The Washington times., 1924-04-17
JOIN
T0HONOR 1924
SETTLERS
Coming Of HuguenOts and Wal
-IcOns> 800 Years Ago VIII
Be Marked in y. s.

NEW YORK, April 17.-Thou.
sands Of churches throughout the
country viii celebrate on Sunday,
April 81, the coming Of the Hugue,
nots and Walloons to America in
search Of religious freedom. At the
same time will be observed the ter
centenary Of the settlement OF ths
Walloons on Manhattan Island and
at Albany, N. Y. The call for the
observance has gone to the pastors
Of many communions from official
heads.
The Federal Council Of Churches
has Endorsed the observance and
most OF the constituent bodies have
sent the call direct to their mem.
bers. In many congregations spe.
IciaI exercises will be held. In
others there will be Honorable
mention" OF the Huguenots and
Walloons.
Though the religious significance
OF the coming Of these groups viii
be dwelt upon, the churches are
more deeply interested because they
believe such anniversaries help
maintain and create international
good viii.
The 300th anniversary OF the first
permanent settlement Of Huguenots
and Walloons in this country has a
VIDE appeal In; 1924 the ship
Nieu Nederlard was sent out by
the Dutch West India Company. It
bore thirty.two families, mostly
Huguenots and Walloons.
| The Walloons came from a dis.
trlct that is now part Of Belgium.
Some settled on Manhattan Island.
Others went to Fort Orange, now
Albany, where a trading post had
been established. Settlements were
made in other Middle Atlantic
states. Besides these, large Hugue.
not settlements We're made in South.
ern States and smaller groups
went to every colony.
The general observance IL in
charge OF the Hueguenot- Walloon.
New Netherland Tercentenary Com
mission. There win be a series OF
specia1 ceremonies extending from
Florida to northern New York, with
a program in Europe, lasting for
TWO months in. this country and
then two months overseas. Hugue-
not a1loon Sunday marks the open.
ing Of the celebration.
The Government, to commemorate
the historical Significance Of the
coming Of this group, has issued q
specia4 Huguenot 50-cent piece,
which is now being distributed.
Under the law passed by Congress
authorizing commemorative coins,
the 6O-cent piece sells for 81, the diff.
ference In price going toward the
expenses OF the celebration. In a
statement regarding the plans for
duguenot- Walloon Sunday. the COM
mission, through its director, the
noted historian, DR.. John Baer
"A number Of notable celebrations
wlu take place on the Eastern coast
IoL the United States in connection
with the celebration Of the Huguenot-
WalIoon-New Netherland Tercen.
tenary, beginning April 81.
The city OF Albany win observe
the SVVtn anniversary Of its found.
ing by q little group Of Walloon
refugees who disembarked at Fort
iOrange' in 1924 to conquer the
wilderness and wiring a living from
the rough. unbrOken soil. New York
state and, In fact, the entire Middle
states, will have a part in this
tercentenary, for this little colony
OF only thirty-two families were the
first permanent settlers in the tar.
r1tory known as New Netherland
and embracing roughly what are
now the States of New York. Penn.
sylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
"The national Significance of this
obscure settlement lies in the fact
that it inaugurated the Hueguenot
Immigration to America. The Wal.
loon colonists, both French and Bel.
gian, were Calvinists. For the
crime Of heresy they were uerse.
cuted and forced to flee to the
northern provinces Of the Neither.
land, then in the midst of their Ions,
war Of liberation from the Spanish
yoke. Inspired by the brave adven.
ture Of the Pilgrims, their fellow.
exiles in Leyden, they, too. deter.
mined to seek new homes in the
New World. :
1.-THE Dutch West India Companv
granted them the privilege OF set.
Element in the vast district claimed
by the Netherlands as a result M
the exploration of Henry Hudson.
and they set sail in the Nieu Neder.
land to found what proved to be
the first permanent Huguenot col.
ony in America. "
Two earlier attempts made in
1862 by the great Huguenot leader.
Admiral de Coligay. under the leader.
ship Of Jean Ribaut, at Mayport,
Fla. and Paris Island, S. C., were
unsuccessful, the settlement at Nav.
port being wiped out by the Span.
iards in 1856"