The first pall the church was able to buy, cost, according to the
Deacons account:
10 el of black cloth at 24[f] per el f240
A linen cover to protect the pall 14
-----
Total f254
It was first used at the funeral of Engelbert Steenhuysen, January
16th, 1678. The rent of the pall was quite a source of income to the
church. The price to an adult was fourteen guilders and to a child
seven guilders, until June 14th, 1715, when it was reduced to six
guilders for an adult and three guilders for a child. On January 17th,
1715, the second pall was bought for one hundred and ninety-five
guilders, and the old one probably refitted to use at the burial of
children. On January 1st, 1798, a fine large pall was bought for £5 11
s., 3 d. and a small one £2, 13 s., 10 d. The cost of the bier used at
funerals was usually seventeen or eighteen guilders, and one lasted
five or six years. On May 26th, 1678, Bergen's first communion set
was bought at an expense of seventy-four guilders and ten stivers,
and consisted of the following articles: "Eight pounds of pewter,
being three plates and a pitcher of 6 guilders the lb., and two pewter
beakers at 12 guilders apiece, and one el of Osnaburger linen." At the
same time 11 el linen was bought for a table cloth, costing 5 guilders
10 stivers per el, or 60 guilders 10 stivers for the whole. On January
26th, 1731, the pewter cups were changed for two silver ones, bought
of Hendrikus Boele and costing five hundred and nineteen guilders
and ten stivers in wampum. The latter cups are still used at every
communion service of the Bergen Reformed Church. A large Staten Bible
was bought in 1620, costing sixty guilders and was probably used until
the services were conducted in English.
[Illustration: THE SECOND CHURCH.]