Artisans at Raritan Landing

From Voices of Raritan Landing

woodcut
Mortar and Pestle
artist unknown

DUNCAN HUTCHINSON

I WASN'T THE ONLY DOCTOR at Raritan Landing in the 30s and 40s—there was John Neilson, the one whose brother in New Brunswick traded overseas. I liked the sea, too, and when my wife, Elizabeth, would let me, off I'd go on some ship or other. Captain Abraham Sanford took me on when he needed help and Mr. Philip French. But my real calling was to care for the sick. I took care of all the traders-Peter Bodine, John Bodine, Cornelius Van Horn, Paul LeBoyteaux, Hendrick Smock. And then, of course, there were the babies to deliver, that is, when a midwife couldn't do the job. Someone was always having a baby and you couldn't depend on a doctor from New Brunswick to get there in time.

woodcut
Blacksmith's Shop
Thomas Bewick, active 1785-1828

ISAAC WILSON

IT WAS LISSES BETEAU who put me up to it. He didn't like his situation with the Manning family and persuaded me to run with him. It was that hot July of 1770, and it was hard to work over the anvil in the heat, especially in the clothes my owner, Andrew Myer, made me wear. Can you imagine a brown cloth coat, blue breeches, stockings, and a wool hat in summer? They thought we weren't human and I guess they wanted us to cover up our brown skin. I let Lisses do the talking so no one would recognize me by my lisp (a speech impediment, they called it) and pulled that damned hat over that funny spot of grey hair on my forehead. They only offered 40 shillings reward for our return. That's all they thought we were worth— and me a skilled blacksmith. They were wrong and we would do better in the city where we headed.

engraving
"Baker," in The Book of Trades, or Library of the Useful Arts, part1
Jacob Johnson, publisher
Philadelphia, 1807

ABRAHAM VAN RANST

WHEN I MARRIED CATHERINE ROOSEVELT in 1766, I connected myself with one of the Landing's richest families—the Lows. Catherine was a grandniece of Peter Low, Cornelius Low's brother. We moved to Raritan Landing from Bushwick, Long Island, in about 1774. After just two short years of peace and prosperity, the village was turned topsy-turvy by British soldiers. They occupied our land and did a good deal of damage to the house, storehouse, and bakehouse. I entered the baking business in the 60s; it had become particularly profitable because of shortages in Europe. We shipped our bread to New York City and Rhode Island, and from there it was shipped abroad, or sometimes down to the Caribbean. I wasn't the only baker at Raritan Landing in those days and we kept ship captains John Sleight, John Abeel, and Paul Miller busy conveying the product, with almost daily cargoes.

woodcut
Runaway African American Slave
artist and date unknown

BILL

I WAS A GOOD BAKER so I knew I could get work somewhere else, if they would have me, but I couldn't stay with Cornelius Clopper anymore. He taught me the baking trade, but he made me wear an iron collar. I didn't want to wear that collar so I left with only the clothes on my back: an old red cloth jacket and a pair of homespun trousers. I thought my low Dutch would serve me well at other Dutch communities in New Jersey. It had been useful at Raritan Landing where so many people still spoke Dutch, but my English was good, too. I was young and strong and would settle wherever possible, as long as I could be free.That's what mattered most—and not to have to wear that collar.

woodcut
Cooper
Thomas Bewick, active 1785-1828

ROBERT KIP

I HAD MY BUSINESS right down by the wharf. That's where they needed me most, you know. They brought the grain from Somerset in open wagons, but before it was loaded onto ships, most times they put it in barrels—my barrels. I was a skilled cooper and could make more barrels in a day than most coopers made in a week. It was a good business and my family kept at it until there were no more ships being loaded at Raritan Landing. When they built that canal, you see, the boats didn't come to Raritan Landing anymore. Everying went right into New Brunswick. I am glad I wasn't there to see that sad day.

drawing, ink and pencil
View of Brunswick, N. Jersey [Hillyer's Store?]
Archibald Robertson
about 1795

DR. JOHN NEILSON

MY BROTHER JAMES was the successful one in the family. By 1750, he was the biggest trader in New Brunswick— owned two schooners and a sloop in partnership with Richard Gibb. They knew what they were doing, ordering all sorts of fancy goods from overseas to convince the emigrants from Albany that life was just as genteel in New Brunswick. Not where I lived though, not at Raritan Landing. I just went about my simple ways, doctoring when someone needed me and doing a little freighting on the river. My wife Johanna, née Coeyman, didn't want to keep our property when I died and there were debts. She and brother James, my executors, eventually sold it to Jacob Flatt in '68. I loved that house with its fine store and the new boat besides. I hope the Flatts kept a store there. It was a convenient place for a store.

Artisans at Raritan Landing From Voices of Raritan Landing
woodcut Mortar and Pestle artist unknown DUNCAN HUTCHINSON I WASN'T THE ONLY DOCTOR at Raritan Landing in the 30s and 40s—there was John Neilson, the one whose brother in New Brunswick traded overseas. I liked the sea, too, and when my wife, Elizabeth, would let me, off I'd go on some ship or other. Captain Abraham Sanford took me on when he needed help and Mr. Philip French. But my real calling was to care for the sick. I took care of all the traders-Peter Bodine, John Bodine, Cornelius Van Horn, Paul LeBoyteaux, Hendrick Smock. And then, of course, there were the babies to deliver, that is, when a midwife couldn't do the job. Someone was always having a baby and you couldn't depend on a doctor from New Brunswick to get there in time. woodcut Blacksmith's Shop Thomas Bewick, active 1785-1828 ISAAC WILSON IT WAS LISSES BETEAU who put me up to it. He didn't like his situation with the Manning family and persuaded me to run with him. It was that hot July of 1770, and it was hard to work over the anvil in the heat, especially in the clothes my owner, Andrew Myer, made me wear. Can you imagine a brown cloth coat, blue breeches, stockings, and a wool hat in summer? They thought we weren't human and I guess they wanted us to cover up our brown skin. I let Lisses do the talking so no one would recognize me by my lisp (a speech impediment, they called it) and pulled that damned hat over that funny spot of grey hair on my forehead. They only offered 40 shillings reward for our return. That's all they thought we were worth— and me a skilled blacksmith. They were wrong and we would do better in the city where we headed. engraving "Baker," in The Book of Trades, or Library of the Useful Arts, part1 Jacob Johnson, publisher Philadelphia, 1807 ABRAHAM VAN RANST WHEN I MARRIED CATHERINE ROOSEVELT in 1766, I connected myself with one of the Landing's richest families—the Lows. Catherine was a grandniece of Peter Low, Cornelius Low's brother. We moved to Raritan Landing from Bushwick, Long Island, in about 1774. After just two short years of peace and prosperity, the village was turned topsy-turvy by British soldiers. They occupied our land and did a good deal of damage to the house, storehouse, and bakehouse. I entered the baking business in the 60s; it had become particularly profitable because of shortages in Europe. We shipped our bread to New York City and Rhode Island, and from there it was shipped abroad, or sometimes down to the Caribbean. I wasn't the only baker at Raritan Landing in those days and we kept ship captains John Sleight, John Abeel, and Paul Miller busy conveying the product, with almost daily cargoes.	woodcut Runaway African American Slave artist and date unknown BILL I WAS A GOOD BAKER so I knew I could get work somewhere else, if they would have me, but I couldn't stay with Cornelius Clopper anymore. He taught me the baking trade, but he made me wear an iron collar. I didn't want to wear that collar so I left with only the clothes on my back: an old red cloth jacket and a pair of homespun trousers. I thought my low Dutch would serve me well at other Dutch communities in New Jersey. It had been useful at Raritan Landing where so many people still spoke Dutch, but my English was good, too. I was young and strong and would settle wherever possible, as long as I could be free.That's what mattered most—and not to have to wear that collar. woodcut Cooper Thomas Bewick, active 1785-1828 ROBERT KIP I HAD MY BUSINESS right down by the wharf. That's where they needed me most, you know. They brought the grain from Somerset in open wagons, but before it was loaded onto ships, most times they put it in barrels—my barrels. I was a skilled cooper and could make more barrels in a day than most coopers made in a week. It was a good business and my family kept at it until there were no more ships being loaded at Raritan Landing. When they built that canal, you see, the boats didn't come to Raritan Landing anymore. Everying went right into New Brunswick. I am glad I wasn't there to see that sad day. drawing, ink and pencil View of Brunswick, N. Jersey [Hillyer's Store?] Archibald Robertson about 1795 DR. JOHN NEILSON MY BROTHER JAMES was the successful one in the family. By 1750, he was the biggest trader in New Brunswick— owned two schooners and a sloop in partnership with Richard Gibb. They knew what they were doing, ordering all sorts of fancy goods from overseas to convince the emigrants from Albany that life was just as genteel in New Brunswick. Not where I lived though, not at Raritan Landing. I just went about my simple ways, doctoring when someone needed me and doing a little freighting on the river. My wife Johanna, née Coeyman, didn't want to keep our property when I died and there were debts. She and brother James, my executors, eventually sold it to Jacob Flatt in '68. I loved that house with its fine store and the new boat besides. I hope the Flatts kept a store there. It was a convenient place for a store.