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Read Ebook: Notes Geographical and Historical Relating to the Town of Brooklyn in Kings County on Long-Island by Furman Gabriel
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Ebook has 48 lines and 6612 words, and 1 pages
Page. Situation of the Town of Brooklyn, 5
Ancient Names and Remains, 6
Soil and Climate, 7
Ancient Grants and Patents, 8
Town Rights and Ferries, 21
Roads and Public Landing Places, 36
Common Lands, and the Division thereof, 40
Differences as to Bounds, 46
Revolutionary Incidents, 50
Ancient Government, 55
Present Government, 68
Public Buildings and Institutions, 73
Schools, Newspapers and Moral Character, 92
Fire Department, 95
Miscellaneous, 99
Appendix, 102
FOOTNOTES:
The custom of changing the names of sons, or rather substituting the sur-names for the christian name, prevailed at this period; as in the above instance, the father's name was Barent Janse, and the son was called Jan Barentse.
According to the New-York doctrine, this boundary of the town can only be correct when the tide is flood, for when the water is low, the town is bounded by property belonging to the Corporation of the City of New-York, and not by the River.
This town enjoyed this privilege in common with the other towns on Long-Island, and their cattle which ran at large were marked with the letter N.
At the annual town meeting, April, 1823, a committee was appointed to inquire if this town at present, had any, and if any, what right to the above-mentioned tract of meadow ground called Sellers neck; what progress this committee made in their investigation, the compiler is uninformed. This meadow called Seller's neck, the Compiler thinks was apportioned among the patentees and freeholders, and what leads him to this conclusion is, that on the 10th of May, 1695, John Damen, who was one of the patentees of this town, sold to William Huddlestone all his interest in the said meadow.
This "port or entrance," as it is called, is situate in the valley on the Flatbush Turnpike, near the "Brush" or "Valley Tavern," and a short distance beyond the 3 mile post from Brooklyn ferry.--A freestone monument has been placed here, to designate the patent line between Brooklyn and Flatbush.
Although the bounds of this grant commences about 250 yards in the town of Bushwick, the Corporation of New-York have made no claim to land beyond the Wallabought.
The jurisdiction of New-York by their first charter in 1686, was limited to low water mark around Manhattan Island; but was extended to low water mark on the Brooklyn side by Governor Montgomery's charter in 1730.
For what purpose was it, that the Corporation's Counsel was heard at the bar of the House, if not to advance and support their rights? If it was not done at that time, the plain inference would be, that they were aware they had no right.
The Council was appointed by the King's mandamus and sign manual, and all their privileges and powers were contained in the Governor's instructions. The tenure of their places was extremely precarious. See Smith's History of New-York, p. 364.
The Corporation of New-York, during the year 1824, have received from the ferries, the sum of D12,003 75,--more than 3-4ths of which sum is from the ferries on the East River.
The idea intended to be conveyed by this regulation, I understand to be, that the Justices of the town of Brooklyn shall have cognizance of the offence, as much as if the offenders resided within the town.
The records referred to, together with all our other town records were destroyed during the Revolution.
The fortifications at Red Hook were erected by a Regiment of Continental troops, the night of April 8, 1776.
In 1655, a large body of Northern Indians made a descent on Staten Island, and massacred 67 persons; after which they crossed to Long-Island, and invested Gravesend; which place was relieved by a party of soldiers from New-Amsterdam. It appears from the records that these Indians were on their way to commence a war against the Indians on the east end of Long-Island.
The inhabitants of Flatbush were ordered by Governor Stuyvesant, in 1656, to enclose their village with palisadoes to protect them from the Indians. These fortifications were required to be kept under the English government, as will appear by the following record of the Court of Sessions for the West Riding of Yorkshire upon Long-Island, December 15th, 1675. "The towne of Fflatbush having neglected the making of ffortifications, the Court take notis of it, and reffer the censure to ye Governor."
There were also a "Clerk" in most if not in all of these towns, who seems to have been authorised to take proof of the execution of wills; whether he was the Town Clerk does not appear. This officer was differently appointed in the different towns. In Bushwick he was appointed by the Commissioners of the town, and in New-Utrecht he was elected by the people, and approved of by the Governor.
This law provides, that any person not having a visible estate, or a manual craft or occupation, coming into any place within this province, should give security, not to become chargeable within two years: and the captains of vessels bringing passengers into this province, were required to report them to the chief magistrate of the place, within 24 hours after their arrival. Under the Dutch government the poor were supported out of the fines imposed for offences committed, and by contributions taken up in the Churches.
Sept. 14, 1696, about 8 o'clock in the evening, John Rapale, Isaac Remsen, Joras Yannester, Joras Danielse Rapale, Jacob Reyersen, Aert Aersen, Tunis Buys, Garret Cowenhoven, Gabriel Sprong, Urian Andriese, John Williamse Bennet, Jacob Bennet, and John Meserole, jr. met armed at the court-house of Kings, where they destroyed and defaced the king's arms which were hanging up there.
The West Riding was composed of the towns of Brooklyn, Bushwick, Flatbush, Flatlands, New-Utrecht, and Gravesend, together with Staten-Island and Newtown.
This minister died in the month of June, 1676.
This minister was naturalized in the Court of Sessions for Kings County, November 8, 1715.
This office was held by George S. Wise, Jun, Esq. until his death in November, 1824.
Governor Nicolls in a letter to the Duke of York, November, 1665, informed him "that such is the mean condition of this town, that not one soldier to this day has lain in sheets, or upon any other bed than canvass and straw.
In 1697, the population of New-York has considerably decreased, from what it was in 1686; the census taken this year was as follows:
The town is now erecting a very neat building for an Alms-house, on the property lately purchased from Leffert Lefferts, Esqr.
The first settlement in this town was made by George Jansen De Rapalje, the father of Sarah in 1625, on the farm which is now owned by the family of the Schencks at the Wallaboght.
The compiler congratulates his fellow citizens on the extinction of those national animosities which in former times existed between the Dutch and English in this our happy country. We may now truly ask with Sterne, "are we not all relations?"
"Lord Cornbury came to this province in very indigent circumstances, hunted out of England by a host of hungry creditors, he was bent on getting as much money as he could squeeze out of the purses of an impoverished people." He was infamous for his "excessive avarice his embezzlement of the public money, and his sordid refusal to pay his private debts." Cornbury became so obnoxious to the inhabitants of this province, that they sent a complaint to England against him. The Queen in consequence of this complaint displaced him. "As soon as his lordship was superseded, his creditors threw him into the custody of the sheriff of New-York." See Smith's History of New-York. Such was the man from whom the corporation of New-York obtained the rights of the town of Brooklyn.
These "divers former governors," &c. are limited to two, viz. Nicolls, who in 1665 granted them a charter, if that may be strictly called so, which only altered their form of government from scout, burgomasters, and schepens, to mayor and aldermen, without a word about ferries or water rights, or indeed any other matter--the original of which paper is not in existence. There is nothing to warrant a belief that there was a charter of any kind granted to the corporation between Nicolls and Dongan, who is the second of these "divers former governors," &c. and who in 1686 granted them the ferry, with an express reservation as to the rights of all others. The charter of Dongan, notwithstanding all their pompous recitals, is the oldest they can produce, which in any manner affects the interests of this town.
The corporation of New-York appear to have abandoned the right of regulating the rate of ferriage very early; for in 1717, nine years after the date of this charter, an act was passed by the colonial legislature for that purpose.
This clause was undoubtedly inserted to obviate, if possible the claim under the two Brooklyn patents, both of which were many years older than this charter.
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