“With this in mind, before I take my seat let me propose to you a toast: ‘The Irish American of today, and the Irish American to come. May they honor and reverence the memory of their forerunners by bringing the splendor of their courage, the generosity of their devotion and the keenness of their intellect to the perpetuation of the government which the fathers founded, embodying, as it does, liberty restrained from license, government, both national and local, with limited and defined powers in the continued existence of which our future of peace and prosperity are bound up and in whose perpetuation the hopes of all mankind who value true liberty are so intimately involved.’”
Mr. Justice White’s eloquent and graceful address received the closest attention, and great applause and cheering followed the stirring toast at the end.
President-General Quinlan: “Ladies and Gentlemen, some time ago I was present at an entertainment where the orator of the occasion bore an international reputation. The chairman of the evening took an hour and a quarter to introduce the gentleman, but his speech lasted only a quarter of an hour. Now I could take an hour and a half to introduce the next speaker to you, but I will just announce his name, the Hon. Victor J. Dowling, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, who will respond to the toast “Irish Pioneers in New York.””
Judge Dowling said:
“While we know that an Irishman was in Columbus’ crew on his first voyage to the New World, we have no means of ascertaining whether any of his countrymen were on the ships of either Verrazano, Gomez or Hudson, upon the first three occasions when the Bay of New York was seen by Europeans. The mystery which has enveloped the early life of Hudson and which shrouded his end surrounds as well many of the details of his memorable cruise. We do know that besides the captain there were but two aboard that vessel out of its total equipment of from sixteen to twenty men who spoke English—Robert Juet of Limehouse, England, the captain’s clerk, who kept the journal of the voyage, and one John Colman, a sailor, referred to as an Englishman by Juet, but who may have been of Irish descent. He was evidently an experienced seafaring man and a follower of Hudson’s, for in the first known reference to the latter, which is the record of his voyage of discovery for the Muscovy Company, April 19, 1607, in search of a passage by way of the North Pole to Japan and China, Colman was one of the sailors. As Hudson passed the Highlands of Navesink September 1, 1609, and entered the lower bay, he was so impressed with its beauty that he described it as ‘a very good land to fall in with, and a pleasant land to see.’ On September 6 a boat’s crew was dispatched from the ship and, entering and passing the Narrows, beheld the first view of Manhattan Island. The land encircling the bay was covered with trees, grass and flowers and the air was filled with delightful fragrance. On their return the crew were attacked by Indians in two canoes, and John Colman was killed by an arrow piercing his throat—the first blood offering to the approaching civilization which was to revolutionize the hitherto peaceful scene.
“While the Dutch occupation of New Amsterdam continued, we find no positive traces of Irish names or inhabitants, save in two instances. One is the mention of the Irishman from Virginia who went to confession to Father Jogues in 1643, while the latter was temporarily sojourning in the town after his rescue by the Dutch from the hands of the Indians, and who advised the latter of the presence of Jesuit fathers in Virginia. The other is the name, several times appearing, of ‘Thomas, the Irishman,’ concerning whom I have been able to collect many scattered items. His real name was Thomas Lewis, although he is to be found referred to at various times as ‘Thomas, the Irishman,’ ‘the Irishman,’ and Lodewycksen or Lodewycksz, as well as by his proper name. He was the captain of one of Director Stuyvesant’s war yachts, which served for a dispatch-boat as well.
“His was an interesting career, and I am glad to be able to present some of its salient features, which may enjoy at least the merits of novelty. He was born in Belfast, and becoming involved in the Cromwellian wars, his family was dispersed, his two sisters first flying to Holland for refuge, where they afterwards died. They were followed by Lewis, who upon their death applied to the West India Company at Amsterdam and was by them sent to New York. In the Directors’ letter to Director Stuyvesant and his Council (June 14, 1656), they notify the latter: ‘In the ship Blauwe Duiff (Blue Dove) goes also over Thomas Lodewicksen, carpenter, for whom the Company, too, paid the fare, on condition of his remaining in New Netherland for three years, or if he leave before he must refund the passage money to you in Holland coin or its equivalent.’ The Blauwe Duiff arrived here September 5, 1656. Lewis appears to have gone to Albany (then Fort Orange) for in 1658 he was in partnership there with Reynier Wisselpennigh as carpenters and builders and they sued the local church for 270 guilders for building the ‘Doop-huysie’ (baptistry) and received the full amount. In 1661 his partner and he had differences over the cost of fitting out a sloop they were building. He must have come to New Amsterdam shortly thereafter, as the court records here show. In the meantime he had married, in Fort Orange, Geesje Barents.
“On October 17, 1662, Reiner Wisselpenninck brought suit against ‘Tomas, the Irishman’ in the Mayor’s Court at the City Hall, to recover a balance of six beavers due for a half-interest in a bark, and two beavers for a barrel of tar. Defendant counterclaimed and plaintiff had judgment for three beavers only. On May 29, 1663, certain tobacco contained in the bark of ‘Thomas, the Irishman’ and belonging to Samuel Etsal was attached in a suit against the latter. Hendrick Zanzen Smith sued Gysbert Frerickzen October 2, 1663, and in that action an attachment was levied on moneys belonging to defendant in the hands of ‘Thomas, the Irishman.’
“In June, 1663, Director Stuyvesant sailed from Manhattan to Wildwyck (Kingston) on Lewis’ yacht, and on the 15th of the month while lying in the ‘Long Reach’ (North River) he sent a message to the magistrates at Fort Orange, in the course of which he noted ‘this is written in haste on board of the Irishman’s yacht.’
“In the correspondence between Director Stuyvesant and Captain Cregier at the Esopus and in the minutes of the government of the latter reference is made five times in 1663 to the arrival of Lewis at ‘the redoubt’ at Esopus from Manhattan; on August 5th, on September 1st (when he and Claesje Hoorn came in their yachts) and on September 17th, 19th and 21st. On all these occasions he is referred to as ‘Thomas, the Irishman.’ In an order of the Council, August 29, 1663, Tomos Lodewyck and Claes Lock were ordered to await orders from Captain Cregier before the Redoubt (Roudont). This was during the Indian war in the Esopus.