Two of Oyster Bay's original settlers signed the document that is believed to be the precursor of the Bill of Rights, the Flushing Remonstrance written 350 years ago. The two, Henry Townsend and John Townsend were among the signers of the Flushing Remonstrance, written in 1657 and signed by 29 men protesting the ban by Peter Stuyvesant, governor of the Dutch colony of New Netherland (now part of Queens, New York) on Quaker meetings.

Lou Casazza, one of the Raynham Hall Museum docents, said the Townsends came to America believing it as a good place to practice their own religion, [most Townsends were Protestants and/or Methodists] which they did. [The King James edition of the bible was published in 1611 and England was in great religious turmoil as new branches of Christianity were forming.] Then Governor Stuyvesant banned all other religions - outside of the Dutch Reformed Church - from being practiced in the colony. That ban resulted in the 1657 Flushing Remonstrance in which the colonists protested the governor's actions. According to Wikipedia, The Dutch West India Company in 1663 advised Gov. Stuyvesant by letter that he was to end religious persecution in the colony. One year later, in 1664, the colony fell to British control.

The Flushing Remonstrance is on display now through Jan. 7 at the Flushing Library, 41-17 Main St., Flushing.

The two Townsends, John and Henry, came to Oyster Bay in 1661, said Oyster Bay Town Historian John Hammond. He said, "Although they signed the Flushing Remonstrance, they did not live in Flushing. They lived in Rustdorp, which is now called Jamaica."

Allison Putala, acting director of the Townsend Society in America which has offices in Townsend Square, said the names of the men appear in the Andros Patent which was written about by Peter Ross who wrote in 1902, A History of Long Island from its earliest Settlement to the Present. He said, that on Sept. 29, 1677, Edmond Andros, Esquire, the govenor of the area granted land in Oyster Bay to "Henry Townsend senr., Nicholas Wright, Thomas Townsend, Gideon Wright, Richard Harcker, Joseph Carpenter, and Josias Latting, as Patentees for and on behalf of themselves and of their associates the Freeholderss and Inhabitant of the said Town, their Heirs, Successors and Assigns,..."

Mr. Ross added, "It would seem that at first the land was to be held in common, except the 'sex-acre' [six-acres] home lots. That theory, however, was soon departed from and in practice all sorts of notions prevailed."

The result was a longer list of names was added and they were to have a vote in what happened with the land. "The freeholders named were: __Henry Townsend, Joseph Dickinson, Edmund Wright, Anthony Wright, Joseph Ludlum, Samuel Weeks, Nicholas Simpkins, John Jones, Francis Weeks, William Frost, John Rogers, John Dickinson, William Buckler, Nicholas Wright, Job Wright, Elizabeth Townsend, John Townsend, Josiah Latting, Nathaniel Coles, Richard Harcott, Adam Wright, Latamore Sampson (Simon Cooper), Daniel Coles, John Wright, John Townsend, Caleb Wright, Issac Doutty, James Townsend, John Weeks, Samuel Andrews, Matthias Harvey Fyde, Samuel Furman, Alice Crabb, Henry Townsend Jr., Gideon Wright, Richard Crabb, George Dennis, Thomas Townsend, Joseph Weeks, John Weeks, of Warwick, Thomas Weeks, Moses Furman, James Weeks," said Mr. Ross. _

In opening the exhibit, Queensborough President Helen Marshall at the unveiling of the Flushing Remonstrance on Dec. 6 said, "Imagine that 350 years ago when our country was in its infancy, a group of Flushing citizens made a decision that would become part of the greatest democracy in the world, establishing freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances in America. These fundamental rights transcend 350 years to date. Not only in Flushing, not only in Queens but remains the cornerstone of democracy in our nation."

Ms. Marshall added "we are particularly honored that the 60 descendants of the signers of the remonstrance have joined us tonight. I know their ancestors would be filled with pride to know that they have joined us in this wonderful celebration."

Ms. Putala, is familiar with the Remonstrance. "Some members of the society were helpful in setting up the exhibit. One of the members, Audrey Madison, was at the opening ceremony. You had to show documentation to be allowed to attend as one of the ancestors."

She was familiar with Henry Townsend and his willingness to sign the document and said he was arrested twice for helping Quakers. He said after being arrested the second time, "They might squander and devour my estate and manacle my person but that my soul was God's and my opinions my own."

Ms. Putala said, "It never occurred to him that he would be arrested or fined for hosting these people in his home."

She said, "Henry Townsend was fined 100 pounds and banished to Holland and subsequently arrested again for the same problem several years later. He readily stood up for the Quakers, and the freedom of religion they had come here for. The Oyster Bay area was a real political hotbed. At the time Flushing, Queens and Oyster Bay were one territory. The English had the east end of Long Island and the Dutch had the west end so it was a real mess in the middle."

Ms. Putala said, "Those Townsends were not Quakers. But they were quite passionate on the reasons people came to the colonies and just wouldn't just sit quietly. Henry Townsend would travel to pick up Quakers and bring them to his home. It was really extraordinary. He went beyond the call of duty and since he wasn't a Quaker, that makes it extraordinary."

Ms. Marshall added, "This morning [Dec. 6] I addressed a group of students at a local school. I saw before me students of almost 40 different nationalities. A familiar sight in all of our schools." She said, as a teacher herself, she understands the importance of history and has invested in a traveling exhibit about the Remonstrance for schools in Queens this year.

The earliest copy of the document dates also from 1657 as an official copy of the original but the original has been lost. The original copy of the Remonstrance was brought down from the State Archives in Albany for display.

The Townsend family homestead is located at 20 West Main St., Oyster Bay. In 1738, Samuel Townsend purchased the site now known as Raynham Hall Museum.