The Dutch of Canvey Island, Essex

A Decree in the Court of Chancery dated 17th February 1623 shows an Agreement between Sir Henry APPLETON, Julius SLUDDER (a Dutchman who already owned land on Canvey Island), John, William and Mary BLACKMORE, Abigail BAKER, Thomas BINCKERS and his wife (all landowners) and Joas CROPPENBURG - to reclaim Canvey Island from the encroachment of the sea.

The project was to be financed by Joas CROPPENBURG, a wealthy Dutch haberdasher of Cheapside and acquaintance of Sir Henry, in return for one-third of all the land reclaimed and made safe. There was a stipulation in the Agreement that it would be made void should any breaches in the sea walls remain unrepaired within a year of their being built.

Cornelius VERMUYDEN (a Dutch Engineer and related by marriage to Joas CROPPENBURG) was commissioned for the project and 300 Dutch workmen were brought from Holland. Research so far shows no indication of how these workmen were paid, but it could be that some at least were given a land grant and this gives rise to an explanation of why there was Dutch community in this part of Essex. It was these Dutchmen who petitioned Charles 1st to allow them to worship in their own language and a chape was built on the island, it was little more than a small wooden structure but was still shown on a 1678 map.

Dominie Cornelius JACOBSON was elected as their first paster and overseer to their morals, and it his name that may be seen, together with Dominie MEUNIX, on the earliest British record so far found in "A Calender of the Marriage Licence Allegations in the Registry of the Bishop of London. 1597-1700" when on 24th July 1634 Elizabeth CAVE married Jonas VANDEVORD.

Nearly 200 years later the amateur archaeologist and historian, Philip BENSON (1815-1898), wrote the "History of the Rochford Hundreds" and within this work he mentions the Vandervord family on several occasions.

On page 225 he writes that there is "a tradition that LODOVIC, a Fleming, whose name is frequently met with in the history of the Low countries, crossed the North Sea in the same boat with his countrymen, MAZENGARB, PEROOSE, MOWBECKER, CROZIER, and VANDEVODE and sought refuge in Foulness and Canvey from the persecutions of the infamous Duke of Alva."

Later in the book on Page 571 he goes on to explain that "Three brothers came from Holland, either during the Spanish persecution or at a later period, when Canvey was inned [enclosed], of whom one returned, another settled at Bemfleet, and a third at Horndon on the Hill, where his descendants remain. The Bemfleet branch have been Hoymen since that time, and still flourish in this parish."

• Film about Canvey Island in 1953

alfabetisch

• Sir Henry Appleton, 2nd Baronet ‧ ‧
• Abigail BAKER ‧ ‧
• Philip BENSON ‧ 1815-1898 ‧ ‧
• Thomas BINCKERS ‧ ‧
• John BLACKMORE ‧ ‧
• Mary BLACKMORE ‧ ‧
• William BLACKMORE ‧ ‧
• Elizabeth CAVE ‧ ‧
• Joas CROPPENBURG ‧ ‧
• ?? CROZIER ‧ ‧
• Dom Cornelius JACOBSON ‧ ‧
• ?? MAZENGARB ‧ ‧
• Dom[inie George] MEUNIX [van Middelburg (Zeeland)]
• ?? MOWBECKER ‧ ‧
• ?? PEROOSE ‧ ‧
• P(i)eter Priem (?-aft 1644): a church Elder and the wealthiest Canvey Dutchman.
• Julius SLUDDER ‧ ‧
• Jonas VANDEVORD ‧ ‧
• ?? VANDEVODE ‧ ‧
• Abraham VANDERVORD ‧ ✩ c.1688 ‧ brother of • John Vandervord • Thomas Vandervord • Mary Vandervord ‧ ‧
• Jacob van de WARD ‧ ‧ begr. 07-01-1693-94‧ ‧
• Cornelius van de VOUR ‧ ‧ begr. 13-04-1693-94
• Cornelius Wasterdyk VERMUYDEN ‧ 1595-1677

Dutch Church Ministers (Dominie) with years of service

• Dominie Cornelius Jacobson (c1634 - 1644)
• Mathyas van der Westhuise (1644)
• George Meunix van Middelburg (Zeeland) (1645)
• ?? Ketelaers (1646)
• Isack Snijers (1647 - 1649)
• Johannes Beutacq (1654 - 1656)
• Lambertius Schenkius (1656 - 1657)
• Joannis Lodewyck (1657 - 1658)
• Justijnus Smetius (1663 - 1681)
• Nicholas Steenis (1682 - 1702)
• Gerard de Golsrein (1702)
• Dominee Emilius van Cuilenborg (1703 - 1704)

Dominie Cornelius Jacobsen was elected as their first pastor and overseer to their morals, and it his name that may be seen, together with Dominie George Meunix, on the earliest British record so far found in "A Calendar of the Marriage Licence Allegations in the Registry of the Bishop of London. 1597-1700".

In 1644 Jacobsen died and Priem was sent to the Dutch Church in London for a new minister, returning with Mathyas van der Westhuise, who unfortunately died of malaria after only six months here. The following January, Canvey, unable to find a Dutch minister resident in Britain and willing to risk his health here, petitioned the Netherlands for help. George Meunix of Middleburg, a very learned and devout young man, was sent here for a year, being replaced in 1646 by Dominie Ketelaers and from 1647 to 1649 by Isack Snijers; no-one however could be coerced for the period 1649 to 1654.

Dominie Johannes Beutacq arrived from Nieuwkerck under a cloud of suspicion in 1654, to become the first minister to reside actually on the island, lodging in the house of Pieter van Belle’s widow - he seemed quite willing to leave his native land. Whatever he had been guilty of in Holland, he was very popular here and his supporters in Canvey on 7/10/1655 threatened forcible entry if the church elders did not surrender the chapel keys to allow him to conduct services in the Dutch Chapel, though the London Dutch would never confirm his appointment. Notwithstanding this special pleading, and in the manner of all establishments everywhere, Beutacq was replaced the following year as the resident minister by Dom Lambertius Schenkius, a theological student.

Since they otherwise had to worship at St. Mary the Virgin in South Benfleet, and had to have their children baptised by one of nine parish priests on the mainland, depending on which parish property their farms lay in, the English Canvey residents on Whit Monday in 1657 stormed the Dutch Chapel, demanding to share its use - but were driven off after a melee. The Dutch Presbyterians were naturally worried about their right to services in their mother tongue. Towards the end of the year Dom Joannis Lodewyck was elected minister, lasting until April 1658, when he was posted to Sandwich.

From 1663 to 1681 Dom Justijnus Smetius stayed throughout this troubled period. Nicholas Steenis was elected minister in 1682, the elders at that time being Joores de Schilder and Cornelius Classens. Dom Gerard de Golsrein was elected in 1702 when the elder was Peter van Belle, son of the previous Peter and owner of land in the North Benfleet parish area of Canvey. 1703 saw the expulsion from the church of Dom Emilius von Cuilenborg by the London Dutch Church after acute dissension and unhappiness of the congregation.

On 14th October, 1704, the last named Island Dutch Minister, Dom Emilius Von Cuilenborg, was buried at Benfleet. After that the Dutch appeared to go and for the next few years it would seem that the Island was looked after from the mainland.

List of Dutch Church electors on Canvey

• Lenaert Adriaensen
• Morinus Aertsen
• Herman Claessen
• Teunis ??
• Jan van Collenberch
• Adriaan Cornelissen
• Peter ??
• Geraert Henrucksen
• Lieven Jacobsen
• Adriaen Janssen
• Bartolomeus "
• Balthazar ??
• Jan ??
• Wouter ??
• William Key
• Jan Lawrenssen
• Jacob Lievenssen
• Peter Martenssen
• Jan Pieterssen
• Morinus ??
• Boudewyn van Pachtenweghe
• Simeon Pawelssen
• Rutger Shuller
• Boudewijn Stekelorum
• Hugo Teunissen
• Henryck Thomassen

Other persons mentioned

• Pieter van Belle
• Gillis van Belle
• Antheunis Diericksen
• Franchoise Mannandijse
• Johannes Malstaff
• Anthoinis de Smith
• Peter Priem
• Stephen de Kien
• Pr. Boije
• Jan Malstoff
• Anthenin Lanvijke
• Daniel Rosel
• Jau Van Ghent Brnygghe
• Maithiew Lucsie
• Franchoia Manandijse
• Guilliame Manandijse
• Robert Walspecke
• Adrian Vander Biest
• Andrew de Clerok
• Maximilen Rouseelle
• Jan de Vos
• Jacob Polley
• Cornelius (Amplot)
• Cornelius Classen
• Yacop Clement
• Henynge Cornelys
• Massm Steenighe
• Marijnea Claeijsen
• Jan de Schildeze
• Pieter Veijneer
• Volant Sanders
• Anne Catherine van Rontaen