Seventeenth Century Maps that Depict the Pelham Region

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Maps, of course, provide an interesting glimpse of changes within our region since the earliest European explorers began traversing the area and attempting to chart and map it for others to follow.  Dutch and English cartographers began crafting such depictions that included the region around today's Pelham as early as 1614.  

The accuracy and reliability of such maps must be considered with extreme care, however.  Most were drawn and engraved in Holland or England and were crafted by reliance on earlier maps supplemented with interpretations of carefully recorded information from the logs of ships that since had visited the same region.  Indeed, many maps of the New York region included images of Natives, Native canoes and dugouts, Native palisades, and other such cultural resources but placed the locations erroneously.  As one example, some showed birch bark canoes off the shores of Manhattan, an unlikely scenario since the Natives of the region crafted dugout canoes, not birch bark canoes which were far more prevalent near Massachusetts.  

Many, many maps were crafted simply by beginning with a copy of an earlier map.  Thus, errors were repeated over and over in many instances for decades.  Still, much can be learned from reasoned consideration of such maps and the ways they depict particular areas.

Today's Historic Pelham Blog article presents details from a handful of important 17th century maps that included depictions of the region that later became Pelham.  In each instance, the detail is followed by a brief commentary that summarizes a little about the historical significance of the map viz-a-viz the Pelham region.  

There are far too many such 17th century maps to discuss in a single article.  Indeed, some already have been discussed in other Historic Pelham Blog articles.  See, e.g., Mon., Aug. 13, 2018:  There Seems To Be Another Early 17th Century Map that References Siwanoys.  Today's article, however, will begin what is planned as a series of intermittent discussions of such maps in an effort to document such material as it relates to the history of the little Town of Pelham, New York.  Each detail, on which visitors can click to see a higher resolution of the image, is followed by a citation to its source and a link to an image of the full map which, typically, can be magnified to very large size for study.

Detail from "Nova Anglia, Novum Belgium et Virginia + Bermuda majori mole

expressa" (New England, New Netherland, and Virginia, and Bermuda Drawn

on a Larger Scale).  1630.  By Mapmakers Hessel Gerritsz and Ioannes de Laet.

Source:  Christie's, LAET, Johannes de (1593-1649) and Hessel GERRITSZ

(1581-1632). Nova Anglia, Novum Belgium et Virginia.  Leiden, ca 1630.,

(visited Aug. 18, 2018).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

This map is considered a landmark work.  It was prepared in 1630, barely five years after the founding of New Amsterdam and the construction of Fort Amsterdam. The detail above shows the region that became Pelham just left of center.  There are three significant references important to the history of the region.  There is a reference to "Helle gat" (today's Hell Gate where the so-called East River enters Long Island Sound, once a treacherous, boulder infested area where many vessels foundered).  There also is a reference to "Wecké" in the region which clearly is an early reference to Wiechquaeskeck.  The reference may have been a reference to the geographical feature referenced so often as "Wickers Creek" (and by many spelling variants).  However, because other nearby references on the map clearly indicate local Native peoples, this most likely is a reference to the Wiechquaeskeck Natives in the region.  If so, it is significant to note that it is the only such Native reference on the map in the Pelham region -- there is no reference to Siwanoys.  

A third significant aspect of the detail is the reference in the Long Island Sound waters off the shores of the Pelham region to "Aechipelago" (i.e., Archipelago) and the depiction of a host of islands off the shores.  This group of islands clearly would include the myriad such islands, islets, and rocky outcroppings off the shores of Pelham including City Island, Hart Island, Hunter's Island, Travers Island, Davids Island, the Blauzes, the Chimney Sweeps, and dozens of other such islets.

Detail from "Nova Belgica et Anglia Nova." (New Netherland and New

England.) 1635.  By Mapmaker Willem Blaeu.  Source:  "Nova Belgica

et Anglia Nova," New York Public Library Lionel Pincus and Prrincess

Firyal Map Division, Digital Image No. 434101 (visited Aug. 18,

2018).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Though published in 1635, this is an enhanced, engraved, and published version of Adriaen Block's early 1614 manuscript map of New Netherland and New England.  Unlike most of the other maps, this one is oriented with north depicted to the right on the map as seen by the viewer.  

This early map references "Wecke" (i.e., Wiechquaeskecks) roughly in the region of today's Pelham (with no reference in that region to Siwanoys).  The map also shows "Hellegat" and three references in the area to "Archipelagus" (or other spelling variants). 

Detail from "Nova Anglia, Novum Belgium, et Virginia" (New England,

New Netherland, and Virginia).  1636.  By Mapmakers Janssonius

Jansz and Johannes Jan.  Source:  Nova Anglia, Novum Belgium, et

Virginia, New York Public Library, Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal

Map Division, Image ID 484206 (visited Aug. 18, 2018).  NOTE:

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Map collectors refer to this map as the "first state" of Janssoniu (or Jansson) Jansz's printed map plate that clearly was based on the above-referenced 1630 copper plate prepared by cartographer Hessel Gerritsz.  Because the map is based on the earlier 1630 Gerritsz map, the region of today's Pelham references the same three features important to Pelham history:  (1) Wecke; (2) Helle gaet; and (3) Aechipelago.

Detail from "Nova Belgica sive Nieuw Nederlandt." 1656.  Prepared by

Adriaen van der Donck and Included in van der Donck's "Beschryvinge

van Nieuw-Nederlant" Published in 1656.  Source:  "Nova Belgica sive

Nieuw Nederlandt," 1656, John Carter Brown Library Map Collection,

Brown University, Accession No. 02929, File Name 02929-1, Call No.

F656 D678b (visited Aug. 18, 2018).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

This map is fascinating because it was created from a map drawn by Adriaen van der Donck, after whom today's Yonkers is named.  During portions of the 1640s van der Donck owned and developed a vast acreage awarded him by the Director-General and Council at Fort Amsterdam that encompassed a large swath of the southwestern portion of today's lower Westchester County.  Van der Donck actually resided in the region and served as, among other things, a guide and interpreter for the Dutch colonial authorities given his experience with local Natives.

That makes the map detail depicted above quite interesting given that it contains a reference to "Siwanoys" suggesting that a band of local Natives in the region was known as "Siwanoys."  Interestlingly, the map places such "Siwanoys" north and northwest of Stamford rather than in the Pelham region.  

The Pelham region, which is labeled "Freedlant," is shown as populated by the Natives known as "Manhattans" (who also are shown as located on today's Manhattan).  It is known that the Manhattans of the Island of Manhattan and the Wiechquaeskecks of the Bronx and lower Westchester County, both Lenape groups that spoke the Munsee dialect, were close and communicated and traded with one another via a significant trail that became Broadway and Old Boston Post Road.  However, most modern scholars agree that the Manhattans populated the Island of Manhattan while the Wiechquaeskecks populated much of the Bronx, Westchester County, and even southwestern Connecticut.

The map seems to copy other earlier maps in its placement of a reference to "Siwanoys" north of Stamford.  It also includes a reference to "Hellegat."  Though it references "Archipelago" in Long Island Sound well east of Stamford, it shows the Sound as the "Oost Rever" (East River) and depicts many small islands in waters off the shores of Freedlant.  

Detail from "Pas caerte van Nieu Nederlandt en de Engelsche Virginies

van Cabo Cod tot Cabo Canrick"  1666.  By Mapmaker Pieter Groos.

Source:  Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc., "Pas caerte

van Nieu Nederlandt en de Engelsche Virginies van Cabo Cod tot

Cabo Canrick" (visited Aug. 18, 2018).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

This detail immediately above is from a significant 17th century Dutch map that illustrates the Atlantic coast of America from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras with, of course, an emphasis on the Dutch Colony of New Netherland.  Cartographer Pieter Goos published the map in De Zee Atlas ofter Water-Weereld, first published by Goos in 1666.  

There are a number of notable features in the region that became today's Pelham depicted on this map.  First, it once again includes a reference to "Hellegat" (similar to the earlier-referenced 'Helle gaet" references described above.  It also references the Pelham region as "Freedlant," a Dutch term that translates very roughly as "Freedom Land."  Not only did the Dutch know today's Pelham region as Freedlandt (with many variant spellings reflected in 17th century records) but also in the 1960s a massive amusement park operated in the same area (including the area where today's Co-op City stands) that was named "Freedom Land."  Additionally, it shows the Long Island Sound off of Pelham shores as "Oost Rivier" (i.e., "East River").  Finally, this map shows the "Archipelago" as an area of islands off Connecticut shores, although it continues to show many small, untitled islands and islets off the shore of "Freedlant."

 Detail from "Pas caerte van Nieu Nederlandt en de Engelsche Virginies : van

Cabo Cod tot Cabo Canrick" (Later Edition, 1676, of Map by Pieter Goos first Published

in 1666).  Source:  Pas caerte van Nieu Nederlandt en de Engelsche Virginies :

van Cabo Cod tot Cabo Canrick, New York Public Library Lionel Pincus and 

Princess Firyall Map Division, Digital Image No.  433976 (visited Aug. 18, 2018).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

This detail from a 1676 edition of a map first published by cartographer Pieter Groos in 1666 (see above) includes two interesting elements depicted in the region that became today's Pelham.  First, it once again includes a reference to "Hellegat" (similar to the earlier-referenced 'Helle gaet" references described above.  It also references the Pelham region, once again, as "Freedlant."

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A 17th Century Book Reference to "Siwanois" Natives in the Region of Today's Pelham

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Research has revealed an early 17th century book that refers to "Siwanois" as natives that "dwell along the coast for eight leagues, to the neighborhood of Hellegat."  The area referenced in the book includes the region that later became today's Pelham and Pelham Bay Park.  

This fascinating reference may be added to the various editions of a number of 17th century maps that also included references to "Siwanoys" and "Siwanois" in various areas including the area north of today's Stamford, Connecticut and the area of northeast Massachusetts.  See Mon., Aug. 13, 2018:  There Seems To Be Another Early 17th Century Map that References Siwanoys.  Today's Historic Pelham Blog article describes and quotes the 17th century resource and addresses whether this reference disproves the conclusions that the local Natives who sold land to Thomas Pell were Wiechquaeskecks and that there were no Natives who should properly be known as "Siwanoys."

In 1625 a large folio volume in Dutch written by Ioannes de Laet (also, Johannes De Laet) was published by the "Printing House" of Isaack Elzevier in Leyden.  (Today's Leyden is in the Province of South Holland, Netherlands).  De Laet's work was entitled "Nieuvve Wereldt, Ofte, Beschrijvinghe van West-Indien Wt veelderhande schriften ende aen-teeckeninghen van verscheyden natien by een versamelt door Ioannes de Laet; ende met noodighe kaerten ende tafels voorsien."  Roughly translated, the book was entitled "New world, or, Description of West-India collected out of various writings and notes from various nations by Johannes de Laet, and provided with needful maps and tables."  

 

Title Page of "Nieuvve Wereldt, Ofte, Beschrijvinghe van West-Indien

Wt veelderhande schriften ende aen-teeckeninghen van verscheyden

natien by een versamelt door Ioannes de Laet" Published in 1625.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Johannes De Laet, born in 1582, was a director in the Amsterdam Chamber of the Dutch West India Company from the first organization of the firm until his death on December 15, 1649.  De Laet was passionately interested in geography and "was one of the chief workers for the [Leyden Printing House] of Elzevier in the composition of their popular series of manuals sometimes called Respublicae Elzevirianae, writing some eight or nine little volumes on the geography and government of as many different countries."  See Jameson, J. Franklin, Narratives of New Netherland 1609-1664, p. 31 (NY, NY:  Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909).  Although De Laet "seems never to have visited America," id., p. 32, he had not only a geographical interest, but also a personal interest in New Netherland.  According to Jameson:

"De Laet's most direct interest in New Netherland arose some years after he had published the first edition of the New World.  In 1630, soon after the institution of the system of patroonships, he became a partner in the abortive Dutch settlements on either side of Delaware Bay, and in the more permanent patroonship of Rensselaerswyck."  Id.

De Laet's folio on the "New World" published in 1625 was divided into fifteen "books."  Book III dealt with "Virginia" and included chapters 7 through 11 that dealt with New Netherland.  Chapter 8 was entitled "Situation of the Coast of of New Netherland from Pye Bay to the Great River of Mountains."  Pye Bay was a Dutch reference to a feature near Marblehead, Massachusetts.  The "Great River of Mountains" was a Dutch reference to the Hudson River.  Within this description of the northeastern coast between today's Marblehead, Massachusetts and today's Upper New York Bay off the tip of Manhattan was a description of the coastal area between Hell Gate below today's City Island and the Four Mile and Quinipiac Rivers in Connecticut.  Within the description of that area appears the following reference, as translated and published in 1909 by J. Franklin Jameson:

"Four leagues further to the west there lies a small island, where good water is to be found; and four leagues beyond that are a number of islands, so that Captain Adriaen Block gave the name of Archipelagus to the group.  The great bay is there about four leagues wide.  There is a small stream on the main that does not extend more than half a league in from the shore, when it becomes perfectly dry.  The natives here are called Siwanois, and dwell along the coast for eight leagues, to the neighborhood of Hellegat."

Source:  Jameson, J. Franklin, Narratives of New Netherland 1609-1664, p. 44 (NY, NY:  Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909) (reference appears in Book III, Ch. on "Virginia," p. 86, in original 1625 De Laet folio).

 

Detail from Book III, p. 86 of  de Laet, Ioannes, Nieuvve Wereldt, Ofte,

Beschrijvinghe van West-Indien Wt veelderhande schriften ende

aen-teeckeninghen van verscheyden natien by een versamelt door

Ioannes de Laet; ende met noodighe kaerten ende tafels voorsien

Leyden, Netherland:  Elzevier, 1625).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Red Arrow Points to Reference to "Siwanois" on Original Page.

An immediate reaction to this reference may suggest to some that de Laet, who seems never to have visited New Netherland, had some knowledge from some unidentified source that the Natives in the coastal region that includes today's Pelham and Pelham Bay Park were known as "Siwanoys."  The reference does not, however, rise to the level of primary source evidence that there were Natives in the Pelham region that referenced themselves, and were referenced by others at the time, as "Siwanoys."

First, in both the 1625 edition and a 1630 edition of the same folio, de Laet included an assertion that among the Natives that inhabited an area along the "South River" (known today as the Delaware River) was a group named the "Sauwanoos."  See Jameson, J. Franklin, Narratives of New Netherland 1609-1664, p. 52 n.3 & p. 53 (NY, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909). This reference to "Sauwanoos" along the Delaware River joins 17th century map references to "Siwanoys" north of today's Stamford and to "Siwanois" in the northeastern part of today's Massachusetts as well as the earlier-described de Laet book reference to "Siwanois" near Hell Gate.  These four Siwanoy references tied to widely-disparate geographic locations together suggest either mistakes due to reliance on uninformed and inaccurate map references or -- more likely -- mapmakers' (and, perhaps, others') mistaken use of Native descriptive phrases intended to apply across different groups of Natives as though such descriptive phrases were the tribal names of the various groups of Natives.  (See below.)  

Second, others who have considered the matter closely likewise have rejected the notion that de Laet's work published in 1625 supports the existence of a group of Natives properly known as "Siwanoys."  For example, in his recent book on Wiechquaeskeck Natives, John Alexander Buckland argues extensively that "Siwanoy" was a descriptive term that meant the people who make wampum in this place.  He devotes a chapter in his book to the argument and begins as follows:  "Siwanoy means 'the place of sewan-making,' or 'the people who make sewan at this place.'  Sewan means 'wampum,' or 'shell beads.'  Oy, ois, or og means 'place.' There were Siwanoy all along the shore on both sides of Long Island Sound, in Delaware and in Massachusetts, north of Boston, when the Europeans arrived."  Buckland, John Alexander, The First Traders on Wall Street: The Wiechquaeskeck Indians of Southwestern Connecticut in the Seventeenth Century, p. 65 (Westminster, MD: Heritage Books, 2009).  He further notes:

"It is very probable that, about 1630, someone charting the shore asked the people there the name of their tribe, through an interpreter.  The two languages were vastly different in grammar and structure, and the question was understood as 'who are you?'  The answer was simply 'Siwanoy,' the people who make sewan. . . . Use of the name Siwanoy was not unique to the north shore of Long Island Sound in early accounts.  Johan de Laet (deLaet: 53) mentioned the Sawanoos [sic] on Long Island [sic] in 1609.  Adraien Block's 1614 map of northeastern Massachusetts has Sywanois there.  That simply means that they also made wampum on Long Island and in northeastern Massachusetts.  The name also turned up on maos of Delaware.  Various early spellings of Siwanoy included:  Sewonkeeg, Siwanoos, Siwanois, Sywanois, and Siwanog."

Source:  id., p. 66.

Third and most significantly, research has not revealed even one New Netherland or New England colonial document that uses the term "Siwanoy" or any spelling variant of it as the name of an identifiable group of Natives in the region of today's Pelham or elsewhere.

Despite the single reference in De Laet's 17th century book indicating that coastal Natives near Hell Gate were named "Siwanois," no primary evidence supports the assertion.  De Laet certainly was mistaken. 

*          *          *          *          *

"CHAPTER 8

Situation of the Coast of of New Netherland from Pye Bay to the Great River of Mountains. . . . 

"Pye Bay is perhaps that of Marblehead, Massachusetts."  [NOTE:  The "Great River of Mountains" was how the Dutch, who came from a flat sea-level nation, first described the Hudson River in the earliest years of the 17th Century.  Thus, what follows is a relevant portion of a chapter that describes the northeast coastline from today's Marblehead, Massachusetts to New York Harbor and Upper New York Bay.]

[Page 43]

Next, on the same south coast, succeeds a river named by our countrymen Fresh River, 3 which is shallow at its mouth, and lies between two courses, north by east and west by north; but according to conjecture, its general direction is from north-northwest.  In some places it is very shallow, so that at about fifteen leagues up the river there is not much more than five feet of water.  There are few inhabitants near the mouth of the river, but at the distance of fifteen leagues above they become numerous; their nation is called Sequins.  From this place the river stretches ten leagues, mostly in a northerly direction, but is very crooked; the reaches extend from northeast to southwest by south, and it is impossible to sail through them all with a head wind.  The depth of water varies from eight to twelve feet, is sometimes four and five fathoms, but mostly eight and nine feet.  The natives there plant maize, and in the year 1614 they had a village resembling a fort for protection against the attacks of their enemies.  They are called Nawaas, and their sagamore was then named Morahieck.  They term the bread made of maize in their language, leganick.  This place is situated in latitude 41° 48'.  The river is not navigable with yachts for more than two leagues farther, as it is very shallow and has a rocky bottom.  Within the land dwells another nation of savages, who are called Horikans; they descend the river in canoes made of bark  This river has always a downward current, so that no assistance is drived from it in going up, but a favorable wind is necessary.  

From Fresh River to another called the river of Royenberch, 4 it is eight leagues, west by north and east by south; this stream 

[Page 44]

stretches east-northeast, and is about a bow-shot wide, with a depth of three and a half fathoms at high water.  It rises and falls about six feet; a southeast by south moon causes high water at its mouth.  The natives who dwell here are called Quiripeys.  They take many beavers, but it is necessary for them to get into the habit of trade, otherwise they are too indolent to hunt the beaver.

Four leagues further to the west there lies a small island, where good water is to be found; and four leagues beyond that are a number of islands, so that Captain Adriaen Block gave the name of Archipelagus to the group.  The great bay is there about four leagues wide.  There is a small stream on the main that does not extend more than half a league in from the shore, when it becomes perfectly dry.  The natives here are called Siwanois, and dwell along the coast for eight leagues, to the neighborhood of Hellegat.  At the entrance of this bay, as we have already mentioned, are situated several islands, or broken land, on which a nation of savages have their abode, who are called Matouwax; they obtain a livelihood by fishing within the bay; whence the most easterly point of the land received from our people the name of Fisher's Hook and also Cape de Baye. 1  This cape and Block Island are situated about four leagues apart, in a course east by north and west by south."

[Page 43, Footnote 3 Reads:  "3 Four Mile River."]

[Page 43, Footnote 4 Reads:  "4 Quinipiac River, near New Haven."]

[Page 44, Footnote 1 Reads:  "1 Montauk Point."]

Source:  Jameson, J. Franklin, Narratives of New Netherland 1609-1664, pp. 43-44 (NY, NY:  Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909) (Includes an English translation of those portions of de Laet's "New World" relating to New Netherland as one of a series of "Original Narratives of Early American History Reproduced Under the Auspices of the American Historical Association").   

"CHAPTER 11

Further Description of the Coast to the Second Great River, and from thence to Latitude 38°, [and what the free Netherlanders have done there]. . . . 

"Ed.  1630, which, at the passage below relating to Indian tribes, reads:  'On this South River dwell divers nations of savages, namely, the Sauwanoos, Naraticons, Ermonmex, Sankicans.  TheMinquaas, Capitanasses, Gacheos, Sennecaas, Canomakers, Konekotays, Matanackouses, Armeomecks, etc., dwell further inland and upon another river. . . ."

Source:  Jameson, J. Franklin, Narratives of New Netherland 1609-1664, p. 52 n.3 (NY, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909) (Includes an English translation of those portions of de Laet's "New World" relating to New Netherland as one of a series of "Original Narratives of Early American History Reproduced Under the Auspices of the American Historical Association").

"CHAPTER 11

Further Description of the Coast to the Second Great River, and from thence to Latitude 38°, [and what the free Netherlanders have done there]. . . . 

"Within this bay is the other large river, called the South River, of which we have spoken in the seventh chapter; and several smaller streams. . . which I shall omit to describe as their true bearing and situation have not reached me, although some of our navigators are well acquainted with these rivers, which they discovered and have visited for several years.  Several nations of savages inhabit the banks of these rivers, namely, the Sauwanoos, Sanhicans, Minquaas, Capitanasses, Gacheos, Sennecaas, Canomakers, Naratekons, Konekotays, Matanackouses, Armeomecks, etc., nearly all of whom are of the same character and condition as those we have already described.  They plant the land and have much maize, beans, and whatever else the other natives possess."

Source:  Jameson, J. Franklin, Narratives of New Netherland 1609-1664, pp. 52-53 (NY, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909) (Includes an English translation of those portions of de Laet's "New World" relating to New Netherland as one of a series of "Original Narratives of Early American History Reproduced Under the Auspices of the American Historical Association").

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