every part and parcell thereof doe clearly acquitt Exonerate and discharge the said John Knight his heires Executors and administrators for ever by these presents Have Given Granted Bargained Sould aliened infeoffed and confirmed and by these presents doe fully and absolutely give grant bargaine Sell alien enfeoffe and Confirme unto the said John Knight his heires and assignes for ever A certaine toft or peise of Land being part or parcell of the before recited premisses Scituate Lyeing and being on the north east side of the citty of Newyorke on the East side The towne gate Joyning to the said Citty fortifications Conteining in depth from the Edge of the ditch Eighty foot and in front to the towne and Reare one hundred fifty six foot and one inch bounded to the westward with the Land now or late of Sarah Kirstead and Johannes Vanburgen to the northward with the land of the said Peter Stoutenburgh to the Eastward wth the Land of Galine Verplanke And to the Southward wth the Street Commonly called the wall street with all and singular the Rights members appurtences whatsoever to the said toft or piece of Land belonging or in anywise appertaining and the reversion and reversions Remainder and Remainders of all and Singular the premisses beforementioned And also all the Estate Right title Interest possession property claim and demand of him ye said Peter Stoutenburgh in or to the said toft or piece of Land and premisses or any part and parcell thereof

To Have and to hold the said toft and piece of Land and premisses hereby granted bargained and Sould or mentioned to be herein or hereby granted bargained or sold unto the said John Knight his heires and assignes to the only proper use benefite and behoofe of him the said John Knight his heires and assignes for ever And the said Peter Stoutenburgh for himselfe his heires Executors and administrators Doth Covenant promise and Grant to and with the said John Knight his heires and assignes by these presents in manner and forme following That is to say That hee the said Peter Stoutenburgh on the day of the date hereof is Lawfully and absolutely seized of the said toft or piece of land herein before mentioned and granted or intended to be hereby granted as of a good and Lawful Estate of inheritance in ffee simple without any restraint matter or thing whatsoever to allter incumber or defeate the said Estate And that the said Peter Stoutenburgh now hath full power and Lawfull authority to grant and Convey the same and premisses unto the said John Knight his heires and assignes in manner as aforesaid according to the true intent and meaning of these presents And that the said toft or piece of Land and premisses now are freed and discharged,

of and from all former and other titles charges and incumbrances whatsoever And further the said Peter Stoutenburgh for himselfe his heires Executors and administrators Doth Covenant promise and grant to and with the said John Knight his heirs and assignes That he the said Peter Stoutenburgh the said toft or piece of Land and premisses unto the said John Knight and to his heires to the only proper use and behoofe of him the said John Knight his heires and assignes for ever against him the said Peter Stoutenburgh his heires and assignes and all and every other person or persons whatsoever Clameing by from or under him or any of them Or by his or any of their meanes act consent title interest privity or procurement Shall and will warrand and for ever defend by these presents And furthermore That the said Peter Stoutenburgh and the heires and assigns of the said Peter Stoutenburgh and all and every other person or persons whatsoever any Estate Haveing or Lawfully Claimeing of unto or out of the premisses or any part thereof by from or under him Shall and will for and dureing the space and time of Seaven yeares now next ensueing upon the reasonable request and at the costs and charges in the Law of the said John Knight his heires and assignes make doe and Execute or cause or procure to be made done or Executed unto the said John Knight his heirs and assignes for ever all such further and reasonable act and acts things Conveyances and assurances in the Law whatsoever for the further and better assureing sure makeing strengthening and Confirmeing unto the said John Knight his heires or assignes for ever as aforesd The said toft or parcel of land and premisses hereby granted or mentioned to be granted As by the said John Knight his heires or assignes or his or their Councill Learned in the Law shall be Reasonably devised advised and required

In Witness Whereof The said partyes to these present Indentures their hands and Seales have interchangeably Set the day and yeare first above written Signed Peter Stoutenburgh.

(Here follow the attestations of the witnesses and the customary memorandum of quiet and peaceable possession.)

The foregoing frontage of 156 feet 1 inch includes Nos. 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 Wall street and the jog in Nassau street. (See plate 4.)

On December 14, 1685,,Jacob Kipp and Henrica his wife conveyed to John Knight for 10 shillings the lot next east of the one above described containing in depth from the ditch 80 feet and in front by the ditch and rear 77 feet 4 inches and described as being bounded to the west by land now or late of Peter Stouten

burgh, to the north by land of said Kipp, to the east by land of Lucas Tienhoven, and south by Wall street. (Liber 13 of Deeds, pp. 144-150.)* This lot included the width of Nassau street (which was first called Kipp street after the owner above mentioned) and the first 25 feet east of Nassau street, now No. 22 Wall street.

On December 14, 1685, Lucas Tienhoven or Van Tienhoven conveyed to John Knight for 10 shillings the lot next east of the one last above mentioned, measuring 80 feet in depth from the ditch, and 77 feet 4 inches in width, described as being bounded on the west by land of Gulian Verplanke, on the north by land of Lucas Tienhoven, on the east by land of Lucas Tienhoven and John Smith jointly, and on the south by Wall street. (Liber 13, pp. 139-144.) This lot corresponds to the present Nos. 24, 26 and 28 Wall street.

On December 14, 1685, Lucas Tienhoven, surgeon, and Katherine his wife, and John Smith, merchant, and Jeannetie his wife, sold to John Knight for 10 shillings the lot next east of the foregoing measuring 80 feet deep, and 318 feet 9 inches along the ditch, bounded on the west by land of Lucas Tienhoven, on the north by land of Lucas Tienhoven and John Smith jointly, on the east by land of Gulian van Planke and on the south by Wall street. (Liber 13, pp. 150-154.) This corresponds to Nos. 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46 Wall street and part of the width of William street.

On December 14, 1685, "Abraham Van Planke, in Right of Mary the daughter of Adriana Cuvielle Sole heire of John Johnson Damen," sold to John Knight for 10 shillings the parcel next east of the above measuring 80 feet in depth from the ditch and 105 feet 1 inch along the ditch, "bounded to the Westward with the Land in Company betweene John Smith and Lucas Tienhoven, To the Northward with the Land of the said Abraham Van Planke, To the Eastward with the Land of John Vangee, and to the southward with the said Street Commonly called the Wall street." (Liber 13, pp. 124-128.) This includes part of the width of William street, Nos. 48 and 50 Wall street and apparently part of No. 52.

* Libers are in the Hall of Records, New York, unless otherwise stated.

On December 14, 1685, John Vangee (or Vinje) son and heir of Adriana Cuviellie, and Niesie his wife sold to John Knight for various considerations "but more especially for and in Consideracon of the Sume of tenne Shillings of Lawful mony of this provence" the lot adjoining the fortifications next east of the last mentioned containing "in depth from the ditch Eighty foot and in front by the ditch and Reere one hundred Seaventy three foot Eleven inches bounded to the westward with the land of Gallme van Planke to the northward with the Land of ye said John Vangee to the Eastward with the Land of George Heathcoatt and Jan Jansen Slott and to the Southward with the street commonly called the Wall streett." (Liber 13, pp. 134-138.) This includes part of No. 52, apparently, and Nos. 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62 Wall street, reaching to within 190 feet and 10 inches of Pearl street.

All of the above conveyances, it will be observed, were dated December 14, 1685. Now comes an interesting and rapid sequence of events. The lots being securely in the possession of Gov. Dongan's lieutenant, Dongan issued a warrant bearing date the next day, December 15, 1685, directing Leo Beckwith, Deputy Surveyor, to lay out the northeast side (or north side, as we commonly call it today) of Wall street. (Doc. Hist. N. Y., III, 403.) So promptly did the surveyor perform his work, that on the following day, December 16, 1685, he was able to present the following survey (Ibid):

By vartue of a Warrant from the honble Coll. Tho. Dongan Gouarnor Generall of his Majesties Coll of New Yorke &c bearing date ye 15th Instant to mee directed

Haue laid out ye North East side of ye Wall street, beginning at ye Westermost Cornor of ye Butchers Pen, and then Runing by an Angle of 313° or North West & by West Nine degrees fifteene Minits Northerly foure hundred twenty three foot to ye farthest cornor of the Smyths Street thence by an Angle of 323 deg: or North West Eight degrees Northerly foure hundred therty one foot to ye farthest Cornor of the Graft Street, thence 319 deg: or Northwest foure degrees northerly one hundred fifety

* Near what is now the corner of Pearl and Wall.

Now, William street.

Broad street.

one foot to ye farthest Corner of Stoutenbergs garden, which is right Opposite to the South East Cornor of ye New Street, the saide Street being laide out thirty six foot in bredth, Performed this 16 day of Decemb. 1685.

It will be noticed first that this survey of Wall street did not go through to Broadway, but stopped at New street. This may have some significance with respect to the Broadway lots mentioned on pages 595-7. It will also be noticed that Beckwith laid out the street only 36 feet wide at the point mentioned, by which means, a depth of about 43 or 44 feet of unoccupied land was left in front of Knight's 80 foot lots, which if added to them would make them about 124 feet deep. (See diagram No. 13 in volume II, Hoffman's Estate and Rights of the Corporation.) This depth of lots varied at different points along Wall street and also at different times. For instance, at a meeting of the Common Council held October 11, 1720, it was "Resolved that the Wall Street from the City Hall to the Broadway be of the breadth Contained in a Draft thereof, this day produced to this Court by Mr. Samuell Bayard, by which Draft the said Street is to be forty one foot wide from the fence of the Meeting house to the Corner of New Street" (Com. Counc. Mins. III, 241.) Eventually, the lots acquired by the Presbyterian Church were 124 feet deep. (See deed quoted hereafter.)

The survey of Wall street, leaving this unoccupied strip of land (formerly belonging to the Dutch West India Company) lying before Knight's lots did not in itself add the fee of the additional area to those lots. The strip was still "vacant and waste" land, and Dongan had to grant it to some individual owner so that it could legally be conveyed. Therefore, on February 10, 1685-86, he did two things. First, he confirmed to Knight his purchases of 80-foot lots made on December 14, 1685, from Peter Stoutenburgh, Abraham Verplanke, Lucas Tienhoven, John Smith, Jacobus Kipp and John Vangee, having an aggregate

Stoutenburgh's Garden was the property beginning at a point 135 feet 8 inches cast of Broadway and extending to Nassau street, which Peter Stoutenburgh conveyed to John Knight December 14, 1685, as mentioned on pages 597–600, and which included the property later acquired by the Presbyterian Church.