ABillings Telpist

RENSSELAER ARMS.

and called "our Westerlo" by his flock. The first child baptized in this church was Elizabeth Vinhagen, who became the wife of Jonas Oothout, and the church bell tolled for the last time at her burial, she having died at the age of ninety-two. The church was demolished in 1806, and the materials used in the building of the Middle Dutch Church, on Beaver and Hudson streets. Many of the old families were buried under the church, and, as a special privilege, those who could pay for it were allowed burial under their seats.

"Whenever any one of them" (the pews) "is vacated by death, it shall descend to the eldest son or daughter living in the county, next to a son-in-law, next to own brothers and sisters, the first occupant paying 30s. and his successor 15s. for transferring the same, in behalf of the Reformed Dutch Church in Albany."

"Every seat-holder shall be in honor bound to contribute to the minister's salary in proportion to his circumstances. No person living out of the county is entitled to a seat. In default of a successor, seats are to revert to the church," etc.*

And the old Dutch legends-how they carry me back! There was the familiar one of the origin of the "baker's dozen." You don't know it?

Well, know, then, that close by Market Street (now Broadway) lived and prospered a baker, the first man that ever baked New-Year cakes-in fact, the inventor of them. The name of our friend was Volckert Jan Pietersen Van Amster

* Church Records, December 31, 1719.

dam, commonly known as Baas.* He was Dutch from his large feet to his round bald head, and had no respect for any one or any thing that was not Dutch. He was a regular attendant at the old Dutch church, but, nevertheless, in constant fear of being bewitched. His wife, Maritje, was economical even to saving the parings of her nails, and his gingerbread babies were always made in imitation of his children. It was New-Year Eve, 1655, and Baas was in his shop dealing out cakes for small pieces of money, called wampum. He had taken an extra glass of rum in honor of St. Nicholaus, when he heard a sharp rap, and in walked as ugly an old woman as ever he had set his eyes on.

"I want a dozen New-Year cookies," she screamed.

"Vell, den, you needn' sbeak so loud," replied Baas. "Duyvel! I ain't teaf,

den."

From this time on our SCHUYLER ARMS. baker's wife and himself were made miserable. Their money and cookies were taken away by invisible hands; their bread either rose out of their sight or sank into the earth; their famous brick oven was torn down, and poor Baas pelted with his own bricks; Maritje became deaf; Baas was black and blue from head to toe; and such a life as he led was purgatory. Thrice the old woman appeared, and thrice was she sent to "de duyvel." And at last, in his agony, Baas bethought himself of St. Nicholaus, who advised him, on hearing of his troubles, when he counted a dozen to count thirteen.

"Py St. Johannes de Dooper, put St. Nicholaus is a great plockhead!" thought Baas; and while he was thus thinking, St. Nick had vanished, and in his stead was the old woman. She repeated her demand for "one more," and Baas, re

* Boss.

membering St. Nicholaus, acceded to her demand, when she exclaimed, "The spell is broken, and henceforward a dozen is thirteen, and thirteen is a dozen." And taking a cooky with an effigy of the good saint on it, she made Baas swear that ever afterward twelve should be thirteen, as a type of the thirteen mighty States that should arise out of the ruins of the government of Vaderlandt.

It is well known how terribly St. Nicholaus revenged himself upon those who set themselves up against the venerable customs of their ancestors, and refused the homage to him to whose good offices it was owing that this his favorite city has surpassed all others in beautiful damsels, valorous young men, mince-pies, oliekoeks, and New-Year cookies.

It has become common to speak of the élite of Albany as Knickerbockers-a name derived from K-nik-ker-bak-ker (pronounced as spelled), a baker of knickers.*

The Knickerbackers were among the first settlers of Albany, and took their surname from their trade, and their descendants who have substituted an o for an a do but burlesque their names.

*Marbles.

Earliest among the settlers of Beverwyck were David and Philip Schuyler (or, as they wrote it, Van Schúyler), from Amsterdam. Tradition says they were wealthy merchants, and had a countryseat near Dordrecht. David was the elder of the two, and a man of great spirit. He married the blooming Catalyn Verplanck, of Nieuw Amsterdam; and it is recorded that in 1699 she petitioned for an additional piece of land to the north of her home, which was on the south corner of Broadway and Steuben Street, which was refused by the authorities because "it will reach too near ye citty stockadoes." Their son, Captain Myndert Schuyler, was Mayor of Albany for six years, and his daughter Anna married Johannes De Peyster, Mayor and Surrogate, a grandson of old Schepen* Johannes De Peyster, of Nieuw Amsterdam. A codicil to Captain Schuyler's will directs that there be paid to his grandson Myndert Schuyler De Peyster "one good silver tankard, to be made for him," with his clothes, fowling-piece, and sword with the silver handle, "for his prerogative as being my only grandson."

* Mayor.

VOLCKERT P. DOUW.

Philip Schuyler was a young man of great ability, and soon after his arrival became actively engaged in public affairs. He was a farmer and trader, and his bouwery was at The Flats (now Watervliet), below the present village of West Troy. His marriage to Margarita, daughter of Brant Arentse Van Slichtenhorst, Director of the Colonie Rensselaerwyck, was performed at the old bouwery in Rensselaerwyck by Anthony De Hooges, Secretary of the Colonie, in the presence of the officers of Fort Orange, the magnates of Rensselaerwyck, and some of the principal inhabitants. Mrs. Schuyler was only twenty-two when she was married, and she survived her husband more than a quarter of a century. They had ten children, who became connected by marriage with the most prominent families of the province. Gertrude married Stephanus Van Cortlandt; Alida married Dominie Nicholaus Van Rensselaer, and after his decease Robert Livingston, Lord of the Manor; Arent was the head of the New Jersey Schuylers;* Captain John Schuyler was the father of "the American Lady" and "Aunt Schuyler"; Peter was Mayor of Albany, and no

*His great-granddaughter married General William Colfax, grandfather of Schuyler Colfax, late Vice-President of the United States. His granddaughter married Archibald Kennedy, eleventh Earl of Cassilis. His daughter Eve married Peter Bayard, of New York. His daughter Cornelia married Pierre Guillaume De Peyster, son of Hon. Abraham De Peyster, first Treasurer of the Province of New York.

man understood better the relation of the colony with the Six Nations of Indians; and such was his zeal and energy that the House of Assembly gave their testimony to the British court of his faithful services and good reputation. His daughter Elizabeth married Alexander Hamilton; Margaret married Stephen Van Rensselaer, the last Patroon; Catherine married a son of General Malcolm, and after his decease James Cochrane, son of Surgeon-General Cochrane, of Revolutionary fame.

Mrs. Schuyler possessed great energy of character and independence of spirit, inherited from her father. After her husband's death, by her wealth and position she exercised a controlling influence in public affairs in Beverwyck. In 1689 she advanced funds to pay the troops in the city, and she made a personal attack on Milbourne, the son-in-law of Jacob Leisler, when he attempted to assume command of the fort of which her son Peter had charge.

Her great-grandson General Philip Schuyler inherited all the zeal and patriotism of his ancestors, and shed signal lustre upon the family name. He was with Lord Howe when he fell on landing at the north end of Lake George, and he was appointed to convey the young nobleman's body to Albany, and see that it was buried with due solemnities in St.

Peter's Church. To trace his brilliant and laudable career would be impossible in these few pages, for justice could not be done in so limited a space to a man to whom life meant loyalty to his country. His most intimate friend was Judge Volckert P. Douw.

The Douws were an old Dutch family, whose name is closely associated with the early settlement of Albany. The first of the name was Volckert Janszen Douw, van Friedrichstadt, who fled, with others, to the Netherlands in 1638 to escape the persecutions waged against the Mennonites. His birth-place was Leeuwarden, in the province of Friesland, Holland. His grandson, Petrus Douw, married Anna, daughter of Hendrick Van Rensselaer and Catrina Van Brugh, who was a granddaughter of Anneke Jans, and built, in 1724, the old Douw mansion at Wolvenhoeck, about a mile and a half below Albany, on the opposite bank of the river. In this homestead lived his son, Volckert P. Douw, a man prominent in civil and religious

affairs. He was Recorder and Mayor of Albany for many years, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Vice-President of the first Provincial Congress, as well as the first judge of Albany County. His wife was a daughter of Johannes De Peyster.

On one occasion Red Jacket and several Indian chiefs, with their retainers, went to the "Hoeck" to have a talk with