New York (State) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; New York (State) -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
Sunday was not observed in New Netherland with any such rigidity as
in New England. The followers of Cocceius would not willingly include
Saturday night, and not even all of the Sabbath day, in their holy
time. Madam Knight, writing in 1704 of a visit to New York, noted:
“The Dutch aren’t strict in keeping the Sabbath as in Boston and
other places where I have been.” This was, of course, in times of
English rule in New York. Still, much respect to the day was required,
especially under the governing hand of the rigid Calvinist Stuyvesant.
He specially enjoined and enforced strict regard for seemly quiet
during service time. The records of Stuyvesant’s government are full of
injunctions and laws prohibiting “tavern-tapping” during the hours of
church service. He would not tolerate fishing, gathering of berries or
nuts, playing in the street, nor gaming at ball or bowls during church
time. At a little later date the time of prohibition of noise and
tapping and gaming was extended to include the entire Sabbath day, and
the _schout_ was ordered to be active in searching out and punishing
such offenders.
Occasionally his vigilance did discover some Sabbath disorders. He
found the first Jew trader who came to the island of Manhattan serenely
keeping open shop on Sunday, and selling during sermon time, knowing
naught of any Sunday laws of New Amsterdam.
And Albert the Trumpeter was seen on the Sabbath in suspicious guise,
with an axe on his shoulder,--but he was only going to cut a bat for
his little son; and as for his neighbor who did cut wood, it was only
kindling, since his children were cold.
And one Sunday evening in 1660 the _schout_ triumphantly found
three sailors round a tap-house table with a lighted candle and
a backgammon-board thereon; and he surely had a right to draw an
inference of gaming therefrom.
And in another public-house ninepins were visible, and a can and
glass, during preaching-time. The landlady had _her_ excuse,--some came
to her house and said church was out, and one chanced to have a bowl in
his hand and another a pin, but there was no playing at bowls.
Still, though he snooped and fined, in 1656 the burgomasters learned
“by daily and painful experience” that the profanation of “the Lord’s
day of Rest by the dangerous, Yes, damnable Sale or Dealing out of
Wines Beers and Brandy-Waters” still went on; and fresh Sunday Laws
were issued forbidding “the ordinary and customary Labors of callings,
such as Sowing, Mowing, Building, Sawing wood, Smithing, Bleeching,
Hunting, Fishing.” All idle sports were banned and named: “Dancing,
Card-playing, Tick-tacking, Playing at ball, at bowls, at ninepins;
taking Jaunts in Boats, Wagons, or Carriages.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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