THE FOUNDERS OF NEW AMSTERDAM 217 



World," the gift of France to the Uuited States nearly 



two and a half centuries later. From the outstretched Liberty 



arm of that figure gleams the light that illuminates the the worid"^ 



harbour, typical of the light of religious liberty which 



the persecuted of all lands were here to enjoy. 



The French did not confine themselves to the town of 

 New Amsterdam entirely, but formed settlements on 

 Staten Island, the upper end of Manhattan, Long Island, 

 and in Westchester County. 



Staten Island, in the bay of New York, was one of their French on 

 favourite asylums. ^ ' It might properly have been called island 

 Huguenot Island." A considerable number of refugees 

 settled there in 1657, locating their dwellings near the 

 site of the present town of Richmond. The names of 

 Guion, Dissosway, Bedell, Fontaine, Reseau, La Tourette, 

 Rutan, Puillon, Mercereau, La Conte, Butten, Mancey, 

 Perriu, Larselene, De Pue, Corssen, Martineau, Tuenire, 

 Morgan, Le Guine, and Jouerney, have been preserved. 

 Like the descendants of the emigrants to Ulster County, 

 the progeny of the refugees to Staten Island still occupy, 

 in many cases, the land held by their ancestors. The 

 number of the island colony was constantly increased by 

 the coming of little grouj)s of refugees. Any complete- 

 ness of record is out of the question, but it is possible to 

 add a few names to the above list. In 1662 came Pierre 

 Martin, Gerard Ive, and Juste Grand ; the year following, 

 Jerome Bovie, Pierre None, and Pierre Parmentier had 

 the distinction of arriving on a vessel called the Spotted 

 Cow. 



IV 



At the period just preceding the Revocation, and 

 especially during the few years following that royal in- increasing 

 vitation to exile, the emigration to New York was greatly 

 accelerated. From France direct, from England, from 

 the Antilles, the refugees came in a steady stream to the 

 growing metropolis which afforded them all a welcome. 

 It would neither be desirable nor j)0ssible to recount the 



Numbers 



