The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-28
DELFSHAVEN TOWN.
PIE PLACE WHENCE THE PILGRIM
FATHERS STARTED FOR AMERICA.
Consni Listoe's Description of the Holland
Town-rouching Scene at the Departure
of the P!lgrims-The Old Deifshaven
Church.


q Church.
" Consul Listoe sends from Rotterdam
: the state department description of tn
town whence the pilgrim fathers sale,
from Holland 10 America. The report i
as follows:
One Of the points within this consula
district possessing NEST interest for citi
zens Of the United States is undoubtedl,
, the ancient town of Delfshaven, situated
on the river Mas (Meuse), a couple OF
miles below Rotterdam and in fact, now
part of this city. The town derives It's
name (havon harbor) from the fact that
ii formerly was the seaport of the city OF
Delft, once an important city, where VIII
liam the Silent, the liberator of the Meth
erlands, and most of his descendants lie
buried, and in later years famous for its
manufacture of the decorated porcelain
known as delftware. Delft is located eight
miles inland from its haven" on the
river Schie, which empties into the Mas.
Delfshaven is the place whence the pill.
grim fathers originally started for Amer.
lea, and here stands yet the old "Her-
formde kerk (Reformed church) in which
they worshiped and in which the last ser.
mon was preached to them prior to their
departure for the new world The old pier
where they embarked is also still in exist
ence.
| In the records of the old church is found
an interesting description of the departure
OF the pilgrims. of which I am able,
through the courtesy of the church author
| ities here, to present copy translated into
| English
ION the ED of July Of the year 1920 the
pier OF Delfshayen was crowded with peo-
pie. A vessel was riding at anchor, the
Speedwell, waiting for large number of
passengers. "A severe act Of parliament,
which had been passed in 1899 in Eng.
land, caused cruel persecution of the SO
called Puritans Many of them fled to the
hospitable Netherlands, and, having settled
at Leyden, they chose for their minister
Rev. Mr. Robinson, belonging to their own
church and residing in this country since
1907. They gloried in bearing the name
or pilgrims Their stay ut Leyden last
ed IL years. AS for religious freedom and |
liberation they rejoiced in favorable cir |
cumstances, the municipal government |
having not the slightest reason to COM |
plain OF their conduct, but they had hard |
work in providing for their subsistence.
Tho fear of being pressed into the mil |
Spain and the painful feeling of exile |
made them resolve to found a colony in |
America vessel was bought and lay |
ready to sail on the above mentioned date.
The whole congregation, those who were
TO leave FOR America and the rest who |
were to stay behind waiting for subse-
quent opportunity, was assembled on the
quay
Tho Inhabitants of Delfshaven boheld
a scene which should never be forgotten.
This scene OF parting was touching, but
hrst Rev. MIR. Robinson, kneeling down,
sent up feryent prayer, intrusting to tho
Lord and his grace all the members of his
church, as well those now departing as
those who hoped to follow their brethren
before long.
"Once more embracing each other, they
babe farewell, for many of them the last
farewell on earth, and the Speedwell
weighed anchor, steering to Southampton,
where another ship, the Mayfower, was
waiting to take them to America. They
arrived there safe and sound and founded
New Plymouth. +"
1t is only OF late years that the attention
OF the American travelling public has been
directed to these interesting mementos of
the pilgrim fathers, but now Delfshayen
many tourists. The church is well worth
visit. 1t is very plain building, but
the interior has undergone few changes
since 1921 and the pulpit, the altar, even
some of the Bibles In the pews, are tho
same as were in use In those days. In the
so called "konsistorie kamer" (consistory
chamber) are to be seen portraits of many
of the leading pilgrims.
Last summer wealthy and influential
gentleman from Philadelphia, Mr.. l.. G..
Vanuxem, visited Delfshaven and secured
from tho church authorities two old grave
stones and an old contribution or aims box
for the New England Society of Pennsyl-
vania, and he has since interested himself
In getting support in the United States for
the old "Herformde kerk." The church is
poor, as but few wealthy people now reside
at Delfshayen, they having gradually
changed their residence to Rotterdam, and
fears have been entertained that the pres
ent congregation might not be able to re-
tain possession of the old church and that
1t might be sold and torn down.
AT the annual Yneeting of the New Eng
land society held in Philadelphia on Dec
22 last, the above mentioned aims box was
presented to the society by Mr. vanuxem.
The society voted to donate $3.50 to the old
Reformed church of Delfshaven, and at
the subsequent banquet the aims box was
passed around, and the sum of S75 was
further collected for the church.
1t would be desirable If other patriotic
people in the United States would follow
this example. The people in the Neither
lands have, of course, not the interest in
and voneration for the pilgrim fathers
that we have and could hardly be expected
to make any great effort requiring u pc
cuniary outlay to preserve this old church
for future generations and it would in
deed be pity If this interesting ediflco
should be destroyed for want of a little
timely support