A Decree
in the Court of Chancery dated 17th February 1623 shows
an Agreement between Sir Henry Appleton, Julius Sludder (a Dutchman
who already owned land on Canvey Island), John, William and Mary
Blackmore, Abigail Baker, Thomas Binckers and his wife, (all Landowners)
and Joas Croppenburg - to reclaim Canvey Island from the encroachment
of the Sea.
The project was to be financed by Joas Croppenburg
(a wealthy Dutch haberdasher of Cheapside) and an acquaintance
of Sir Henry, in return for one-third of all the land reclaimed and
made safe. There was a stipulation in the Agreement that it would be
made void should any breaches in the sea walls remain unrepaired within
a year of their being built.
Cornelius Vermuyden (a Dutch Engineer and related
by marriage to Joas Croppenburg) was commissioned for the project
and 300 Dutch workmen were brought from Holland. Research so far shows
no indication of how these workmen were paid, but it could be that some
at least were given a land grant and this gives rise to an explanation
of why there was Dutch community in this part of Essex..
It was these Dutchmen who petitioned Charles 1st to
allow them to worship in their own language and a chapel (little more
than a small wooden structure, but shown on the 1678 map) was built
on the island.
Dom Cornelius Jacobson was elected as their first paster
and overseer to their morals, and it his name that may be seen, together
with Dom Meunix, on the earliest British record so far found in "A
Calender of the Marriage Licence Allegations in the Registry of
the Bishop of London. 1597-1700" when
on 24 July 1634 Jonas Vandevord
mar. Elizabeth Cave