Person:Paulus Van Vleck (1)

This colorful and energetic character was born in Holland. In 1702, he was at Kinderhook, N.Y., where he acted as school master and precentor in the Dutch Church. As kinder hook had no settled minister at the time but was supplied from Albany, Paulus attempted to preach; however, he got into difficulties with the local clergy who claimed he had not been licensed.

  Undaunted by this setback, he continued in the work of the ministry but changed the scene of his acitivities from the Hudson River Valley to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In 1710, he organized three churches: one at Bensalem and Sameny (Neshaminy) and another at Whitemarsh, both in Bucks Co.; the third was at Six Mile Run on the Raritan River in New Jersey. Sometime after his marriage rumors began to circulate that he had a wife in Holland. After some delay this was confirmed and by 1715 he had disappeared from the scene and reportedly had left the country.