Charles Yarnall, "John Bowne of Flushing, 1627-1695," Bulletin of Friends' Historical Society of Philadelphia 2 (1908): 44-66

Read in the archive.org full text (October 2026; research/mcmillan/Frost_Underhill_Bowne_Feake.md). Extracts from Charles Yarnall’s “John Bowne, His Contemporaries and Descendants” (1852), with the Council minutes of New Netherland and Bowne’s letters, edited with notes.

• Origins (p. 45): “John Bowne was born at Matlock, Derbyshire, England, March 9th, 1627. He was the son of Thomas Bowne, of whom little is known, except that in the year 1649, he, with his daughter, Dorothy, accompanied his son John on his voyage to Boston, and that he subsequently lived and died at his house in Flushing.” The journal begins: “Monday 23d Jany 1649 — I entered into Mr. Philips’ Service, for which Service I am to have five Shillings for every week, one half in money and one half in wine.” His sister Dorothy had married Edward Farrington.
• Marriage (p. 45): “In the year 1656, May 7th, John Bowne was married to Hannah Pheaks [or Feaks, or Feeks], of Flushing.” Hannah joined the Friends who met in the woods; her husband, “attracted by curiosity,” went to look at them and “invited them to meet at his own house in future.”
• The complaint (p. 46 and note): the Council minute of Thursday, 24 Aug 1662: “The Magistrates of Rustdorf came here to-day and in form of complaint reported to the Director-General, that the majority of the inhabitants of their village were adherents and followers of the abomnible sect, called Quakers, and that a large meeting was held at the house of John Bound, in Vliasingen [Flushing], every Sunday.”
• The sentence (p. 47), Thursday, 14 Sept 1662: “Because John Bowne, at present prisoner, dwelling at Flushing, upon Long Island, has made no scruple in contempt of the orders of the Director General and Council of the New Netherlands, made and published against the Quakers, not only to lodge and entertain some of that heretick and abominable sect called Quakers, but, moreover, has condescended unto them at several times to hold their conventicles and meetings in his house, where he, not alone, but his whole family, have been present”; a fine of twenty-five pounds Flemish, doubled for a second offence, banishment for a third. “John Bowne having refused to pay the fines imposed upon him, was confined in a dungeon on bread and water, day and night, no one being allowed access to him.”
• Banishment (p. 48): “On the 31st of 10th Month (December), 1662, he was carried on board a ship bound for Holland.” John Hodgson’s letter “For the hands of my dear friend John Bowne, at Prison in Manhattan.”
• The Council to the Company (p. 49), Fort Amsterdam, 9 Jan 1663: “one of their principal leaders, John Bowne, who, for his transgressing, was … condemned in an amende of 150 guilders … has now been under arrest more than three months for his unwillingness to pay.”
• The Directors’ reply (pp. 49-50), Amsterdam, 16 April 1663, in the older translation: “the consciences of men, at least, ought ever to remain free and unshackled.” He reached Amsterdam “on the 29th of Second month, 1663.”