Crane Hook on the Delaware - NC CHAP

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6 THE PEOPLING OF NEW SWEDEN 1640. Torkillus, the first Lutheran pastor to serve in America, was a well-qualified man for his mission. He had left his post as instructor and chaplain at the Gothenburg High School to come to the Delaware. That this pastor's life in his pioneer parish was one of physical as well as spiritual labor, of civil as well as religious responsibility can be read in the sparse items about him. The hard work and prevalent illness of Printz's first year overcame Torkillus who died in September 1643 at the age of thirtyfive, leaving at Christina a wife and ~hild.~" New Sweden, by Ridder's purchase of additional land from the Indians, extended from the Falls at Trenton to the sea on the west side of the Delaware and from Raccoon Creek south to Cape May on the New Jersey side. Governor Printz in 1649 acquired the land from Raccoon Creek north to Mantas (Mantua) Creek on that side, a short distance below the Dutch Fort Nassau. In all this territory with its nearly two hundred miles of curving west shore the people of New Sweden in Printz's time occupied only a few small centers on this shore from the north bank of the Christina up to a short distance above the north bank of the Schuylkill, a range of about thirty miles. The largest tract in a list of cultivated sites made by Printz in 1653 was twenty morgen or about forty-two acres. Most of them were eight, ten or twelve m~rgen.~' Under Printz during the period of ten years and eight months from February 1643 to October 1653 the colony developed from its small beginnings and after 1650 declined as support from Sweden failed. The ships that brought Printz carried colonists and supplies. Other ships with supplies and a few colonists arrived in 1644, 1646 and 1648. Although no more supplies or colonists came after 1648 Printz, by good management, by shrewd planning, and by bargaining with Dutch and English merchants made the colony self-supporting agri~ulturally.~' He increased the cultivated land between the Christina and the Schuylkill, built forts and blockhouses, storehouses, dwellings, barns, and a church at Tinicum (Essington, Pennsylvania) where he made his capital. But the population of New Sweden remained small, perhaps under 400 men, women, and children at its peak. Many settlers 20 Ibid., I, 205-06, 315, 371; 11, 697. 21 Ibid., 1, 200-02, 337; 11. 526-27. The old Dutch morgen was about 2.1 acres. 22 Johnson, 1, 200, 245, 256, 258-60, 282-84, 317, 328, 344. THE PEOPLING OF NEW SWEDEN 7 died of illness in 1643, a few returned home on the ships, some were killed by Indians and throughout his governorship Printz had fewer than 100 men of an age to bear arms. The condition of the colony was good, he wrote in 1650, but without more colonists and capital it could not grow.23 About this time a major setback in New Sweden's prosperity was in preparation at New Amsterdam. Peter Stuyvesant who had protested the occupation of the Ilutch South River by the Swedes since he arrived in 1647 as governor of New Netherland, bided his time for action, keeping himself well informed concerning the fortunes of the Swedes. Then taking advantage of the weakness of Printz in men and arms he came to the Delaware with a large force of ships and rnen in the summer of 1651. At Santhoeck (Sand Point, site of New Castle), six miles down the river from Fort Christina he Iwilt and garrisoned a redoubt of logs called Fort Casimir. Near it families of Dutch settlers built their houses. Here all ships tuning up the river were forced to stop. By this stratagem which l'rintz was helpless to prevent the Dutch controlled the trade of the river and possessed the shore from the south bank of the (:hristina to Bombay <strong>Hook</strong>-purchased from the Indians who )lad previously sold it to the Swedes, according to deeds prepared I>y the white men. In the Indians' understanding they granted only rights to the use of the land.24 The New Sweden Company policy of reserving the fur trade to ~lself hampered the settlers, because beaver skins were currency with which they could have bought what they wanted from the ll~l~lish and Dutch merchants as the company stores ran low. Ant? when Printz forbade them to have any trade with the wellrrr~pplied Dutch at Fort Casimir they took this very ill. Settlers I)c~an to desert to Maryland where trade was free. In 1653 twenty-two colonists presented Printz with a signed petition which n elled revolt against his harsh rule unless grievances were re- I f ressed. l'nraged, Printz condemned and hanged the leader, Anders 13 A large expedition sent in the ship Kart in 1648 was wrecked on the way III ftlc Caribbean where most of its passengers died after great suffering at the l~rticls of thc Spainards.-ibid., 1, 269-75. Printz sent Lieutenant Skute and l~t~rlly his own son Gustaf to Sweden to plead in person for the needed support.- /Ad., I, 182, 318 ff.. 342 ff. 14 I)oirrnrl,~r/~, 1, 590 ff.; Johnson, 1, 334-47; Wcslagcr, "The Indians of Delawrtr." 41-43.
8 THE PEOPLING 01: N1,:W SWli1)IiN Jonsson, who had come to the Delaware wit11 him in 1643. More settlers deserted." Then in despair Printz sailed for home leaving his son-in-law Johan Papegoja in charge until he could raise ade- quate reinforcements in Sweden. Twenty colonists left the Dela- ware with him and others soon deserted to Maryland and Virginia."' Printz, broadly educated and traveled in 1':urope and having a distinguished service record in the Thirty Years War, was an able man, vigorous and po\\rerful enough to have staved off even Peter Stuyvesant if he had been given the promised support by the New Sureden Company and had practiced a more liberal policy toward the settlers.'- Religious life on the Delaware \\.as strengthened during the hrst five years of Printz's time. He brought wirh him in 1643 the Reverend Johan Canlpanii~s Holm, of high rank in his profession. He brought also his o\\.n 11ephetv Pastor Israel Holg Fluviander. Fluviander servcd hrst at Fort 1':lfsborg while it was being con- structed by Printz on the New Jersey shore (to control the tra& coming LIP the river), then at Christina. Campanius had been sta- tioned on company land at Upland (Chester). From his home there he served the Tinicum parish. After several years of duty both men wished to return to S\\,eden. Fluviander made his plans hrst. Then Campanius in his appeal to his bishop for release wrote that he \\,as unable to endure "the hard labor here." which obliged him. "\\.ithout any regard to the \\*eather to go from one place to tlie other to visit tlie settlers \\,ith the Word and the Sacrament." He asked that young men, strong and agile, be sent in his place. His recall came by the ship Src'ai~ in January 1648, and by this ship arrived the young, strong and agile clergy- man to replace him, the Reverend Laurentius Carolus Lokenius, a Swedish educated native of Finland." His dramatic activities \\rill be related in succeeding chapters, for Lokenius \\,as a pro- moter of <strong>Crane</strong> <strong>Hook</strong> Church and became its pastor. While Printz wrestled with the unhappy state of affairs on the Dela\vare in 1653, a ne\\. expedition to meet his needs was 25 Johnson. I. 462-64; L~~cI~II/~~II/~. 1. 590-91. 26 Johnson. I. 466; 11. 497. 27 Ihld.. 11. 688. ??I Ili/J.. 1. 248. 240. 301. 304. 367-74. 11. 678. 681. Finland \\.;IS :I province
Page 2 and 3: An Early Swedish Lutheran Church an
Page 5 and 6: PREFACE The purposes of the Delawar
Page 7 and 8: of old Crane <stro
Page 9 and 10: SIGNERS OF DUTCH LUTHERAN PETITION
Page 11 and 12: The Peopling of New Sweden HE fortu
Page 13: power in Iluropt througl~ the state
Page 17 and 18: Governor I
Page 19 and 20: I look I(.!:II)II I\ ~.11l1 \ \ . I
Page 21 and 22: 20 NEW SWEDEN ('0I.ONIS'I'S IINI)I.
Page 23 and 24: 24 NEW SWEDEN COLONISTS UNI)I
Page 25 and 26: 28 NEW SWEDEN COLONISTS UNDER THE D
Page 33 and 34: 44 THE BUILDING OF CRANE HOOK CHURC
Page 35 and 36: 4 8 THE BUILDING OF CRANE HOOK CHUR
Page 37 and 38: 5 2 THE BUILDING OF CRANE HOOK CHUR
Page 47 and 48: 7 2 FROM CRANE HOOK TO CHRISTINA be
Page 49 and 50: 76 FROM CRANE HOOK TO CHRISTINA Gra
Page 51 and 52: 80 FROM CRANE HOOK TO CHRISTINA som
Page 53 and 54: 84 FROM CRANE HOOK TO CHRISTINA Phi
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Page 57 and 58: 9 2 FROM CRANE HOOK TO CHRISTINA ma
Page 59 and 60: 96 FROM CRANE HOOK TO CHRISTINA ~el
Page 61 and 62: 100 CHURCH BURYING GROUND CHURCH BU
Page 63 and 64: 104 CHURCH BURYING GROUND come by h
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108 CHARLES SPRINGER 1658-1738 CHAR
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112 CHARLES SPRINGER 1658-1738 CHAR
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116 CHARLES SPRINGER 1658-1738 orig
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120 CHARLES SPRINGER 1658- 1738 jus
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As during the pastorate of Erik Bjo
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128 SERVICE TO CHURCH AND PEOPLE Cl
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132 SERVICE TO CHURCH AND PEOPLE ve
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136 CHARLES SPRINGER'S FAMILY and G
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L>oc-urtrei~~nt.~ Hii/orj of /he Sl
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