possession it was at the time of its destruction, on Christmas, 1878. For many years the charred ruins of the historic homestead marked the spot; but to-day all that is left to tell its proud story is here and there a majestic tree that once shaded the favored dwellers in the old manor. Truly, one who honors the relics of the past-those historic links that bind the dim past to the busy present-cannot witness their destruction without regret and sorrow. And so the old house, like the generations it sheltered in the long ago, lives only in tradition and story.

CHAPTER XIV.

RICHMOND COUNTY.

ANY changes took place shortly after the arrival of Governor Thomas Dongan, in 1683. One of these was the establishment of four counties-New York, Kings, Queens and Richmond. These were organized to take the place of the" ridings," as the courts then established were called. The assembly, over which Governor Dongan presided, passed an " Act to divide this province and dependencies into Shires and Counties," on November 1st, 1683, and contained the following in reference to Staten Island:

"The County of Richmond to conteyne all Staten Island, Shutter's Island, and the islands of meadow on the west side thereof."

There were about two hundred families on Staten Island at that time, exclusive of Indians, of whom it is thought there were two thousand. Immediately after the organization of the county it was allowed two representatives in the colonial assembly. In 1684, one year later, for the first time, a county tax was imposed, which amounted to fifteen pounds.

Stony Brook was selected as the site for the County Seat. It was then the chief settlement of Staten Island, and contained beside a court house and jail a Waldensian church, a fort, a trading depot where the Indians exchanged furs for food and other articles with the settlers, and a number of plain cottages, built principally in the Dutch style of architecture.

The Court House and County Jail were located in a small, onestory structure containing two rooms. One, built of roughly-hewn logs, filled in with clay and shell-lime, served as the County Jail. The only door to it was built of rough boards, hung on raw-hide hinges, and opened outward. A window, about a foot square, which the prisoners could regulate for their own comfort by filling in with

1 There is no record that the offices were filled until 1691, when the county was represented by John Dally and Lambert Dorland. Ellis Duxbury was elected the same year, probably to serve an unexpired term, and remained in office until 1698.

2 The village of Stony Brook derived its name from a small rivulet, which takes its source from two chains of ponds, located respectively on the lands of Robert Jones, near the old Black Horse Tavern, and the other on

the Anthony Johnson property, between the Amboy and Richmond roads, west of New Dorp. A short distance below the ponds the two chains join, and running in a southerly direction cross the Amboy road at the sharp bend, and run thence in a southerly direction to the lower bay. Here was located the village which was the county seat from 1683 to 1729. In consequence of the destruction of trees along its course Stony Brook is now dry a great portion of the year.

brush, when the rain, snow or cold crept in, was the only other opening. The jail contained a ground floor, and the furniture consisted of a bench-like log, which extended along the rear of the room. The "lock" was made of strips of raw-hide, which were tied on the outside.

But the dignity of the law was so frequently trampled upon by the escape of prisoners, through the assistance of outside friends, that the Presiding Judge directed the county officials to "forthwith purchase a more substantial lock, and to procure a bell wherewith to give alarm, in case there should be any further attempt of prisoners to escape from ye said jail." After due consideration of the matter, an appropriation to meet a portion of the pressing need was made. The room adjoining the jail was built of stone, and was occupied by the Sheriff-its first occupant being John Palmer. He was also the jailor. In this room, too, the Court business of the County was frequently transacted; but the meagre accommodations it afforded rendered it necessary to hold Court at various other points on the Island. A portion of the foundation of the old Court House was standing until about 1850.

In March, 1688, Richmond County was divided into four townsCastletown, Northfield, Southfield and Westfield. The town of Middletown was organized in 1860.3 Prior to the legal division of the county into towns, it was divided into three precincts, the North, South and West. Castleton was not included in any of the precincts, but was designated "The Manor." The limits of the precincts were about the same as those of the towns as established by law on the 7th of March, 1688. Castleton derived its name from the Palmer or Dongan patent, in which the manor conveyed was called Cassiltown, afterward corrupted into the present name, and the corruption legalized by repeated acts of the Legislature. The other towns were named from their positions in the county. The act of March 7th, 1788, dividing the counties of the State into towns, gives the division of Richmond as follows:

"And all that Part of the County of Richmond, bounded northerly by Kill-Van-Cull, easterly by Hudson's-River, southerly by the Road

3 The cause which led to the establishment of the town of Middletown was of long standing, and had given a great deal of annoyance to the people of the county. It frequently happened that there was a tie in the Board of Supervisors, and business was suspended for an indefinite period. In 1860 an act was passed by the State Legislature, forming a new town out of parts of Castleton and Southfield, which was called Middletown. In point of wealth today it stands second in the county, Castleton being first. It is bounded by a line "commencing on the bay or shore on the east side of Staten Island at the point where the Richmond turnpike strikes said bay; thence running westerly along said Richmond turnpike road to the town of Northfield; thence souther

ly on the line between the towns of Northfield and Castleton to where said line terminates at Southfield; thence northwesterly on the line between Castleton and Southfield, along the Richmond plank road to Vanderbilt avenue; thence easterly along the southerly side of said Vanderbilt avenue to the bay of New York; thence northerly along the shore of bay of New York to the point of beginning." These bounds included the eastern portion of Southfield and the southerly portion of CastleThe first town meeting of the new town was held at Nautilus Hall on the second day of May following, and the act appointed Thomas Standerwick, Thomas Garret and Cary Devery to preside at the meeting.

ton.

leading from Van Duerson's Ferry southward to the Watering-Place to Richmond-towne, and westerly by a Lyne beginning at the Mouth of Dongan's Mill-creek, and running thence along the Line of the Manor of Castle-Town to the Road at the Rear of the Patent of Corson and Company, thence along the northerly Side of the said Road leading to Houghwout's Mill, and then southerly along the Westerly Side of the last mentioned Road as it runs along by Richard Conner's, to the Tavern Called the Rose and Crown, on the Road leading to RichmondTown, shall be and is hereby erected into a Town by the Name of Castle-Town.

"And that all that Part of the said County of Richmond, bounded northerly by the North Side of said Road, leading from Van Duerson's Ferry to Richmond-Town and the Fresh-Kill, easterly by Hudson'sRiver, southerly by the Bay, and westerly by a Line beginning on the Fresh-Kill at the North-west Corner of the Land and Meadow late of James Egberts; and running from thence southerly along the same to Egbert's Lane, and then along the same Lane to the road called the New Road and then along the same New Road westerly to the Land of Henry Perine, and then southerly along his easterly Bounds to the Bay shall be, and hereby is erected into a Town by the Name of Southfield.

"And that all that Part of the said County of Richmond, bounded northerly by the Fresh-Kill, easterly by Southfield, southerly by the Bay, and westerly by the Sound, shall be, and hereby is erected into a Town by the Name of Westfield.

"And that all the Residue of the County of Richmond, shall be, and hereby is erected into a Town by the Name

of Northfield."

Jacob Leisler, a prominent character of that day, exercising both civil and military authority, was intrusted by the magistrates with the administration of affairs, after the departure of Nichols, and one of his first acts was to cause William and Mary to be proclaimed to the counties of Richmond, Westchester, Queens, Kings and Ulster, and the City and County of Albany, and East Jersey. The order to Richmond was dated December 17th, 1689. On the 30th of the same month, he issued an order requiring all persons who held commissions, warrants, 66 or other instruments of power or command, either civil or military," derived from either Dongan or Andros forthwith to surrender the same to a justice of the peace of the county wherein they resided, except the counties of New York and Richmond, who were to surrender at the fort in New York.

OROS

KING GEORGE III.

Shortly after the burning of Schenectady, and the fearful massacre

of its inhabitants by the French and Indians, in February, 1690, Leisler issued another order to the military and civil officers of several counties, Richmond being one of the number, that “fearing too great a correspondency hath been maintained between ye sd ffrench & disaffected Persons among us," to secure all persons reputed papists, or who are inimical to the government, or who continue to hold any commissions from Dongan or Andros, and bring them before him.

In 1689, Leisler commissioned the following civil and military officers in Richmond County:

The following residents of Staten Island were members of a military company, commanded by Captain Jacob Milborne, which was ordered to Albany to establish Leisler's authority, the government of that city having refused to recognize it: "Jean Marlett, Francis Mauriss, Hendrick Hendrickson, Jean faefre, John Rob, John doulier and Peter Henkerson."

We have been unable to discover any evidence to prove that the people of Staten Island took any decided stand relative to Leisler's administration. Generally, they submitted quietly to the authorities placed over them. In fact, Leisler does not appear in connection with the Island further than commissioning some officers and issuing general orders. It is said that he had many friends on the Island, although they were not very demonstrative. To his credit his appointments to office were usually from among the best citizens, which always operated in his favor. No decided steps were taken in his behalf during his subsequent imprisonment and trial; but after his condemnation petitions for his pardon were extensively signed, which had the effect to bring upon the signers the displeasure of the government, who regarded the act as disloyal. Farther than the imposition of fines, which were remitted, and the brief imprisonment of a few individuals no punishment was inflicted upon the offenders. On the 28th of April, 1691, a letter was presented to the council in New York, over which Henry Sloughter, the new Gevernor, presided, from the Sheriff of Richmond County," Giving an Account of severall Riotts and Tumults on Staten Island, and that they were subscribing of papers." The sheriff was ordered to secure the ring-leaders that they might be prosecuted. Thomas Stillwell, the Sheriff, was not dilatory in obeying the order. He arrested several of the citizens of the County, among whom were John Theunison, John Peterson and Gerard Vechten, each of whom he fined three pounds. Others were