Person:Garret Van Sweringen (1)

Van Sweringen was born in 1636, in Holland but little is known of his early years. He was evidently well educated and multi-lingual, speaking Dutch, English, and French. He came to America in 1657 as an agent for the City of Amsterdam. He sailed as part of an expedition charged with reinvigorating the Dutch colony of New Amstel (now New Castle, Delaware), on the Delaware Bay, but the ship wrecked on the shores of Long Island, resulting in the loss of many of the supplies and personal possessions of the passengers. After finally arriving at New Amstel, Van Sweringen served in several positions, including sheriff, a councilor, and deputy commander of the colony. In this capacity, Van Sweringen had contact with Maryland's leaders and gained some knowledge of that colony.

When English forces invaded and captured the Dutch colony in 1664, he again lost most of his estate, this time from plundering during the conquest. Soon afterward, Van Sweringen moved to St. Mary's City with his wife Barbara, a native of Flanders, and their family. Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, appointed him as an alderman on the new city council in 1667, and made Van Sweringen and his family some of the first naturalized citizens of Maryland in 1669. Documents from that year describe Van Sweringen as an innkeeper.

His ordinary was probably located in a structure newly built by William Smith, who died shortly before it was completed. It is likely that Van Sweringen initially leased the building from Smith's widow and her new husband, Daniel Jennifer. In December of 1672, Van Sweringen purchased the Ordinary and began major renovations. The building was doubled in size and had a number of expensive refinements added including plastered walls and decorative tin-glazed tiles. Much of Van Sweringen's trade came from those traveling to the capital city to do business with the government. Many of these visits were subsidized by the state. Evidence of substantial payments to Van Sweringen, in pounds of tobacco, are stored in the Maryland Archives. Like so many immigrants to Maryland, Van Sweringen's wife Barbara died. In 1676 he married Mary Smith, a 17-year old English woman. Van Sweringen ultimately fathered at least ten children by these two wives. The Van Sweringens operated Smith's Ordinary until early in 1677. At that time, the complex with most of its furnishings was leased to John Derry. Court documents indicate that Van Sweringen wanted to give up ordinary keeping so that he could open a private house and engage in brewing. By law, an ordinary had to accept anyone at any time who appeared seeking lodging. The law also set rates that could be charged by ordinaries. A private house was less bound by these regulations and thus potentially more profitable.

In 1677, Van Sweringen acquired the building that had been used as the meeting place for the Governor's Council and public records office. These functions had moved to the new brick State House, which was completed in 1676. There is no question that Van Sweringen's latest venture was designed to appeal to the elite, especially members of the Governor's Council. Archaeology suggests Van Sweringen made a sizable investment in renovations, including building a new kitchen, adding chimneys, plastered walls, and installing a brick veneer. Just as the lodging house was being finished, disaster struck once again. Smith's Ordinary, which he still owned but leased to Derry, burned to the ground. Van Sweringen's loss was a staggering sum yet he recovered from adversity once again.

His new lodging house began attracting the elite of the colony, and it became the most elegant establishment in Maryland. From time to time, the higher charges for feeding and housing the Council members became a subject of contention. Nonetheless, Van Sweringen received very substantial payments for his services. The quality of the food and drink served is suggested in the record of a discussion that took place in the General Assembly in 1682, where rates that would be charged for cider were set. Van Sweringen’s boiled cider was the only exception made to the rates.

"…and therefore Resolved that they be allowed for syder 25 lbs of tob. P Gall except Mr. Vansweringen & he to have for his boyld syder 30 lbds. Tob P Gall…" (Archives of MD 7:429).

Van Sweringen kept sheep at the site, a source of fresh meat for the table and wool for the household. There was a garden containing cabbage and other vegetables. One of the most unexpected documentary references from 17th-century St. Mary's City is found in the 1698 will of Garrett Van Sweringen. In it, he bequeaths to his son, Joseph, "ye Council Rooms and Coffee House and land thereto belonging". Coffee houses were fashionable urban institutions in Europe and of growing popularity in England during the late 17th century. Coffee houses served wine and other beverages but little food. They were places for social interaction. It is surprising to find this reference in early Maryland.

Archaeological evidence suggests that the outbuilding originally built for brewing and baking may have been the coffee house. This outbuilding was fitted out far better than most such structures. The artifacts associated with the building suggest that it was the scene of much smoking and drinking but little food consumption. Other evidence comes from traces of the vanished colonial landscape - fence trenches. They formed an unusual public entry corridor to the Coffee house, probably so that people could come to the structure without going through the private yard.

Scattered references suggest that Van Sweringen had some role in providing medical treatment. Other records show that Van Sweringen was a merchant involved in trade with England, Ireland, Jamaica, and New York. He also provided construction services. In June 1674, Van Sweringen was paid 800 lbs. of tobacco for building the stocks and a whipping post for the colony.

Van Sweringen owned a plantation just south of St. Mary's City, the 1,500 acre St. Elizabeth's Manor. At his death, the inventory lists four enslaved Africans who might have been working in agricultural production. However, there is no direct evidence as to the nature of his plantation operations, aside from cattle-raising and perhaps dairying.

When Garrett Van Sweringen died in 1698, he had amassed a large estate valued at over 300 lbs. sterling, placing him among the top 5% of all the householders in St. Mary's County for his time. His story reflects the hard work, innovation, risk-taking, and the will to succeed which characterizes generations of immigrants to America. His entrepreneurial spirit and persistence took advantage of the many opportunities offered by early Maryland, and set a precedent for future immigrants who still come to these shores.

Will of Gerrett Van Swearingen

Will of Garrett Van Swearingen, Dated 25 March 1698. Proved 25 October 1698.

In the name of God, Amen. I Garrett Vansweringen of ye citty of St. Mary's in St. Marys county, haveing consideredly Many Yeares I have Lived in this World and therefore but a Little time to remain and for Reason of the Uncertainty When this tyme shall be Expired I doe hereby Will and require that When it Should be ye Will of God to Call me out of this Mortall Life My body shall be buried if God Doth permitt According to ye custom of ye Roman Catholique Church and ye Priest That shall bury me I doe give him One Thousand Pound of Tobacco and further I doe require My Executors herafter named to take Care that dureing ye Ensueing Year Mass shall be done for me Soly at all ye Later Days St. Josephs day, St. John ye Evangelist, St. Mary Magdaline in Holy Week at all Saints days and in ye Christmas Hollydays further That all my Just debts shal be paid and doe therefore appoint and Nominate My Wife and My son Joseph Vansweringen Exrs. of my Will and this My Testament to doe and act as here shalbe mencond And My Now dwelling house and Land thereunto belonging also ye Councill Roomes and Coffee house and Land thereunto belonging I give unto my two sons Joseph and Charles Vansweringen For them and their Heires for Ever but in case of Any of them should Come to dye then ye houses and land fall to ye Surviving Brother herebefore Named and if both should Come to Dye then it shall fll to my Girles gotten by my Liveing wife the ...only equally that is to be Understood that are and were not married, or unprovided and Shall be unmarried after my decease and in Case any of them should So come to be in Possession of Any of the aforenamed Land and houses and Shall Come to dye without issue then ye forenamed Land Should returne againe to those that are Unmarried and to them that shall have issue in the Nature as before but their Issue dying shall ye said Land returne again to those yet have issue or be unmarried I doe alsoe require that my Wife doe Alsoe remaine in Possession of All my Estate Moveables and unmoveables dureing her Life that if she shall remaine unmarried, but in Case she should Come to Marry that then her Exershp shall Cease and My Son Joseph shall only remaine ye only Executor of my Will and Testament and allow According to Law to my wife one third of my Estate but remaining unmarried she shall Continue in Sole Possession of all as if I was my Selfe Alive for ye good of our children and doe hereby Absolutely Debarr all persons not being of My Blood to meddle or Concern themselves With any of my children or there Estate but What shalbe by ye Election of My Son Joseph with ye advise of Mr. John Hall of St. Innegoes the Unaged Children will be C....ed with their brother Joseph be their Guardian I will that .....weekes after My Decease My Estate shalbe Appraised and not Undervallued as ordinarily in this country is Done but to ye Reall Value Silver Plate Brass Copper Pewter Ledd in Quantity and Quality or other....my Wife shall Remaine Unmarried I doe Empower her over all nothing Excepted to remaine inmolessed either by Children or Sonns in Law Provideing she shall not distribute more to ye one than to ye other and that noe Portcon shalbe given to any of them dureing My Said Wife her Life to put herself to Want and beggary ye rest of my Younger Children only by ye Way of assistance ye necessarily should require in part pay of their Porcon or Sheare but if my Wife should come to dye then those children that are left unmarried Shall remain under ye Guardianshipp of Their Brother Joseph to take Care of them till they Come to be Married but if said Joseph Should doe them any injustice which God forbidd then ye offense shall be refered to Mr. John Hall hereafore named Mr. Charles Carrolle Mr. Charles Egerton Mr. Thomas Georing or any two of them and their settling upon ye matter shall definitise Either for ye said Joseph to remaine their Guardian or to Make Elecon of any of those Aforenamed instead of him and their porcon Must and Shall be given them on Yeare after they are married if they remaine alive and not otherwise for if any of these Children aforenamed Comes to dye their porcon shall remaine amongst their Sisters herebefore named and not to ye two brothers haveing ye Land Except issue if they should be married and have issue before ye Expiraon of ye Year or being bigg With Childe but ye aforenamed Brothers shall alsoe have an Equall Share out of ye moveables estate ye day of My departure but not to p..tend any share of ye porcons of these girles that should Come to dye but shalbe Equally divided to ye Sisters that are Unmarried, and further if my Son Joseph Should Come to dye and if mother remaines Alive then shall ye Executorshipp remain in her and in all Power as is Layd before at large, but if my Wife also should Come to dye then ye Children shall chuse one or more Guardians Out of ye aforenamed whom are hereby desired to see my Will performed and in testimony that this is my Last Will and Tesamt Have I hereunto Signed and Sealed with my hand this the 25th day of March 1698 But as I have sd my Wife to remain Exer if my son Joseph Should Come to dye is allways understood unmarried but if Married the Children shall have Guardians as afrsd in order to shake off ye Yoke of a father-in-law Further if it doth appeare any Gift Given in my Lifetime to any of my children of Vallue therof shalbe allowed to ye other Children Aportionable.

Signed Sealed Published and declared Signed Gare Vansweringen by sd Garrett Vansweringen as his last will + testamt ye 25 day of October 1698 in the presence of us Nicholas Croutch, Willm Aisquith, Thomas Grunwin, Thos. Sinnodd

And at ye bottom of ye foregoeing Will was Written....Endorsemts following vist Then came Mr. William Asquith and Mr. Thomas Grunwyn two of ye Wittnesses to this Will and made oathe that they did see Garrett Vansweringen ye Testator Signe Seale Publish and declare the within + above written to be his last Will and Testament and the sd Garrett was at ye isuing thereof Was of Perfect and Sound Mind + Memory Kenelm Cheseldyn March 20th 1698. Then did Mr. Nicholas Crowtch another of ye Wittnesses above have deposed. Kenelm Cheseldyn.

Source: Maryland State Archives, Hall of Records, Annapolis, MD, Prerogative Court Wills 6, pp. 210-211

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Brøderbund Software, Inc. World Family Tree Vol. 5, Ed. 1. (Release date: August 22, 1996)
   Tree #1957.

   Date of Import: Dec 27, 1997

2. ↑ Http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=103940895.