THE FOLLOWING RECEIVED FROM MARY VANDERHEYDT
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH
THE FIRST SETTLERS IN OLD MONMOUTH
Indians on the War Path - Firm Stand of the Settlers - A League of Peace Never Broken.
Among the first whites who permanently settled in old Monmouth, was Richard Stout
[1] , who, with his own family and five other families, it is said, located in Middletown in 1648. The history of the Stout family, though familiar to those versed in the ancient history of out state, yet is so remarkable on account of the wonderful preservation of the life of Mrs. Stout, and of so much general interest because their descendants in our country and elsewhere are so numerous, and also because their family were among the first Baptists in New Jersey, that it will bear repeating especially as it may prove new to many of our readers. The version of the remarkable history of Penelope Stout, as given in Benedict's History of the Baptists, is the one most familiar to our older citizens but believing that many of our readers may wish for preservation both this version and the one given in 1765, by Smith in his history of New Jersey, we append them with additional items from other sources.
The ship in which Penelope came to this country was wrecked on the coast of Monmouth, some two hundred and fifty years ago. The story of her remarkable presevation was handed down by tradition, in various parts of the state, for a century and a half with little variation except that some traditionary versions, at one time, located the place of the shipwreck on the Delaware.
The following version is the one published by Smith in 1765
"While New York was in the possession of the Dutch, about the time of the Indian war in New England, a Dutch ship, coming from Amsterdam, was stranded on Sandy Hook, but the passengers got ashore - among them was a young Dutchman who had been sick most of the voyage; he was so bad after landing that he could not travel, and the other passengers, being afraid of the Indians, would not stay until he recovered; his wife, however, would not leave him, and the rest promised to send for them as soon as they arrived at New Amsterdam (New York). They had not been gone long before a company of Indians, coming to the water side, discovered them on the beach, and hastening to the spot, soon killed the man and cut and mangled the woman in such a manner that they left her for dead. She had strength enough to crawl to some logs not far distant, and getting into a hollow one lived within it for several days, subsisting in part by eating the excrescences that grew from it. The Indians had left some fire on the shore, which she kept together for the warmth. Having remained in that manner for some time, an old Indian and a young one coming down the beach found her; they were soon in high words, which she afterwards understood was a dispute; the old Indian was for keeping her alive, the other for dispatching her. After they had debated the point awhile, the oldest Indian hastily took her up and tossing her upon his shoulder, carried her to a place near where Middletown now stands, where he dressed her wounds and soon cured her. After some time the Dutch at New Amsterdam, hearing of a white woman among the Indians, concluded who it must be, and some of them came to her relief; the old man, her preserver, gave her the choice to go or stay; she chose to go. A while after, marrying one Stout, they lived together at Middletown among other Dutch inhabitants. The old Indian who saved her life used frequently to visit her; at one of his visits she observed him to be more pensive than common, and sitting down, he gave three heavy sighs; after the last, she thought herself at liberty to ask him what was the matter. He told her he had something to tell her in friendship, though at the risk of his own life, which was that the Indians were that night to kill all the whites, and he advised her to go to New Amsterdam; she asked him how she could get off? He told her he had provided a canoe at a place which he named. Being gone from her she sent for her husband out of the field, and discovered the matter to him, who, not believing it, she told him the old man never deceived her, and that she with her children would go; accordingly at the place appointed they found the canoe and paddled off. When they were gone, the husband began to consider the matter, and sending for five or six of his neighbors, they set upon there guard. About midnight they heard the dismal warwhoop; presently came up a company of Indians; they first expostulated and then told the Indians if they persisted in their bloody designs, they would sell their lives very dear. Their arguments prevailed, the Indians desisted, and entered into a league of peace, which kept without violation. From this woman, thus remarkable saved, is descended a numerous posterity of the name of Stout, now inhabitants of New Jersey. At that time there were supposed to be about fifty families of white people, and five hundred Indians inhabiting those parts."
THE ACCOUNT OF PENELOPE STOUT
As given in Benedict's History, is as follows
"She was born in Amsterdam, in Holland, about the year 1602; her father's name was Vanprincis. She and her first husband (whose name is not known) sailed for New York (then New Amsterdam) about the year 1620; the vessel was stranded at Sandy Hook; the crew got ashore and marched towards New York; but Penelope's (for that was her name) husband being hurt in the wreck, could not march with them; therefore, he and his wife tarried in the woods; they had not been long in the place before the Indians killed them both (as they thought) and left. After some time Penelope came to, though her skull was fractured and her left shoulder so hacked that she could never use that arm like the other; she was also cut across the abdomen so that her bowels appeared; these she kept in with her hand; she continued in this situation for seven days, taking shelter in a hollow tree, and eating the excrescence of it; the seventh day she saw a deer passing by with arrows sticking in it, and soon after two Indians appeared, whom she was glad to see, in hope they would put her out of her misery; accordingly, one made for her to knock her on the head; but the other, who was an elderly man, prevented him; and, throwing his match coat about her, carried her to his wigwam and cured her of her wounds and bruises; after that he took her to New York and made a present of her to her countrymen, viz: and Indian present, expecting ten times the value in return. It was in New York that one Richard Stout married her; he was a native of England, and of good family: she was now in her 22nd year, and he in his 40th. She bore him seven sons and three daughters, Jonathan, John, Richard, James, Peter, David, Benjamin, Mary, Sarah and Alice; the daughters married into the families of the Bounds, Pikes, Throckmortons and Skeltons, and so lost the name Stout; the sons married into the families of Bullen, Crawford, Ashton, Truax, etc. and had many children. The mother lived to the age of 110, and saw her offspring multiplied into 502 in about 88 years."
Text by Douglas B. Dick, a descendent of Penelope Stout
About or around 1642/43 Penelope Van Prince, a widow of twenty-three was a noble woman who had passed through many struggles nearing death several times during her efforts to reach America.
The ship which was bringing Penelope and her husband wrecked off Sandy Hood, New Jersey. Her husband had been quite ill during the voyage and was seriously injured in the attempt to reach land. The ship's passengers feared an attack by Indians, so they decided to travel immediately to Amsterdam. Penelope's husband was in no condition to travel so they were left behind.
Shortly after they were left alone, a large party of Indians found them and attacked them. Penelope and her husband were left for dead, but she survived. She suffered a fractured skull. Her left arm was hacked so severely that she was never able to use that arm again like she did the other. A cut across the abdomen left bare part of her bowels, these she held in with her hands. She suffered in this painful condition for seven days.
Two indians approached her. She felt relief for she thought they would put her out of her misery. However, the older of the two stayed the hand of the younger man who intended to kill her; and took her to his wigwam where he tended her. He then took her to New Amsterdam where he traded her to the white settlers expecting ten times her value in return. She met Richard Stout and they were married in 1644. To them were born ten children. She lived to see 510 of her descendents and died at the age of 110. A monument stands to her honor in New England.
Notes for PENELOPE KENT VAN PRINCESS:
Penelope Stout - First Lady of Monmouth
One of the best known chapters of [Monmouth's] early history is the story of Penelope Stout, believed to be the first white woman to set foot on [Monmouth] county soil.
During the first half of the 17th century - the exact date is unknown - a ship from Holland was wrecked on Sandy Hook. Among those aboard was Penelope Van Princis, whose husband had become ill on the long sea voyage. The passengers and crew reached shore safely, but hearing of an Indian attack they set out on foot for New York (New Amsterdam), leaving the sick man and his wife behind.
Smith's History of New Jersey, published in 1765, relates that a party of Indians found the couple and immediately killed the man. They then mangled the woman, and left her for dead. After hiding for several days in a hollow tree, Penelope was found by a friendly Indian who nursed her back to health. A rescue party found her and brought her to New Amsterdam - now New York - and a short time later she married an Englishman, Richard Stout.
Penelope and Richard later returned to New Jersey and had 10 children. The nameless Indian who saved Penelope Stout's life was a frequent visitor and friend. According to the tale, he later alerted the community to a potential confrontation with another band of marauding natives, probably from New York. Most accounts agree that Penelope lived to be 110 and had some 502 descendants at the time of her death, in either 1712 or 1732. Many of her descendants still live in the county.
Penelope's story is told at the Spy House Museum Complex in Port Monmouth, New Jersey.
Richard Stout, a son of John and Elizabeth (Bee or Gee) Stout, was born in Nottinghamshire, England about 1715. He joined the British Navy and was discharged at New Amsterdam, now New York, about 1640. Richard was one of thirty nine people who founded a settlement at Graves End, Long Island, in 1644. That year, he married Penelope (Kent) Van Princin.
Penelope Kent was probably born about 1622 in England. Her father is believed to have been a Puritan Baptist Separatist who was banished from his church and who fled to Holland with his family. Penelope married a man named Van Princin in Amsterdam.
In 1640, Penelope and her husband took ship with a group of emigrants to America. The ship was wrecked at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Many of the passengers traveled overland to New Amsterdam, but Penelope husband was ill and could not travel, so they remained near the wreck site. The little encampment was attacked by Indians, who killed Penelope's husband and left her for dead with a fractured skull, a hacked shoulder and a gash in her body that allowed her intestines to protrude. Penelope survived alone for several days until two Indian men came by. The older of the two carried her to his village and sewed up her wounds with a fish bone needle and vegetable fibers. Penelope recovered and lived with the Indians, doing squaw's work and sharing their life.
In 1644, a group of white men came to the Indian village and offered to buy the white woman that they had heard of. Penelope's captor asked if she wished to go with the whites and was permitted to do so.
In 1664, an Indian came to warn Penelope of a planned Indian attack on the settlement of Grave's end. The Indians did attack and the forewarned settlers were able to defend themselves and put the Indians to flight. Richard Stout walked into the open and demanded a parley. After a conference, the whites and Indians agreed to a truce and a two day ceremonial to celebrate the treaty. The white agreed to buy the lands they had settled on and were never attacked again. The date of purchase from the Indians was January 25, 1664.
In 1668, Richard and his family joined with others in forming the first Baptist Church of New Jersey.
Richard's will was approved in October 1705 and is on file in the office of the Secretary of State at Trenton, New Jersey. Penelope died in 1732.
Unknown newspaper "The Story of Penelope Stout" copy found at Monmouth County Historical Association Library, 70 Court Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
Dr. Thomas Hale Streets questions the time sequence in a study he made of the Stout family in 1915. He said that all dates in recorded accounts were about 20 years too early, thus making the date of the shipwreck about 1640 rather than 1620 and making the date of the marriage to Richard Stout about 1644 rather than 1624. For example, there was no New Amsterdam in 1620. His most telling rebuttal hinged on the known birth date of Penelope's 10th and last child, David, born in 1669. That would have made Mrs. Stout a mother at age 67 and Richard a father at 85.
Penelope Van Princis Stout died in 1712, either at age 110 if you believe traditional accounts, or at age 90 if Dr. Streets is correct.
The following sources and information are from: "Early Vital Records of Ohio: - copied by the Daughters of the American Revolution - Complied under the Direction of Miss Irma B. Gobel. This booklet was found at the DAR Library in Washington, DC.
"There are still hollow Buttonwood trees near Middlestown as were there in the time when Penelope is said to have taken refuge in one."
The Op Dyck Genealogy, page 148, "Among the settlers appear Richard Stout, Samuel Holmes, and others whose descendants in New York and New Jersey have number by thousands. The famous Penelope Prince appears on the records as having remarked that, "the wife of Ambrose London did milk the cows of Thomas Applegate." "She" being questioned knowledged her fault in so speaking, and being sorry for her words, she spoke satisfaction on both sides."
The following articles, 1 to 3 pages, that can be found in the Monmouth County Historical Association Library, 70 Court Street, Freehold, NJ 07728. Library is open Wednesday - Sunday : 10 AM to 4 PM - phone 908-462-1466.
Newspaper, "The Monmouth Inquirer", Thursday, 20 May 1886. Article "First Families of Monmouth, Stout Family" by Edwin Salter.
Unknown newspaper and unknown date, "The Story of Penelope Stout"
Asbury Park Press, Aug 10, 1980, page A3, "Stout family marks its 52nd reunion at Middletown Church." Talks about and has picture of Penelope Stout First Lady of Monmouth medallion.
"The Penelope Stout House, also known as the John S. Hendrickson House", Everett Road, Holmdel, NJ. (Note there is a Holmes - Hendrickson House, Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ. This house is part of Monmouth County Historical Association Museums and is open May - October.)
"The Mother of the Stouts" by Mrs. Therese W. Seabrook. "My tradition has come through only two persons from Penelope, herself, and I think it more correct than much that is told. The second son, Richard, had a son, John, who was therefore grandson of Penelope. When his grandmother was about 85 years old, he took her on his horse to visit one of her children and when he helped her to alight she insisted upon his putting his hand through the pocket hole of her garment to feel the seam which the Indian sewed up. He was young and bashful but she said, "Johnny, you can tell it to your grandchildren because you will know it's true, and they will tell it to their grandchildren." My grandmother was one of the grandchildren to whom he told the story, and when she told it to me, she would say, "and so I tell it to you in the language, chiefly, in which I heard it."
[1] Richard Stout and his wife Penelope were my 8th great grandparents thru the Devor line and my 10th great grandparents thru the Riley line. (Ed Sanders)
