On this account it was expressly provided that other "people be carried thither," besides the four purchasers, "to set out a town, and inhabit together." The tradition, that but four families were found in occupancy of the town, so late as August, 1665, grew out of the fact, most probably, that but four names are recorded as purchasers in Gov. Nicolls' Grant. It seems to have been erroneously supposed, that these four were the sole proprietors of the purchase; whereas the Indian Deed expressly conveys the land, as also does Nicolls' Grant, to the Associates of these grantees as well. The whole transaction was a concerted enterprise; thought of, and talked over, and agreed upon, by a considerable number of persons, like-minded, and of like origin, residents of the same neighborhood on Long Island. Denton, one of the projectors of the undertaking, writes, four or five years afterwards, That the usual way, is for a Company of people to joyn together, either enough to make a Town, or a lesser number; these go with the consent of the Governor, and view a Tract of Land, there being choice enough, and finding a place convenient for a Town, they return to the Governor, who upon their desire admits them into the Colony, and gives them a Grant or Patent for the said Land, for themselves and Associates. These persons being thus qualified, settle the place, and take in what inhabitants to themselves they shall see cause to admit of, till their Town be full.* This is, doubtless, just what occurred in this instance-a number of persons combining and contributing to the acquisition, as is expressly stated in their behalf in a legal docu True it is, that, on the first settlement of the said first purchases and associates, it was agreed and understood, that the lands so purchased, should be divided, in proportion to the money paid for the purchase, to wit, into first-lot, second-lot, and third-lot rights, the second-lot to be double, and the third lot treble what was divided to those called first rights.t * Denton's Description of N. Y., &c., Ed. of 1845, p. 17. Ans. to E. T. Bill, p. 22. The following attestations, given about 20 years after the settlement, fully establish these conjectures: "The testimony off Timothy Holstead, off Hemstead, in Queens County who declareth yt ye purchasers off Affter Kull (viz.) Daniell Denton, John Baylies & Luke Watson did admit off my selff & my brother alsoe vpon ye disbursement off ffour pounds a peece in bever pay to bee Associates wt ym in ye purchass That the movement was thus undertaken in concert by a considerable number of persons, who were interested in it. from the beginning, and not several distinct, disconnected, and individual undertakings, appears still more fully from a letter, which has happily been preserved among the "Winthrop Papers," written by the Rev. Thomas James, pastor of the church of East Hampton, L. I. It is dated, Nov. 25, 1667, and is addressed to Gov. Winthrop, at New London, Ct., as follows: I can say lesse then formerly, in respect of my vnsetlednesse: for I was intended to haue remoued, with severall of my brethren who are gone, as Mr. Bond and others, who are remoued beyond N. Yorke; who were exceeding desirous to haue me gone with them, and settled a plantation in those parts; and my resolution was once so to haue done, but God, who hath the hearts and ways of all in his own hands, hath ordered it otherwise, so that I am still here. When it came too, the people here by no meanes could be perswaded to be willing to part with me vpon that acin case wee liked which mony wee disbursed ffor indean trade which sayd indean goods went to the purchass of ye sd land at Affter Kull at ye request off ye affores purchasers wee disliking ye place vpon a view off it. And they ingaging wee should bee payd ffor our goods & wee acknowledge yt wee have Received satisfaction off Dan" Denton affores one off ye purchasers the whole sum payd by selff and brother was four pounds a peece and two & six pence. Sworn beffore vs, ye 17th off Novem' 1685, Elias Doughty, Richard Cornwell, Justices in Quorum." "Samuel Denton off Hemstead doth alsoe testiffy yt ye above written purchasers did agree alsoe w him vpon ye disbursment off four pounds to bee an equal Associate wt them in case hee liked which four pounds hee payd in bever for goods y' went to ye purchass off ye sd land at Affter Kull att ye desire off ye purchasers they promising to Repay mee. And I acknowledge y1 I have deceived satisfaction off Daniell Denton one off ye su purchasers ffor ye sd ffour pounds; "Ffor y ffour pounds above mentioned Sam doth testiffy y' exactly to ye sum hee cannot so well remember. But is positive in this that hee payd equall wt ye purchasers Timothy Holstead & Sam" Denton on the other side mentioned doe ffurther testify that ye mony on ye other side mentioned was payd to ye indeans ffor all such lands contained in ye purchass made by y purchasers on ye otherside mentioned, as well for Elizabethtown as ye Rest &ffurther y wee layd doun our mony for ye purchas at Daniel Dentous, commending off y place to vs as severall others did vpon incouragement from ye other purchasers. And never Received a ffarthin but from Daniel Denton. And y' Ambross Sutten also was one off our Company. December y 84 1685. Attested before mee Richard Cornwell, Justice in Quoruin." "Josiah Settin off Oisterbay in Queens County testifieth that when Dan" Denton, John Baylies & Luke Watson did purchase Affter Kull so called off ye indeans that I went w Dan Denton when hee carried ye goods to pay ye purchass off ye land And y1 Samuel Denton & Timothy Holstead & Ambross Sutton was off ye Company & payd mony towards ye purchass & I payd my mony alsoe towards ye purchass to Luke Watson wee being all off vs to have land iff wee likd ffor our mony y' wee disbursd. But never received any satisfaction of Luke Watson nor any other off ye purchasers for my s mony that I layd out ffer ye sd purchass nor ever had any consideration in land or any other way taken vpon oath ye last day off March Annoq. Domini 1686. Before Mee John Townsend, Sen' Justice off ye peace" Alb. Records, XXXII. 118. count, so that I am here still, but by reason thereof, lesse hath beene done then otherwise might haue been.* Mr. Bond, and his neighbors from East Hampton, were here, (and probably had been for some time previous) as early as February 1665, nearly two years before the writing of this letter. In the absence, then, of every thing like documentary evidence to the contrary, it is safe to conclude, that ground was broken, for the settlement of the town, as early as in November, 1664, and that, in the spring of the year 1665, a considerable number of the Associates, for whom the land had been purchased, arrived, with their wives and children, and took possession of their new homes in Achter Kol. *4 Mass. His. Soc. Coll., VII. 485. CHAPTER III. A. D. 1665-1666. Arrival of the ship Philip, with Gov. Carteret — Explanations — Lord John Berkeley Sir Geo. Carteret - Adherents of Royalty in the Civil War Their Services to the Crown - Rewarded with Offices and Land Grants Purchase of N. Jersey from the Duke of York-Letters of HutchinsonCapt. Carteret arrives at New York with laborers - Acquiesces in Nicolls' Grant Purchases rights in the new Town - Origin of its Name. SCARCELY has the new settlement got fairly under way, the ground about the Creek been cleared, and the soil made ready for the sowing of the winter grain, when tidings reach them from New York of a serious change in their prospects. Word is brought, that the Duke of York has sold the territory west of Hudson's River to two of the Lords of the Council, who have sent over a Deputy to arrange the matter with Gov. Nicolls, and take possession, in their name, of the newlycreated province. As a matter of course the coming of the new Governor is awaited with no little anxiety. Early in the month of August, 1665, the town is stirred by the first exciting event in its history. The ship "Philip," having arrived at New York, July 29th, now makes her appearance at the Point, or entrance of the Creek on which the town is laid out. She brings Capt. Philip Carteret, a sprightly youth of six and twenty, with a company of emigrants from the old world. Among them, is a French gentleman, Robert Vauquellin,—a surveyor by profession,—with his wife. Capt. James Bollen, of New York, also, is of the number. With these come, also, eighteen men of menial character, of the laboring class; possibly a few others, fe males, probably, of whom no special mention is made,—some thirty in all.* The settlers gather about the landing, to receive the new comers, to learn who they are, and why their steps are directed hither. Capt. Carteret presently submits his credentials to Ogden and his townsmen. He comes accredited with papers from Gov. Nicolls, and a Governor's commission from Lord John Berkeley, Baron of Stratton, Somerset Co., Eng., and Sir George Carteret, Knight and Baronet, of Saltrum in Devon (both of the Privy Council), to whom the Duke of York had granted the Territory lying to the west of Hudson's River, and east of the Delaware, to be known, henceforward, as Nova Cæsarea, or New Jersey. Mutual explanations follow. The Indian Deed is produced and well considered. Gov. Nicolls' Grant is brought forward and explained. The settlers appear to have had a fair understanding with Carteret and his company, and to have procured a concession of their rights and titles as proprietors of the territory described in their deed. Tradition tells us,-not a very reliable authority when not supported by collateral evidence as it is in the present case,-that Carteret, being informed of their right to the lands, "approved of the same, and readily and willingly consented to become an Associate with them; and went up from the place of his landing, with them, carrying a hoe on his shoulder, thereby intimating his intention of becoming a planter with them;" glad, no doubt, to find so promising a beginning in the settlement of the unoccupied and unexplored territory over which he was to exercise authority.+ Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret were of the court of Charles II., a monarch, of whom Bancroft truly says, that his reign "was not less remarkable for the rapacity of the courtiers, than for the debauchery of the monarch." In the conflict with the Parliamentarians, they had both, being then in the full vigor of their faculties, adhered to the fortunes of their king, Charles I., and laid their royal master and his E. T. Bill, p. 28. + Leaming and Spicer, pp. 8-11, 26-7. Ans. to E. T. Bill, p. 20. |