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Tavern Keeper

From the February 1997 issue, of the Port Ryerse Journal RAPALJES of Taverns... by Phyllis Ryerse With no morning edition of the newspaper or 6 o'clock TV news, the inhabitants of the little settlement (New Amsterdam) had to rely on taverns and tap houses to hear the latest in political and social news. Easy profits encouraged many of them to turn their houses into taverns for the sale of brandy, tobacco and beer and early taverns soon sprang up like weeds. It wasn't long before there were heard many complaints of 'mischeif and pervesity' caused by immoderate drinking. Sailors ashore were a problem and Indians were always a serious threat to the colony- especially drunken ones. Many ordinances and regulations were drafted over the years to ban the tapping or drawing of wine on the Lord's Day so that the people might not be distracted from attending divine worship. Determined to prevent amusements during church services, the Director and Council forbade the exercise of all lawful occupations on Sunday as well as excessive drinking bouts, dancing, playing cards, backgammon, ball, rolling ninepins, pleasure boating or driving about in carts or wagons before or during church service. A few years later there was added to this list, fishing, fowling, picking nuts and strawberries as well as the calling and shouting of children in the streets! Penalties and fines were only a little successful at enforcing these rules. ============================================================ In March of 1648, all tavern keepers were ordered to come before Gov. Stuyvestant and his Council to promise to obey all the regulations. JORIS RAPALJE presented himself, His tavern was probably located in one of the two houses built south of the fort at number 17-19 Pearl Street, just west of Whitehall Street. New York was much narrower in those days and Pearl Street, which lay near the river, was named for all the mother-of-pearl shells that washed up on the shore. Being close to the docks, the RAPALJE'S tavern probably attracted many sea-going men. Catalyntje Trico, Joris Rapalje's wife, kept the books for the business and one wonders if she also helped keep the mugs full of rum and cider amid the talk and laughter of their customers. One also wonders if their tavern boasted a sign over the door? Maybe the Lions Head Tavern? or the Red Dragon Inn?..or maybe just Joresy's inn, the name by which he was called so many times in the court Minutes of New Amsterdam. By 1655, Joris RAPALJE rented his house on Pearl Street and moved his family to the Wallabout, (Brooklyn) along the bend in the East River just opposite New Amsterdam. His interests had now turned to farming.

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