(1.) SETTLEMENT of the Boundary made by the Commissioners of the Duke of York and Delegates from Connecticut, at NewYork, Dec. 1, 1664. The Bounds of Connecticutt Issued by his Maties ComTMs & the Com" appointed by y° said Colony: By vertue of his Maties Comission, Wee have heard y° difference about ye Bounds of ye Pattents graunted to his Royal Highnesse the Duke of Yorke & his Maties Collony of Connecticutt; and having deliberately considered all y° reasons alledged by Mr. Allyn Senior, Mr. Gold, Mr. Richards and Capt Winthrop appointed by yR Asssembly, held at Hartford the 13th of October 1664 to accompany John Winthrop Esq' (the Governo' of his Maties Colony of Connecticutt) to New-Yorke, & to agree upon y° Bounds of yi said Colony, why ye said Long Island should be under y° Governm' of Connecticutt (wch are too long here to bee recited.) Wee do declare and order that y* Southernne Bounds of his Ma Colony of Connecticutt is y Sea, and that Long Island is to be under y Governm' of his Royall Highnesse y Duke of Yorke as is so expressed by plain words in y said Pattents respectively. ties And also by virtue of his Maties Com" and by yo consent of both y GovernoR and ye Gentlemen above named. Wee also order and declare that ye Creeke or ryver called Momoronock wch is reported to be about thirteen myles to ye East of West Chester and a lyne drawne from ye East point or Syde where yo fresh water falls into ye Salt, at high water marke North North west to yo line of ye Massachusetts, be ye westerne bounds of ye said Colony of Connecticutt, And all Plantations lying westward of that Creeke & Lyne so drawne to be under his Royall Heighnesse Government, And all Plantations lying Eastward of that Creeke and Line to be under y Government of Connecticutt. Given under our hands at James Fortt in new Yorke on yi Island of Manhatans, this 1st day of December 1664. RICHARD NICOLLS, Wee the Governo and Com" of the Genal Assembly of Connecticutt, do give our Consent to y° Limitt and Bounds above mentioned as Wittness our hands JOHN WINTHROP, ALLYN Senio", RICHARDS, GOLD, JNO. WINTHROP, Jun'. (J.) Extract of a Letter from Colonel Nicolls, Govt of New-York to his Royal Highness the Duke of York, Nov 1665. "I have formerly rendered account of the Decision and Settlement of Bounds between your Royal Highness and the Patent of Connecticut made by his Majestys Commissioners and the Governor and Council of Connecticut, wherein five towns were relinquished to Connecticut by virtue of their Precedent Grant from his Majesty although the same tracts of Land were given to your Royal Highness, to the utter ruin of that Colony, and a manifest Breach of their late Patent, which determination was a Leading case of equal Justice and of Great Good Consequence in all the Colonies and therefore we were assured would be an accreptable service to your Royal Highness, though to the Dimunition of your Bounds. So that to the East of New York and Hudson's River, nothing considerable remains to your Royal Highness, except Long Island and about twenty miles from any part of Hudson's River. I look therefore upon all the Rest as empty names and places possesst forty years by former Grants, and of no consequence to your Royal Highness except all New England could be brought to submit to your Royal Highness's Patent." (K.) Communication from the General Assembly of Connecticut to the Governor of New-York. May it please your Hono', Hartford, May 11, 1682. We your friends neighbors the Governor' and Generall Assembly of his Maties Colony of Connecticutt haveing at o' present Session, had Information & complaint made unto us that sundry persons under your jurisdiction, and particularly M' Frederick Phillips have erected, & lately, & are erecting certaine Mills, & other edifices, and making improvements of land, within the limits of the township of Rye, & in the Bounds of this his Maties Colony of Conecticutt, Neere unto Hudson's River; alledging to such as have questioned with them thereabout, that they doe it by virtue of a patent or patents or other allowances, from the Governo of his Highness Territory of New York; and not only so but some of the sayd Improvers doe give out Threatening Speeches, that if any of our Colonys cattle, shall come there, that they will not suffer our people peaceably to have them away, & allso that others of your jurisdiction are purchasing or have purchased large tracts of land, on the east side of Hudson's River, within our limitts, from the Indians in order to planting there, by patents or lycensse so to doe, from his Highness Governo' at New-York. The consideration hereof, hath given us this occasion to signify hereby the same unto your Hono' a person with whome as with your predecessor, Gen" Richard Nicols, and Co' Francis Lovelace, we never were so unhappy as to differ, and herewith to send to your Hon' a coppy of the setlement of the line between this his Maties Colony, & that his highness Territoryes which you have also the originall of, as we doubt not, which for the authority of it being done by his Maties Commissioners, to that end Impowered by mutuall consent of the parties concerned & for the perspecuity of its determining, that a north north west line from Mamorroneck River to the Massachusetts lyne, shall be the bounds between us on that part, Is in our understanding so indisputable, as we would not doubt, but your Honore will desire to hold (as we do) the same inviolable & farther, & therewithall it may please your Hono' to know that certain persons of o❜ colony having runn the sayd line From Mamorroneck River unto Hudson's River have found it to come upon Hudson's River to the southward and westward of the places where the said edifices, mills, purchases, &c. are sayd to be, Also that a surveyo' by s' Edmun Androsse his order, running the sayd lyne found it to fall somewhat nearer the sea, than it was run by some of ours, of which survey, M' Robert Ryder youre Hono' may especially enquire, If living with you, & we are willing and desireous If your Hono' see cause at any time by you assyned to run the sayd lyne, to put it out of doubt. Wherefore we do hereby desire of your Hono'for the preventing of all injury and strife between us, well to testify your selfe in all the premises & by your speedy & effectuall order to cause all further proceedings of that or the like nature, first mentioned, to cease as far, as it is done under countenance of Authority from his highness the duke of yorke his Gov' & that the sayd places within the line of this colony on the eastward side Hudson River may without obstruction from your Hono' be regulated & ordered as other parts of this colony are by such as his Matic of his especial Grace hath betrusted with the dispose & Government thereof the signification whereof by the bearer hereof, to o' Gov' & his Council with our desire of your Hono' happyness is all at present from Your Honors reall friends the Governor & Gen" Assembly of his maties Colony of Connecticutt per their order. signed per me JOHN ALLYN Secretary. |