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- "Whereas we have certain information that some foreigners have come on Long Island into Marten Gerritsen's bay and Schout's bay, which are the Hon. West India Company's lands, under the authority of the High and Mighty Lords the States-General, and there thrown down the arms of the Lords States, and settled and cultivated the soil, we therefore send you, Secretary Cornelis van Teinhoven, thither, with the under-sheriff, the Sargeant and three and twenty men to inquire into the state of the matter, and you shall regulate yourself as follows:" "New York Historical Manuscripts, Dutch, Translated and Edited with Added Indexes, Coucil Minutes 1638-1649." Vol. IV. Kenneth Scott and Ken Stryker-Rodda, under the Direction of the Holland Society of New York, Volume IV. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1974..
You shall endeavor to arrive there unexpectedly; 'twill be best, in our opinion, at the break of day, and to surround the English there and prevent the use of any force of arms; and you shall forthwith, inquire who has knocked down the arms, and who have them commission to do so, and constraint them to come here and defend themselves. If they refuse, then you shall set about, by force, to bind and bring them hither, taking an inventory of their goods and making out in writing a careful report of all that has occurred and been done by you; you shall also prevent the soldiers committing any excess, and in case the Indians themselves have removed the arms, and the English are innocent of the matter and willing to depart in your presence, it would not be unwise to let them do so quietly; then, the chiefs of the Indians must be taken prisoners and brought hither, and, in all cases, it will also be necessary that you take the Indians with you. And if it happens that so many additional English have come (which we do not anticipate) as to prevent you being able to cope with them, you shall make a strong protest against such proceedings, have it served and come back, taking care, above all things, to avoid all bloodshed.
Thus done in our council the 13th of May 1640. Ibid.
Anno 1640, the 14th May, the secretary and five and twenty soldiers, departed with the preceding instructions from Fort Amsterdam, and on the 15th at break of day arrived at the place where the English had taken up Thier abode, finding there a small house built by them and another not yet finished. They were first asked what they were doing there; by what power or by whose authority they presumed to settle on our purchased soil, and told that they must show their commission. Eight men, one woman and a little child made answer that they intended to plant there and were authorized thereto by a Scotchman who had gone with their commission to the Roode berch. Secondly they were asked, for what reason did they throw down their High Mightinesses' arms and set up a fool's face instead. To which some answered: "The arms were put down by a person who is not present. Another answered that "Such was done in their presence by order of a Scotchman, and the man who did it was at the Rode berch." Hereupon six men were brought to Fort Amsterdam, leaving two men and one woman and a child on the ground to take care of their goods; they arrived on the 15th of May 1640. Examination of divers Englishmen taken on Long Island.
On the 16th May 1640, at the house of the honorable director of New Netherlands, the following six persons examined, to wit, one of whom was JON FARRINGTON, and questioned as follows:
Where were you born?
Answer: In Bockingamshier.
How old is he?
Answer: Twenty-four years.
Who brought them there, and who was their leading that conveyed them thither, and what did they intend to do there, and how many persons are to come there?
Answer: Lietenant Houw, with Mr. Foret's permission, brought them to where they intended to plant; it was intended that 20 families should come, and if the land was good they expected a great many people.
Were they to settle under English or Scotch rule?
Answer: English, and they have acknowledged Lord Sterling for their Lord; and if 'twere found that the land belonged to the States they would have been subject to them.
Where did he live in New England? Did they come there with the knowledge and consent of Mr. Winthrop, the Governor of the Bay?
Answer: At Lin, in Matetusje's Bay, eight miles from Boston, and he understood so.
Did he not see the arms of the States?
Answer: Saw them when brought on board. Does he not know who tore them down and conveyed them on board?
Answer: Lieutenant Houw and Mr. Forest brought them on board and he understood that they had torn them off.
Does he not know who carved the fool's face on the tree in the stead of the arms?
Answer: Does not know that any of his people did it.
Declares this to be true and truthful and confined the same on oath before the honorable director. JON FARRINGTON.
Others questioned were; "Jop Cears, George Wilbe, Philip Cartelyn, Nathaniel Cartclandt, Willem Harker." It was resolved in council inasmuch as the six Englishmen who were brought in were found not to be guilty of having torn down the arms of the Lords States, to discharge them from confinement and to set them at liberty, on condition that they promised to depart forthwith from "our territory, and never to return to it without the director's express consent; whereto they shall be obliged to pledge themselves in writing." 19th of May anno 1640.
In 1640 Jon Farrington answered that he was age 24, born at Buckinghamshire, England, which would make him born in 1616. On the passenger list, John Farrington, son of Edmond Farrington, was listed as 11, born 1624.
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1624 - 1666 (42 years)