History of the Town of Flatbush

masters of New Amsterdam, called upon the several Dutch Towns to send delegates to a convention to be held in that city on the 26th. of November, 1653. At this convention delegates appeared from Flatbush as well as from the other towns. The convention adjourned to the 11th. of December following, when after mutual consultation, and discussion of various matters, they adopted a remonstrance, which in an able but respectful manner set forth their grievances. This ancient document is interesting as showing that at that early day the people had intelligence enough to understand their rights and know the legitimate objects of civil government. The remonstrance was signed by all the members of the convention. The delegates from Flatbush whose names are attached to it were "Elbert Elbertson, and Thomas Spicer." The Governor and Council gave no formal answer to the remonstrance of the deputies, but entered one on their minutes, in which they denied the right of Flatbush and of Brooklyn and Flatlands to send delegates, and protested against the meeting, although it had been called at the request of the Governor himself. Entertaining a just sense of the responsibility attached to them, the deputies made another but ineffectual attempt to obtain a recognition of their rights. On the 13th of December 1653, they presented another remonstrance, in which they declared, that if they could not obtain a redress of their grievances from the Governor and Council, they would be under the necessity of appealing to their superiors, the States General. This so irritated Governor Stuyvesant that he ordered them "to disperse, and not to assemble again upon such a business."

In 1654, it appears that the country was much infested with robbers. The inhabitants of this and the neighboring towns were much annoyed by their depredations. To guard themselves against these, the magistrates of Midwout united with those of Brooklyn and Amersfort in forming a military volunteer company against "robbers and pirates," as they expressed themselves. This company was formed on the 7th, of April, 1654, and determined that there should be a military officer in each town, called a Sergeant, as well as a public patrole in each village. On the day following the organization of the company, the Governor issued his proclamation against certain robbers, whom he states "had been banished from New-England, and were wandering about on Long-Island."

In 1655, a large body of Northern Indians, made a descent on Staten Island, and massacreed sixty-seven persons; after which, they crossed to Long-Island and invested Gravesend, which was relieved by a party of soldiers from New-Amsterdam. To guard against similar attacks, as well as to defend themselves from the encroachments of their neighboring Indians, the inhabitants of Flatbush were ordered by Governor Stuyvesant in 1656, to enclose their village with palisadoes. These fortifications were required to be kept up under the English government, as will appear by the following record of the court of Sessions for the West Riding of Yorkshire, upon Long Island, December 15th, 1675. "The Town of Flatbush having neglected the making of ffortifications, the court take notis of it, and reffer the censure to ye Governor." It is further ascertained from traditionary information, that the first church was fenced in with strong pallisadoes, and that the early settlers went out in the day time to cultivate their farms, and returned in the evening and lodged within the enclosure during the night time