NEW YORK CITY TIMELINE / 1710 - 1714

1710

Jun 14

The colony’s new Royal governor Robert Hunter arrives in New York City, bringing 3,000 Palatine Germans from Europe to produce naval stores. They will move up the Hudson to the Schoharie region later in the year.

Sep 13

Rabbi Abraham DeLucena petitions New York governor Hunter, to exempt him, as a minister, from bearing any civilian or military office in the city, as was done for previous leaders of his church.

City

German-born John Peter Zenger arrives. He will apprentice to the city's official printer William Bradford, at the New York Gazette. ** Jacobus Van Cortlandt is appointed mayor. ** The approximate date judge John Chambers is born. ** Constable Thomas Tourneau dies, in his mid-forties (exact birth and death dates unknown).

Queens

The approximate date a dormered house is built in the future Ridgewood neighborhood by Paulus Vander Ende.

1711

Jun 28

Bateaux are built in New York City, for a planned invasion of Canada.

Jul 2

The General Assembly meets in New York, issues bills of credit for £25,000 toward Canadian invasion expenses.

City

Caleb Heathcote is appointed mayor; serves to 1714. ** Zenger goes to work as an apprentice in the 81 Pearl Street shop of printer William Bradford, publisher of the New York Gazette. ** A law is passed limiting the indenture of servants to seven years. ** A slave market is opened near the eastern end of Wall Street.

London

Parliament establishes a postal system for British colonies, with a deputy postmaster in New York City.

1712

Apr 7

Newly-arrived African Slaves revolt in New York City, killing eight whites and injuring over twenty others.

Apr 12

Twenty-one blacks are burned or hanged after the slave revolt. Six others are recaptured. Legislation will be passed later in the year to tighten controls.

City

Population 5,840. ** Cato, a South Carolina former slave who bought his freedom with proceeds from his cooking skills, opens Cato’s Road House, at the intersection of the Boston Post Rod’s East 51st and 52nd streets.

Boston

The approximate date Scotch Presbyterian minster Dr. John Nicoll, future pastor of a New York City congregation, arrives here.

1713

City

John Wise publishes Churches Quarrel Espoused, justifying Congregationalism. ** A dispute breaks out among members of Christ Church during an assembly, over a certificate of good behavior for curate Francis Philips, to be sent to Philadelphia’s Church of England. Reverend William Vesey has the dissidents on the vestry board replaced. ** The first excise tax is imposed.

1714

Feb 13

Carpenter James Lee (Leigh) and his wife visit New York’s Trinity Church’s sexton William Dobbs before noon, don’t leave until 8 in the evening. Lee notices Dobbs has a scratch on his hand, which Dobbs claims he doesn’t know how he got. Trinity Church is broken into by someone in the evening who desecrates vestments and scatters books in the churchyard.

Feb 15

Trinity sexton William Dobbs testifies before the city council, recounts finding the vandalism at the church early the previous morning. The council examines more witnesses. Aldermen and justices of the peace John Cruger and Abraham Wandell testify that they examined other witnesses. No conclusions are reached. Trinity rector Vesey petitions the council to protect him and the church, detailing the desecration, and pointing out that he has learned from undersheriff Barnes that “a person or persons at the house of Robert Drummond” had threatened mischief against Vesey. The council calls for depositions from Barnes, Garrat van Iaar, Jane van Iaar, and Mary Guest. ** Church officers, lead by Gualtherus Du Bois, offer a £15 reward for information on the perpetrators. ** Justina Lee (Leigh) and Catherine Dobbs make their depositions, backing Dobbs. The council clears Dobbs of any suspicion.

Feb 16

The ministers and elders of New York’s Reformed Protestant French church inform the city council they will put up a reward of £10 for the perpetrator of the Trinity sacrilege.

Feb 17

The council examines Robert and Anne Drummond, merchant Richard Willett and Thomas Fell. Drummond testifies that he was visited by a Lawence Smith at the end of last December who told Mrs. Drummond’s nurse, a Quaker, that he’d convert to her religion for 20 shillings, being disgusted with Vesey after the minister said it was better that the wife of a Lieutenant Riggs should lose her baby than a member of the congregation (Governor Hunter?) should suffer. Mrs. Drummond confirms her husband’s testimony in a separate deposition. Willet attests to hearing John Graham cursing out Mr. Vesey around Christmas time at the coffee house.

Feb 19

Trinity Church officers write to the city council, calling for a pardon to be given to any offender against the church who will turn in his fellow "mockers & scoffers of Religion". The church offers to contribute £30 toward expenses.

Mar 3

New York royal governor Robert Hunter issues a proclamation offering a £55 reward for anyone identifying those who defiled Trinity Church. If they were involved they will be granted a pardon as well as the reward.

City

John Johnson is appointed mayor, serves to 1719. ** The cost of liquor licenses is raised to thirty shillings.

Theater

Androboros, the first play written and printed in the colonies, is published by Governor Hunter.

© 2011 David Minor / Eagles Byte