Address of the Eastern Council of Proprietors to Governor Lewis Morris-relative to the Partition Line between New York and New Jersey. [From Papers of F. J. Paris in the New Jersey Historical Society Library, Volume II, page 127.] TO HIS EXCELLENCY LEWIS MORRIS Esq' Captain General & Governor in Chief of His Majesties province of New Jersey and Territories thereon depending in America & Vice Admiral in the Same, &c. May it please your Exellency The Council of proprietors of the Eastern Division of the Province of New Jersey humbly Beg leave to represent to your Excellency, That, about the month of September last, the Committees of the Councils of proprietors of the Eastern and western Divisions of New Jersey, waited upon your Excellency with an address, relating to the partition Line between New Jersey and New York: to which address your Excellency was pleased to give a favourable answer; promising to use your utmost endeavours to effect the Same: And as there was, at that time, a Governor daily expected at New York, it was then thought proper to let the affair rest til he should arrive. But as no Governor of New York is yet arrived, and the present unsettled Situation of Affairs in England, renders it uncertain when any will, The Unhappy differences now Subsisting between the Inhabitants of New Jersey and New York, Occasioned by the Said partition Line being yet unsettled; and which Seem to threaten dangerous consequences; Oblidge us, Sir, to remind you of our former petition, There being Leases of Ejectment lately Served by John Bayard on the Demise of Henry Wileman, Claimers under a New York title, in the inferior Court of Orange County in the province of New York, upon persons about Seven miles (as we apprehend the Line Runs) within your Excellencies Government; and great Commotions and disturbances Seem to threaten these proceedings if not timely prevented, We therefore pray your Excellency to write to the present Lieutenant Governor of New York to Join with your Excellency in endeavouring to bring the Settlement of the aforesaid Line to a Speedy Conclusion; and we hope, Sir, you will take Such further Measures for this end, as you Shall think proper and Convenient, We are Your Excellency's most obedient and most Perth Amboy by order of the Council of Proprietors, John Hamiller Affidavit of James Alexander-relative to the position of the North Partition Point between New Jersey and New York. [From Papers of F. J. Paris in Historical Society Library, Vol. A, p. 86.] Bayard on demise of Wileman ats Turn out Ejectment for lands said to be in Orange County. Removed byhabeas Corpus JAMES ALEXANDER who for about twenty seven years last Past hath been and Still is Surveyor General of the lands of the Eastern and Western Divisions of the Province of New Jersey maketh Oath that the Commissioners and Allan Jarratt Surveyor appointed for the Province of New York and Commissioners and him the said Alexander Surveyor appointed for the Province of New Jersey in pursuance of Acts of Assemblys of the said Respective Provinces for running and ascertaining the Division line between the said Provinces did for that purpose in the month of June One thousand seven hundred and nineteen meet at Mackackemak at the House of one Swartwoot and there agreed on means for ascertaining that branch of Delaware River upon which the North point of the said Petition line should be and the said Surveyors took an observation for making an Estimate how far Mr Swartwoots was from the Latitude of forty one Degs and forty minutes in which Latitude the said partition point should be and by that observation the said Surveyors esteemed they were about Sixteen minutes South from the said Latitude that by the means agreed on that Branch of Delaware River called the Fish Kill was ascertained to be the branch upon which the north partition point should be and an actual Survey was in the said month of June and July following made from Swartwoots to the said Partition Point which was agreed on after many Meridional observations of the sun taken by the said Jarratt & Alexander near the said Partition Point both to the Northward and Southward thereof that on or about the twenty fifth day of the said Month of July the Commissionrs andSurveyors aforesaid of both the said Provinces executed Indentures under their hands and seals for Commemorating and ascertaining the place of the said north partition point so settled and agreed on that after protraction of the Survey aforesaid from Swartwoots to the said North Partition Point they the said Surveyors from that and the best Information they then had did esteem that the Partition line would nearly run South forty seven degrees east according to the magnetick compass then was from the north partition point afores to the South partition Point upon Hudsons River that the said line fell about one hundred and twenty chains distant upon a perpendicular to it from the said Swartwoots upon a North forty three Degrees East course from said Swartswoots to the said line and with the consent of the said Commissioners they the said Surveyors did direct John Harrison and John Chapman Surveyors upon Oath with chain bearers to run from said Swart woots North forty three degrees east One hundred and twenty chains to meet the said estimated Partition line and from thence to run south forty seven degrees east to Hudsons River marking the trees along the line and marking the number of miles from Swartwoots said perpendicular at the end of every mile which work was as this Deponent believes Justly performed by the said Harrison & Chapman & their chain bearers a Journal of which work was delivered by the said Harrison & Chapman to the said Jarratt and Alexander on or about the seventeenth day of August One thousand seven hundred & nineteen (a copy of which the said Alexander entered in a Book in which he entered the transactions aforesaid and all other material Transactions concerning the said line in which he was concerned) And this deponent further says that in the month of August One thousand seven hundred and nineteen he with the said Allan Jarratt did make five or six observations of the Sun's meridional altitude on the West bank of Hudsons River at or near whats known by the name of Corbitts Old house below Tapan Creek in Order for the discovery of the Latitude of forty one upon Hudsons River, where the South Point of the said Partition line ought to be and the Commissioners being then not come the said Allan Jarratt went for about four days to New York during which time the said Alexander made Sundry observations of the Sun's meridional altitude and observed also the meridional altitude of eight different remarkable Stars whereof some to the Northward & some to the Southward of the Zenith in two different nights that upon Allan Jarratts return from New York on or about the Seventeenth day of said Month of August he brought word of Captain Walter's one the Commissioners being Sick and as none of the other Commissioners were come they the said Alexander and Jarratt departed for New York and no meeting was afterwards to this day to this Deponent's knowledge of the said Commissioners and Surveyors for ascertaining the said line and this Deponent Says that by the help of sundry actual Surveys since made of which he has memorandums the lands in Question in this Suit upon a perpendicular from the said Estimated & markt Partition line to the best of his Judgment are upwards of seven miles Southwesterly from the said markt Partition line And this Deponent farther says that he hath carefully computed the observations made by him and Jarratt at Corbitts Old house & the observations made by himself there alone and from them hath made an estimate where the true line of Partition ought to run according to those observations and to the best of this Deponents Judgment from thence and actual Surveys the lands in question in this Suit lye several miles Southwestward from the nearest place (to the said lands) thro' which the true Partition line should run And this Deponent farther Says that in a Book in the Secretary's office of New York he believes entitled a Book of General Entries from 1686 to 1702 fo. 49 there was an Entry as Subscribed by Andrew Robinson & Philip Wells that by two observations of the Sun's meridion] altitude made the eighth & twenty ninth days of September 1686, it appeared to them & George |