At This New York Island, Quakers Fled from Ear-Cropping & Executions in 1600s Massachusetts

Shelter Island, New York

Nathaniel and Grizzell Sylvester bought Shelter Island in 1652 and turned it into a haven for hunted Quakers when brutal laws made their faith punishable by death.

Two centuries later, rich families like the Horsfords made it their summer playground, building grand hotels and mansions.

Here’s how a small island went from refuge to resort, and what you can explore today.

The Sylvesters Establish Their Manor

Nathaniel Sylvester brought his 17-year-old bride Grissel Brinley to Shelter Island in 1652. They built their home on the eastern shore and started a farm to supply their sugar operations in the Caribbean.

Nathaniel grew up in Rotterdam and used his connections across Europe and the Caribbean for trade. From this island home, he managed shipments to feed workers on his Barbados sugar plantations.

Quaker Refuge During Religious Persecution

Massachusetts passed harsh laws against Quakers in 1656. People practicing this faith faced branding, ear-cropping, jail, banishment, or death.

The Sylvesters welcomed Quakers to their island. Unlike mainland Puritans, they supported the Religious Society of Friends, started by George Fox in England.

Quakers believed God spoke directly to people through an “Inner Light” without need for priests or complex ceremonies. This idea threatened religious leaders.

For Quakers throughout New England, Shelter Island became a safe haven. Word spread quickly about this island where they could practice their faith freely.

Mary Dyer’s Winter Sanctuary

Mary Dyer left her husband and six children in Boston in the 1650s. She went to England, became a Quaker, and returned to Boston as a preacher in 1657.

Boston officials arrested and banished her, threatening to kill her if she returned. Dyer came back anyway.

In a public display, Dyer watched two fellow Quakers hang. With a rope around her neck and hood over her head, she received a last-minute pardon.

She escaped to Shelter Island for the winter of 1659-60. Despite finding safety with the Sylvesters, Dyer returned to Boston in spring 1660, where she was executed.

The Sethwick Family Takes Shelter

Lawrence and Cassandra Sethwick fled Salem, Massachusetts with their children after being banished for practicing Quakerism. Officials had ordered two of their children sold into slavery.

The family found safety with the Sylvesters on Shelter Island. Lawrence wrote his will there in May 1659, with Nathaniel Sylvester signing as witness.

Unlike other colonies demanding religious conformity, Shelter Island welcomed different beliefs. The Sethwicks joined other refugee families forming a small Quaker community.

George Fox’s Historic Visit

George Fox, who started the Quaker movement, visited Shelter Island in August 1672. His arrival was a proud moment for the island’s Quaker community.

After touring other American colonies, Fox came to the Sylvesters’ home. From their porch, he preached to hundreds of Native Americans about spiritual equality.

During his stay, Fox challenged Nathaniel Sylvester about slavery. He urged slave owners to free those in bondage, though most American Quakers still owned slaves at this time.

Royal Intervention Ends Quaker Executions

King Charles II ordered Massachusetts to stop executing Quakers in 1661. A Quaker ship captain named Ralph Goldsmith delivered this order directly to the Massachusetts governor.

Nathaniel’s brother Giles Sylvester, who lived in London, had signed the petition that prompted the king’s action. The petition listed the harsh treatment Quakers faced in America.

Grissel Sylvester likely helped through her father Thomas Brinley, who worked in the king’s court. Her family connections helped protect American Quakers.

After years of hiding refugees, the Sylvesters finally saw legal relief for their persecuted friends. This royal order marked a step toward religious freedom in the colonies.

Shelter Island Heights Founded as Methodist Retreat

In 1871, businessmen from Brooklyn bought the Frederick Chase estate. They turned the northern peninsula into Shelter Island Heights, a summer camp meeting site for Methodists.

Landscape architect Robert Morris Copeland designed the community with winding streets that followed the natural hills, creating a charming village feel.

Vacationers built seventy summer cottages between 1872 and 1880. The houses featured popular styles of the time: Stick-Eastlake, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival.

The Manhanset House Hotel Attracts Elite Visitors

Developers bought 200 acres in Dering Harbor in 1872 and built the Manhanset House Hotel. Wealthy New Yorkers came to escape the city’s summer heat.

The hotel became known for luxury. Newspapers noted it attracted “a wealthy class of people, especially yachtsmen” who enjoyed the protected harbors and high society events.

By 1904, guests could play on an 18-hole golf course. The hotel also featured formal dining rooms and ballrooms for socializing.

The Manhanset Chapel opened on the hotel grounds in 1890. After the wooden hotel burned down, the chapel was moved to North Ferry Road in 1924.

The Prospect House Defines Gilded Age Leisure

The Prospect House became Shelter Island’s premier resort with a hotel, restaurant, chapel, and tennis courts on carefully kept grounds.

Sunday evening concerts highlighted the social calendar. Guests gathered weekly for music, songs, and dramatic readings by professional performers.

Brooklyn investors saw the island’s potential for tourism. They took advantage of its beauty, protected waters, and easy access from New York City by steam ferry. Like many wooden hotels of that time, the New Prospect House eventually burned down.

Gilded Age Summer Social Life

Summer days on Shelter Island filled with card parties, sailing trips, tennis matches, and swimming. The Beach Club Bathing Pavilion became the center for daytime activities.

Evenings featured extravagant yacht parties with cannon salutes and fireworks. These offshore celebrations drew crowds along the docks.

Saturday nights were for dancing. Formal “Germans” (group dances led by a master of ceremonies) entertained both adults and children with orchestras playing popular music.

Visiting Shelter Island

You can reach Shelter Island only by ferry. North Ferry runs from Greenport and South Ferry connects from North Haven. Both operate year-round, 5:30am-midnight, with boats running every 10-20 minutes.

The Shelter Island Historical Society (16 South Ferry Road) opens Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm. Admission is free, though donations are welcome. Their museum offers guided tours of the Havens House for $10.

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