< I'm missing dates of these events but references to this would be in D-Col archives.> The Dutch capitulated to the Portuguese on Jan 25 1654. In April 1654, there was a fleet of sixteen Dutch ships in the Harbor of Recif to evacuate the Dutch Protestants together with a small number of Dutch and Portuguese Jews. "A Spanish pirate being about March or April 1654, at Barbados, with a barque vessel captured from the Dutch near Recif, was ordered to retire from the island. But the Spanish privateer with its prize was in turn captured by a French man-of-war, the ship St. Charles." Sailing from Amsterdam on June 14, 1656, The French, not wanting to return them all the way to the Netherlands, escorted the ship to New Amsterdam, thus making Dom. Polhemius an American immigrant, and bringing the first Jews to New Amsterdam. He was reunited with his wife and family two years later in Flatbush, Brooklyn, where he had become pastor. There is a letter dated from Dom Polhemus giving his wife power of attorney. This was recorded on October 15, 1654, so he must have arrived in New Amsterdam. shortly before. Leslie Hope