protection of the colony against the French, and being without
financial help from the other settlements, he pledged his personal
credit and mortgaged his farm on Staten Island for £2,000 to meet the
expenses of the expedition then raised.
“On March 23, 1688, he was superseded as Governor by Andros, who was
made Governor General of New England in America, comprising all of
British North America, except Pennsylvania. Dongan was offered the
rank of Major General, which he refused in order to remain in New
York. His homestead was at Hempstead, Long Island. He owned a hunting
lodge on his estates at Castleton, Staten Island, which were named
after his original home; and he had property at Martha’s Vineyard as
well. His city residence was on Broadway, between Maiden Lane and Ann
Street, where his flower garden was a special feature. Between these
places he spent his time, seeking to rebuild his fortune, severely
shattered by his expenditures for the protection of the colony he
loved, until the reins of power fell into the hands of Jacob Leisler,
after the flight of James II to France, when Dongan was hunted as a
rebel and enemy of the new régime, and driven to seek refuge on his
brigantine, on which he kept in hiding in the lower Bay. The winds
being adverse, he was unable to sail away, and flying to New York in
secret, thence to New London, to Hempstead, to New Jersey, and to
Boston the first advocate of popular rights was finally forced to
escape the persecutions of the people, whose liberties he had assured,
by sailing to England in 1691. Never repaid any considerable part of
the fortune he had spent to defend the honor of his country and the
safety of her colony, he died, without issue, December 14, 1715, at
the age of eighty-one years. With him the history of Irish activity in
New York may well be said to begin. While he came here as an official,
he identified himself with the Colony and with the City, and grew so
to love it that no honors appealed to him which involved leaving it.
To have been the means of assisting in conferring upon a people
popular government, civic liberty and religious freedom in an age of
despotism and persecution, is an honor which reflects credit upon the
race to which he belonged, as well as upon himself. He has been
characterized by historians as ‘an excellent and prudent magistrate’
(Winsor); ‘a man of integrity, moderation and genteel manners, who may
be classed among the best of our governors’ (Smith); ‘his firm and
judicious policy, his steadfast integrity and his pleasing and
courteous address soon won the affections of the people and made him
one of the most popular of the Royal governors’ (Booth); ‘of a noble,
praiseworthy mind and spirit’ (Gov. Hinckley); ‘a ruler who for
breadth of mind, wide sympathy and executive ability stands far in
advance of his times and measured by the system of government which he
inaugurated, is easily one of the most attractive and momentous
personages in American Colonial History’ (Driscoll). It is significant
that this great Irish pioneer should have been an office holder, a
tradition which the race did not forget when its hour of opportunity
arrived. It may be said at this time that three other royal governors
of the colony were of Irish birth, the Earl of Bellomont, who served
from 1698, and who was the son of Baron Coote of Colooney; William
Cosby, who arrived August 1, 1732, and who was an Equerry of the
Queen, Colonel of the Royal Irish Regiment and the tenth son of
Alexander Cosby of Stradbally, Queens County; and Sir William Tryon,
the last of the line. But no one of these ever identified himself with
the colony or is to be reckoned with as a constructive force.
“After Dongan departs from the scene, we again have a long period of
silence upon Irishmen in New York. The meagerness of detail as to
anything affecting their names, their activities or their achievements
is disheartening. Much of it may be attributed to the lack of wealth
or social standing upon the part of those who immigrated here in the
end of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth centuries.
Much may be charged to their desire to conceal themselves from
persecution and worse. There must have been refugees here from
Virginia, New England and the Barbadoes, where penal laws were
savagely enforced. Maryland must have furnished its quota when
religious liberty was abolished. But New York seems never to have been
so favorite a resort for the persecuted as Pennsylvania. Then again
many redemptioners must have come here, when their time of service had
expired. These were the immigrants who were unable to pay their
passage and who on arriving were sold for a specified time to those
who would reimburse the ship captain for their carriage.
“In October, 1700, a number of recruits arrived in New York from
Ireland, and one of them, Cottrill, a former ensign in King James’
army, was shot in the Fort here for participation in a mutiny. It is
evident from reading the record that these men had been impressed into
the service and coming here involuntarily, sought freedom on their
arrival. In the answers which Brigadier Hunter sent to Secretary
Popple, August 11, 1720, he wrote: ‘The inhabitants increase day by
day from New England, and of late from the North of Ireland.’
“Among the North of Ireland emigrants to New York are many who figured
prominently in the religious life of the colony. Rev. Charles Inglis,
afterwards Rector of Trinity Church, came here as a missionary in
1759. In 1766 Philip Embury arrived, and helped to found the John
Street Church. He is among the pioneers of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in America. In that year Paul Runkle, Luke Rose, Jacob Heck,
Peter Barkman and Henry Williams, all referred to as Irish Palatines,
landed. Charles White and Richard Sause, prominent in Methodist
circles, came from Dublin in 1766, and later, John McClaskey and Paul
Hick.
“Major Henry Dawson left Dublin in 1760 and resided here for many
years, serving as Clerk of the Common Council for twenty-six years.
“Among the freemen of the city we find the following significant
names: 1740, Bartholomew Ryan; 1741, John Ryan and John Lamb; 1743,
Patrick Phagan, John McGie, John Christie, John Brannigan, John
Connelly, Andrew Cannon, William Blake; 1744, Andrew Carroll, Anthony
Glin; 1745, Benjamin Daly, John Carr, Bryan Nevin; 1746, Donald McCoy,
Hugh Rogers; 1747, Timothy Allan, Hugh Mulligan, James Welch, Hugh
Gill, John McGoers, Jr., Alexander McCoy; 1748, Philip Hogan, Matthew
Morris; 1749, Alexander Connelly, physician. In 1761 the poll list
included seventy-four characteristic Irish names.
“Immigration from Ireland to the colonies in general did not become
noticeable until 1718. It was then a steady influx, though not very
large in numbers, until 1755, when it fell off and remained of less
amount until after the Revolution. At the outset, the Irish families
immigrating were almost entirely Presbyterians. The first Presbyterian
clergyman in New York was Rev. Francis McKemie, born in Ireland, who
arrived here in 1707. He was a brave and fearless man, whose pulpit
utterances led to his trial for libel, upon which he was acquitted.
The large Catholic exodus did not begin until after our Independence
had been achieved. A prominent citizen of New York in the eighteenth
century was Sir Peter Warren, born in County Meath in 1702, and the
uncle of the famous William Johnson, also born in County Meath in
1715, whose life is a romance. Warren was a very heavy real estate
holder in the city, owning 260 acres here, much of his holdings being
of land which since has become enormously valuable. Warren Street is
named after him. He was a prominent social figure in Colonial life.
Among the names of those who were active in commercial life in New
York City, prior to the Revolution, are many Irishmen, who figured as
some of the most successful and reputable merchants of their time.
Such were the two Wallaces, Alexander and Hugh, who were in business
from 1750, Hugh being the second President of the Chamber of Commerce;
Miles Sherbrooke, one of the founders of the Chamber in 1768, and a
member of the Committee of Correspondence, the advance guard of the
Revolution; Patrick McDavitt, an auctioneer in Kings Street, from
1768; Alexander Mulligan, an importer of Irish goods, beef, linen and
other commodities; Hercules Mulligan, a merchant tailor; Oliver
Templeton, an auctioneer; Daniel McCormick, also an auctioneer. During
the time of the Revolution and following it, we find the names of
Michael Connolly, dealer in lumber; William and James Constable, in
the West Indian, China and Indian trade; the Pollocks, Carlisle,
George and Hugh; John Haggerty, an auctioneer; William Edgar; John
Glover; John W. and Philip Kearney, commission merchandise; John and
Nathan McVickar, linen drapers; Alexander McComb, a fur dealer and
then a land speculator, who invested heavily in city real estate; and
Michael Hogan, in the commission and shipping business, who owned, and
in memory of his birthplace in County Clare, named the northern part
of his holdings, Claremont. All these men were representative,
flourishing men, who stood as high in public esteem as any of the
residents of the city of that day. They were all either Irish by birth
or by immediate descent. How many of their poorer fellow-countrymen
were then here we have no means of knowing, but it is significant that
while the Jews had a synagogue here from 1730, there was no Catholic
place of worship from the time when Dongan had Mass said within the
Fort until the year 1786.
“Lieutenant-General John Maunsell was born in 1724, the son of Richard
Maunsell of Limerick, a member of Parliament from 1741 to 1761.
Commissioned as an ensign in 1741, he was at the sieges of Louisburg,
Quebec, Montreal, Martinique and Havana, during which time he rose to
be Captain and finally in 1761 Major of the 60th or Royal Americans.
He was gazetted for gallantry Lieutenant-Colonel of the 83d Regiment
October 31, 1762, and was thereafter transferred to the 27th Foot
(Iniskillings). He had received for his services a grant of land
adjoining Major Skene’s at Whitehall (old Skenesborough). Coming to
New York City, he married for his second wife Elizabeth Stillwell,
widow of Captain Peter Wraxall, at Trinity Church, June 11, 1763. He
lived here with his wife at Greenwich, in the Ninth Ward, in property
belonging to Oliver DeLancey, until he sailed for England with other
loyalists in May, 1775, leaving his wife behind him. Returning for her
in 1776, he then went to Kinsale, in Ireland, where he had received an
appointment which he had requested in order to avoid serving against
the Colonies. October 19, 1781, he was gazetted Major-General on half
pay in the Irish Establishment. Living in London until 1784 he resided
in New York continuously thereafter, his city house being at 11
Broadway. He was made Lieutenant-General October 12, 1793. He owned a
farm of 60 acres on Harlem Heights, between Morris and Watkins places,
the site now being divided by St. Nicholas Avenue. He died July 27,
1795, and was buried in the Bradhurst vault in Trinity Cemetery.
“Another striking figure of pre-Revolutionary days, and an aggressive
if unpopular one, was Hugh Gaine, the printer. And it is strange that
after Bradford and Franklin, the two great figures in the early
history of printing in America should be those of Irishmen—Gaine in
New York and Matthew Carey in Philadelphia. Gaine has been a
much-abused man and was very unpopular during the Revolutionary
period, but he is an example of a successful business man. Born at
Belfast in 1726, he was apprenticed at an early age to James McGee, a
printer there. He emigrated to New York in 1745 ‘without basket or
burden,’ and secured employment with James Parker at wages of $1.25 a
week. He went into the business of bookselling in 1752 in partnership
with William Weyman, a former apprentice of William Bradford. A
characteristic advertisement of the period is the following: ‘To be
sold by Weyman & Gaine at their House on Hunters’ Key, next door but
one to Mr. Perry’s, Watchmaker; Bibles of different Sizes, with and
without the Common Prayer; gilt and plain Common Prayers of most
sorts, Church and Meeting Psalm Books, History of the New Testament,
History of the Five Indian Nations, Account of the Earthquake at Lima,
Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Virgil, Cornelius Nepos, Mariners’ Compasses,
Scales and Dividers, Writing paper by the Quire or Sheet, also choice
good Bonnet Papers.’ On August 3, 1752, Gaine alone commenced the
publication of the _New York Mercury_ at the same store, the
subscription being twelve shillings per year, and advertisements of a
moderate length were published for five shillings each. He sold books
and stationery as well at this time, and his was one of two stores
where theatre tickets were sold. After various migrations the business
was finally located at the Bible and Crown in Hanover Square in 1745.
During a bitter controversy caused by the attempt of the Presbyterians
to curb what they thought was the undue dominance of the
Episcopalians, a letter in the form of a petition ostensibly coming
from the Irish residents in New York, was sent by a committee for
insertion in the _Mercury_, to be published anonymously; but the
letter was in bad English, misspelled and full of ridiculous
exaggerations—all purposely done—and Gaine refused to print it as a
reflection on the Irish nation, of which he was proud. _The Mercury_,
in 1758, in announcing the fall of Louisburg, printed a wood cut
diagram of the fortress—an unusual piece of enterprise for the times.
That printers did not then consider advertising the principal feature
of their papers may be inferred from his apology in an issue of 1759:
‘We hope those of our customers whose advertisements are omitted this
week will not take it amiss, it being occasioned by the agreeable
advice received from the Fleet and Army at Quebec.’ In this connection
it may be noted that in 1755 he had offered for sale ‘A very few brass
mounted Broad Swords, late the property of his Most Christian Majesty;
so that the purchaser, in case of a French war, will have the
advantage of his enemies, as he can encounter them with their own
weapons.’ He offered for sale at various times corkscrews, razors and
wafers; playing cards, blacking balls and liquid blacking; boots,
pumps and shoes; hogs’ fat, shaving soap and German flutes; a parcel
of choice Irish butter, lottery tickets and patent medicines.
[Illustration:
MR. EDMOND J. CURRY.
Of New York City.
A Member of the Society.
]
“Many books issued from his press, including a series of almanacs. But
his bookselling and newspaper furnished his chief source of wealth.
His paper was delivered in the city by messenger. We find him
advertising in 1780: ‘Wanted, a Person that will engage to deliver
this paper to the Customers in Town for twelve months or longer. Good
encouragement will be given. He need not attend more than four hours
every Monday.’ Printing paper being scarce, he continually advertised
for rags to be brought to him for purchase and in 1760 he commenced
advertising in this form: ‘Ready money for clean Linen Rags to be had
at H. Gaines’.’ In 1773 a paper mill was established at Hempstead by
him and two of his friends.
“Among the important printing done by his press was ‘The Votes and
Proceedings of the General Assembly,’ whereof the first volume
appeared in 1764, the second in 1766. Appointed Public Printer by the
colony, January 15, 1768, he also became the official City printer.
General Gage’s famous proclamation of June 12, 1775, was printed by
him, the work being done here that it might remain a secret in Boston
until published. Up to this time Gaine had given every proof of being
in sympathy with the cause of freedom, so that he was forced to fly to
Newark when the British occupied New York in 1776. The authorities
seized his printing plant here and published the _New York Gazette_
therefrom, using his name for a time as proprietor. Tiring of his
exile, he evidently made terms with the invaders, for he returned to
New York and his business was restored to him, the first issue of the
resumed paper dating from November 11, 1776, leaving behind him his
press at Newark, which was promptly seized by the patriots and a paper
printed thereon for some time. From this time on he was a thorough
going Tory, and was the subject of particularly virulent attack from
the Americans, the _Pennsylvania Journal_ in 1777 for example
enquiring: ‘Who is the greatest liar upon earth? Hugh Gaine of New
York.’ But he lived through the turmoil and after freedom was
obtained, he continued doing business. In 1788, against violent
protest, he received the contract for printing the paper money for the
State of New York. He was Treasurer and Vice-President of the St.
Patrick’s Society, a vestryman of Trinity Church and an active Mason.
He owned a country home at Kings Bridge Road, and a large tract of
land at Canajoharie. He bought and sold land in the city, there being
records of twenty-four parcels of land sold by himself or his
executors.
“Gaine died April 27, 1807, at the ripe age of eighty-one, and was
buried in Trinity Churchyard. Two of his children had predeceased him,
and three survived, as well as his second wife. His executors were his
son-in-law, John Kemp, and his friends Richard Harrison and Daniel
McCormick, the latter already referred to. His lines had not fallen in
pleasant places during the Revolution and his abandonment of the
patriot cause was never entirely forgiven, but as a business man his
integrity was never questioned.
“It is not my purpose to refer to Irish activity in the city during
Revolutionary days, for that would be a field worthy of independent
study and treatment. The roll of the martyrs of the _Jersey_ prison
ship, for example, is studded with Irish names. Nor is it pertinent to
our subject, for no pioneers came here then, as the tide of
immigration practically stopped during the war, although it is worthy
of note that Richard Montgomery, destined to undying fame, bought a
farm at Kingsbridge in 1773, and had intended to make this city his
home. He was born at Swords, near Feltrim, Ireland. Like nearly all
the Irish of New York, he did not hesitate a moment before casting his
life and fortune into the balance when the call to arms came.
“But after the declaration of peace the Irish Catholic influx began.
Among those whose names have survived, no one stands higher than
Dominick Lynch. Born in Galway in 1754, he received a thorough
education and went to Bruges in Flanders to open a commercial house,
in which he accumulated a fortune. There he met Don Thomas Stoughton
(afterwards his brother-in-law and Spanish Consul at New York) with
whom he entered into partnership for the establishment of business in
New York. Stoughton came here first, arriving in 1783, and Lynch
followed in 1785, with his fortune in ready money, the largest sum
brought to the colonies in many years. The firm dissolved in 1795.
Lynch lived in luxury, occupying a house on Broadway, near the
Battery, adjoining that of the Spanish Minister. He was a prominent
figure in assisting in the establishment of the first Catholic Church
in New York. Tradition has it that the first Catholic congregation
worshipped in Ann Street, where they were ministered to by Rev.
Ferdinand Farmer, and we find later a record of another composed of
Frenchmen and Spaniards, who met in a building in Warren Street, known
as Vaux Hall, where Rev. Charles Whelan, a Capuchin, was their pastor
in 1784. St. Peter’s Church was incorporated, succeeding them, June
10, 1785. Lynch helped from his private purse to meet their needs and
was one of the trustees and incorporators. He issued an appeal to the
people of Galway for funds to help in building the church, most of the
Irish in the fold coming from that County. He was one of the laymen
authorized by Bishop Carroll to receive subscriptions for the
establishment of Georgetown Academy (now the University) and was one
of the signers of the address on behalf of the Catholics of America to
General George Washington, four being laymen, and Bishop Carroll, the
fifth. One of his sons was baptized in St. Peter’s Church—Alexander
Didacus—born April 23, 1788, and for whom His Excellency Didacus de
Gardoqui, Ambassador of Spain, was a sponsor. He owned two thousand
acres of land adjoining Fort Stanwix on the Mohawk River, where he
laid out a village called Lynchville, which afterwards became the city
of Rome. His county seat was in Westchester County, on the site of the
present Sacred Heart Academy, at Classon-on-the-Sound, said to have
been the place where Mass was first said in that county. He died June,
1825, and was buried in Old Saint Patricks. His son, Dominick, was a
vocalist, musician, musical critic and general society favorite, whose
house was the favored resort of the most brilliant people of his time.
He lived in Greenwich Street, near the Battery, and is thought to have
been instrumental with Lorenzo da Ponte, the librettist of “Don
Giovanni” and “Le Nozze di Figaro,” in having brought to New York the
first Italian Grand Opera troupe under Garcia, when Mme. Malibran
first won success and laid the foundation of her fame.
“Cornelius Heeney, born in Kings County, Ireland, in 1754, was another
contemporaneous successful merchant. He was a bookkeeper for William
Backhous, an English Quaker furrier, at 40 Little Dock (now Water)
Street. John Jacob Astor was a porter and salesman there. When
Backhous retired from business he turned it over to Astor and Heeney,
who afterwards dissolved partnership. He was a very wealthy and a very
charitable man, and his benefactions still continue, through the
agencies he created, to maintain them. He was one of those who took
title to new Saint Patricks, the other being Andrew Morris, a
successful soapmaker, also born in Ireland.