THE TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT. 509 



He emigrated to New York, which was then under the Dutch govern- 

 ment, but in what year I am not informed."* " Being a man of talent 

 and enterprise he quitted his trade and became a successful merchant." 



According to another account the Philipses on leaving, "brought all 

 their servants, furniture and all their property with the consent of their 

 Prince from Germany, which, at that time all must do, unless their 

 names had been disgraced. Some years ago the pass that was given, 

 written on parchment and sealed with the Royal arms, was in possession 

 of the family in this country." The same account adds " that General 

 Redhesel had seen the parchment that had been given by the Prince as 

 his leave to quit the German dominions and he said he must have been 

 a man in high favor with him to have leave and to bring all his effects 

 away likewise" — MSS. relating to Pedigree of the Philipse family be- 

 longing to the late Frederick Philipse of Philips town, Putnam County, 

 New York. 



The Christian name Vreedryk* 5 is of Dutch origin and means literally 

 "peace rich," or "rich in peace,"* 7 in aUusion probably to the bitter 

 sufferings of former days, as well as the present enjoyment of religious 

 peace. The surname Felypsen is a patronymic from Philip — the F for 

 the PH, and the ij for the single Y; hence the English substitute, 

 Frederick Philipse, which at an early period became the adopted name 

 of the family, the Dutch termination se or sen, meaning in English son. 

 Vrederyck therefore the son of Felyp. Besides their high rank as 

 nobles, they appear also to have held the office of Grand Veneurs, or 

 keepers of the deer forests in Bohemia ; as there is still preserved in 

 the family the collar and badge of office, consisting of a gold chain set 

 with amethysts, diamonds, rubies and emeralds to which was suspended 

 a deer beautifully chased in gold.^ 



In what year Frederick Philipse left Friesland does not appear ; but 

 it was not in 1658, as some accounts state, for he was in New Amster- 

 dam in 1653, when we find him named as an appraiser of a house and 

 lot of Augustine Hermans in that city. If he came over with Governor 

 Stuyvesant, as it is asserted and as it is not impossible, then he arrived 

 here in May, 1647/ But soon after his arrival, whenever that occurred, 



a Mem. of the Philipse family from MSS. in hand-writing of John Jay, Miscel. works of 

 Gen. De Peyster. 



b Vrederyck Felypsen is equivalent to Frederyk Flypsen. 



c In German, peace is friede and rich is reich ; the compound therefore in that language 

 would be Friedreich. 



d This badge of office was last seen in possession of Miss Susan Robinson, sister of CoL 

 Beverly Robinson. 



e Mem. of the Long Island Hist. Soc. vol. I, Journal of a voyage to New York in 1674-80., 

 Brooklyn, 1867. The above account represents Philipse " as a carpenter by trade and worked 

 as such at first for Gov. Stuyvesant." If this be correct it had nothing to do with his early 

 origin.— [Editor. 



