised, printed, and set forth at the cost and charges
of Jacob van Meteren. 4. — That it was printed at Antwei'p. The statement of Mr. Stevens that the relation of Euytinck concerning the history of the English Bible of 1535 had been unnoticed for two centuries and a half can hardly be maintained. Jacobus Kok in 1790 wrote that Emanuel van Meteren was bom in Antweip in 1535, and that his father was a printer. That when the wife of the latter was about to give birth to Emanuel, his father had printed a Bible in the English language and had gone to England to aiTange for the sale of his work.^
Having shown the state of recorded knowledge on the especial points given in the document lately dis- covered, it will be well to give verbatim this all-important affidavit of the son of the man who, perhaps more than any other, was connected with the whole business of the Bible of 1535. 9 " Emanuel Demetrius, marchant of Andwarp, aged about 74 ycarcs, doth witnes and can depose, That
(1) Vide Saturday Keview, 18 Aug., 1877. Also Intro- (') .Stevens, p. 36.
duction to Caxton Celebration catalogue, by Geo. (*') Page .SS.
Bullen, p. 10. (' ) Page 39.
(-) Athenffium, 12 July, 1884. (S) Kok's Vaderlandsche Woordenboek, 1790, xxiii, (^) Mr. BuUen's introduction to the Catalogue, p. 10., p. 47. Vide also Van der Aa, 1852-1869 — Woorden
Caxton Celebration, 1877. boek, under Van Meteren.
(■*) Fry's Bible by Coverdale, p. 5. (^) Dutch Church Archives.
Xiv HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
*' he was brouglit in England Anno 1550, in King Edward's the 6 dayes, by his Father, a furtherer of " reformed religion, and he that caused the first Bible at his costes to be Englissled by Mr. Myles Coverdal " in Andwarp, the w'h his father, with Mr. Edward "Whytchiirch, printed both in Paris and London, by " w'h meanes he, wel acquaynted, was one of the Suters for the erection of a Dutche Church at the Aug- " ustin Fryers and made this Deponent a member of the same Anno 1552.
' ' And he doth wel remember, that the Churchyeard and houses on bothe sydes of the "West dore of the " Church were inhabited and possessed by the Members of the Church. And harde his sayd father and " others of the Elders of the Church often tymes consel of buylding there, and making of an other dore for " the Church, at the Cestern to rcccyve the raynwater of the Church to the vse of washing or bleaching.
"But the sayd Church, Anno 1553, in Queen Mary's tyme, was left and the Members dispersed, and for " a tyme was vsed for the Queen's storehous for provision of a navy that went to Conquet in Brittain and " afterwards vsed by the Florcntyn's marchants to say masse in. The Dutcho pulpet always remayning in it.
" At the Queen Elizabeth's coming to the Crowne, the former gift of King Edward was fully confirmed *'to the Strangers agayne, which bestowed great reparations, but the Churchyeard was then occupyed by " the then Lord Tresuror, Marquis of "Winchester, and his heyrs, who plucked down the lead of the Quyre " and covered it with tyles that was in theyr possession, and the vse of the Churchyeard was differred " and lest to offend neglected, yet often Interpellation made. Thus much I can depose, in London, 28 of. "May, 1609.
( Signed ) Ejiaxufx Demetrius. "^
This highly important and interesting document concerning Jacob van Meteren is an original copy made in 1610, which, with others of the same time concerning the Churchyard of the Austin Friars Church, was found by the Editor in an old box in that Church with a register of the privileges ( vryheyclen ) of the Dutch congregation. It is to be hoped that the discovery of this affidavit will bring about a new investi- gation and research into the history of the English Bible of 1535, and of its translator and printer.
The following positive and definite facts connected with this Bible were thus deposed to by Emanuel van Meteren.
1. — That Jacob van Meteren employed Myles Coverdale to translate the " first Bible " into English: at Antwerp.
2. — That it was so translated at the cost of Jacob van Meteren.
3. — That Jacob van Meteren and Edward "Whitchurch printed the Bible of 1535 at Paris and London.
All these facts, with the exception of the place where the printing was done, and the addition of "Whit- church's name, agree perfectly with the statement of Buy tin ck.
Mr. Stevens contends "that Coverdale was not himself the translator, but that Van Meteren was. Coverdale simply aiding him, at his employer's cost, as a learned reviser, editor, proof reader, and general manager."- This does not bear the light of the very proof which Buytinck had in his own possession or even of the statement made in the life of Emanuel van Meteren.
Up to the time of finding this document, the only precise information, beyond that contained in the title pages of the Bible and the dedication and prologue by Coverdale, rested in the statement of Buytinck, given to English students by Mr. Stevens. This was written after the death of Emanuel van Meteren in April, 1612. " Out of love which I had for him, I wrote his life and death, which can be read at the end of the^ last edition of his book," published in 1614.^
All the biographers of Jacob and Emanuel van Meteren took the particulars concerning that family and the connection of the former with Coverdale from this life of Emanuel by Buytinck, and they all refer to it. The Bev. Symeon Buytinck was the senior Minister of the Dutch Church, while Emanuel van Meteren was one of the oldest members of the congregation and the leading member of the merchant Strangers, as the Xethcrland Consul ; there must, therefore, have been constant communication between them. The whole history of the English Bible of 1535 must have been well known to both ; to Yan Meteren from his parents, and to Buytinck as conservator of the archives of the Church. It is probable that the latter, knowing the story well, did not trouble himself to consult the deposition of the former, which was in his keeping, but added carelessly, " and printing '^ when writing the life of his dear fiiend the historian, and recording the fact that Jacob van Meteren paid the cost of translating the English Bible at Antwerp. Thus
(^) Van Meteren or Demetrius ; according to the custom (-) vStevens, page 7.
of the day, learned and eminent men gave a latin (^) Ruytinck's MS., Guildhall Library, Dutch Church!
rendering to their names. Collection, No. 7.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. XV
Liaking it to appear that tlic -svork was printed at Antwerp, when he should have put on record what was tated in the deposition, that it was printed " in Paris and London."
]\[r. Stevens has a very high opinion of the son of Jacob van ]\rotcren, who witnessed and deposed in 609 concerning the part his father had in the Bible of 1535. " This man, twin-brother of the Coverdale )il>le, became a distinguished man, a scholar, and an historian. He passed most of his life in London as Lurchant, and Belgian ("Motherland ) Consul. He died the 18th of April, 1612, in his 77th year. Ee •ever forgot the circumstances preceding Ms birth, and frequently wrote his name " Emanuel Quis-Contra- V.s."i
it is true that Mr. Stevens was in 1878 inclined to doubt his own statements, for he then wrote " f ur- hcr and more careful investigation may compel us to somewhat modify some of these details, and to qualify itb.ers; but, on the whole, we trust that our hurried account is substantially correct. We are indebted for he larger part of our statement to the llev. Symeon lluytinck, the bosom friend of our " Emanuel Quis- \)ntra-]N'os," who was, we believe, for a time connected with the Dutch Church of Austin Friars in ^ondon." Doubtful as Mr. Stevens was in 1878, he, in 1884, "unquestionably" reaffirms his statements li 1877-8.- Again, ^ " Next came up the question of the translator into English, and I came to the con- llusiontliat he certainly was not Coverdale, but might probably be Van Meteren himself." j All will, no doubt, after the publication of the deposition of Emanuel van Meteren, agree with the 'nferencc that ^h: William Aldis Wriglit draws^ from the unfortunately expressed statement of lluytinck, -iz., "that Jacob van Meteren did not translate the Bible himself, but paid another for translating it." It vill be Avell to give the translation of lluvtinck's original statement, so correctly stated by Mr. Wright.
)b van Meteren "displayed his especial zeal in defraying the cost of translating and printing the English Bible in Antwerp, employing for that purpose the services of a learned student, Miles Coverdale )y name, to the great advancement of the kingdom of Jesus Christ in England." Paiytinck's statement •an only be taken to mean :
1. — That Tan Meteren paid "the cost of translating and printing."
2. — That Coverdale, as a learned student, was employed to translate.
o. — That the English Bible was printed at AntweiqD. Cliis latter statement is corrected by the veiy document that Ruytinck had in his keeping. The deposition )f Emanuel van Meteren concerning his father must be taken in preference to the printed statement of JRuytinck ( perhaps altered by a re-s-iser ) concerning the father of his dear friend Emanuel. Both agree jx what must have been considered, then as now, the more important portions of the statement, viz., at iyhose cost, where and by whom the translation was made. In 1614, the question where it was printed, and by whom, would have been considered of little moment.
I The error of stating that it was printed at Antwerp must be laid on Euytinck; the original Dutch clearly means what Mr. Stevens maintained in this respect, but the place where the newly-discovered document 5vas found, and the relationship of the deposer to Jacob van Meteren, give a position, the strength of which can hardly be denied. That Jacob van Meteren is entitled to the honor of " ha"\'ing caused at his own costs" the Bible of 1535 to be translated into English may be considered as finally established. That it svas printed by Jacob van Meteren and Edward Whitchurch must be taken as the fact, unless the formal deposition made in due language be considered of no credit. Richard Grafton, when writing to Cromwell in 1537 for his interest to obtain the King's privilege to issue the edition of the Bible of that year, used the following words : "Dutchmen, living in this realm, go about the printing of it: which can neither speak good English, nor yet write none, and they wilbe both the printers and correctors thereof."^''
The first edition was completed with a title page and introductory matter, which must have been sup- pressed almost immediately ; only one copy, belonging to the Earl of Leicester, has survived with this title page and the one page of the introductory matter printed in the same type as the body of the work. The date of the final rupture of Heniy YlII with the Pope causes it to be improbable that the printing was done in London. Mr. Eiy writes •/' "It has been taken for granted by many, if not by all writers on this subject, that the volume was printed on the continent." " I have a list of 14 writers who say that it is
(^) Stevens, p. 40. ('') Strype's Cranmer, App. XX. — Netherlanders not
('-) The Athenai'um, 12 July, 1SS4. Gfrmans. as Dr. Eadie states.
(•') lb. 26 July, 1884. C^) Bible by Coverdale, p. 27-
(•») lb. 2 Aug., 1884.
Xvi HISTOEICAL INTRODUCTION.
probable that this Bible was printed either in Zurich, Frankfort, Cologne, or Paris." "These opinions, however, are only suppositions on a subject where evidence should be adduced."
That prohibited Bibles were printed in Paris at an early date is proved by the catalogue attached to the Placard, published by the Emperor Charles V on the 31st July, 1546, concerning heretical books, which " had been declared to be evil or dangerous " by the Faculty of Divines of the University of Louvain. Among the forbidden books were the Latin Bibles printed at Paris by Robert Stevens in the years 1532 and 1540.1
The fact, stated by Mr. Stevens,^ that " an exposcayo. vpo. the psalms of Miserere made by
Hierom Sauonarola " was printed at Paris in English by Francois Regnault without date, but probably before 1538, tends to show that English books on religious subjects were set up in type at Paris at about the date the Bible was printed. This, and the additional fact, also referred to by Mr. Stevens, ^ in the letter dated from Paris, 12th Sept., 1538, by Coverdale and Grafton to Cromwell, concerning Francis Reg- nault, the Paris printer, who " hath bene an occupier into England more than XL yere, he hath allwayes provyded soche bookes for England, as they moost occupied," may be taken as a clue to the name of the printer at Paris of the Bible of 1535. Regnault was also entnisted with putting into type the Great Bible of 1539. It will be of importance therefore that all the books printed by Regnault should be carefully examined, to see whether the paper he used had the same watermarks ( crowns and bulls' heads ) found in the paper of the Coverdale Bible and also whether any of the type used for this Bible is identical with that of other books printed by him.
There is no doubt but that the character of the initial letters ( flowers and dotted ground ) is very, similar in the Coverdale Bible and the " Chroniques et Annals de Haynnau" by Jaques de Guyse, printed by him at Paris in 1532. The large Gothic type of the title pages of the latter book and of the Bible prin- ted by ]N'ycolson in Southwark in 1537 is also very similar in character. It will be required, however, and fairly so, that very direct e-vidence of identity of the type of the text of the Bible of 1535 with that of other books printed by Regnault or other printers will be required before the name of the piinter of the Coverdale Bible will be considered to be revealed.
The statement made by Emanuel van Meteren that the Bible of 1535 was printed at Paris may be con- sidered to hold good as regards the first edition of 1535, while London was undoubtedly the place where the later editions were printed by Nycolson. The fact that the Bible was translated by Myles Coverdale for and at the cost of Jacob van Meteren will be considered settled, confirmed as it is by Coverdale himself. His statements, in his dedication and prologue, with the light of the newly-discovered document stand out as clear as day. In the dedication in the first edition he writes, " as the Holy Ghost moved other men to do the cost hereof, so was I boldened in God to labour in the same." In the dedication of the edition of 1550, Coverdale mentioned his predecessors "whom I have been more glad to follow, according as I was re- quired." Dr. Eadie says,^ " the persons so refeiTcd to are unknown. For prudential reasons their names were not divulged, and probably they did not covet the perilous notoriety." It is evident that he who was at the cost of the work, whose name we now know, viz., Jacob van Meteren required Coverdale as translator, to follow the versions of certain predecessors, who, as he himself tells us, were the five inter- preters, considered by Dr. Eadie^ to be the Vulgate, Luther, Zurich or Swiss German Bible, the Latin version of Pagninus, and Tyndale's Pentateuch and 'New Testament.
It was openly confessed on the first title page that the Bible of 1535 was "translated out of Douche and Latin into English." Dr. Eadie draws attention^ to the advice which Coverdale gave the reader in the pro- logue if he found an error even of one letter to " take thy pen and mend it, considering that thou art as much bound so to do as I am to correct all the rest." This clearly shows the use Coverdale made of the translations of those preceding him.
Dr. Eadie well has it,'' " though Coverdale began and carried out the work without co-operation, he never exalts his version as one taken immediately from the HebrcAV and Greek text." " The original title-page revealed the truth ' faythfuUy and truly translated out of Douche and Latyn.' " This curt declaration expresses the simple fact which Dr. Eadie amply proves in Chapter XIX^ from the 66 notes " loosely scat- tered throughout his ( Coverdale) Bible. Also in summing up the various evidence known in 1875 he says,9 "Coverdale, beyond all doubt, was the translator of the Old Testament after 2 Chronicles, and his translation was accepted by Rogers or Mathews in his Bible of 1537, which also contains all that Tyndale
(1) Brandt's Hist, of the Eeformation, Engl. Ed., Bk. Ill, (^) Vol. I, p. 274. C) Vol. I, p. 279.
p. So. (') Vol. I, p. 281. (8) Vol. I, p. 286.
(2) Page 16. (3) Page 33. («) Vol. I, p. 255. (") Vol. I, p. 278.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. XVll
1 completecl. To Coverdale himself, therefore, and to no copartnery of any kind, is the Bible of 1535 to ascribed. He claims to be the one doer, and no one who knows his transparency of character can doubt ds simple word." ■ Mr. Fry says, "' We have no information that Coverdale was assisted by any scholars of the day," and
Coverdale intended that he should be regarded as the sole translator."
Internal and external testimony prove the claim of Coverdale to be the translator into English of all that
yndale left unfinished of the work he had commenced, and the reviser of what Tyndale had completed.
t is therefore much to be regretted that tlic mistaken sense of lluytinck's statement should for a time
ive been put forward by one of our ablest Bibliographers.
"We are told by lluytinck not only that Jacob van Meteren knew the "noble art" ^ of printing, but that e was learned in many languages. It may well be that he in some way assisted Coverdale when making jse of the "Douche" versions, which certainly would be the "Hoochduytsche "- not " Xederduytsche " or [le " Ylaamsche taal," as it was commonly called. The term Dutch being used only in England when freaking of the Netherlands. In the jS'etherlands "Deutsche" is used for German. There can be but little 3uljt that the original title page, etc., v\'as suppressed because it was considered in England that the
an-lation should have been made from the original Hebrew and Greek. Coverdale, /» the foreign sense qi-.ially refers to these German translations. " To help me herein I have had sondrye translations, not
ily in Latyn, but also of the Douche interpreters, whom, because of their singuler gyftes and special iliiifuce in the Bible, I have been the more glad to follow for the most part."
\dn Meteren, no doubt, looked upon the translation and printing of the Englisii Bible as a trade trans- ition. It was necessary for the successful sale of the various editions in England that it should be issued I an English name ; tlie difficulty must have been to find any one willing at that precise time, when all
K w the fate of Tyndale, to father the work. Coverdale took the responsibility "to set forth this specyall anslacyon," which has been called and now will with perfect certainty continue to be called by his name. [e took up the work of those who " wold also with al theyr hartes have perfourmed that they beganne rf they had not had impediment." Rogers' heart evidently failed him. He too was doubtless "desyred" ) place his name to his edition of 1537, revised from the translations of Tjmdale and Coverdale, but it ■»pearecl under his feigned name of Thomas Matthew. About this veiy time Rogers mamcd Adriana ratt, alias Tan Weyden, stated to have been a connection of Jacob van Meteren ; what more probable aan, as Mr. Stevens considers, "that the enterprising foreign citizen of AntweiT),"^ namely, Yan Meteren, \ got up and printed this Bible also, and sold the whole edition to Grafton and AVhitchurcii." ^ ! It is e"\"ident that it was impossible for Jacob van Meteren to have brought out Coverdale's Bible in his iwn name, for, had it become known in the Netherlands that it had been translated and printed at his jbst, he would certainly have shared the fate of Tyndale and probably would have been put on his trial at be same time. That he must have been in danger after the publication is shown by the fact that he found \ necessary to come to England for refuge with his children in 1550, returning for his wife, who with ■im was drowned by the sinking of the vessel in Avhich they embarked two years later, it having been truck by the cannon-shot of a French ship of war, by which it was attacked. Extraordinaiy precautions aust have been taken by him to conceal the fact that he was the responsible person in the risky business, 1.0 less than seventeen years having elapsed before he finally left Antwerp. It cannot be wondered at, hcrefore, that there has been to this time, when the facts are revealed by finding the affidavit of his son, 0 much mystery around the matter.
Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cromwell, in order to promote the RefoiTuation, which with he aid of the English Bible had spread so rapidly, sent to the Xetherlands and Germany for learned pro- estant divines. Martinus Bucenrs, Petiiis Martyr, Paulus Fagius, Emanuel Tremellius, Joannes A Lasco, ree Baron of Lasco in Poland, with many others came over at the call.^ The latter wrote to Cecil from Lmbden, in April, 1549, complaining of tlie troubles of the church there,*' so that he must have come to England shortly after that date. Bucer was appointed Professor of Divinity and Fagius Professor of lebrew at Cambridge, the former being paid three times the usual stipend. The change of climate and
(1) Van de Leene's Theatre de la Noblesse de Brabant, (^) Does INIr. Stevens mean a "buitenpoorter," i.e., one
1705, * 50, Article Moretus, "sans deroger audit living outside the town.
annoblissement continuer I'exercise de Tipographie." (■*) Stevens' Bibles in the Caxton Exhibition, p. 75.
("-) Title page of Historie der Nederlandtsher oorlogen, (^) Strype's Cranmer, p. 194.
Nonvich, 1579. " Wt den Hoochduytchen in onse (^) lb. App. L.
Nederlantsche sprake."
XVlll
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
diet soon caused both to fall ill. Eagius died not long after his coming to Camhridge, at the age of "scare forty-five," and was buried in the Church of St.Michael. Bucer died about 1551, and was buried in St.Mary's Church. Emanuel Tremellius succeeded Fagius in his Professor's seat, but he soon returned to Heidelbcrg.i Peter Martyr was made Professor of Divinity at Oxford, but shortly after the death of King Edward VI solicited leave to return to his country, exhibiting his letters of protection.^ It was recorded by Simeon Euytinck that the first recognized congregation of the religious refugees in England was estab- lished by some of the above divines in 1547.
It would appear by the testimony of Strype that in 1547 a congregation of foreign refugees met togethei at Cantcrbuiy.3 Jan Utenhove went to that town shortly after he came to England ; he probably took e great part in founding the Walloon Church there,^ which had, as its first minister, Francois du Riviere, who two years later occupied a similar position in the French and Walloon Church in London, which wat established in .1549. The refugees from France had greatly increased in numbers in consequence of tht persecution of the Protestants by Henry II, and there were in 1548 over five thousand Netherlanders ii London,^ a large proportion being Walloons.
The refugees of this period soon found their way to Norwich ; the benefits derived by that city fron their residence there "for ten years past " being specially recorded in 1561.'5 This town and its neigh- bourhood had been, since the time of Henry I, much frequented by traders and settlers from the Lo-w Countries. In 1336 there was a large increase in the Flemish stuffs or worsted manufacture at JSTorwieh which caused the city to grow greatly in size, the numbers of the Strangers being much augmented by th« intercourse between the two nations, occasioned by the marriage of Edward III with Philippa, daughter o: William I, Count of Holland and Hainault.'^ A great trade in raw wool soon grew up between the tw( countries, and " the king and state began now to grow veiy sensible of the great gain the Netherlands go by our 1^'nglish wool, in memory whereof the Duke of Burgundy not long after instituted the Order of th( Golden Fleece, whercia, indeed, the Fleece was ours, the Golden theirs, so vast their emolument by tb trade of clothing. Our king therefore resolved, if possible, to reduce the trade to his own country."
" Happy the yeoman's house into which one of these Dutchmen did enter, bringing industry and wealtl along with them. Such who came in strangers within the doors soon after went out bridegrooms, an( returned sons-in-law, having married the daughters of their landlords, who first entertained them, yea those yeomen in whose houses they harboured soon prececded gentlemen, gaining great estates to them selves, arms and worship to their estates."^
Returns were made for the Alien Subsidy of the City of Norwich in the reign of Henry YI an( Edward IV.^ In the time of Henry VIII the prosperity caused by the foreign settlers declined, but th new comers to Norwich in 1551 somewhat improved the trade of the place.
The Flemish-speaking refugees, finding the King Edward VI very favorably disposed towards them appealed to the Duchess of Suffolk, "an enquiring and godly woman," to aid them in procuring a meetin; house for religious puiposes. By her intervention, through Dr. Coke and Mr. Geeke, the king's school master, the matter was brought before the king. The Privy Council agreed to give part of the Church o the dissolved Monastery of the Augustine Friars, in London, to Martinus Micronius and Gualterus Delaenus ministers of God's word, for the use of themselves and their brethren. The arrangements were made b; the Clerk of the Council, Mr. Armigall Wayd, and the Clerk of the Signet, Mr. Hannings, on a guarante being given by the Strangers.^^
The grant, with other privileges, was confirmed by letters patent of the king, dated at Leigh, 24th Julj 1550, to Joannes A Lasco and Joannes Utenhove. ^^ It was ordered that the Church should have a superir tendent and four ministers, and that it should be a body coi-porate, according to the following extract fror the patent. ' ' Quod idem superintendens et ministri in re et nomine sint et erunt unum corpus corporatur et politicum de se per nomcn Superinten dentis et MinistroiTim Ecclesiae Germanorum et aliorum peregri norum in fundatione Regis Edwardi Sexti in civitate Londineuse."
(1) Fuller's Hist, of Cambridge, pp. 128, 130.
(") Fuller's Church Hist., viii, p, 8.
(•') Burn's Refugees, p. 2.
(^) Pyper's Life of Utenhove, p. 55.
(5) lb. p. 55.
(^) State Papers, D. S. xx. 49.
C) State Papers, D.S. xx. 49.
(8) Blomefield's Norfolk. Fuller's Church Hist. Baker
Chron., f. 190
(9) Record Office, Subsidies, cxlix, 162 to 169.
(10) Ruytinck's MS., p. 12.
(11) Dutch Church Archives. A copy given in Burnet Reformation Records, Bk. I, No 51.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
XIX
The first superintendent, Joannes A Lasco, described as a Polish lord and a Professor of Divinity, had ?cn made a Denison by letters patent of the king, dated June 27th, 1550. He acted likewise as a minister ' the Church, with Micronius and Dela^nus as his colleagues for the Netherland, and with Franciscus i^dus and Ricardus van Villers for the French and "Walloon refugees, all the foreign churches in Loudon '3ing- under his charge.
The king and Privy Council agreed to the articles of faith and the regulations for the services, di-awn 3 by A Lasco in Latin, which were also adopted by the reformed churches in the !Netherlands. King (Iward "ordered also that hereafter it should be called by the new name of the Church of the Lord ?sus."i
On the 21st of September, 1550, divine service was first celebrated in the Austin Friars Church by the Iraiigers, who soon found that the building was too small for their congregation. On the 5th of October :ur ciders were appointed, one of these being Jan Utenhove who, as at Canterbuiy, was most zealous in ■le establishment of the Church at Austin Friars. The members of the church, who had settled chiefly :. iSt.Ivatherine's parish and in Southwark, being troubled by demands that they should attend the services : thi^'ir parish churches, A Lasco wrote to Cecil, the secretary of the Privy Council, asking that those of ! s cl lurch might have a warrant to the eiiect that they should not be disturbed in their religious services, .bout this time A Lasco translated the Psalms into Dutch verse and set them to music. ; The church of the Strangers in London was progressing most favorably when King Edward VI died on \e Gth July, 1553. Shortly before this date " the coq)oration of German merchants, who lived in the l;eol-yard ( so called from the steel imported by them ) was dissolved, because it had become detrimental I England by engrossing the whole woollen trade." This coi-poration of foreign merchants had great ■ivileges granted to it by Henry HI in consequence of the assistance he had received fi'om them in his ars. Antwei-p and Hamburgh had then the chief trade, and the foreign merchants there soon " had the :ark(.'ts of England in their hands, and set such prices, both on what they imported or exported, as they ■eased, and broke all other merchants." On the complaint of the native merchant adventurers, it was djudged that they had forfeited their charter.^
! In the reign of Edward YI an act provided for the regulation of the cottons called Manchester, Lan- |shire and Cheshii'e cottons. These were not cotton, but "were really woollen fabrics sold originally Itider that curious name." The refugees fi'om Ghent and Antwerp brought the true cotton manufacture to [plton and Manchester. The merchants bought linen yarn in Ireland, which was woven "at Lyrpole," lie finished article being sent for sale in the place where the flax was grown. ''^
On the accession of Queen Mary, the Strangers found another state of affairs. Soon after the contract ] marriage made with Phillip II, a proclamation Avas issued ordeiing all the Xethcrland and other Protes- Int refugees to leave the kingdom within twenty-four days. The congregation was soon dissolved as it id not wish to experience the treatment of which so many of the members had already had a taste in their \vn countiy. All who could do so immediately made arrangements to leave England. Joannes A Lasco, tartinus Micronius, and Joannes Utenhovius, with about 175 other persons, embarked in one of two janish ships which were lying in the Thames ; and 32 others, under the care of "Walter and Pctrus Delre- iis, went on board the other Danish vessel. They sailed on the 17th September, 1553, from Gravesend ygether, the former vessel soon reached Denmark, and the latter arrived at Hamburg after many perils lorn storms, etc. Eventually all were remiited at Emden, where they soon re-established their chiu-ch, Leeting with much kindness from Anna, Countess of Oldenburg; the bui'gesses of the town being likewise rell disposed towards them.^
The congregation of Walloon and French weavers established at Glastonbury also broke up on the ^cession of Queen Mary, and removed itself to Frankfort. It had been established in 1550 with the aid : Jan Utenhove, the Duke of Somerset and Sir William Cecil, who greatly favoured it. The Supcrin- mdent was Valerandus Pollanus who arranged with Somerset that five acres of pasture land, or sufficient »r feeding two cows, should be allotted to each family. The Duke engaged to supply the Strangers with Loney to buy wool, and promised that they should be allowed to employ English men and women in spin- tag and other work.*^ The settlement, however, was not veiy prosperous; " the promises and articles "
(1) Fuller's Church Hist., VII, p. 407.
(-) Strype's Cranmer, App. LI.
(3) Rapin's Hist, of England, Vol. II, p. 249.
(•*) St. James' Gazette. 11 th May, 1SS2.
{■'') Simplex et fidelis narratio etc. per Joanuem Vtenlio-
vium, s. 1. 1560, p. 21. (") Strype's Cranmer, p, 242.
XX HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
entered into by the Duke not having been kept, the community petitioned the Cro-wn, 11th December 1551, that they might be earned into effect. ^ An order was made by the Privy Council that this should be done, and on the 22nd March following " void places and rooms about the monastery of Glastonbury" were ordered to be handed over for the use of the Strangers. In December, 5 Edward VI, free denization was gi-anted to Yallerandus Pollanus and 69 other persons. ^
The archives of the church in London had been taken abroad with the refugees to Emden by Martin Micronius, but they appear to have been lost or left there. ^ The original letters patent of Edward YI alone have been preserved, and are still kept with great care in the archives at Austin Priars. New Minute or Act Books were commenced on the return of the religious refugees to London after the accession of Queen EHzabcth, who "greatly favored the Reformation to the rejoicing of all true Christians."* Ham. stedius, Utenhovius and Petrus Delcenus, having been appointed ministers, at the instigation of Johannes A Lasco, on the 10th December, 1559, with the elders and deacons, petitioned the Privy Council for the confirmation of the patent of Edward YI.^ The answer given was, that it could not be done, but that the Strangers must have a superintendent under the Bishop of the Diocese, and that the church could not be permitted to be a " Coi-pus Corporatum politicum." All that could be obtained was a grant fi-om the Queen that use should be made of the Austin Priars Church under the supervision of the Justices, and that on those terms the Strangers should again have possession of their former place of worship. In Pebruaiy 1 5pO, the Queen directed the Marquis of Winchester to deliver over the church of the late Auo-ustinei Friars to the Bishop of London for the celebration of divine service by the Strangers in that city.^
Finally the congregation had to submit to the supervision of the Bishop of London, who was to be ox officio, their superintendent, and to whom in the future the ministers and elders had to refer in all matters and difficulties that might arise. Early in 1560 a meeting was called in order to arrange for the welfare of the chui'ch, two subsequent meetings being held for the purpose of making new rules and regulations. By consent it was settled " that the ministers, elders, and deacons shall not be appointed by all the mem^ bers of the church, but by the Chuixh Council of the ministers, elders, and deacons." It was also agreed that students should be admitted to learn God's word, and that a house should be provided and set apart for the poor of the congregation, and that necessary collections should be made. 7 Jealousy in trade matters was_ soon shown against the industrious Strangers, they and their church being troubled by the city com- pames putting in force an old statute which prohibited aliens from holding houses or carrying on trade. The niinisters, elders, and deacons therefore petitioned the Queen on the 29th June, 1560, that the "poor religious refugees might not be molested."^ This was immediately granted.
In 1561 there was a serious quarrel in the church with Hamstedius, he being accused of a tendency to anabaptism and certain other errors. He was brought before the Bishop and discharged from the ministry Easily accommodating himself to circumstances, he went to Oldersheym, near Emden with his famili* and engaged himself in the culture of the land. ' ■''
In 1560, the two himdred alien families which had settled at Sandwich, with the approval of the Que°n and the mayor of that town, found it necessary to estabHsh a church. Hteuhove went to them on the 1st ol October of that year to assist them in this matter, when he arranged for Jacobus Bucerus who had studied (7od s word at London, to be their first minister.9 By letters patent of 6th July 1561 a -^r-iiit was made to the mayor and others of Sandwich to permit the said two hundred alien houscholderslo pur'^ue the trade of makmg says, bays, and other cloth. The number of persons was 406 in all, and the aisle of . &t.|.lements Church was granted to them for their reHgious services^o upon payment of forty sliillings a year and arterwards 25th of March, 1617, upon bearing the expense of a third part of all the repairs of thi clmrch In lo62. Bishop Grmdal required the French and Dutch ministers in his Diocese to give him a thp 90 ?°^' T *^e^r/o^gf gations.12 This was duly sent in, the names of aU strangers in Sandwich on tne ^Uth o± January of the following year being included in the return.13
fT,.f ^ ■fv^'ll''^ *^^ '^o^'i'^^on-^"''''"' ^^^'"^ '^^^^ *^^* ^^ 1^^^ ^^^^^ ^^s ^ g^eat plague in London, and that, withm the year, 21,930 persons died of it, among them two of the ministers, Dela^nus and Carinfeus,
II pf Si l/tSsS. D, Hen. B. Epis. Lo..,., " UiV^.' '' '-'''- *■ ^- ^'- ^«"™=- ««''^'-"
;! fKSSMa ha, ,.ely Wen found, R 11^^^^ s^^^"™' -• ^''•
C) Vide Subscription lists, D. Ch. Archives. (i3) State Papers, D.S.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
XXI
id many members of the Dutch chui'ch ; at that time nearly all the Strangers made their testaments.
odefndus Wmgius, who had been schoolmaster to the children of Joannes A Lasco and M-ho had been igao-ed m 1562 at Emden m superintending the printing of the Bible therc,i was called from the ministry : baud^ylch and appointed to fill the same office at Austin Fiiars. In his time, 1564, it was ordered by 10 consistory that no child should be presented for baptism unless there were godfathers and godmothers.
1 hree ye^rs later there arose a great question and quarrel in the church concerning godfathers and Rod-
otliyrs. _ This was referred to Grindal, Bishop of London, who, with assisting commissioners gave a ^cision in wi'itmg, dated 19th December, 1567, confirming the discipline hitherto used by the JJutch lurch, which was in conformity with the other reformed chmxhes, and also with the rules of the elders id deacons who had been appointed to the Austin Friars chui-ch.
In 1564 the inhabitants of Norwich were in much distress on account of the decay of the worsted manu-
ctuve. The mayor, shenffs, and others consulted the Duke of Norfolk, and it was decided to invite to leir city "cUyersstrangers of the Low Countries, which were now come to London and Sandwich for ■tugo and" which strangers had obtained licenses from the Queen to exercise the making of Flanders immodities m Her Majesty's domiiiions."2 On appHcation being made, the Queen granted letters patent a the 5th November, lo64, for 30 master- workmen, each household to consist of 7 persons, and others not ■• exceed 300 persons in all, being Dutch and Walloons, to settle in Norwich. This, though approved of r the mayor and aldermen, was objected to by the commonalty. The former, however, placed the .ayor s seal to the admission of the strangers, and assigned to them, after spending £ 43 in fittino- it up -e church of St.Mary at Tombland for their haU, with seals and all other utensHs for searchino- and almg their manufactures, at a rent of £ 13 per annum.3 Rules and ordinances were made for their overnment, which were allowed and ordered by the Council on the 25th April, 1571 4 Qf the thirty asters admitted twenty-four were for the Dutch and six for the WaUoons.5
It appears that the poorer Flemings who came over from Hammes and Guisnes had a burial place appro- bated to them at Samt Katharine's, in Portsoken Ward, London; this was afterwards used for the refu-ees ho came over m Queen Elizabeth's time. From Hammes and Guisnes, the name of this churchyard icame corrupted into Hangman's Gains. ^
In 1S65 Francis Bertie, born at Antwerp, was granted by the queen the exclusive privilege of manu- ,cturmg white salt for the period of twenty years. In 1567 Anthony Beckx, alias Dolin, and John luarre, natives of the Low Countries, petitioned for permission to estabHsh a manufactory for table "-lass Lch as was used in France ; this appears to have been granted.'' '
Though the refugees from the Low Countries were very numerous before 1567, yet in that year they .creased very greatly in consequence of the amval in the Netheriands of the Duke of Alva with an army : Spanish soldiers. The Duchess of Palma wrote to PhiHp II " that in a few days above 100,000 men had ft the country with their money and goods, and that more were following them every day." " Those ho still saw a possibility of effecting their escape from the fated land, swarmed across the 'frontier. All erchants deserted the great marts. "s
In the next year, great numbers fled from France, the "edicts for the free exercise being broken their misters banished and much blood spilt. "^
In June, 1567. the merchant strangers of the Low Countries, established in England, were discharged by royal warrant from the two payments of subsidies granted by Parliament. lo
On the 21st July, 1567, Lord Cecil was infomied that commissioners had granted a License, by letters itent,_ to establish " certain foreigners" in Maidstone, in nearly the same terms as the one granted for mdwich, namely, that they should pay half strangers' subsidies ; and on the 22nd July, Bishop Grindal icked up the petition of the strangers to the Queen to be allowed to settle at various towns, they repre- inting that they were reduced to great extremities.
A renewed flight of refugees from the Low Countries was the result of the severity of the Duke of Alva . punishing the inhabitants of the various towns who had been engaged in the destruction of Images and I plundering churches. -
10 This Bible does not appear among those exhibited at C') Stow's London.
: the Caxton Celebration in 1877. , O State Papers, D.S., Vol. XLIII, 45, 46.
; ^""^^^,^^,"§51®^' P-,61v <') S^rn's Refugees, p. 4. Motley's Dutch Republic, (3) Blomefield's Norwich, I, p. 282; II, 118. 11,114. e 3
(■*) State Papers, D.S., LXXVII, 58. (") Strype's' Annals.
■A^) The names of these are given by Blomefield, p. 283. C") State Papers, D. S., XLIII, 21.
y^[[ ' HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. i
In 1568, "the blood council, the inquisition, tlie new Bishops, the beheading of many noblemen, causefj very many to fly from their countiy, and brought into England many trades, such as 'Bayen, Sayen, Try pen, Grosgreynen, Moccaden,' and many who worked on the land. These settled chiefly at Norwich SandwicC Colchester, Southampton, and Maidston, where, by the favor of the Queen, they were able tj Berv^e God in their mother tongue."^ Others found their way to various towns. License was granted b;| the Privy Council for the Strangers to settle at Great Yarmouth in 1568, and at Lynn, for thirty familiej of ten numbers each, on the 8th June, 1570. Many went to Canterbury, where permission to settle ha| previously been given by the Queen's letter in 1561, confirmed in 1567. The mayor of Southampto:; requested permission from the Privy Council on the 29th May, 1567, for 100 strangers or more to reside i- that town to teach their arts of manufacture ;2 this was backed up by the Bishop of the Diocese on th' 30th June of the same year. These petitions were the result of an application made by the refugees.; Leave was granted by the Council,^ and according to the date of the registers of the "Walloon Church cj Southampton the Strangers must have been established there in the above year. _ The Chapel of St.Juliai or God's House was given to them for religious purposes. At the end of the register of that church is a I interesting list of the feasts and fasts observed by the various congregations of the refugees to this coui
try.
At Dover there was a Dutch Church before 1576, and, from letters dated 1575, it would appear the a settlement was made also at Thetford. The numbers of the refugees at these places soon increased, an restrictions were made by order of the Town Councils. At Lynn, on the 6th February, 1574, it was S£, forth that no more were to dwell in the town but such as were admitted into the congregation, which waj not to exceed the number stated in the Queen's grant ; that vacancies by death or departure only were tj be filled up ; that none of their poor should be chargeable to the town ; that they should have only te i fishing boats, and that they should not buy victuals except for those of their own congregation.^ Theaj licenses enabled the Strangers to establish churches under their own ministers, and to hold the services ii the Dutch and "Walloon or French languages, the administration of which churches were kept quit distinct.
At a general congregation of Brethren, gathered together at Geneva 25th June, 1568, thirty-two article or propositions were agreed to, which had been framed for the use of the Dutch congregation in Londoi | These, through the ministers and elders, were published September 1 8th in the same year, with the pei ' mission of their superintendent, Grindal, Bishop of London, in Dutch, English, and Latin, being printe' by Jugg, the Queen's printer. ^ !
From the year 1567, and at intervals afterwards, orders were sent by the Privy Council to the loc{ authorities to transmit complete and careful lists of the Strangers, giving their names and those of thei wives, children, and servants, with their residences, occupations, the length of time they had been in ti' country, and the places abroad where they had been bom. In one of the early lists the number of Strai gers, registered in London alone, amounted to over 5300.
In 1568 there appears to have been some uneasiness on account of the increasing number of Strangeii coming to England, for, on the 15th September, Sir Francis "Walsingham gave orders for all Strangers i' London to be certified weekly.'^
Returns were made of the "Walloon and Flemish refugees residing in Eye on the 28th May, 1569.^ I another return, made on 4th November, 1572, for the same town, the number was 641, ^ their chapel beini that of the Augustin Friars, in Conduit Street. By 1569 the Strangers at Norwich had much increaseci the Privy Council having authorised 1132 to reside there. The choir of the Friars Preachers' or Blac| Friars Church was assigned to the Dutch congregation, and the Court, on 24th February, 1569, confirme certain articles, settled with the minister concerning the keeping of due order in the church.^'' In 1571 til Archbishop and other High Commissioners decreed that the Bishop of Norwich, and not the Mayor or cit^ zens, had jurisdiction over the Strangers in matters ecclesiastical.^^ The Dutch congregation continued t use the Black Friars Church by leave only, until 1619, when it was leased to them at 68. 8d. per annun In 1650 the Mayor and Council resumed possession of it for their own services, and the Dutch wei
(1) Ruytinck's M.S. (?) State Papers, XLVIL
(») State Papers, D.S., XLH, 71. (8) Gotten MS. Galba C. 110, fo. 267,
(») Bum, p. 80. B.M. Vesp., F. IX. (9) Lansdown MS., XV. art. 70.
(*) State Papers, D.S., XLIH, 82. (W) Bum's Refugees, p. 197.
C) Bum's Refugees, p. 217. (") Idem, p. 198. {«) Strype's Life of Grindal, p. 131, and Appendix, No. XVIIL
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. Xxiii
i^moved to the church of St.Peter's of Hungate. The latter, however, returned to their old church in i661, and on 15th June, 1713, a lease was granted for 200 years at the old rent of 6s. 8d., and it has been jailed, since 1619, the Dutch Church. ^
: The great number of Strangers much interfered with the interests and work of the natives of Norwich, rhe result was that a strong party was made against them. In 1570 a conspiracy of certain gentlemen md others was discovered ; these had intended to have raised a body of men, with sound of trumpet and ^at of drum, at Harleston Fair on Midsummer Day to drive the Strangers from the city and realm. The «sult was that ten of the conspirators were indicted for high treason, three of whom were hanged, drawn, md quartered.2
In the same year the art of printing was introduced at Norwich by Anthony Solen, one of the Strangers. Ke was made free of the city, the corporation being much pleased at a press being set up in their town.^ it is, no doubt, to Solen's press that we are indebted for those rare books in the Dutch language, printed tt Norwich, of which one of the scarcest is of the highest importance for the history of "the times of the ixoubles," namely, "Chronyc Historie der Nederlandischer Oorlogen, Troublen cnde Oproeren, etc, tot desen are 1580, Gedruct tot Noortwitz;" the preface being dated 2nd December, 1579, and signed "Theophilus." 5o highly was this work esteemed at the time of its publication that a French translation, s.l., appeared in 1562, the preface being signed Theophile D.L.; an English edition, translated from the French by Thomas Stocker, followed with the same subscription. Slightly altered in the text it appeared again, published at Lyons by Jean Stratius, as a new work in 1583, and another edition of the same in 1584. : This valuable history, ( stated on the title page of the first edition in Dutch to have been written by ^dam Henricipetri, Doctor of Law at Basle, and to have been printed after the copy of Basle), is considered ;o have been translated from the German by one of the ministers of the Dutch Church at Norwich, Theo- ohilus Rickwaert, who was deposed, together with Isbrandus Balkius and Anthony Algoet, from that joinistry by the decree of the Archbishop and other Commissioners in 1571, on account of the troubles and differences concerning the government of the Church ; all three being held incapable of being elected to ;he ministry again either at London or Norwich. Some professors of history in Holland consider that Rickwaert was not the translator of this work, though it has been generally held that he was so. D.L. is thought to be the initial letters of dog Latin words meaning rich way, Rickwaert. The following entry from the Marriage Register of the Dutch Church at Austin Friars seems to settle this point against the ioubting professors, reconciling, as it does, the two different names. " 25 Mei, 1574, Karolus Rijckart, gheseit Theophilus, van Nieukercke met Lowijseken Carboniers van Bevere."
In 1571 there were found to be 3993 Strangers, Dutch and Walloon, in Norwich, and by 1582 these had increased to 4679, although the plague had carried off no less than 2482 Strangers between 20th August, :1578 and 19th February, 1579. It would appear that letters patent were granted for the hostage of the Strangers, for in 1579 the city purchased for £70 13s. 4d. those granted to "William Tipper for Norwich.
License for Strangers to settle at Colchester was given on the 24th March, 1570. The congregation first formed there, consisting of eleven families, making fifty persons who came from Sandwich,^ were iiescribed as "very honest, godly, civil, and well ordered people. "^ They had their church in Head Street,^ Por some time using St. Giles's, then All Saints' Church, and at last they had a church of their own in iSt.Mary's Lane, in part of the late Mr. George Gray's house, and afterwards in that of Mr. Theophilus HaU.7
An agreement was made between the Strangers and the Bailiff and Commonalty of Colchester on the 25th April, 1575, concerning their privilege to reside in the town, and to carry on their trades.^ Before 1580 they had formed themselves into a congregation, providing for their own poor, all their names being entered into a register. " Their numbers daily increased, and Colchester was upon the point of becoming a colony of Flemings, the congregation being unable to restrain their increase ; and the bailiffs were obliged to issue ft command that no Stranger should, for the future, be permitted to reside in the precincts of the town iwithout their special consent."^ ; The customary complaints of the English weavers were made to the Privy Council in the reign of King
(1) Blomefield, II, 342, 343. (») Wright's Essex, I, 335, letter from Bailififl to Privy (») Blomefield, p. 284, from "Dutch and Walloon Stran- Council, Aug, Ist, 1570.
gers," Norwich Archives, by N. Sotherton, fo. 16, («) Wright's Essex, I, 235. Bum, p. 214.
23. C) Bum's Ref., p. 215.
(S) Idem, p. 295. (S) State Papers, D.S., LXXVIII, 9.
(<) Bum's Ref,, p. 208. (^) Cromwell's Hist, of Colchester, Vol. I, p. 118,
XXIV
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
James, but the Council ordered that the indictments and presentments should be no further proceeded with ;'and that the said Strangers be not "from henceforth in any such sort molested. "i On the ITth October, 1612, James I granted them letters patent to make Bays, Says, and other foreign draperies.2 The conoregation was dissolved soon after 1728, the trade in Says and Bays having at that date decayed.
According to the order of Lord Cecil, returns were made in 1571 of the Strangers "residing and abiding" in the town of London and its suberbs, Harwich, Colchester,^ Great Yarmouth, Lynn, Dover, Sandwich, Ipswich, Norwich, Southampton, Boston, and the Cinque Ports.* At this period many privileges wore granted to the merchant Strangers ; an important one being exemption from contributions to the subsidj within the city of London. '^ It was soon found that the Strangers were most diligent in all businesj matters, and that they brought in new manufactures and were increasing the trade of the country.
In August, 1571, Sandys, Bishop of London, asserted his right to act as the superintendent of th< Church at Austia Friars, as his predecessor Grrindal had done. The Bishop of Norwich, however, dis- claimed all right over the Strangers' Church, established in this year at that town.
On 4th October, 1571, the first national Synod was held at Emden, where Petrus Dathenius represented the Dutch Churches in England. In 1572 many towns in Holland, having freed themselves fi'om the Spanish yoke by aid of the Water Geusen, the Prince of Orange wrote most gracious letters to the Churcl in London, requesting that faithful ministers might be sent to the mother-country. Bartholdus anc "Wingius immediately responded to the call, their places being filled by Joannes Cubus and Jacobus Regius.' In the following year the Prince sent a special messenger entreating the Church in London to send him assistance in the way of provisions and militaiy stores. ''^
The massacre of St. Bartholomew at Paris, on the 23rd August, 1572, caused many French protestanti to fly to England for refuge, and though these refugees increased so greatly in number they still receivec the monthly sacrament in the Dutch Church, which was called " Jesus Tempel." At this time Churcl Refoi-m was much desired by the English clergy, and great interest was taken in the rules and regula- tions of the Dutch Church. The attention of the Privy Council was drawn to this, and instructions were given in writing that there should be no commimication or encouragement given to the English Church bj that of the Strangers, and that the funeral sermons preached in Dutch at the parish Churches, on th( occasion of the burial of members of the Dutch Church, should be discontinued. Orders were also givei that no parish clergyman should perform the ceremony of marriage for Strangers without the consent oi the Consistory of the Strangers' Church.
At the latter end of 1572, Lord Burleigh induced many families of the refugees from the Low Countriei to settle at Stamford, which town chiefly belonged to him. These settlers were mostly woollen weavers but others worked in, steel, copper, and other trades. Isbrandus Balkius, who had been deposed from th« ministry of the Dutch Church at Norwich by a decree of the Archbishop, with Casper Yosbergius, in the name of the other settlers, petitioned Lord Burleigh to grant the Strangers' Church at Stamford certaii privileges set forth in ten articles.^ This congregation elected Balkius as the first minister, who furnishee himself with testimonials from the Bishop of Norwich, dated 8th March, 1571, and continued " a greal while " in Stamford. This Church, however, was dissolved and dispersed sometime before 1711.^
In 1573, the London tradesmen, who found themselves powerless to restrain the refugees from selling by retail, issued fly-sheets with the following : " Doth not the world see that you beastly bnites the Bel gians, or rather drunken drones and faint-hearted Flemings, and you fraudulent father-Frenchmen, b] your cowardly flight from your own natural countries, have abandoned the same into the hands of youj proud cowarcQy enemies ; and have, by a feigned hypocrisy and counterfeit show of religion, placed your selves here in a most fertile soil, under a most gracious and merciful piince who hath been contented, t< the great prejudice of her natural subjects, to suffer you to live here in better case and more freedom thai her own people.
" Be it known to all Flemings and Frenchmen that it is best for them to depart out of the realm o; England between this and the 9th of July next ; if not, then to take that which follows. There shall b many a sore stripe ; apprentices will rise to the number of 2336, and all apprentices and journeymen wil down with the Flemings and Strangers."^''
(1) Wright's Essex, I, 335.
(=) Idem, p. 336.
(*) License to settle dated 24th March, 1570.
(■*) State Papers, etc.
{^) Exemptions from Subsidies, Record Office.
(") Coninck.
C) Letters D. Church collection, GuildhaU Library.
(8) Strype's Parker, App. LXXIII.
(^) Idem, p. 267. Balkius appears to have gone t<
Sandwich before 1578. (^°) Agnew's French Protestant Refugees, III, p. 12.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTIOX. XXV
; In 1575, the Burgesses appealed to tlie Bishop of London that the Church in Austin Friars shoukl not e allowed to increase the number of its members, " and the Dutch Chiu'ch claimed that none of its mem- ers should be married in the parish Churches. In this year the condition of the people of the Low ountries was so sad that great numbers of them had fled over hither and desired to join with the Dutch hurch in London, and to become members thereof. Yet so tender was the Queen of breaking with that toud and powerful prince, the King of Spain, that she would not admit of this, nor give countenance to iich as fled out of these countries under his subjection."^
By order of the Queen, the Lord Mayor was commanded to disperse these new-comers from London, ihe Bishop of of London was begged to represent their case to the Queen and Council, and the Council ivised that the new-comers should depart from London and should go to other parts of the country where ihui'ches of their religion had been established. In this year the national Spiod of the jSTethcrland Ee- ►rmed Churches in England met in London. The Austin Friars, ]S"orwich, Colchester, Maidstone, and hetford Churches being represented by their ministers, and those of Sandwich and Yannoutli by their Iders. For some time these Synods met yearly, then at intervals ; but after 1609 it was arranged that iiey should meet every third year.
! The Anabaptists, against whom there was so much prejudice in Holland by those of the Beformed jhurch, Avcre found met together in London on Easter Day, 1575, and the whole congregation, consisting jE twenty-seven persons, was arrested by order of the Privy Council, and examined before the Bishop of jondon. They were afterwards brought to trial before the Council, when the ministers of the Dutch hurch appeared to give evidence against them, though they did all possible to avert the doom of Jan rielmaker and Hendrik Terwocrt, who were condemned to be burnt, the execution taking place on the Bnd July, 1575. The other prisoners were strictly admonished to amend their ways.^ ] In 1580, " the family of love " became numerous and troublesome. Hcmy Nicholas, of Amsterdam, rho had "first vented " this sect in Holland in 1550, came to England in the latter part of the reign of Idward YI, and "joined himself to the Dutch congregation in London, where he seduced a number of |i;ificers and silly women." Martin Micronius and Xicholaus Charineus opposed jSTicholas and his followers, ^any of whom were English. The attention of the Privy Council was drawn to them, but with what ffect does not appear.^
1 The " Pacification of Ghent " having been made in lo7G, there was a great demand on the Chiu'ch at london for ministers of God's 'W'ord to be sent to the fatherland. Few could be spared: though greatly ressed. Jacobus Eegius refused to go to Ghent on the ground that "the harvest at London was so great (id the labourers so few." Shortly afterwards he was persuaded to go there, but was recalled in 1584. i Isbrandus Balkius, the minister at Sandwich, and Jan van Boo, an Elder of London, represented the (nglish Chiu'ches at the national Synod, held at Dordrecht in 1578.
j On the 27th December, 1576, Sergeant iS'icholas Burham wi'ote to Biu-ghley concerning the condition of ie Strangers at Sandwich and Maidstone, to whom the Queen had granted letters patent for license to ^ttle.'* Troubles arose between the refugees and the Mayor and Corporation of the former place ; in 1582 liere was an enquiry made by the Privy Council to discover by what authority siich severe decrees were iade by the CoiiDoration against the Strangers.'^ It would appear that there were large mercantile trans- ptions between the Mayor, and others of the town, and the foreign merchants, for, in 1584, the Privy jouncil wrote, without avail, to the States of Zeeland and Holland to procure satisfaction for the losses btained by the merchants of Sandwich. '^
I In 1577, the Dutch Strangers inhabiting Halstead, in Essex, petitioned the Privy Council that forty ^milies might be permitted to inhabit that place, so that they might quietly follow their trades." I In 1584, London again suifered severely from the Plague, when many of the Chiu^h, including one of jie ministers, Jan van Boo, who had taken orders in 1580, died from the effects of it. i In 1582, a certain German or Dutchman born, named Peter Moris, having made an " artificiall forcier," [)nveyed Thames water in pipes of lead over the steeple of St.!Magnus Church at the north end of London (ridge, and thus brought it to a water standard at the parting of the four ways at the east end of Cornhill.^
Sii' Wolstane Dixie, Lord Mayor in 1 586, gave £ 50 to the poor Strangers of the Dutch and French Church.^
(1) Strype's Amials, II, p. 386. (") State Papers, CLII, 14.
{-) Ruytiuck's MS. Fuller's Ch. Hist., IX, p. 104. C') Idem, CLXXIII, 17.
if) Fuller's Ch. Hist., Bk. IX, p. 112, 113. (") Idem, CXX, '2-2.
\(*) State Papers, CX, 10. (**) Stow's London" I;k. II, p. 133.
(9) Idem, Bk. I, 273.
Xxvi HISTOKICAL INTEODUCTION.
The Prince of Palma subduing the rebellion in Flanders in 1584, after the arrangement with Ghent in this year, caused a renewed flight of Protestant Refugees to England, nearly all joining the foreign Churches'in the various towns where they established themselves. Sir Francis Walsingham was a warm friend to them, and the position of the Strangers was again much improved when the Earl of Leicestei took charge of the jS'etherlands, though they had to contribute their share towards the subsidies for main- taining the army and fleet. They urged that the cost of their poor and of the Church was very heavy, and begged to be excused from paying, but the answer was that it was for the good of the Fatherland they were asked to contribute. The characteristic entry of £550 " for the s^weeze^^ Fatherland, by thf Bui'dens of the High Council," appears in the lists of collections for charitable purposes.
When the Spanish Armada was fitting out for the pui-pose of conquering England, the Privy Council communicated with the Dutch and Walloon Churches of London, and, in 1588, the Strangers were required to find their proportion of soldiers. Ruytinek records that " the Armada was fought from the 25th to the 29th of October, and, by God's help, was destroyed by the English and Dutch vessels.]' The medala, that were struck in commemoration of the great victory over the Spanish Fleet, were distributed to certain members of the Chiu'ch through their minister, Jacobus Eegius.^
" Many Strangers resided within the liberties of the Sanctuary, St. Martins le Grand, London. In 1585, a survey was taken of all the foreigners, French, Germans, Dutch, and Scots, also of their occupations. Many of these were cordwainers or shoemakers, tailors, button-makers, goldsmiths, pursemakers, Hnen- di-apers, stationers, merchants, silkweavers, and two silk-twisters, who were supposed to be the first silk- throAvers in London, and brought the trade into England. One of these latter was named John James, made denizen on the 19th December, 1567, and the other Anthony Emerick, made denizen the 1st Jan- uary, 1574, both bom under the dominion of Philip IT. There were found, upon that survey, to be, oi householders ( denizens as well as others ), their Avives, children, and servants, one hundred and sixty-one in number, which, nevertheless, was less by half than it was some years before; for, in 1569, their number was 269."2
"In the year 1588, there being a loan charged by the Queen upon the city, the Companies of LondoE subscribed separately. The Strangers also subscribed among them £ 4,900 " in sums from £ 300 to £100.'
In 1589, soon after the death of the Duke of Leicester, heavy impositions were laid on the Strangers foi the expenses of the seige of Bergen-op-Zoom. The Bretio-en in London, on paying, complained that thej were under very heavy expenses to maintain five ministers and two ministers' widows, all their poor, and the expenses of the students, besides having to assist "with money payments the Chru'ches of Dover anc Maidstone. These last payments do not appear in the list of collections for the poor of the various Chur- ches, though, in 1588 and 1589, £ 56 were sent to the refugees of Ostende in Zeeland and £ 126 8s. 6d for the town of Geneva.
On the 18th April, J 590, Sir Francis "Walsingham, "Secretary of Her Majesty," died, "to the greal grief of the Strangers, to whom he had always been a firm and steady friend."
In 1593, London was again stricken with a very severe attack of the plague, 1,700 dying in one week. At this time there was a rising of the citizens against the Strangers, whose houses were pillaged on the 1st of May. On the 5th May, 1593, these verses were affixed to the wall of the Dutch Church at Austii Friars ;
" You Strangers that inhabit in this land ! Note this same writing, do it understand ; Conceive it well, for safety of your lives, Your goods, your children, and your dearest wives." etc. etc.
By order of the Privy Council, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen gave orders for special constables to be sworn in from among the merchants and tradesmen. Some apprentices and servants who were found rioting "were put into the stocks, carted, and whipt.""^
C) Among the Charities of the Church, payments were (-) Stow's London, Bk. Ill, p. 111.
entered in 1587 for Cap tarn Suder man £60, Captain (^j Burn's Refugees, p. 11. Thirty eight subscribertf
van der Cruyce £ 92, and Captain Humbert £ 200. names given. Stow's London, Bk. I, 283.
These amounts were probably for ofHcers and men, (^) Annals of Elizabeth, IV, pp. 167-8.
provided by tlie Church, and considered as charity
towards the Fatherland as suggested by the Privy
Council.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. XXVii
In 1596, the Strangers increased greatly in number at Southampton, and very many Strangers settled L the parish of St.Botolph, in Billingsgate Ward, London. In a presentment made, shortly before 1598, : the foreigners dwelling there it is stated as follows : "In Billingsgate Ward were one and fiftie house- jlds of Strangers ; whereof thirty of these households inhabited in the parish of Saint Butolph in the liefe and principal houses, where they give 20 pounds a year for an house lately letten for four markes. he neerer they dwell to the water-side, the more they give for houses ; and within thirty yeeres before, lere was not, in the whole Ward, above three JS'ctherlanders, at which time there was witliin the said irish levied for the helpe of the poore seven and twenty pounds by the yeere ; but since they came so .entifuUy thither, there cannot be gathered above eleven pounds : for the Strangers will not contribute I such charges as other citizens do."^
In 1599, the City companies again much troubled the tradesmen who were Strangers, as they had done I like manner some four years before. These immediately petitioned the Queen, who ordered her Council I write the following letter to the Lord Mayor :
" After our harty commendations to your Lordship, An humble peticion hath been exhibited imto her Majestie by divers poore Strangers and handicraft-men off the Dutch and French Congregation in the City off London, whereby they give her Majestic to understand that your Lordship will enforce them either to enter into bond, to forbeare to work at all within the citye, or ellse to commit them to prison. Her Majestie understanding the course you mean to take with them, hath willed us to signifye unto you that her pleasure is, you should forbeare to go forward in this your intention. And is't there bee any fui'ther matter, knowen to your Lordship, wherewith as yet wee are unacquainted, that doth make you to take this strickt course, then wee praye you to certify the same hither unto us, that we may consider off the same. And in the meane season to suffer them to use that favorable libertye wich hitherto they have enjoyed, and so wee bidd your Lordship farewell. From the Court at Greenwich, the 29 of the jAprill, 1599.
Signed,
Lo. B. OFF Castterbuet. Me. Chaxcellou of ihe ExcHEauEE.
Lo. Keei'ee. Lo. Admieall.
Lo. NoExn. Lo. BucKnrEST.
Me. CojrrxEOLLEE. Me. Seceetakie.
Directed to Sir Stephenson,- Kt. Lo. Mayor off the Citye of London."
Notwithstanding the action taken by the Privy Council, the suits against the Strangers were procc'cded ith in the City. These were, however, stayed by an order dated 31st October, 1601, sent by the Lord feasurer, T. Buckhurst, to the Attorney-General.
In this year. Queen Elizabeth visited His Excellency, Heer Xocl Caron, the Ambassador from the States, )io resided at Clapham, on which occasion a short oration was made to her by Mr. Geleyn van Bcstc, an .der of the Church.
I On the 1st September, 1601, Jacobus Kegius died. He had been the faithful and beloved minister of |e Church for over twenty-five years. His son, Joannes Begins, alias Coninck, was received in his place, |d shortly afterwards Simeon Buytiuck was nominated as the third minister. The latter wrote " the jfeat book " or history of the Ketherlandcrs in England from 1304 to the year 1620, when it was con- iiued by Ca?sar Calandrinus to 1625 and afterwards to 1627 by JSmilius van Culenborgh. An abridged l^toiy also exists in MS., 4^, written by Buytinck, which is dated '' In London, 1 January, leiS."'^ jIn 1602, letters having been received from the Church at Geneva, appealing to the charity of the Chiu'ch
i London, a collection was made aft-er an earnest sennon by Assuerus Begemorterus. the result of which iS that £ 310 19s. 3d. were sent to the brethren abroad who were in distress. On the death of Queen Elizabeth, on the 23rd March, 1603, it was recorded by the Strangers that "she ^s truly a mother in Israel, a refuge for the Strangers, a helper to her neighbours, and famed throughout ie world."
jAbont this time letters were received by the Church from a nobleman in Ireland rec^uesting that son\c of fc Strangers should go to reside there, especially naming Crookhavcn and Schoulhaven as suitable places, iiich offered many advantages.*
f^) Stow, Bk. II, p. 168. ('O Many of the particulars here given arc extracted
I") Sir Stephen Some. from tliis M.S.
(^) Ruytmck's MS.
d
XXVi HISTORICAL INTEODUCTION.
The Piince of Palma subduing the rehellion in Flanders in 1584, after the arrangement with Ghent m this year, caused a renewed flight of Protestant Refugees to England, nearly all joining the foreign Churches in the various towns where they established themselves. Sir Francis "Walsingham was a warm friend to them, and the position of the Strangers was again much improved when the Earl of Leicester took charge of the jS'etherlands, though they had to contribute their share towards the subsidies for main- taining the army and fleet. They urged that the cost of their poor and of the Church was very heavy, and begged to be excused from paying, but the answer was that it was for the good of the Fatherland they were asked to contribute. The characteristic entry of £550 " for the sg-w^igz^i Fatherland, by the Burdens of the High Council," appears in the lists of collections for charitable purposes.
When the Spanish Armada was fitting out for the purpose of conquering England, the Privy Council communicated with the Dutch and Walloon Churches of London, and, in 1588, the Strangers were required to find their proportion of soldiers. Euytinck records that " the Armada was fought from the 25th to the 29th of October, and, by God's help, was destroyed by the English and Dutch vessels." The medals, that were struck in commemoration of the great victory over the Spanish Fleet, were distributed to certain members of the Church through their minister. Jacobus Eegius.^
" Many Strangers resided within the liberties of the Sanctuary, St. Martins le Grand, London. In 1585, a survey was taken of all the foreigners, French, Germans, Dutch, and Scots, also of their occupations. Many of these were cordwainers or shoemakers, tailors, button-makers, goldsmiths, pursemakers, linen- drapers, stationers, merchants, silkweavers, and two silk-twisters, who were supposed to be the first silk- throwers in London, and brought the trade into England. One of these latter was named John James, made denizen on the 19th December, 1567, and the other Anthony Emerick, made denizen the 1st Jan- uaiy, 1574, both bom under the dominion of Philip IT. There were found, upon that survey, to be, of householders ( denizens as well as others ), their wives, childi'cn, and servants, one hundi'ed and sixty-one in number, which, nevertheless, was less by half than it was some years before; for, in 1569. their number was 2 69. "2
"In the year 1588, there being a loan charged by the Queen upon the city, the Companies of London subscribed separately. The Strangers also subscribed among them £ 4,900 " in sums from £ 300 to £ 100.^
In 1589, soon after the death of the Duke of Leicester, heavy impositions were laid on the Strangers for the expenses of the seige of Bergen-op-Zoom. The Bretlu'en in London, on paying, complained that they were iinder very heavy expenses to maintain five ministers and two ministers' widows, all their poor, and the expenses of the students, besides having to assist with money payments the Churches of Dover and Maidstone. These last payments do not appear in the list of collections for the poor of the various Chur- ches, though, in 1588 and 1589, £ 56 were sent to the refugees of Ostende in Zeeland and £ 126 8s. 6d. for the town of Geneva.
On the 18th April, J 590, Sii' Francis Walsingham, "Secretary of Her Majesty," died, "to the great grief of the Strangers, to whom he had always been a firm and steady friend."
In 1593, London was again stricken with a very severe attack of the plague, 1,700 dying in one week. At this time there was a rising of the citizens against the Strangers, whose houses were pillaged on the 1st of May. On the 5th May, 1593, these verses were affixed to the wall of the Dutch Chiu-ch at Austin Friars j
" You Strangers that inhabit in this land ! Note this same writing, do it understand ; Conceive it well, for safety of your lives. Your goods, your children, and your dearest wives." etc. etc. By order of the Privy Council, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen gave orders for special constables to be sworn in from among the merchants and tradesmen. Some apprentices and servants who were found rioting "were put into the stocks, carted, and whipt-''-^
(1) AmoDg the Charities of the Church, payments were (-) Stow's London, Bk. Ill, p. 111.
entered in 1587 for Captain Suderman £60, Captain (3) Burn's Refugees, p. 11. Thirty eight subscribers*
van der Cruyce £ 92, and Captain Humbert £ 200. names given. Stow's London, Bk. I, 283.
These amounts were probably for officers and men, (*) Annals of Elizabeth, IV, pp. 167-8.
pro-\aded by the Church, and considered as charity
towards the Fatherland as suggested by the Privy
Council,
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. XXVii
In 1596, the Strangers increased greatly in number at Southampton, and very many Strangers settled n the parish of St.Botolph, in Billingsgate Ward, London. In a presentment made, shortly before 1598, tf the foreigners d-\velling there it is stated as follows : ''In Billingsgate Ward were one and fiftie house- iiolds of Strangers; whereof thirty of these households inhabited in the parish of Saint Butolph in the hiefe and principal houses, where they give 20 pounds a year for an house lately letten for four markcs. ^he neerer they dwell to the water-side, the more they give for houses ; and within thirty yeeres before, here was not, in the whole Ward, above three jS^ethcrlanders, at which time there was within the said tarish levied for the helpe of the poore seven and twenty pounds by the yeere ; but since they came so ilentifully thither, there cannot be gathered above eleven pounds : for the Strangers will not contribute 0 such charges as other citizens do."i
In 1599, the City companies again much troubled the tradesmen who were Strangers, as they had done a like manner some four years before. These immediately petitioned the Queen, who ordered her Council 0 write the following letter to the Lord Mayor :
II " After our harty commendations to your Lordship, An humble pcticion hath been exhibited unto her } Majestic by divers poore Strangers and handicraft-men off the Dutch and French Congregation in tlie City off London, whereby they give her Majestic to understand that your Lordship will enforce them ' either to enter into bond, to forbeare to Avork at all within the citye, or ellso to commit them to prison. Her Majestie understanding the course you mean to take witli them, hath willed us to signifye unto you that her pleasure is, you should forbeare to go forward in this your intention. And is't there bee any further matter, knowen to your Lordship, wherewith as yet wee are unaccjuainted, that doth make you to take this strickt course, then wee praye you to certify the same hither unto us, that we may consider off the same. And in the meane season to suffer them to use that favorable libertye wich hitherto they have enjoyed, and so wee bidd your Lordship farewell. From the Court at Greenwich, the 29 of the
ApriU, 1599.
Signed,
Lo. B. OFF CAXTERBrnT. Me. Chaxcellok of ini: ExcirEQrFE.
Lo. Keepee. Lo. Admieall.
Lo. NOETH. Lo. BuCKHrEST.
Me. Coxeteollee. Me. Seceetaeie.
Directed to Sir Stephenson,^ Kt. Lo. Mayor off the Citye of London."
^Notwithstanding the action taken by the Privy Council, the suits against the Strangers were proceeded ritli in the City. These were, however, stayed by an order dated 31st October, 1601, sent by the Lord reasurer, T. Buckhurst, to the Attorney-General.
I In this year. Queen Elizabeth visited His Excellency, Heer Xoel Caron, the Ambassador from the States, ,ho resided at Clapham, on which occasion a short oration was made to her by Mr. Geleyn van Bestc, an Ider of the Church.
On the 1st September, 1601, Jacobus Eegius died. He had been the faithful and beloved minister of ■le Church for over twenty-five years. His son, Joannes Begins, alias Coninck, was received in his place, |id shortly afterwards Simeon Buytinck was nominated as the third minister. The latter wrote '* the :'eat book " or history of the jNTethcrlanders in England from 1304 to the year 1620, when it was con- nued by Cfesar Calandiinus to 1625 and afterwards to 1627 by JEmilius van Culenborgh. An abridged istoiy also exists in MS., 4^, written by Buytinck. which is dated " In London, 1 January, 1618."^ ' In 1602, letters having been received from the Church at Geneva, ap]iealing to the charity oi' the Church :. London, a collection was made aft-er an earnest sennon by Assuerus Begemorterus, the result of which as that £ 310 19s. 3d. were sent to the brethren abroad who were in distress.
I On the death of Queen Elizabeth, on the 23rd March, 1603, it was recorded by the Strangers that ''she 'jas truly a mother in Israel, a refuge for the Strangers, a helper to her neighbours, and famed throughout i'.e world."
About this time letters were received by the Church from a nobleman in Ireland retiuesting that son\e of te Strangers should go to i-eside there, especially naming Crookhavcn and Schoolhaven as suitable places, *hich offered manv advantages.*
(^) Stow, Bk. II, p. 168. (^) ]Many of the particulars here given are extracted
(-) Sir Stephen Some. from this MS.
(■») Ruytmck's MS.
d
XXviii HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
James I, being proclaimed King on the I7tli May, 1603, a deputation from the foreign Churches, viz., London, c'lnterbuiy, Norwich, Southampton, Colchester, Sandwich, and Maidstone, was _ presented to him on the 23rd of the same month, at the Court held at Greenwich, who congratulated His Majesty on his accession to the throne ; Monsieur de la Fonteyne, minister of the French Church, making the address in French. The King answered shortly to the effect that he would act well to the Strangers, who on account of religion had taken refuge in England, and in the same way that the late Queen had done.
In this vearLondon suffered much on account of the numerous deaths from the plague ; no less than 3,385 persons died in one week from that cause. By this severe visitation 370 houses of the members of the Dutch Church were struck, 52 families being entirely destroyed; the loss by death to the members was no less than 670 persons, among them being their beloved minister, Assucrus Regemorterus.i
On the 14th January, 1604, a conference was held at Hampton Court, the King being present, con- cerning ceremonies and the government of the Church in England; the Archbishop and most of the Bishops assisted with many Doctors of Divinity. It is probable that some new light may be thrown on the discus- sions concerning this conference by the report given of the proceedings by Buytinck in his MS. ^
In the iollowi:ig year the King came in state to London, passing from the Tower to Westminster, the route being adorned with triumphal arches. The members of the Church erected a veiy elaborate structure, 87 feet high and 37 wide, near the Exchange, designed by Christopher de Steur and Assuerus Begemorterus; the versos" in Latin on each of the four sides being written by Monsieur Thorius, Jacob Cool, and Buy- tinck. The architect was Coenraet Janszoon, and the chief decorators or painters were Daniel de Vos and Pauwel van Overbeke. It was draped with tapestry on satin, representing the King as risen like a phoenix from the ashes of the Queen ; that the refugees from the seventeen provinces had taken refuge here, and that they had brought many new industries and trades to the country.
In this same year the foreign Churches formally congratulated Bancroft, Bishop of London, on his elevation to the See of Canterbury in the place of Archbishop Whitgift, who had died. In this year it was also arranged that the Dutch Church should yearly send a deputation to congratulate the newly-swom Lord Mayor in a set speech, which, now that the corporation is so sorely threatened, may be appreciated i£ given at length :
" Right Honorable, "Wee that compare here before your Honour are some of the Ministers and Elders off "the Dutch and French congregations in London. The end is, for to performe our duty off congratulations "in the name of oiir congregations ( according to our yearly custome ) unto your Honour whom itt hath " pleased God to call to that great dignitye, honour, and authoritye, to bee a chief magistrate off this "famous citye, under our most gratious King. Wee therefore pray the Almightye God in all humilitye "to make your Honour (by vertu off his holy Spiritt ) fitt and sufficient for the full pcrfonnance off all the " dutycs belonging to great a charge and calling, that so, by your faithfulness, the glory off God bee ad- " vancod and his Church edifyed. Besydes, wee beseech your Honour ( according unto the excmple off "your predecessors ) to bee favorable unto us Strangers, members off the sayd congregations, fled hether "for the truth of Godspell and chaiytably entertained hitherto in this honorable Citie; "We shall be bound "to pray the Lord continually, as hitherto we have done, for your honour, happv, godly, and just goveni- "ment, etc."
In 1605 it was found necessary to repair the Church of Austin Friars within and without, and a collec- tion was made for this pui-pose. The members of the French Church now again sought to set up preten- sions to a share in the Church, under power ( as they alleged ) of the patent of Edward YI. This was successfully resisted, and a long protest made against any such idea by the members of the Dutch Church.
The Papist plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament had its due effect upon the Strangers ; Buytinck filled several pages in giving a long account of the affaii-, and he wrote besides 176 lines of poetry in Dutch on the subject.
In the same year was founded the library of the Chiu'ch, and their learned minister wrote a long article on the dcsii'ability of doing so, specially mentioning that two registers would be kept ; one in which to enter the books given to the library, with the names of their donors, and another with the books placed ia alphabetical order, so that they might easily be found when required for use. This valuable library, which was greatly augmented by Marie DuBoijs^ in 1650 and by later editions, together with the numerous auto-
(^) Buried at St. Helens, Bishopsgate, as Ahasuerus (") This lady, the widow of Pieter Du Boijs, of London,
Roger Mortell, 11th Sept., 1603. Burn's Ref., merchant, left in her will [P.C.C. Bruce 108] £300
p. 193. as a fund to assist the service of the Church.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. Xxix
rapli letters of the early reformers and others, was offered in 1862 by tlie Consistory of tlie Church, to be eposited in trust in the Guildhall library, so that the contents mi;>lit more easily be accessible to the fiblic. This offer was accepted by the Corporation of London on the 23rd July, 1863, the arrangement ping finally settled by a deed sigaod on the 11th April, 1866. These books and manuscripts were most rovidentiaily saved fi'om destruction during the fire that destroyed nearly all but the walls of the Church 1 the 22nd jSTovember, 1862, before the transfer of the library had taken place. An admirable catalogue I this collection has been made by Mr. Overall, the able librarian of the Coi-jwration of the city of London, ;hich was printed in 1879.
. In 1606 the Common Council passed a resolution on the lotli April, founded on an old statute, lat all foreign handycraftsmen, under a penalty of £ 5, should be prohibited from exercising then- craft ithin the liberties of the city of London. The brethren petitioned the Crown, as they did formerlv on a ke occasion, finding that the Lord Mayor and Aldennen would pay no attention to their protests. Thanks 1 t]ii> assistance of the Earls of Salisbury and Dorset, to the great contentment of the Strangers, the Privy uuiieil gave orders that the workmen should not be molested.
C. I tain persons were buried at an early date in the Chiurch : it is recorded that Jacobus Godschalck, one
: the ministers, having died suddenly of the plague on the 19th September, 1607, was interred there.
^ In 1609 the lofty and beautiful spire, that was on a portion of tiie Church which had not been made
*-er to the Strangers, fell down for want of the necessary repair which had been earnestly pleaded for on
e 4th August, 1600, by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen in a letter to the Marnuis of AYiiichester, in
hich occurs the following extract : '' That by disbm'sing of a small sum of money, of the value of £ 50 or
£ 60, your Lordship shall do an excellent work, very helpfull to many, and most grateful to all, as well
English as Strangers." It is recorded, however, "but this took little effect."^ The Pri^-y Council wrote
jletter to the members of the Church, ordering them to rebuild the spire, but an answer was returned
jat the spire did not belong to that portion of the Church which was given to them by King Edward YI,
ough they would willingly give a contribution towards doing so. Afterwards the Marquis of Yrinchester
lid the materials of the spire, with the portion of the choir on which it had stood, to Henry Eobinson, an
.glish merchant, who removed what remained of the spii-e and turned that portion of the chancel into a
elling house."-
In 1611 the consistory of the Church bought, after considerable troid>le, fi-om the Marquis of "W'inches- (r for the sum of £ 600, a house called the " Kerckof ', standing against the Church, with the houses rljoining : this property is still in the possession of the Church, and was some few years ago let on a liilding lease. ^ " Un the 27th iS'ovember, 1610, a license was granted to the East India Company to admit merchant rangers into their society, to trade and have the same privileges as natives of England."'* On the 8th April, 1612, Emanuel van Meteren died, aged 77. He had lived in this countiy since 15.50 :id had been connected with all matters that concerned the Strangers, having acted to the greatest satis- ;ction of the merchants as Netherland Consul. A clever and well-read man, ho wi'ote the historv of le Xetherland wars which gives one of the best accoiints of the desperate resistance of the patriots against le oppressions of their Spanish rulers.
By an order of the Privy Council, dated 17th October, 1612, the Strangers of the Dutch congregation CiJchester were confirmed in "all privileges, liberties, and immunities, and shall be permitted to use tlieir assemblies and congregations in as free, large, and ample manner as hath bene heretofore practised, etc." " Wherefore we will, charge, and command all our Justices of the Peace, Bailifs, and Aldermen of our said town of Colchester to peimit and sutler the said Strangers of the Dutch congregation in oiu* said town of Colchester peacefully to governe, use, and enjoy all such liberties, immunities, and freedoms a3 are intended unto them by this our ordinance and grant without any inditements, presentments, or other molestations to be done unto them or any of them in any wise, etc." In 1613 the Palsgrave, Frederick Y, came to London to marry the King's daughter, the Princess Eliza-
{^) Stow's London, Ed. 1720, II, p. 114. {^) It was in a deposition, made in 1609 by Emanuel vau
(-) About 12 years ago this house in Old Broad St. was Meteren concerning this proj^erty, that the iuteres-
demolished, when some of the columns of the old ting particulars concerning the Coverdale Bible
Church were found standing in their original posi- were stated.
tiou. Spacious modem ofEces now occupy the site. (•*) Camden Pub., 1S62, VII. State Papers, D.S,, Yol.
LYIII.
XXX
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
beth, when Essex House was placed at his disposal and he was invested with the Order of the Garter. A deputation from the Dutch Church went immediately to congratulate him. It is related that the marriage took place in the Royal Chapel on the 14th February, 1613, with great state and rejoicings both on land
and water.i . , . m ■,
In 1614 a certain knight, Sir Walter Chute, petitioned his Majesty to appoint him to "an oflce to bee "erected for enrcgistring of Strangers, with a fee to belong to the same office of one shilling sterling, to "bee payed ycarlye for eveiy such Stranger, etc." This the Stranger Churches strongly objected to, and sent in a counter petition in which they stated that at all " our congregations both here in London and "elswhere, as at Norwich, Cantelbury, Sandwich, Colchester, Southampton, and Yarmouth, there is a true "rciiistcr kept abeady off the communicants, both men and women," so that lists could always be furnished " without any charge att all to be imposed upon these poor people." They further pleaded "that laudable " course alwayes observed in England aggreable to all other contries abroade, that Strangers live unter the "protection of the magistrates of the severall townes in wich they abide, and nott under the command of "any particular person, interessed only for his private profitt." The final result was that Sir Julius Caesar and Sir Thomas Parry were appointed Commissioners of the said office. ^ i
On the 9th August, 1615, the Bishop of London made a formal complaint against the Dutch Churches in:! London and Colchester because certain of their numbers went to English Churches and presented themselves at the communion table, and were therefore protected by the English clergy. He requested that they . should continue in their own Churches. Many young people who had been born in this country thought I fit, however, to go to worship where they pleased. |
At this time there were renewed troubles about the Strangers exercising their trades in the various towns where they were established, neither they nor their children born in England being able to obtain, the freedom of the towns for love or money. The Ambassador of the States, Sir Noel Caron, interceded | for them with the King, who on the 30th June, 1616, issued an order that as " those Strangers are dayly^ "and greevously molested and debarred from their worke and labor by sundrye troublesome informers, be-' "cause the sayd Strangers are nott free off the city, nor have served seaven yeares prentiship," " Thest! "are therefore to will and command all our Courts of Justice, etc., to permit and suffer the sayd Stran-| " gers, members of the outlandish Churches and their cliildren, to enjoy the continuance of the said favors,: "etc." Great dissatisfaction arising in the various towns on the appearance of this order, the Strangerjj set forth a long relation shewing how they benefitted the country and the towns of their adoption, entitled; " A shorte and true relation off the state off the Netherlanders in England against divers greevous accusationf { " off late, by misinformation, layd to their charge. "^
In the beginning of 1617 the Austin Friars Church was repaii'ed and put in order at a cost of £ 1,500 which amount was collected by subscription. The King desiring to go to Scotland in this year raisec money on loan for that purpose, to wliich the Dutch merchants and other members of the Church placed their names for the amount of £20,000, security appearing to have been given by the members of thi Privy Council.
Ruytinck gave particulars of the imprisonment and the execution of Sir "Walter Raleigh on 28th October] 1618 ; he also recorded the following verses written by one of his captains on his death :
" Cease bootlesse teares to weep for him, whose death
" Mayde way to hacven, for his that lent him breath.
" Long lidd hee captive, now at libertie,
" His world of woes turn'd to felicitie.
" "WTiat, is hee gone ? No, wee enjoy him still,
" That learned worke, the laurell of his quill,
' ' Shall live and blaze his fame ; those only die
" That leave no record to posteritie.
" The end the life, the evening crownes the day.
"For, Samson like his death doth vainquish more
" Than all his lifetyme hee had done before." There was at this time a demand on the part of the Bishop of Norwich that the Members of the Stran
(^) It is a lamentable fact that the Registers of all the (") No trace of this office covild be found at the Recort
Chapels Royal prior to about 1700 are missmg, Office on enquiry being made two years ago.
though some of them are stated by JNIr. J. S. Burn, (») This is found at length in Euytinck's MS.
in his History of Parish Registers, published in 1S62, to have been seen and consulted by him.
HISTOKICAL INTRODUCTION.
XXXI
'«rs' Church of that toTm should receive the Sacrament kneeling. This the Consistory objected to as the eformcd Xetherland Chiu'ch had from the first been in the habit of taking it seated. Petty persecutions f this kind were continually offered, but the Strangers objected and -wit]! success to any innovations or hange of customs.
On the 7th April, 1617, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen brought it about that Sir Ralph "Win-wood, Xt., ne of His ^lajcsty's Chief Secretaries of State, Sir Fulk Greville, Ivt., Chancellor of the Exchequer, and jir Julius Caesar, Kt., Master of the Eolls, should call before them four or five of the Aldermen and as ^any of the Elders of the Strangers' Churches on the 16th of the same month to '' informe themselves off I the true state as "well concerning the number of Strangers, handicraftsmen, as their continuance and
aboad in and about the city." The respective parties having duly appeared and the old complaints of the lorporation heard as well as the justifications of the Strangers, the matter was dismissed, Sir Ealph "Win-
ood having spoken in favor of the latter.
The Corporation however made fresh orders to enumerate the Strangers within the city, with the names theii" wives, children, and servants, where they dwelt, what trade they used, and how long they had ieen resident in the country. This return, the order for which was given on the 1st July, 1617, was to le made separately for each Ward. The return as made by the Dutch congregation was :
H-AJSTDICRAFTSlEEIf .
Strangers, within the citye 181
Strangers, without the citye 260
Their children and servants borne here 432
Free denysens within the citye 36
Free denysens without the citye 41
Their children and servants borne here 96
Borne of parents Strangers within the citye 45
Borne of parents Strangers without the citye .... 60
MAECHAJS'TS.
strangers 1 00
Denysens 72
Bonie here of Strangers or denysens 249
The total summe is Subduce the natifs
Rest
Subduce the denysens
Eest
1572 persons.
R9.0.
690
77
613 Strangers.
'Both within and without the citye, old and younge, man and wyfe, riche and poore, child and servant, 'as neere as conveniently wee could gather."
It was deemed prudent by the Consistory to make a remonstrance upon certain of the vexed points, insis- ed on by the Corporation, and at the same time to give the return asked for. The Elders and Deacons aid that this return was presented heretofore to the Pri%-y Council, and that they coxild not give the names f.those who did not belong to theii' congregation, these names being easily ascertained by the officers of pie several parishes where they dwelt. "This answer had to satisfy their ■^Vors]lip3 for the time, but the >trangers found themselves much prejudiced by the serious disputes betAvecn the East India Companies of ingland and Holland. .
In the Hillary Term, 1618, a serious and vexatious suit was commenced in the Star Chamber, m which t was alleged that the presence of the Strangers was veiy iwejudicial to the nation on account of theu' aaking large sums of money, which they sent out of the countiT against the statutes, whereby the bullion n the "country was diminished. Sii- Noel Caron, the Ambassador for the States, was instnicted m the )oints necessary to lay the case for the Strangers before the King ; he also laid before liim theii- humble iupplieation. His Majesty who, as above related, had borrowed two years previously £ 20,000 fi'om the Strangers, evidently thought them fair game for robbing and for extorting large sums of money from, as ;lie following account will clearlv show. The interest on the loan had only been paid for one year, and as
^^^[{ HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
the Kino-'a ministers had signed bonds of secuiuty they, as well as the lenders of the money, had become anxious'about the repayment of principal and interest. The King sent the instruction of the Envoy and the supplication of the Strangers to the Solicitor-General, who immediately pushed on proceedings and issued a writ of ne exeas regno. The bail demanded for each defendant, 40 in number, was fixed at £2,000, which if not found, the prison of Newgate had to be taken as a residence. This sharp practice was strongly remonstrated against by Su- Noel Caron and the members of the Church. They represented that by the issue of the writ " your sayd suppliants are discredited, both at home and abroad, as if they were fugitifs and did intend upon malice to voyde the realme." ' _
All was useless ; the proceedings took their course and a number of disreputable witnesses, " bankrupts, be"-"^ars, thieves, 'rogues, and such like," swore that the merchant Strangers had sent no less than £ 2*740' 000 in three years out of the country. The answer to this was, that no such sum had been coined in that period. It was also proved that one of the witnesses, by name Escaillet, a dissolute "Walloon, had revealed how he had been released from jail by some of the agents concerned in the scheme, who paid his execution of £ 15 and who offered him rewards if he would give the evidence desired.^ It was demanded that these witnesses should all be cross-examined by counsel ; this, however, was against the practice in the Star Chamber, where those accused were only allowed to give written answers on oath to the evidence against them, and that in due form by counsel.
On the 17th June, 1619, the King being informed that there was no great amount of evidence, wrote from Whitehall to the Judges that, understanding there were 1 60 persons charged by the Attornev General and that evidence was only produced against 18 or 19 of the delinquents, " wee have nott found itt fitt to "proceed in a cause so exemplarie, and of so great importance by pesle mesle, or by fractions, butt rather " there by to requu'e you to putt over the sentencing thereof, till all the defendants may receave their "judgement simul and semul, so as both the greatnes and the correction of the offence may bee more con- " spicuous, and our princely justice more publickly represented in the whole grosse and number of th'offen- ** dors, being all associated in the censure as in the crime, and in our sayd Attorny's bill. And so, not "doubting of our discreet respect and care therein, wee bid you farewel."
The " princely justice " of the period by this time had become known to the Strangers, who moved heaven and earth to obtain real justice. The government in Holland, as well as the merchants there, took the matter up, for universal ruin impended over all the merchants trading between the two countries ; letters being written to all persons of importance likely to help the Strangers. But all to no purpose, the Solicitor-General alleged that at least £ 7,000,000 of coin and bullion had been sent out of the country by the foreign merchants agaiast the royal prerogative, statutes and proclamations. The evidence produced against some of the defendants was of a period before they had come to this country ; they were in despair, the expenses for legal assistance and counsel being so very heavy that they found difficulty even in getting copies of the proceedings.
The Ambassador Caron laid before the King a carefully drawn up statement, shewing the impossibility of the truth of the evidence and also of the character of the witnesses. All to no effect ; the judges, thir- teen in number, pronounced all guilty and condemned the following persons to pay fines, viz.
Courten £20,000 J. WoH £ 5,000
Buriamachi 2,000 Zwester 4,000
Van de Putte 3,000 Rijckman 2,000
La Barre 20,000 Eobert de Loan 20,000
Wybo 6,000 Stamped 4,000
Trioen 15,000 Lievens 2,000
P. van Loor 8,000 Luis 8,000
Jacques de Beste 7,000 Clerck 2,000
Ph. Jacobs 5,000 Ant. Trioen 5,000
London was in an uproar; the victims, being sentenced, had to pay or after a short period to be sent to the Fleet prison. Their goods were seized, their bails were estreated, and everything was carried out with the greatest rigour. Petitions from all quarters came in to the King appealing to his clemency. Langele came over at the commencement of 1620 with letters from the States of Holland and from Carleton, the English Ambassador at Hague, who sent special letters on the subject. It was represented to the Privy Council that some of the merchant Strangers "are hardly able to pay their fines; many forswear the facts," and P. van Lore declared that he would leave England, ' ' for those who on such evidence take away his
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. XXXlii
)ods, may take away liis life if they chose, and that the whole affair would bo iniurious both in Encland id to the English abroad."! ^
Caron again interceded with the King at Easter time, when it was arranged that the fines should be re- iced to £ 60,000. Those fined paid £ 34,000, with the exception of VanXore, de Quester, Burlamachie, id Gillis van de Putte,- who were reserved to he dealt with according to the King's pleasure. The loan : £ 20.000, with overdue interest amounting to £ 6,000, made up the required amount. On this settle- ent being made, Caron gave up the security that he had received from the King.
Fresh difficulties now arose as to the respective amounts due to the merchants on account of the loan, id as to the portions of fines remitted ; the seizure of the goods of all those fined being still maintained. ame of the -witnesses confessed publicly on the Exchange that they had sworn falsely. On the 3rd January, 1 62 1 , Simeon Ruytinck died, having only about a week before preached on Christ- as Day. He was a great loss to the Church, being eager and active in all good works. Verses were ritten to his remembrance by many, in Latin and Dutch, which were collected and published by Izaak Izevier, at Lcyden.^ Besides writing the history of the more remarkable events of the Dutch Strangers ad Church in London, he left behind him seven works published during his lifetime.
! On the 7th January, 1630, the Privy Council had before them a complaint from the Church at Xorwich
jwhich had continued a congregation in that citty by itselfe for the space of 60 yeares and more," to the
feet that many of their richer members wished to leave the congregation in order to be relieved from the
irden of the subscriptions and the support of the Dutch poor, contrary to the order of Council of the 10th
ctober, 1621, "for redresse of the like evil attempted by some of the AVallon congregation." The Privy
ouncil ordered that the said decree should be enforced against all members of the Dutch Chiu'ch, "although
)rne within this kingdom," "provided that nothing in this order contained have relation to Matthew de
Boys, or doe any way binde him, he having formerly had sufficient license for his rcmovall out of the
Dutch congregation : onely he is to contribute to the poor of the Dutch congregation."-^
A few months later the Star Chamber trouble recommenced. Sir Xoel Caron, ha-riug disbursed £ 20,000
' his own money on account of the merchants in order to dischai'ge their several fines, desired repayment.
his was not forthcoming, and there was no other course for him but to appeal again to the King ; this
me, however, for himself. The Privy Council on the 5th July, 1621, wrote to their * ' verie loving friends,"
le ministers, elders, deacons, and the rest of the Dutch Church to arrange with those of the Ercnch
hurch that they might agree among themselves to do what in their " owne discretions shall be equal and
iasonable for the leavying and present satisfaction " of the amount due to the Ambassador. The natural
iswer of the Church, as a body, was to " informe their Lordships that the agreement of that great sum of
60,000 was never caused or procured by the meanes of ]iersuasion of our Church." It begged, therefore,
» be discharged "from the burden of such a business." The answer to this was that the excuse was not
:"" 'ent, and that the amount must be raised voluntarily or by a le-vy. Extraordinary Ambassadors having
•cut by the States' General to London to arrange a payment of 800,000 guilders due by the Dutch
India Company to that of England, Caron referred to them the matter of the £ 26,000, of which he
it of pocket and responsible for in the State robbery of the Strangers. So the affaii' remained imtil
Tune, 1624, when the Ambassador induced the Pri-vy Council to write again to the members of the
h, whose answer was to refer the Council to their former letter of 21st July, 1621, and to state also
ir ]Sioel Caron had employed one 3Ir. Henry Wood as his agent, therefore they begged to be excused
:i business which would make " our persons veiy odious and our ministery unfruitfuU." It is related
1 the manuscript history, continued by Calandrinus, that "the good !Mr. Caron died at the end of this
yi ;ir ( 1624 ) : he had done great good to the Fatherland," but no more is said of how he or his executors
ired in the matter of the £ 26,000.
In March, 1622, a new Dutch congregation, under the rule of the Church in London, met together at I'-r '-ike for the convenience of the Flemish tapestry weavers who had come from tlie tapestry works at ar;^, established by Henry IV, and elsewhere in the pre-vious year to the factory built about 1619 on the janks of the Thames by Sir Francis Crane, Kt. He had obtained a license dated 2()th March, 1621. (O.S.) com the Archbishop of Canterbuiy, for this congregation to assemble in the pari-'h Church of Mortlake,
I (^) State Paper, D.S., James I, CXII, 1. Ruytinck'sMS. (") 1622 in 4to., ami a secoiul part in the same year.
i {-) Sir Peter van Lore bad to pay £7,000 and Van de (*) Kerkelyke \'ryliedeii, D. Cli. Archives.
I Putte £ 1,000, which sums were outside the accord.
The two others were let off free.
XXXiv HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
at Sii- Francis Crane's house, or in any other suitable place. It was arranged that a minister and an EldeiJ should be sent from London, when it was requisite, to peiiorm the service. Many baptisms and some marriages of the Mortlake congregation were entered in the registers of Austin Priars and, at a later date, in the parish registers of Mortlake.
On 8th July, 1623, James I wrote to the 'King of Denmark to request that Francis Klein or Cleyne, a painter and a 'native of Rostock, might be allowed to come to England as soon as his services could be dis- pensed with. He arrived in London at the close of the year with his family and was given a gratuity of £ 100 a year by the King and his successor until the beginning of the civil wars. He was employed at the Mortlake tapestry works, " his designing being the soul, as the working is the body of that mystery. "^ Charles I granted an annuity of £ 2,000 for ten years, one moiety in payment of tapestry work and the other for the advancement and maintenance of the factory. ^ The five cartoons of Eafaele in tapestry work, now at Hampton Court, were copied fi'om the original designs of that artist, which had been speciaUj "bought by the King as patterns. In a petition made about 1637 by the weavers who were nearly all from' the Low Countries, it would appear that they were about one hundred and forty in number.^
In a smwey made in September, 1651, by the Parliamentary Commissioners, the extent of these premiset at Mortlake, situated in Queen's Head Court, is given, part of which still is standing, having been pur- chased and turned into small dwelling houses by Mr. Wigan of Cromwell House, Mortlake. The factorj had been surrendered to the King by Sir Eichard Crane, the brother of Sir Francis, then deceased, and waf seized by the Commissioners as Crown property in the time of the Commonwealth. During that pence the tapestry house remained in the occupation of John Holliburie ( Hullenberge ) who in the survey is mentioned as the master- workman.
The numbers of the Strangers in England had greatly increased by 1621, when those in London wert stated to be ten thousand in number, carrying on 121 diSerent trades.*
The industry of the refugees caused much interference with the trade of the citizens, who harassed them in every possible way by laying informations against them, so the Strangers wrote to the King in 1622, stating that they had paid contributions both to the parishes and to their own congregations, that thsj bore offices in both, that they paid duties to their halls and double ones to their Parish Churches, and thai they kept their own poor, many in number, from begging in the streets. They therefore petitioned to hi relieved from persecution by the Coi-poration of London according to the King's " whryting " dated June. 1616. The answer from the King, 8th June, 1622, informed them that "Commissioners in. whome we pui " confidence " had been appointed, '■' to which wee wish the Peticioners to conforme themselves withoul ''troubling us further in that whereof we are resolved." The result was that the poor Strangers had th( following new taxes imposed on them, viz. " of handicraftsmen, for each master of a family, 40 sh. pei " annum, and fore eveiy servant, being a Stranger, 20 sh. per annum, and for every servant, being EngUsl •' and not bound for seven years by Indenture, 10 sh. per annum, and of merchants using exportacion and
" importation of goods, fore each master, 26 sh. 8d. per annum and the value of half the custom(
" of the goods they buy and sell." On renewed petitions to the King, the above taxes were suspended until further orders, according to an order of Council, dated 7th March, 1622. In other towns the imposi- tions on the Strangers had been heavy.
In March, 1620, the congregation at Norwich petitioned the Council that the English householderj should pay twenty pence in the pound on their house rents for support of their minister>s, as was paid b5 them.5
At this period there were Commissioners for the regulation of the Strangers, whose duty it was to en- force all the laws and orders concerning them and to see that the returns of their names, residences, and occupations were duly sent m.^
In June, 1621, it was iwoposed that the Strangers should pay twelve pence in the pound on their profits
(') Manning's Surrey, III, 302. Rymer's Feed., XVIII, (3) State Papers, D.S., CCCXL, 54.
,„^ ^112. (4j Camden Soc., pub. 1862, IV. ( State Papers, D.S.
(-) Idem, and Brayley's Surrey, III, 469. The note of 1621, No. 146 ) ; lb. XCVIII, 113.
articles to be agreed upon between the Kmg and (S) State Papers, D.S., James I, CXIX, 31 Jan., 1621.
" the workmen " touching a certain manufacture. («) Idem, CXXXI, 12, 13, 14.
£ 2,000 a year was to be assigned by His Majesty
for its maintenance ; the workmen were to make
600 ells yearly ; some of the Hospital boys were to
be tramed up to it, and Mr. Cleyne the painter was
to have £250 per annum and to choose an assistant.
Endorsed Capt. Crane.
HISTORICAL INTRODLCTION, XXXV
»f trade ;^ that each householder should also pay itnnually twelve pence, and all others alxjve seven years 'i)ld six pence, as registration fecs.-
; In 1G24, there was much trouble about the new tax. called Pirate Money, to be applied in suppressing lie pirates of Algiers and Tunis, of one per cent, on all sales, which the English merchants did not collect mtil nine months after the King's order, thougli tlie Strangers had done so immediately. The latter onsidered that their collections, which had not been handed over, should go towards the Star Chamber •usiness and that all should start fairly together. This arrangement was soon discovered, and, five or six ■ears afterwards, the sum of £ 1,600 so a])p]ied was claimed by the Treasury.
It is put on record by Calandrinus that the " learned King James died in 'lf)2o''; no lamentations appar- ntly being made by the Strangers who had been fleeced to the utteiinost by His Majesty. Monsieur Gil- lert Primerose, minister of the French Church, on behalf of the deputation "of ministers and Elders of the oreign Churches, congratulated Charles I on his accession in a long and laudatory oration, in \\]nch the irotection of the King was duly prayed for. This was granted in a few words.
On the occasion of the royal entry of the King and Queen into London in February, 162fi, an elaborate riumphal arch was erected as before by the Dutch congregation in the centre of " Graeious Street," the esigner of it being Bernard Jansen.-' Then, as at the time of the accession of James I, the numerous eaths from the ])lague caused a diminution of the public rejoicings, the Dutch congregation sutferin" ieverely as at the last visitation.
Ii About this time, by the consent of the Archl)ishop, the Churches of the Spaniards and Italians in London Irere united into one congregation.
I Sir Heniy Appleton, who had property in Canvey Island, in Essex, near to Soutliend, which had belonged ) his grandfather Sir lloger A])pleton in 1-3.57, together with other proprietors " agreed to give one third
of the island in fee simi)]e to Joas Crop{)enburgh, a Dutchman, in consideration of his securing the island
from the overflowing of the tides of the river Thames."^
On the 12th February, 1628, Croppenburgh and the two hundred poor iS'etherland Strangers, cno^a^ed )r some few years previously in banking and cultivating this island, petitioned the King, praying for a jference to the Bishop of London, as they required permission to establish a small Church where service )uld be performed in their own language. The King granted the request, and Montaigne, Bishop of Lon- on, requested the Dutch congregation in Loudon to appoint a minister. This was done, and a wooden liapel was erected. In 1712, it having become decayed, a new one was built by Mr. Edgar, an officer in
e victualling office. In 1745 the present Church was erected, partly by a contribution of the inhabitants,
t chiefly by a benefaction of Daniel Scratton, Esq., owner of ])roperty at Prittlewell. The latter endowed
e Church with £ 20 a year to enable the vicar of Prittlewell and his curate to preach twenty sermons
arly in the chapel on the island.^'
At the Synod held in London 1641, Cornelis Jacobsen, minister of the chapel, represented the eongre"-a- 'on of Canvey Island. At those of 1644 and 1646 Abraham van der Bossche ; and in 1647 Daniel Kete- In 1655 the chapel being without a minister, Joannes Beutacq was provisionally appointed; he,
wever, being accused of scandal, and the matter brought before the Synod held in London in 1655, was xspcnded and condemned. An extraordinary Synod was held in the following January to consider the
ses of Deutacq and Joannes Alton, the latter having caused trouble in the Church at Sandwich. The after of Canvey Island was so far arranged that Beutacq was allowed to go in peace if he would cease moving in any Avay the Church there.*'
In 1622 an arrangement was made between the King, certain proprietoi-s, and Cornelius Liens and Cor-
lius Yennuydeh, the latter a Dutch engineer skilled in such works, to drain 360,000 acres of fen land in lie counties of jSTorthamptou, Lincoln, Cambridge, and Essex. The owners of the fen land granted to the ting 120,000 acres, reserving 50,000 acres for themselves and setting aside 20.000 acres to supply the inds necessary to keep the remainder perpetually dry." In the following year the Commissioners of ewers in Essex complained to the Council that Vfrmuyden had made the state of the land worse than sfore.^ On the 16th July, 1625, Cornelius Vermuyden received a grant of land in Essex in recompense of
H State Papers, D.S., CXXI, 161. i'^) Wright's Essex, and Bum's Hist. Foreigu Eefugees,
IC) Idem, CXXII, 51. p. 220.
; (*) A long description of this arch is given by Calau- ('') Colloquium Book, Archives, Austin Friars,
drinus— vide Ruytinck's MS. C) State Papers, D.S., CXXVII, 145.
(*) '^Vright's Essex, Vol. II, p. 589. («) Idem, CXXXVIII, 2.
Xxxvi HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
hiB charges for work clone in the repair of Dagcnham Breach.^ In 1626 he undertook to drain 70,000 acres of fen'land in the levels of Hatfield Chase, near to the river Humber. The capital being found in Holland, Flemish and French refugees were engaged as labourers. Troubles soon arose between the workmen and the adjoining landowners, as well as the fishermen and the men who caught and shot wildfowl ; these broke the embankments and attacked the workmen, who killed an Englishman. Vermuyden then prudently emplovcd some native labourers and compensated those whose interests were affected. Charles de la Pryme, or Priem, who was born at Ypres ( grandfather of the Hev. Abraham de la Pryme, P. A., F.R.S., whose interesting diary has been published by the Surtecs Society ) was associated with Vermuyden in this great work. It is recorded that the latter " at the incredible labor and charges of £ 400,000 did discharge and " drain Hatfield Chase, whose name deserves a thousand times more to be honorably mentioned and revered " in all our histories than Scaurus was in those of Rome, for draining a lake in Italy, not a quarter so big "asthis."2 Matthew, Mark, and Luke Valkcnburgh also had a large share in the venture and owned 3,204 acres of the reclaimed land.^
In 1629 Cornelius Vermuyden was knighted, and a grant of the land recovered was given to him on pay- ment of a yearly rent and a fine of £ 10,000.'* In the grant that Sir Cornelius Vermuyden took of the manor and" chase at Hatfield, he had the power to erect a building for religious purposes where the foreign workmen might have service performed in their own language. A chapel was erected in 1634 at Sandtoft, a hamlet in the parish of Belton, in Lincolnshire, close to the borders of Yorkshire. It was built by Isaac Pedloe, a merchant, who lost much of the money expended, it not being repaid to him. The first minister was M. Berchett, who died 18th April, 1655 ; he was succeeded by Philippe Castel. of Nantes, who died 5th September, 1655; Jean Deckerhuel was minister in 1659; after him M. de la Prix; Samuel Lamber in 1664 ; Jacques de la Porte in 1676; and finally John Conrad de Wemeley or Werndley in 1681, after which date the services appear to have been discontinued.^ It would appear that this chapel was erected by the foreign workmen, some two hundred families, who baptized their children and received the sacra- ment in it, but Archbishop Niele compelled them to discharge their minister and to attend the parish Churches.'' The Register of this chapel at Sandtoft, which was in existence when Mr. Hunter wrote in 1828, is not now to be found."
"Aboiit the year 1638-9 the Levels of Ancham ( Ancholme ) were drained by the instigation of the "Dutch, several of whom were overseers in the business." " The great since that they built at Ferriby " cost above £ 3,000, and had twenty four doors. "^
Vermuyden then undertook the drainage of the Great Level, which spread round the Isle of Ely, some 36,000 acres being covered by the ovei'flow of the water. The Earl of Bedford and his partners were ousted from the work by Commissioners appointed, a grant of land being given to them as compensation. The King took the matter into his own hands, and Vermuyden was re-appointed to manage the necessary works.^
About the year 1637, by arrangements made with the postmasters abroad, " the post system was exten-f "ded beyond the Channel, and merchants were able to send a single letter to Antwerp for eightpence and " to Paris for ninepence."^*'
In 1640 the Dutch and French merchants were asked to lend money to the Crown, but remembering their late treatment refused to do so. A new imposition of three pence in the pound was therefore made or the goods of the Strangers in the port of London. By a docquet, dated 28th February, 1640, a charge or the impositions for the j-ears 1640 and 1641 was granted to the Earl of Newcastle and his assigns foi £ 10,000, that sum having been lent to His Majesty with interest at 8 per cent. A similar charge wai made in favor of the Secretary Windcbank for £ 3,000, also lent to His Majesty at the same rate.^^
Archbishop Laud attempted to annul the religious privileges of the Strangers ; and an order was mad< on the 24th March, 1641-2, that there should be no more preaching or divine seiTxce at the Dutch Church at Great Yarmouth. This did not suit the Bailiffs and Aldermen of that town, who thought that the trad<
(M State Papers, D.S., IV, 67. («) State Papers, D.S.
(') Diary of Abraham de la Pryme. Surtees Society, (^) Pryme's Diary, Note p. 4.
pub. 1869, p. XV. (8) lb., p. 116.
(») lb.. Note p. 5. (9) Gardiner, Fall of Monarchy, Vol. I, 91.
(*) Gardiner's Fall of Monarchy of Charles I, Vol. I, (lo) lb., Vol. I, p. 83.
p. 83. (") State Papers, D.S., CCCCXLVI, 41, and CCCCXLII,; C) Pryme's Diary, Note p. 4, quoting from Hunter, 6. i
S. Yorkshire, I, 165, 169, 170. i
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. XXXvii
;Lc Dutchmen had brought would soou be lost by their departure, so they, on the 31st Murcli, 1611, betitioned the King to annul the order, made a week before, to discontinue the service at the Dutch IJhurch which was a house formerly belonging to Thomas de Drayton, temp. Edward III., and had been iised for that pui-pose for forty years. ^ On behalf of all the Strangers' Churches, complaint was made to ;hc Privy Council of the action of the Archbishop who, since 1633. had interfered with their charter of exemption from interference in their Church government, granted by Edward VI and renewed by his suc- •essor and the then King. The injunctions delivered April 13th, 1635, aimed at making the vStrangers' Jhurches conform to the Church of England. These were, " 1st, that all the natives of the Dutch and ,' Walloon congregations in his Grace's diocese are to resort to their several parisli (Churches to hear divint; ,' service and sermons, and to perform all duties required of parishioners. 2nd, that tlie ministers and all
• others of the Dutch and Walloon congregations, who are not nati\es and born subjects to the King, or ' any other Strangers that shall come over, while they remain Strangers, may use their own discipline as •formerly; yet it is thought fit the English liturgy should be transhited into French and Dutcli for the
• better fitting of their cliildren to the English Church government."-
, The members of the D\itch and Walloon or French Churches at Norwich petitioned Archbisliop Laud on |he 21.st Febi-uary, 1635, n.s., through Dr. Richard Montague, Bisliop of Norwich, and again diret tly on ,he 26th June, that the injunctions lately issued by his Grace to the three congregations of Strangers at Canterbury, Sandwich, and Maidstone should be withdrawn.
'■ The evil results, financially, both to the Strangers and to tlie towns where they dwelt wore duly pninted ^ut, as the charge of the ])uor would be tlirown on the parishes, to say nothing of the horror felt at th(i idea of observing rites and ceremonies that tliey were not aciiuainted with, " yea, are offensive to some i' beyond the seas, from whence they shall be called." Tlie answer given by Laud, on the 19th August \i the same year, was that the children of the aliens might continue in the congregations, but that the tiecond descent born in England should resort to their several parish Churches. ^
These troubles somewhat ceased on the impeachment of Laud in December, 1G40, but it was considered lecessary to apply for an Act of Tarliament to finally settle the position of the foreign Churches. In a Iraft of the Act presented to Parliament in 1642 the following Churches are named: London, Norwich, Canterbury, Colchester, Sandwich, Yarmouth, Southampton, Maidstone, and the Isle of Canvey, the Isle of (\.xolme in Lincolnshire, and (Hatfield Chase) in the County of York. In the same act there was a clause !,o the following effect : " Fore as much as in the said foraigne Churches thert' is noe use of licenses for j' marriage nor ought there any marriages to bo there solempnized without publishing of bannes. whereby i children and inferiors are kept in lu'tter awe of their parents and guardians, not dureinge to mary without j' their consents, and divers other abuses prevented. Bee it enacted by the authority tiforcsaid, that no(' 1- Bishop or other minister or officer of any ecclesiasticall court of this kingdom of England sliall give or
■ jrant any license of marriage to or for any member of the said foraine reformed Churches."
.\ request was also made to the House of Lords "in the behalfe of the reformed Forreine Cliurclios in the
• realme " on the 21st January, 1842-3, " that tlicre may be an ordinance of Parliament for settling of tlie
■ liberty and exercise of their religion and discipline as "they are used beyond the seas respectively in tlie i- reformed Churches of their severall nations, which they have hitherto enjoyed by tlie charter of King i' Edward YI ( of ever blessed memory ) autorized by his Parliament and the gracious favor of all our
• succeeding Princes of the reformed religion, Queen Elizabeth, King James, and His Majestic that now is, King Charles, whome God long prcsiTve. In particular, 1. — Tiiat tlioy may have free lib rty to chose
■ dnd ordaine their own minit^ters and all other oftlcers belonging to their Churches according to their
■ iisciplinc. 2. — That no member of their congregations, being under the censure of their discipline by •vuson of some scandalous offence committed, be received as member of any other Church without a certi-
■ licate from his own Church. 3. — That no Church or congregation of Forreiiiers be autorized in this ' realme who are not subject respectively to the Synods of their sev(>rall nations."
The following answer was returned by their Lordships: "Die Sabbathi. 21 January. 1612. ( O.S. ). 'The House being petitioned by two severall petitions, the one from the inenibcrs of the French Church 'in London, subscribed to the said petition, and the other from the miriisdrs and elders of the Dutch and 'Ffrench congregation within the city of London ; both which ])ctitions wire referred to the ronsideration •of the Lords' Committees perticulerly appointed by the House, whose Lordships having mett and heard
{>) State Papers, D.S., CCCCLXXVIII, 80. Swindon's (-) State P.-ipers, D.S., CCCCLXXVIII, SO.
Yarmouth, p. 849. (^) Agnew's French Pr : Ref. Vol I, p. 13.
XXXViii HISTORICAL INTRODLX'TION.
parties intorrcssod therein, Keport was made from the Committee from the Ffrench and Dutoli irJli, Avlicrc upon it is ordered hy the ].ords in Parliament, that the rfrendi and Dutch congregacion
"the
" shalle liave the lihertie and discipline as it is used beyond the seas in the reformed Churches in severall " nations, and as by the charter of King Edward the Sixt, they have enjoyed it in his Eaignc, and since in "the severall Raignes of Queenc Elizabeth and King James, as well as in the llaigne of His Majesty that "now is; and lastly, that they may have free liberty to choose and ordaine thc^ir owne mj-nistcrs, and all " other officers belonging to their Churches, according to their discipline, and as thev have don heeretofore; " and also that noe membc^r of their said congregation being under the censure of their discipline, by reason " of some scandalous offense committed by him, sliall be receaved as a member of any other Church, with- " out a certifiicate from his owne Church.
" Signed, Jo: ]5rowne, Cleric Parliamentore."
On the report of the Earl of Xorthumberland, a similar entry was made on the same day in the book of the proceedings of the House of Lords.
In the beginning of October, 1645, tlie Parliament ordered a solemn thanksgiving-day for " the great victories given by the Lord" at Bristol, Devizes, in Scotland, and near Chester; this was duly observed by the Church at Austin Friars. On Thursday, 7th May, 1646, another thanksgiving-day was appointed to be everywhere kept " for the victories that God latch has vouchsafed to our armies" at Exeter, Banbuiy, Newark, and elsewhere. On November 28th, 1647, "thanks Avcre returned in the Dutch Church for the victory in Ireland. In February, 1657, thanks were returned for the delivery of " liis Highness the Lord Protector " from great danger.^
(Jn the death of Oliver Cromwell, the ftnxign Churches congratulated Pirhard Cromwell on his accession us Lord Protector, who returned, 4th Octt)ber, 1658, the following cliaracteristic answer to tlie deputation: " Gentlemen, Your expressions are of the best of Christians, concerning your losse and mine. It is indeed " a great losse for you, f(n' me, and for all the Protestant Churches. God alone is he that can make up "that breach. Your expressions oblige me to be your friend. Fur your good wishes and prayers I owe you "love. I look upon you as the heads and fathers of the severall forrcin Churclies which yon represent. "As Sti'angers you arc to be pittied and as C^hristian Strangers you are to be valued. You are members of " Christ and I hope so am I. I will love you as I love myselfe. Christ is the master, and the magistrate " is but a servant. And shall a servant lift up himselfe against his master":' Siiall I hurt my hand? Much " lesse suffer a member of Christ to be injured. I must confessc I am somewhat surprized to enlardge "upon such a discourse as yours; but I shall wrap up all in this. You may be conttdent that I will " inaintaine you in your persons and in your liberties, religious and civill: and if any will hurt you I will "defend you. And I will also procure the liberty of the afflicted Churches abroad. We are in the same "bottom, and I shall bid defiance to all your and mine enemies.''-
On the 6th Xoveml)er, 1659, a collection was made for the restoration of the Austin Friars Church.
The majority of the Dutch congregation in London sympalhised with the Parliamentar}' side, tliougli there were some thirty Strangers who, in J 660, petitioned tlic King through Edward Love for denization, on account of their loyalty in late times. >^
On the accession of Charles II, the ministers of the Dutch Church were quite e(|ual to the occasion, and prayed with their congregation on the 28th June, 1660, more fervently than ever, and gave thanks to the Lord for the blessed restoration.-* All the Strangers who could prove their loyalty to the throne during the Commonwealth came forAvard to ask for letters of denization, Avhicli were granted more freely than liithcito.
In the Act of Uniformity, made 13 and 14 Chai'les II, provision was made and a clause inserted in favour of the Dutch and French protcstant Churches in Enghmd. It was felt, however, that this did not sufficiently make the foreign Churches secure from the penalties to v^hich dissenters from llu' Cliurch of England Avere liable. A case for the foreign Churches Avas draAvn up and printed for presentation to Parliament, praying that " a i)roA-iso or chiuse may be added to a bill then de])ending for preventing the growth of schism and for the further security of tlie Church of England," which would free those congre- gations from the penalties imposed on dissenters, and would enable them to continue their services in the Dutch and French languages.
The destruction by the great fire of the greater part of London in 1666 brought serious trouble to the
(^) " Afkonding " book, Dutch Church Archives. (*) Memorandum or Afconding Book, Austin Friars
(^) Dutch Ch. Archives, Kerkelyke Vryheden, p. 27. Archives
(=>) State Papers, D.S., Vol. VII, 116.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
XXX IX
rangers resident there. Thej-, in cuinnion with tlie citizens, f(niu(l themselves homeless with the loss of eir property, and besides they ineurred the odium of all in consequence of a common belief that the dis- icr had been caiised by some of their number. Cornelius Rietvelt, a Dutch baker, and others were com- ttcd to the Gate House, Westminster, on a rumour that they liad set their own houses on fire. They titioned Lord Arlinpiton for release, stating: that such a charge was false, and complaining that tlie mob d robbed them of all their goods. ^ One, Silas Taylor, wrote to Mr. AVillianison, the Secretary of Lord •lington, from Harwich that there was a report that the great fire in London was believed to be "tlie doing the Dutch and French, and lu' hoped that they would be found out and made an example of.2 A broadsheet of " London's lamentation on its distruction by a consuming fire " dated Gth September, 66. descriljcd the progress of the fire, which broke out September 2nd in a French baker's house in Pud- lu- L;ine, and named the French, Dutch, and Walloons as the originators of it.^ A printed sheet in the indon Gazette, 10 September. 166(). gave " a true relation of that sad and deplorable fire" which broke t 2nd September and was almost extinguished on the Thursday following. On the evening of that day burst out again in the Temple, but was mastered by the Duke of York, who watched all night in person, vers Dutch and French were arrested and severely examined by T^ord Chief Justice Tvelynge and others ; but e manner of the burning, all in a train as it was Ijlown forwards, proved it to be the heavy hand of God.'^ lis official notice did not allay the prejudice against the Strangers. Edward Taylor, a child 10 years of e, the son of John Taylor, uf York Street, Covent Garden, was examined by John, Lord Lovelace on the li SeptcmlxT. and he stated that he was with his father and his uncle, John Taylor, a Dutchman, and :it on the Satui-day night they threw two fireballs in at an open window in Pudding Lane, and the same iTlidinas Street. Fleet Street, and the Old Exchange; that they did the same for two or three days and "hts aitei-v\ard'< ; also that some Fi'enchmen and Dutchmen, both men and women, went about the city th fireballs. He also stated that his uncle gave his father seven poixnds to undertake the business.^ Thcunas AVaade wrote from AVhitby to ^Ir. "Williamson that the destruction of London by fire was reported be a liellisli contrivance of the French, Hollanders, and fanatic party. ^ H. Muddiman wrote from hitehall to Sir Ivlward Mansell on the 20th October, 1666. that the wretched Frenchman, who said he ed London, had been executed at Tyburn, but that he denied the fact at the gallows." TlKuigh no accounts can be found of the direct effects of this disastrous fire on the Strangers connected th tlie Dutch Church, the result of the collections made in the Austin Friars Church shows the dimin- led resources of the congregations. In 1648, £520. 18s. Od. Avere collected for the Church at Colchcs- in 1651, £111. 8s. Od. for the Cliurch at Sandwich; in 1655, £261. 10s. Od. for the Churches of Valleys of Piedmont. Xo other collection seems to have been made until 1675, Avhen only £ 20 was ntributed for a distressed Church in Gulickcrland. After that date to 1687 the highest amounnt was 30, but generally only £ 10 was collected.'^ The French congregation was brought so low by the fire at the members could not afford to pay their minister the small allowance which they had been accustomed gi^'e him.'-'
Providentially the fire, though it nearly approached, did not reac-h the Axistin Friars Cliurch. so that the rangers from the J.ow Countries had not the additional grief of seeing their '•Jesus Tcmpel" con-umed by |e flames as were nearly all the parish Churches of the City.
Pefore the revocation of the Edict of Xantcs the Protestants in France were preparing to fly for refuge [)m tlujiersecution they clearly saw awaiting them, and in 1681 Henry Savile, the British Envoy in Paris, I'ote to j[r. Jenkins, the Secretary of State, for facilities to be afforded to those who might take .shelter in iigland. King Charles II, by ordm- in Council of the 21st July, of that year, ]n-omiscd to grant free rteis of denization under the great s( al to all Protestants " who shall come hither lor refuge and reside ^" The policy of the Government was most favorable for the religious refugees and little is to be ai,d (,f this ])eriod concerning the members of the Dutch congregation, who no doulst took advantage of all iiviU'gi s granted to refugees on account of the troubles of their French brethren who came over in great iiibers on the revocation of the Edict of ]S^antes in 1685, which "drove into exile over 50,000 of the most icful and industrious inhabitants of France. ^^ During the reign of Charles II and James II, the congregations of the Dutch Churches in England
;i) State Papers, D.S. (2) lb., CLXX, 93. P) lb., CLXXX, 121. (*) lb., No. 150. p lb., CLXXI, 11.
CLXX, 62.
(8) State Papers, D.S., lb., 111. C) lb., CLXXV, 111.
(8) Dutch Church Archives.
(9) State Papers, CLXXXIII, 85.
(^*) Agnew's French Pr : Ref. Hist. Intr., p. (") Burn's Ref., p. 17.
£[ HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
greatly decreased in number. The times had become quieter abroad so that many returned to the Nether- lands taking with them certificates of having been members of the foreign congregations in England, which enabled them to join the Churches of the towns they settled in. Others went to the services of their parish Churches. . . ,
On the 4th February. 1672-3, an Act for the naturalisation of " any person being a Chnstian, though bom beyond the seas under foreign jurisdiction " was brought into the House of Lords. This was the result of the " great advantage found during the reign of some of your Majesty's royal predecessors, by the " manufactures which, having been taught by foreigners have since been practised to the great and visible " improvement of the riches of this your Majesty's kingdom. "_
An amendment was made in Committee, 27th March, which limited the benefit of the act to persons naturalized within five years from the 25th March, 1673-4. Another amendment required justices to cause the names of persons naturalized under the Act to be registered at the next General Ciuarter Sessions.* When naturalized it was necessary for proof to be produced of their having received the sacrament accor- ding to the usage of the Church of England.
Many of the Strangers had become very wealthy by careful habits and successful trading, and as soon as qualified by naturalization or by becoming English by birth, bought landed estates in various parts of the country. The children of the more wealthy aliens generally allied themselves by marriage with English families, and soon their names alone betrayed their foreign descent, and these in some cases had become English by altered spelling.
The coming to England of William, Prince of Orange, ^ the great grandson of William I, who had so successfully resisted the tyranny of Philip II, and freed the States of Holland from the Spanish yoke, was hailed with joy by the descendants of the Nethcrland refugees. Their numbers were greatly augmented by the host of Dutchmen of all conditions who came with him and followed his footsteps on his accession to the throne. These were soon advanced to fame and fortune, obtaining high appointments in the army and navy, and, in consequence, great odium and ill will was shewn to all the l)utch living in England. In 1694 a Bill was brought into Parliament for naturalizing all Protestant aliens, which was dropped after being read a second time. Sir John Knight, M.P. for Bristol, represented himself to have made an, amendment " That the Sergeant be commanded to open the doors, and let us first kick the Bill out of thei House and then foreigners out of the kingdom.-^ |
It was probably in opposition to this Bill that the Corporation drew up and printed " The Case of th€] city of London in relation to the Bill for a general naturalization of all foreign Protestants,"* which enteredj minutely into the history of all the rights, liberties, and privileges claimed by the mayor, commonalty, | and citizens of London, confirmed to them as asserted, not only by the Statute of Magna Charta, but bj| the Statutes of 1 and 2 Edward III, 7 Richard II, 2 Edward IV, letters patent, 20th Jun., 18 Edward IV, i Rot. Claus. 12 Hen. VI, M. 18 dorso., 4 Henry VIII, 22 Henry VIII, cap 8, 12 Car. II, by which tkj "officers of package, scavage, balliage, and portage of any goods or merchandizes of aliens, or their sonsj born within this kingdom, or unfrcemen, imported or exported into or out of the city of London, or thfj liberties or ports thereof, unto or from the parts beyond the seas, etc." were "ancient duties, ancientlji and rightfully due to the Mayor and Commonalty and citizens of the city of London, that if the Bill for i\ general naturalization of all foreign Protestants now depending pass into law, the said duties will be en i tirely lost," etc., etc. J
The King's partiality to his countrymen caused great jealousy, which was referred to by Defoe in " Th True-bom Englishman."
" We blame the King that lie relies too much
On Strangers, Germans, Hugonots, and Dutch,
And seldom does, his just affairs of State
To English Councillors communicate.
The fact might well be answer "d thus : I
He has so often been betrayed by us. |
He must have been a madman to rely |
On English gentlemen's fidelity, I
For ( laying other argument aside ),
This thought might mortify our English pride,
That foreigners have faithfully obey'd him.
And none but Englishmen have e'er betray 'd him."* (1) 9th Report, Commission on Historical MSS., Part II, (3) Agnew, Hist. Intro., p. 61.
p. 19. /4\ Printed Case etc.
(■) Crowned with Queen Mary, 13 Feb., 1688-9. (») Agnew, Hist.' Intro., p. 36.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION, xli
King William III, wishing to establish the manufactory of linen in Ireland, invited Louis Cromraelin rom Holland in 1698, who was then living at Amsterdam, the head quarters of the extensive linen trade tiat had been carried on with so great success for very many years, cargoes being exported regularly te England, France, and other countries. Du Pin had started a corporation to carry on this manufacture 1 Ireland in 1692, by power of letters patent from the King and Queen, but there was so much discord etween the shareholders that it was soon discontinued. ^ By 17th and 18th Car. II, cap. 9, Irish acts, mdlords and tenants were obliged under penalty to cultivate a certain porportion of the land with flax ; he Sheriffs were empowered to levy for twenty years £20 in each county for prizes to those who produced ae three best webs of cloth. This was extended for ten years more by a subsequent act.-
Cronimclin with his family first settled at Lisnagarvey, and afterwards at Lisbum, co. Antrim, and btained a patent from the King which granted " £800 per annum for ten years as interest " on £ 10,000 Ivanced by Croramelin and his friends for starting the venture. In addition to this sum " a pension of
■ 200 a year to Crommelin, £40 to each of his three assistants, and £60 for a French minister." "Crom- lelin brought from Holland 1000 looms and spinning wheels of an improved construction, and invited a limber of families ( in general Huguenot refugees like himself ), who complied and soon founded quite <* ■)lony among themselves."^
' " Queen Anne's government issued a new patent which did indeed retain the same grand total of £1,180 er annum but le-distributed it." Crommelin was afterwards formally appointed as overseer of the Royal nen manufacture of Ireland, and devoted himself to " mind the public and continue his care in promoting ;ie good of the kingdom."^ The successful issue of the linen trade which brought such wealth to the brth of Ireland was thus due to the French refugees to Holland who there learnt that manufacture for •hich Holland had been so long famed.
Soon after the arrival of King AVilliam III in London, a Dutch Chapel Royal was established at t. James' Palace in 1689 ; £ 160 being paid annually, and included in the King's Pension List, for each f the two 3ilinisters appointed to do the duty, and about £ 20 for bread and wine for the Sacrament and '.her expenses. Service was there continued in Dutch until the year 1809, when it was discontinued.^
■ legacy was left by the late Sir Charles Barrow, Bart.,*^ the income of which was to be distributed ') the poor of the Dutch Chapel Royal. This so-called Oliverian legacy was created by an assign- lent of Sir Charles Barrow to Messrs. Meier, Zomlin, and Waide for a term of ninety years. By an order 'o. N, 79.3, 24th September, 1708, it was levied at the receipt of His Majesty's Exchequer at "Westmin- ler.7
'■ No record can be found of the address made to King William III by the Dutch congregation in London, !-hich, according to custom and especially on account of his nationality, must have been duly delivered. ' On the 14th February, 1709, a Bill for the naturalization of foreign Protestants was brought into the (ouse of Commons, which received the royal assent on the 23rd March, 1709, there being a pro^-iso " that no erson shall be naturalized, etc., unless he shall have received the sacrament in some Protestant or reformed mgrcgation within this kingdom." This act was repealed on the 9th February, 1712.'^ ' When the Bill,^ " for preventing the growth of Schism and for the further security of the Church of ■ngland, etc." was brought before Parliament in the reign of Queen Anne, the Dutch and French Protes- int Churches strongly opposed it. A case was carefully drawn up which represented " that they were first 'lowed and established in the reign of King Edward the VI, and afterwards in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, bd have now continued in this nation for above 160 years." " That they have introduced into this Realm 'veral very great and profitable manufactures." "that they have always continued very dutiful and yal to the Crown and Government." " That in the act of uniformity, made in the l.'ith and 14th yearn ' King Charles II, there is pro-vision made and a clause inserted in favour of the said Churches." " That y the Bill depending those that shall be present at the publick worship of the said Dutch and French lurches may be liable to the Incapacities in the said Bill mentioned, unless a clause be inserted for their lemption." '• Wherefore it is humbly hoped that a proviso or clause may be added for that purpose, they jrforming their exercise in the Dutch and French languages."
(') Agnew, Vol. I, p. 169. (*) This creation does not appear in the Lists.
(^) Agnew', lb. ' C) Entry in Register of Dutch Chapel Royal.
(') Agnewi Vol, II, p. 130. (^) Agnew, Hist. Intro., p. 57-58.
(*) Agnew, Vol. II, p. 130-131. (*) 12 Anne, Sess. 2, c. 7, repealed 5 Geo. I, c. 4.
.(') Dutch Chapel Royal Registers, Somerset House. Bum's Ref., p. 222.
xlii HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
On tlie coronation of King George I in 1714, the following address from the foreign Churches was presented to His Majesty in the Dutch language by Mr. Theodore Bolton, one of the ministers of the Austin Friars Church, who was introduced by Viscount Townshend, one of His Majesty's principal Secre- taries of State.
' • The most humble address of the Ministers and Elders of the French and Low-Dutch Churches, estab- lished here by King Edward the 6th, and confirmed by Queen Elizabeth."
"Most Illustriou.s Gkeat and Most Mighty Ktsg,
" Your sacred head being adorned with the royal crown of these powerful kingdoms having filled all the " Protestants of Europe Avith such a joy, that the French and Dutch Churches in London presume also '•■ with the greatest humility to cast themselves at your Majesty's feet, and amidst the universal acclamations " of your faithful subjects, to testify the uncxpressible joy of their souls, and to open their lips in a dutiful '•thanksgiving to the great God, who hath at so seasonable a time given them a King in whom virtue, "religion, justice, faithfulness, wisdom, and courage shine in their greatest glory, and by whose presence '■ the minds of all weU-mcaning persons arc revived and delivered from their just fear of those evils that " threatned them : so that now we have a well-grounded hope that religion, liberty, and commerce, being '• animated as with a new spirit, may again flourish and prosper.
" "We pray, Sire, the great King of all Kings, that he who hath brought you safe to us will farther bless ^' vour reign so happily commenced with length of days, establish your throne in righteousness and peace, " make you a terrourto your enemies both at home and abroad, a refuge for the distressed, an immoveable ' • pillar of safety for all Protestants, and a refreshing shadow for fainting Christendom.
' ' And with these wishes of all happiness and prosperity from the bottom of our hearts, we most humbly " beseech you for yo\ir royal favour, that it may please your Majesty to take our Churches under the "wings of your protection, ( which were established in the reign of King Edward the 6th, and have ever "since continued through the benevolence of your Majesty's royal predecessors ). And we shall always " persevere to demonstrate our most dutiful obedience to your Majesty on all occasions, as faithful subjects, ' ■ and pray to the Almighty God to bless your sacred person, His lloyal Highness the Prince, and all your " lloyal House, both temporally and eternally."^ 1
The condition of the Dutch Church in the year 1720 was assured and prosperous, as shown by the fol- lowing extract.^
"The present state of this Dutch Church in Augustin Friers, and the congregation of Strangers or the ( " cliildren of Strangers belonging to it, is thus. I
"They have two ministers, Me. Biscop was lately one, and another who is his assistant. They* preach] "twice every Lord's-Day, and once in the week besides; and they administer the holy sacrament monthly, I " the last Sunday in the month, and lend their Church every first Sunday in the month to the Walloon ' " congregation, for their reception of the sacrament ; their own Church in Threadneedle Street being too I '.' strait for them. The ministers have allowed them a good yearly salary, and houses to dwell in, conveni- 1 " ently situate neer the said Church: and competent subsistance allowed also to their widows. M. Yaxder ; " MEEScn, a merchant and one of their Elders, at his own cost built a good house for one of their ministers, j " which cost £400, and after, finished it within at a considerable further expense ; very much to his com- 1 " mendation, and the lasting memory of his charity and good will to this Church.
" They maintain their poor at their oAvn charge, which stands them in neer £1,200 per ann., part of, " which they collect every Sunday, and week day customarily whensoever there is a sermon, at the Church i "door, by Deacons of the Church, who stand there with basins to receive what the people are pleased to| " throw in. They have a fair Almeshouse, built by themselves, standing in Moorfields, to contain 26 : "poor: together with a very handsome room for their Elders and Overseers to meet in, to consult together! " for the good estate and ordering of these poor, as occasion may require." I
Little of especial interest can be found concerning the foreign Chiirches in England after this period. I The congregations gradually dwindled away, and one after another ceased to exist. The Walloons £romi Belgium merged with the French refugees, who came over in such great numbers. At the present dayj weekly service in the Dutch language is conducted only at Austin Friars; the records of the other Churches ] at Yarmouth, Colchester, Maidstone, Sandwich, Canvey Island, Dover,^ etc., having been lost, it is difficultl
i
O Newspaper cutting, Oct. 9th, 1714. (3) Many Dutch Refugees were buried at Thorney Abbey,
(-) Stow's London, Ed. 1720, Bk, II. p. 116 and 117. as shewn by the entries in the Registers; Epitaphs
on many tombstones in the churchyard are still' existing. — iS'iandard newspaper, 24th Aug., 1878. j
I
HISTORICAL INTROIU'CTION-.
xl
III
to i;ivc particulars of tlic timrs ^\]\vn tlic services were discontinued. At Xor\viclialone is a small sum left, derived from the rents of small liousc property, wliicli is distributed het'ween a few poor descendants of the Dutch settlers. Ume a year the minister of the Austin Friars Church goes there by appointment to hold a service and preadi in the Dutch language. It is, however, with ditttculty that these arrange- ments can be carried out, in consequence of the bad management and neglect in past years of the pro]Krty belonging to that Church.
A report has not been found of tlu' addri'sses made to the sovereigns succeeding Ceorge I, but the i>A- lowing ansAver given by Queen Alctoria to the congratulations of the members of the Dutch Churcli, .'-51st July, 1837, on her accession, shows that the feeling expressed by Her Majesty is very gracious towards the Church founded by her predecessor. King Edward YI.
'■' I thank you for this loyal and dutiful address, for the sorrow -wliich you express for the loss of Hi-< " late Majesty, and for j'our congratidations on my accession. I look back with great satisfaction to tlie "protection which you have found during so long a period in tliis country, and you may entirely rely upon " the continuance of that protection under my reign."
In 1862 a fire broke out on the night of the 21st Xovember, entirely destroying the whole of the roof and interior httiiigs of the Church, Avhich had just been thorougldy restored at a heavy cost. At tirst it ( was considered that the Church was not worth the cost of repairing, but much opposition was offered to the j proposition of pulling down the walls whieh had been left standing. 'Sir. William Lightly and Mr. I'An^-on, I the architects consulted, advised a new building, which would save; the heavier expense and greater troubh- : of the reconstruction of the old edifice. After considerable discussion it was thought advisable to repair ; the ruined Church ; the total cost of doing so, including a new organ and the transfer of the library to i Guildliall, being over £13,000, the fire insurance, etc. recovered being £12,000. The Church was re- i opened again f(n' divine service on October 1st, 1865, when a sermon was preached by Dr. Gehle. the text i being 2 Clironicles Til, 15-16.
; In 18r)6 the London and Xorth Western Railway Company obtaiiu'd power by act of Parliament to take ; the laiul in Sun Street, on Avhith the Almshouses of the Axistin Friars Church were built. The compensa- i tion was settled at £7000.^ On the 18th December. 1867, the sanction of the Court of Chancery was I obtained to rebuild the almshouses at Old Charlton, Kent ; the foundation stone being lai<l by the wife of Mr. \ J. van Emschot Hollertt, a deacon of the Chiu-ch.- At this present time ten poor members live there, there I being two married couples and six women. It is just now proposed to enlarge the number of these almshouses I by building accommodation for eight more adults, and at the same time to be able to take in a certain j number of convalescents and children, on the piece of ground piirchased in 1867, which was left free for tlie I purpose of building a residence for the minister; this arrangement, however, was not found convenient.
At the present time the number of the congregation varies from 50 to 80 persons, and double that number
; are present on festivals and the service on ]S\'W Year's Eve, which was commenced by the present minister.
the Kev. A. I). Adama van Scheltenia. The annual amount of the Deacons' expenditure is about £800,
, £50 being distributed monthly to the poor of the Church, besides the cost of the almshouses. The C'hurdi
i and Deacon's funds are kept apart : these art' derived to a great extent from the rent of the houses i used
I as offices ) ])uilt on the land on the south side of the Church, bought from the ifarquis of AYinchester in
! 1611 for £600, which the nu'mbers of the Church had contended was their own, under the original grant
I of the Cluirch by King Edward YI, and concerning Avhich Emanuel van Meteren nuide the affidavit which
gave the new particulars concernhig the Coverdale Bible. There are also some other properties n< ar
London.
(M Minute Book, April .jth, 18G0.
(-) Minute Book, Aug IStli, ISCS,
I
Eeii Register waerinnc opgeteijckeiit wcrdeii die namen der gcdoipen kindcrcn endc getuijglien oiiscr Neederduijtsclier Gemcinte tlio Londen, begimiende vanden jarc 1571.
|
1 Apl. |
15S3 |
Aalman |
, Henrick, f. Henricks. |
17 Jul. |
\G^r> |
Achtschellinck, .Jeremiasf. Jercmias. |
||
|
27 Jan. |
1596 |
Abeel, |
h^lizabetli, f. Jan, |
18 Dec. |
1.-.75 |
Achter, |
\'an, Daniel f. Daniel. |
|
|
23 Mar. |
1600 |
,, Anna, f. ,, |
12 Aug. |
1595 |
Acker, |
Van, Susanna f. Willem. |
||
|
6 Dec. |
1601 |
Maria, f. „ |
11 Nov. |
1595 |
,, |
,, Abraham f. Aljraham. |
||
|
25 Oct. |
1607 |
J, |
Elias, f. ,, |
22 May |
1599 |
,, |
Willem f. Willem. |
|
|
31 Oct. |
1574 |
Abeele, |
Van den, Jacob, L |
Pieter. |
14 Dec. |
1606 |
,, |
,, Isaac f. Abraham. |
|
17 Jan. |
1591 |
,, Josias, f. |
Tobias. |
6 Mar. |
1608 |
,, |
,, Anna f. ,, |
|
|
23 Jul. |
1592 |
,, Elisabet, f. |
3 Nov. |
1650 |
,, |
,, Jacobus f. Nicolaus. |
||
|
24 Mar. |
1594 |
ff |
„ ToJ.)ias, f. |
,' |
21 Jan. |
1610 |
Ackere, |
Van, Susanna f. Abraluun. |
|
17 Feb. |
1596 |
,, Nicolaus, f. |
1 Jul. |
1649 |
,, |
,, Francois f. Nicolas. |
||
|
14 Jan. |
1599 |
,, Paulus, f. |
21 Aug. |
1597 |
Ackom, |
Van, Gielis f. Abraham, |
||
|
INov. |
1601 |
,, Carel, f. |
^] |
15 Feb. |
1579 |
Adams, |
Simon, van Harlingeu. |
|
|
8 Jan. |
1604 |
,, Jacob, f. |
10 Feb. |
1583 |
,, |
Susanna f. Simon. |
||
|
14 Oct, |
1606 |
Anna f. |
4 Alicr |
1588 |
f. Willem. |
|||
|
14 May |
1609 |
''' |
,, Carolus, f. ,, Joannes, f. |
'' |
18 Jun. |
1592 |
)9 |
Abraham f. ,, Sara f. ,, |
|
14 Jun. |
1612 |
^^ |
„ Maria, f. |
Jolian. |
9 Jan. |
1597 |
,, |
Hester f. ,, |
|
3 Jul. |
1614 |
,, Joannes, f. |
Jan. |
11 Jan. |
1601 |
,, |
Maria f. ,, |
|
|
2 Sep. |
1616 |
,, Abraham, f. |
24 Dec. |
1693 |
Ademzen, Margaretha f. Sandert & |
|||
|
11 Oct. |
1618 |
,, Joliannes, f. |
Josyntje Thomasseu. |
|||||
|
23 JuL |
1620 |
,, Daniel, f. |
27 Jan. |
1650 |
Adriaen, Sara f. Johannes. |
|||
|
10 Feb. |
1622 |
,, Anna, f. |
24 Aug. |
1572 |
Adriaenssen, Sara f. Adriaen. |
|||
|
26 Mar. |
1598 |
Abeels, |
Nicolas, f. Willem. |
2Ap. |
1592 |
, |
, Esther f. Gedeons, |
|
|
4 Jan. |
1601 |
Willem, f. |
22 Jun. |
1670 |
, |
, Heijndrick f. Jan & Anna. |
||
|
16 Feb. |
1623 |
Maria, f. Nicolaus. |
4 Jun. |
1690 |
, |
, Gerrit f. Adriaen & Geer- |
||
|
25 Dec. |
1627 |
Maria, f. ,, |
truijdt. |
|||||
|
4 Jul. |
1647 |
Nicolas, f. Nicolas, junr. |
IS Mar. |
1598 |
Adriaensz, Susanna f. Francois. |
|||
|
16 Mar. |
1656 |
Nicholas, f. Lodew-ijcl |
.. Testes: |
22 Jun. |
1587 |
Samuel f. Claes, |
||
|
William Abeels, |
etc. |
24 Ap. |
1589 |
Susanna f. Niclaes. |
||||
|
5 Jul. |
1657 |
Helena, f. Ladewijck. |
5 Sep. |
1591 |
Judith f. „ |
|||
|
28 Nov. |
1658 |
Lodewyck, f. |
9 Jan. |
1592 |
Aljraham f. Hans. |
|||
|
22 Apl. |
1660 |
Abram, f. |
7 Ap. |
1594 |
Samuel f. Niclaes. |
|||
|
12 May |
1661 |
Willem, f. |
23 Nov. |
1595 |
Aljigail f. „ |
|||
|
6 Mar. |
1664 |
Abraliam, f. |
17 Jul. |
1597 |
Abi-aham f. „ |
|||
|
29 Jan. |
1665 |
Willlem, f. |
27 Dec. |
1586 |
Aelbertinck, Sara f. Dierick. |
|||
|
Lodewijck, f. |
7 Feb. |
1576 |
Aelmans, Susanna f. Hcindrick. |
|||||
|
6 Sep. |
1612 |
Abels, |
Maria f. Elko. |
13 Dec. |
1590 |
Aemouts, Arnoldus f. Cornelius. |
||
|
30 Oct. |
1597 |
Abiels, |
Johannes f. .Jan. |
14 Feb. |
1703 |
Aertburgh, Van, Willemijntjo f. Claca |
||
|
18 Apl. |
1813d"Abo, Cornelie Marie Pauline |
f. Ptobert |
Jansen. |
|||||
|
Christiaan Nicolai. |
29 Jan. |
15S7 |
Aertsen, Sara t. Ueeraert. |
|||||
|
7 Mar. |
1677 |
Abramse, Cornelia f. Pieter. |
9 Nov. |
1600 |
,, |
Abraham f. Cornells. |
||
|
30 May |
1587 |
Achtschellinc, Sara f. P>ou(lewijn, |
8 Jul. |
i(;o4 |
,, |
Benjamin f. „ |
||
|
6 Oct. |
1588 |
Achtschellinck. David f. Jan. |
16 Dec. |
1604 |
Aertsens, Susanna t. Arnout. ^ |
|||
|
11 May |
1589 |
, Pieter f. Boudewiin. |
16 Nov. |
1 606 |
)> |
Anna f. \\ outer de Jonge. |
||
|
4 Oct. |
1593 |
, Daniel f. , |
14 Jul. |
1607 |
Daniel f. Arnout. |
|||
|
19 Dec. |
1616 |
, Adriaeu f. Ab |
•aham. |
21 Meij |
1598 |
Aertsz, |
Sara f. Cornelis. |
|
|
22 Jul. |
1621 |
, Petrus f. .Jer |
emias. |
26 Mar. |
1600 |
,, |
S.a-a f. Arnout. |
|
|
15 Aug. |
1624 |
, Susanna f. |
22 Aug. |
1602 |
,, |
Elisabeth f. „ |
||
|
23 Jul. 26 Oct. |
1626 1628 |
, Jercmias f. , Samuel f. |
12 Sep. 1 Mar. |
1602 1612 |
" |
Joh. f. Cornells. (viilc Artsz), Arnoldus f. Arnault. |
||
|
29 May |
1631 |
Elias i |
,, |
29 Mai-. |
1614 |
„ |
l'hilii)pU3 f. Mattheus, |
BAPTISMS
19 Nov.
5 iMei
6 Ap. 23 Aug.
6 Ap.
7 Sep. 30 Apl.
19 Feb.
18 May 9 Jan.
10 Feb.
20 Mei
28 Mei 30 Aug.
1 Dec.
15 Oct. 30 Jul. 20 Mar.
29 Aug.
2 Dec.
19 Dec. 22 Aug.
11 Jan.
16 Jun. 14 Oct. 28 Jun.
9 Oct. 18 Jul. 11 Oct.
1615 161G 1617 161S 1690 1G06 1573 1576 1578 1575 1577 1598 1609 1612 1605 1690 1679 1608 1589 1604 1613 1619 1601 1689 1627 1629 1631 1598 1868
26 Mar. 1870
|
2 Aug. |
1612 |
|
16 Ap. |
1615 |
|
15 Feb. |
1579 |
|
14 Jul. |
1650 |
|
3 Oct. |
1658 |
|
26 Nov. |
1583 |
|
14 Aug. |
1603 |
|
20 Jul. |
1626 |
|
20 May |
1652 |
|
.27 Ap. |
1589 |
|
C Jun. |
1813 |
29 Jul. 1855
|
26 Mei |
1616 |
|
16 Ap. |
1690 |
|
6 Aug. |
1626 |
|
9 Ap. |
1690 |
|
29 Jun. |
1690 |
|
16 Mar. |
1692 |
|
2 Sep. |
1655 |
|
SAp. |
1576 |
|
23 Feb. |
1574 |
|
15 Jul. |
1571 |
|
24 Ap. |
1678 |
|
28 Ap. |
1686 |
|
9 Sep. |
1593 |
Aertsz, Catharina f. Mattliijs. ,, ArnoKlus f. Aernout. ,, Maria f. Mattliijs. Aertsen, Susanna f. Aruouilt. Aeswielders, Mai-ia f. Pieter. Ageer, Sara f. Joos. Aken, Van, Israel f. Jacob. ,, ,, Elias f. ,, ,, ,, Susanna f. ,, Alart, Susanna f. Olivier. Alaert, David f. ,, Alaerts, Isaac f. Gillis Baert. Albert, Elizabeth f. AVilleni. Albertsen, Susanna f. „ Albertsz, Susanna f. ,, Alckmaer, Van, Anna Geertruijt f. Jan.
,, „ Pieter f. Pieter Pietei'sen
Alekaes, Isaac f. Andries. Alensone, Daniel f. Dierick. Alewijn, (vide Allev,fijn), Sara f. Jaques. ,, Esar f. ,,
,, Sara f. Samuel.
Alewijns, Abraham f. Jaques. Alexander, Adam f. AVillem. Alffen, Van der, Hendrick f. Severeijn. ,, ,, Jacob f. Severein.
,, ,, Ester f. Seberin.
Alget, Johannes f . Antony. Alkemade, Van, Cornelis f. Leendert Willeni A"an Ilyia & Tonia Van Ameyden Van Duyn. ,, Jacob f. ,, ,, & Tonia
A''an Ameyden. Alleman, Henricus f. Henric.
,, Joannes f. ,, Allemans, Pieter f. Kenricks. Allen, Jan f. Henrick.
,, Catarina f. Henrij. Allensson, Jonas f. Matthijs. Allewijn, Anna f. Jacus. Alleyn, Elisabeth f. Jan. AUin, Jacobiis f. James. AUnjii, Marie f. Anthoine. Alphen, Van, Daniel Francois f. Daniel Francois & Louise Rodol- phine Julie Vignon. ,, ,, Louiza Wilhelmina f.
Johannes & Oeraldine Alletthe Van Pieterson, weduwe Klaas de Leeuw. Aluwijn, Samuel f. Samuel. Alvares, Bartholomeus f. Capt. Luijt Johan & Elisabeth. Alve, Van der, Elisabeth f, Seberijn. Ameijde, Vander, Willem Eduardf. Jacob & Eva Elizabeth Van der Wijse. Ampel, Van, Anna Maria f. Gillis & Marij. Amijden, Van der, Jacoba f. Jacob. Ancker, Anne-Caterine f. Pieter. Angela, Susanna f. Jan. Angelee, Moses f. ,, Angeler, David f. ,, AngeU, Elisabeth f. Peter.
,, Petrus f. ,,
Anglois, 1', Anna f. Pieter.
14 Sex). iSioG Anneveld, Mary Isabella f. Franciscus Everardus & Isabella Smith. 13 Dec. 1857 ,, Josephine Magdalena f. Fran-
ciscus Everardus & Isabella Smith. 21 Ap. 1861 ,, Johannes Heudrikus f. Fran-
ciscus Evei'ardus -t Isabella Smith.
Anwagem, Van, f. Jan.
Anycke, Abraham f. Renier.
,, Sara f. Eemeeus. Andries, Joannes f. Simonis.
,, Nathanael f. Nathanael. Andriesen, Jan f. Andries & Martientgen. ,, Margrietf. Andries &Martijnje.
Andriessz, Andreas f. Jan. Anthoni, Franciscus f. Willem.
,, Johannes f. Bartolomeus. Antonij, Maria f. Pieter.
,, Elisabetf. Bartolomeus. Anthonis, Al^raham f. Matthijs. Anthonissz, Sara f. Geeraert. Antonius, Bartolomeus f. Bartolomeus. Anthonius, Maria f. ,,
Appart, Joseph f. Joseph. Arents, Joannes f. Jan. Arentsen, Alida f. Arent & Maria. Arentsz, Janneken f. Jan. Ariaanssen, Gabriel f. Klaas.
,, Joannes f. ,,
Armstrong, Sara f . Jacobus & Sara Arnolt, Catharina f. Lieveu. Arnovits, Joannes f. Jan. ,, Tanneken f. ,,
Arns, Hendrick f . .Jan & Sara. Arntsen, Altgen f. Arnt. Arschot, Van, Sara f. Isaac. Artis, alias deWever, Benjamin f. Gerardt, Artis, Samuel f. Gerardt. testes: BarthO' lomeus Moinen, Jan Moinen, etc, ,, Catherijn f. Gerardt. Arisen, Joannes f. Arnout. Artsz, Maria f. ,,
,, Jacobus f. Wouters.
As, Van, Anna f. Gerts. Aschman, Susanna f. Hieronymus Willemsz, „ Jeronijmusf. Jeronynius Willem ssen. Ashe, Elisabeth f. Anthonis. Asenkerf, Sara f . Jasper. Asse, Van, Jeremias f. ]\Ielssens.
,, ,, Zacharias f. Melchiore. Assen, de, Margriete f. Matthys. Assens, Elias f. Hutger. Assendelft, Van, Judith f. Isaac & Judith
Lock. Atendrix, Jidraen f. Carel. Atkens, Abraham f. Eduwaert. Audens, Abraham, spurius, f. Jenneken Augustins, Augustinus f. Hendrick. Augustijnsz, Maria f. Hendric. Augier, David f. Nicolas & Clara. Augiers, Johannes f. Daniel & Gerbreckta Grondijs. 11 Jun. 1682 Ausier, Daniel f. Daniel & Giesbertha Aiisier.
15 Mei
SAp.
21 Mei 27 Nov, 29 Ap.
1 Jun. 29 Mei
2 Feb. 24 Aug. 29 Oct. 17 Nov.
24 Mei 8 Jun. 1 Nov.
20 :\rei
1 Jan.
25 Ap. 8 Jan.
16 Sep. 15 Jun.
22 Sep.
17 Jan. 14 Dec.
11 Mei
23 „
12 Mar.
2 Oct.
10 Sep.
21 Jun. 7 Oct.
31 Aug.
25 Sep.
11 Dec. 19 Nov.
3 Oct. 6 Aug.
12 Ap. 1 Ap.
31 Jan.
24 ]\lar.
23 Jul. 17 Aug.
24 Mei
24 Jul.
25 Feb.
10 Sep. 21 Jan.
6 Nov. 30 Jul.
9 Feb. 12 Aug. 30 Mei
1572 1591 1594 1572 1632 1679 1687 1619 1623 1633 1629 1642 1572 1590 1638 1640 1627 1594 1677 1589 1583 1585 1718 1679 1588 1592 1681 1676 1616 1571 1572
1575 1597 1609 1585 1682 1607 1G19
1574
1616 1571 1572 1621
1580 1756
1615 1599 1572 1629 1632 1673 1680
IX THE Dl^TClI CTIURCir, AUSTIX FJMAIJS, LOXDON.
|
2fi ApL |
inis |
Bach |
xut |
3, Van, Sara f. Lieven. |
|
3 Dec. |
1620 |
J |
, |
,, Johannes f. ,, |
|
16 Nov. |
1(;23 |
, |
,, Maria f. ,, |
|
|
14 Sep. |
ir^--2 |
Backelers, Daniel f. Jan. |
||
|
25 Mar. |
1582 |
Backens |
, Madeleene. |
|
|
20 Feb. |
1575 |
Backer, |
Susanna f. .Jans, testes: Bar- |
|
|
tliolomeus ^loenen, Hans van |
||||
|
Samsen, Seyken Geltsanil, |
||||
|
Elisabeth ux. Hans Moeneu. |
||||
|
17 Jim. |
1576 |
j^ |
Joannes f. Jan. |
|
|
16 Ap. |
15S1 |
,, |
Abraham f. ,, |
|
|
13 Juii. |
1585 |
,, |
Pieter f. Eeynout. |
|
|
11 Jan. |
1586 |
Backer, |
cle, Susanna f. Jan. |
|
|
27 Nov. |
1586 |
jj |
,, Samuel f. ,, |
|
|
20 Feb. |
1588 |
,, |
,, Jacob f. ,, |
|
|
28 Ap. |
1588 |
^^ |
,, Elisabeth f. ,, |
|
|
31 Mei |
1590 |
Backers |
de, Susainia f. ,, |
|
|
19 Dec. |
1591 |
Backer, |
Judith f. ,, |
|
|
14 Jan. |
1593 |
" |
de, .Jacobus f. ,, test: Jacobus Ilegius, Pieter L'Herniite, etc. |
|
|
28 Alio;. |
1595 |
,j |
,, Jacobus f. Robert. |
|
|
18 NoV. |
1599 |
J, |
,, Susanna f. Hans. |
|
|
18 Mei |
1600 |
,, |
,, Sara f. Tobias. |
|
|
25 Jun. |
1601 |
,j |
,, Sara f. Hans. |
|
|
29 Mei |
1603 |
J, |
,, Abraham f. Abraham. |
|
|
28 Jun. |
1603 |
^^ |
,, Tobias f. Tobias. |
|
|
11 Aug. |
1605 |
,, |
,, Elisabeth f. Abraham. |
|
|
7 Jun. |
1607 |
,, |
,, Joannes f. ,, |
|
|
() Sep. |
1()07 |