Draft:Christopher Davids
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Christopher Davids | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1616 England |
| Other names | Christoffel Davids, Kit Davids, Kit Davits |
| Occupations | Colonist, hunter, trader, interpreter |
| Spouse | Cornelia de Vos |
Christopher Davids (also recorded as Christoffel Davids, Kit Davids, and Kit Davits; born c. 1616) was an English-born colonist, in the Dutch colony of New Netherland. He was an early colonist of Ulster County, New York.
He was particularly known for his good relations with the native Esopus people and his recurring role as an interpreter and intermediary during conflicts between the Esopus and Dutch colonists.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]Davids stated in 1658 before the court of Fort Orange that he was 42 years old and had been born “in the Bishopric of England”. This reference probably meant Canterbury, although the precise location remains uncertain..[3]
Davids was married to Cornelia de Vos. They had at least two sons, Joris and David.[1][4]
Arrival in New Netherland
[edit]According to Cuyler Reynolds's 1911 historical compilation, Christoffel Davids arrived at New Amsterdam aboard het Wapen van Noorwegen on August 4, 1638, when he was about 22 years old.[5] The Wapen van Noorwegen sailed from the roadstead of Texel in May 1638 and reached New Amsterdam in early August.
The voyage carried colonists, horses and cargo associated with Rensselaerswyck. Surviving records and later historical reconstructions connect the vessel with the Dutch West India Company and the Rensselaerswyck patroonship.[6]
Colonization of the Esopus
[edit]Davids was among the early European colonists of the Esopus region. He was active as a hunter, trapper, trader and interpreter..[7]
On September 25, 1656, Director-General Peter Stuyvesant granted Christoffel Davids a patent for 36 morgens of land at the Esopus. The property was described as lying about one Dutch mile inland from the North River and opposite land belonging to Thomas Chambers.[8][9][1]
He was particularly known for his close relations with the Esopus people. He was described as a friend of the Esopus people who was familiar with their language and repeatedly served as an interpreter.[1]
His contacts enabled him to obtain information that could be useful to Dutch colonial officials and neighboring colonists. During increasing tensions in the late 1650s, Davids relayed information concerning the intentions and movements of the Esopus.[2]
His position between Indigenous communities and the colonial authorities was not without controversy. Colonial records contain disputes concerning information attributed to him and allegations involving trade with Indigenous people. His close contacts with Indigenous people also contributed to distrust among some colonial officials.[1]
Kit Davits Kil
[edit]Davids's name was preserved in the historical geography of the Esopus region.[10]
Kit Davits Kil should not be confused with Davids Island in New Rochelle, New York. Davids Island was named after nineteenth-century ink manufacturer and landowner Thaddeus Davids.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Brink, Benjamin Myer (April 1914). "Christopher, or 'Kit' Davis, the Esopus Pioneer". Olde Ulster: An Historical and Genealogical Magazine. 10 (4): 97–104.
- 1 2 Staggs, Stephen T. (2023). Calvinists and Indians in the Northeastern Woodlands. Amsterdam University Press. doi:10.1515/9789048555529. ISBN 9789463723770.
- ↑ Gehring, Charles T. (1990). Fort Orange Court Minutes, 1652–1660. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press.
- ↑ Minutes of the Court of Fort Orange and Beverwyck, 1652–1660. Albany: University of the State of New York.
- ↑ Reynolds, Cuyler, ed. (1911). Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs. Vol. 4. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company.
- ↑ "1638 – Wapen van Noorwegen (Arms of Norway), bound for Rensselaerswyck". Mapping Early New York: Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ Clearwater, Alphonso Trumpbour (1907). The History of Ulster County, New York. Kingston, New York: W. J. Van Deusen.
- ↑ "Patent of Christoffel Davids for 36 morgens of land at the Esopus". Mapping Early New York: Encyclopedia. New York State Archives. September 25, 1656. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ "The First Disturbance at Esopus". Olde Ulster: An Historical and Genealogical Magazine. 1. 1905.
- ↑ Ruttenber, Edward Manning (1906). Footprints of the Red Men: Indian Geographical Names in the Valley of Hudson's River, the Valley of the Mohawk, and on the Delaware. New York State Historical Association.
- ↑ Fort Slocum, Davids Island, New Rochelle, New York: Historic Architectural Resources (Report). 2008.
The name derives from its owner in the middle of the nineteenth century, Thaddeus Davids (1816–1894).
Further reading
[edit]- Brink, Benjamin Myer. "Christopher, or 'Kit' Davis, the Esopus Pioneer." Olde Ulster: An Historical and Genealogical Magazine, vol. 10, no. 4, April 1914, pp. 97–104.
- Clearwater, Alphonso Trumpbour, ed. The History of Ulster County, New York. Kingston, New York: W. J. Van Deusen, 1907.
- Gehring, Charles T., trans. and ed. Fort Orange Court Minutes, 1652–1660. Syracuse University Press, 1990.
- Reynolds, Cuyler, ed. Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs. Vol. 4. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911.
- Ruttenber, Edward Manning. Footprints of the Red Men: Indian Geographical Names in the Valley of Hudson's River, the Valley of the Mohawk, and on the Delaware. New York State Historical Association, 1906.
- Staggs, Stephen T. Calvinists and Indians in the Northeastern Woodlands. Amsterdam University Press, 2023.
Category:1610s births Category:17th-century English people Category:17th-century people from New York (state) Category:People of New Netherland Category:People from colonial New York Category:English emigrants Category:Interpreters Category:Colonial American traders Category:History of Ulster County, New York
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