New-York tribune., 1903-05-26
FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN HERE.
According to the Labadist Visitors 1t was
Jean Vigne.

rTo the Editor Of The Tribune
sir. This noted anniversary OF our city is an ap
,ro--.a+e time in which mention the name OF inc
&c. child born on Manhattan Island. Hls llaiie
gas Jean Vigne. He the son or Guiegh tisne ~
and his wife Adrienne Cuvilje Ihe PROOF Vi S'
spnears from the following: When henfs -
asprnh, was the American Minister at the haeue
he discovered a manuscript containing the "
nal Of a Voyage TO New-York in l6Is- 30 %
bankers and Sluyter Of Friesland- Ihese "eIe
representatives OF n religious community hhoN o
the Iabadists. from their founder. Jean oe Laoa ,
dies who were sent TO this country from foiifiiu Y
sor the purpose OF investigating the country ana
.ts government and selecting place Tor a colony
for their community. MIR. Murphy TRANSLATED liiis
document from the Dutch and sent II to the Long
island Historical Society. which published II IN
1851 with introduction and notes py AdF'
aided by Dg. l. B. O'Callaghan
This is q very interesting work and contains eA-
tensive references TO many Of the RESIDENTS oI .e
city and other places which they visited CHuel
Gate of Sunday September "A, 1873, they gave al
account of visiting certain persons ana then Sd.
s'While in their company We conveTseo Win 'ue
first male born of Europeans in New-Netheriaho'
named Jean Tigne. His parents were from NaIeh-
c,iennes and he was now about sixty-f1Ye years o.
age. He was brewer and a neighbor or our olu
people" Three days later they saw Nigne AGAIN
and stated: We visited Jean Vgne in order-as ne
was one of the oldest inhabitants-to Obtain rom
him various matters relating to the country a
note written by MIR. Murphy on this statement OF
.be Labadists is as follows; This is an interest
.ng statement, which may not only be compared
with that hitherto received, attributing to sarah
de Rapaije, who was born on the 9Th OF June Io-''
the honor of having been the first born Christian
child in -Netherland. but 1t is to be considered
sn other respects. According to the data given Dy
our travellers. who writing in 1879 make jean
Nigne sixty-five years old at that time, ne must
have been born in the year 1914, eleven years De-
fore Sarah de Rapalje. and at the very earliest
period compatible with the sojourn of any Holland
ers upon our territory. Jean Ngns belonged 10 the
class Of great burshers in New-AmsteTdam, ana
was oae Of the schepens Of the city in the years
ss55 1885, 1861 1868 In this statement in regard
his being the first person Of European parent
Hge born in New-Netherland there are some notable
points. The first trading voyages 10 HUDSON s
River we're ade by NE DGIcR d ar IN oaY s II In aI
There must have been. therefore, one european
Some writers have been disposed to question the the
OF me sts1een @ 9y ns Il eaS viene
at that time as well known in NeW-fofk as
day He had been a prominent citizen and Office
holder. One OF his sisters married Abraham yer
T,enboyen. the We'll Known Secretary of New-Neth-
aTiand His mother after the death of Guleyn
Tigne. had married Jan Jansen Damen. one Of the
woman Of remarkable ability and force of charac-
Yer and lived 70 within score Of years Of the visit
credible that these men, whose journal inofcate es
gators. should have been misinformed upon this
point which concerned such prQrninsnt % Pe9Ple and
fact. Guleyn Vigne was an Indian trader. His son
Jean was bora in 1914 and that date would indicate
that the parents Manhattan Island at the
fine the Tiger was burned. and possibly that they
came on that vessel The ship Tiger was COM
,nande5 by Captain Adrian Block, and was burned
sn the harbor of New-Yerk in November, 1913
Block and his built a yacht of less than
1wenty tons. the first vessel constructed on Man;
haitian Island which called the Onrust, and
with which in the following year he made voyages
Massachusetts. He discovered the island just east
OF Long Island which has ever since been called by
hts name Block Island
The exact spot On which the Onrust was built ol
huts of the builders erected cannot be de-
termined. Mrs. Lamb IN her History OF New
York the location about the present
No. 80 Broadway. the west side Of the street
sust above Bowling Green. The Holland Society
has erected a bronze tablet the AlGrich Court
Building No. Il 10 As Broadway. this site being
selected rather than the former number because II
.s a more modern building and less likely be
moved. THEODORE NJ. BANTA.
New-Yorll, May 25.