Crane Hook on the Delaware - NC CHAP

5 2 THE BUILDING OF CRANE HOOK CHURCH
of <strong>Crane</strong> <strong>Hook</strong> lived at Christina and above. Here again Tobias
Biork provides the answer (in Latin), telling that those living "in
tractu Christinae" sought to build themselves a church:
But because there did not seem to them there much provision
[protection) against an invasion of Indians, the greater part of them
erected for themselves at a place across the river Christina, <strong>Crane</strong>
<strong>Hook</strong>, a church called by the same name, and also built of wood.
The original text reads:
Sed quoniam nec ibi ab invasione Indianorum, satis sibi prospectum
videretur, major eorundem pars, amne Christina trajecto in loco
Tranhuken templum sibi, eodem nornine insignitum, etjam ligneum
exstr~xere.3~
Indians used the Christina River as a thoroughfare and also
the trail near the Delaware between New Castle and the Christina.
So the church was hidden away on the edge of what was actually
hardwood forest, behind a series of plantations with their build-
ings, orchards, and judging from the marked trees that formed
the plantation boundaries, forest trees still standing. That the
Indian menace was real is made clear by contemporary references,
especially the report of Sir Robert Carr after he had taken the
Delaware. The Indians at that time were not friendly and because
there was a war on by parties from the tribes of Senecas and Tus-
cororas, Christians as well as the River Indians might be attacked
in their forays.31
Lutheran services on the Delaware were conducted in the form
used in Sweden in the time of Printz and Rising. Lokenius, dur-
ing the twelve years since New Sweden came under the Dutch,
must have kept as closely as he could to the established order in
the church Psalmbook or handbook to which he was accustomed.
It can be conjectured that the dedication ceremonies and services
at <strong>Crane</strong> <strong>Hook</strong> Church followed an order prescribed for one of
the important special Sundays of the year. This would mean a
long service or it might be two services and two sermons on the
same day.
According to the Swedish custom all services opened with the
singing of a Psalm by the congregation. The order of the day
included responsive readings or singing, prayer, the Epistle for
30 Di.r.rei/~r/io Gradualir, I I- 12.
31 Ducnnre~~/t, 111, 73; Wcslnger. "Minquas," 18; nncl see Docu~ze~~/r, XII,
493.
THE BUILDING OF CRANE HOOK CHURCH 5 3
the day, the sermon, one of the several creeds read or sung, singing
of a Psalm often special for the special day, prayers, admonitions
and announcements by the pastor and final blessing.
The church celebrations of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost,
each lasted four days with appropriate daily ceremonies; other
special days had only a morning service on the day.32 As in most
religions, the church bell was important to pastor and people, but
whether those of the <strong>Crane</strong> <strong>Hook</strong> congregation within hearing
were summoned by the sweet tones of a good bell made in Sweden,
or the clangor of a poor bell, or by any bell at all, is unknown.33
Effort would be made to decorate the interior of the church amro- I1
priately. Materials for altar cloth and vestments could be procured
from English merchants and women members of the
congregation skilled with the needle could supply the decorative
handwork. A painting such as Rising desired for the Christina
Church of his day, would be harder to procure.'"
Records are silent about both ~oke&us and the church for two
years. In 1669 came a testing-time for Swedes and Finns of the
congregation. An impostor came among them, calling himself the
son of the Swedish General Conigsmark. With persuasive talk
he played upon the strong loyalty to the Swedish crown that many
of them had. Called alternately the "Long Finn" and the "Long
Swede" by the English, this man, Marcus Jacobson, convinced
some of the worthy Swedish colonists that under his leadership
Finns and Swedes could overthrow the Duke's officers by force
and take control in the name of young Prince Carl of kveden.
Henry Coleman (Kolehmainen) ,3' a Finn who knew the Indian
language, joined the newcomer,.the two of them hiding out among
the Indians between their recruiting sorties among the people.
'They were caught, the leader imprisoned, tried and found guilty
32 Johnson, Su,edi.rh Serrleme~r/.r, I, 366, A.
33 The only bell known to havc cnllecl Lut1icr;lns tc~ cl1urc.11 up to the end of
~ I I C <strong>Crane</strong> <strong>Hook</strong> period was the hell at 1-inicum. made in Sweden, engraved with
IIIC year 1643 ancl sent to Governor Printz on the "Fnma" in 1644. It went to the
Witaco congregation in 1699 for their new church. Gloria Dei. and was in use
tl~crc until the Revolution. - Johnson, Colli~l, 69; Johnson, Stc*ed;.rh Se//letnenr.r,
I, 306.
'l'here is nc~ mention of a rliurcl~ bell at F~)rt Christina. Governor Rising. in n
1~11c.r home of July. 1654, sug~rsted that two or tl~ree hells would be "very
cc,~vi(e:ihlc hcrc." (Myers, Nar.a/~r,e.r, 150) but it is unlikely that any were received.
34 Rrv. Erick Hjiirk writes that for the dedication of the new church on
'I'r~r~ity Sul~cl;ly. 1(1OC). IIC cli