16G1.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 79 



The Dutch having got into difficulties with tlie Esopus Indians 

 on the North River, sent to the Swedes and Finns tor recruits. 

 They couhl not he persuaded to go to Esopus as soldiers ; though 

 " they wouhl not be unwilling, provided tlwii coidd remain there 

 in peace with the savages.''^ The sheriff, Van Dyck, and some 

 of the commissaries, are accused with discouraging, and actually 

 preventing, some individuals from emigrating to Esopus. 



Miss Printz, instead of her recognitions, (taxes) requests per- 

 mission to make payment in a fat o.x, fat hogs, bread and corn.^ 



The seat of justice for the company s jurisdiction was at Altona, 

 ■where annually three or four courts were held "as circumstances 

 might reiiuire." Among the Finns was a married couple who 

 lived together in constant strife, the wife being daily beaten and 

 "often expelled from the house like a dog."^ A divorce was 

 solicited by the priest, the neighbors, the sheriff and commissaries, 

 on behalf of these parties, and that their small property and 

 stock be divided between them. The matter was referred to the 

 Governor, but the result is not known. As the parties were 

 Finns, they probably resided in the vicinity of Marcus Hook. 



The Swedish priest had married a young couple against their 

 parents' consent, and without ^/u' usual proclamations, for which 

 he was fined 50 guilders. Olojf Stille was suspected by Beek- 

 man of having "arrogated to himself to qualify the priest,'" to 

 officiate at the marriage, for which Oloff opposed him pretty 

 warmly at court, denying Beekman's right to meddle with the 

 affair, that being the province of the Swedish consistory. Even 

 in a case of assault and battery committed on the Swedish priest, 

 the jurisdiction of the court was questioned.^ 



About this time, mention is made of Israel Helm carrying on 

 trade at Passayung. He took a prominent part in the transac- 

 tions on the river till some time after the arrival of Penn. 



Beekman becomes alarmed in consequence of a threatened war 

 between the Indians and the English of Maryland, and is appre- 

 hensive that the savages will again claim and take possession of 

 these laniJs, or that tliey will be eventually settled ivith English 

 and Swedes. 



During the early part of 1661, Oloff Stille, one of the commis- 

 saries, with a few Finns, visited Mar^-land for the purpose of 

 taking up land and emigrating there in the spring. Not finding 

 their friends on Sassafras river in the satisfactory condition they 

 expected, the project was abandoned, and Stille on his return, 

 expressed the opinion that many, if not all the Finns, then re- 



1 Beekman's letter, Ilaz. Ann. .309. 



2 Acrelius has understood this as an annual bounty to Mrs. Papegoya, on account 

 of her poverty, evidently a mistake. See p. A2i. 



3 D'liinuyosa's <fe Beekman's letter, Haz. Ann. 310, as quoted from the Albany Rec. 

 xvii. 51. « lb. 



