CHAPTER XIII.

THE STORY OF THE DONGANS.

HERE was no one, high in authority, during the interesting period of the early colonial government, who seemed so near, and for whom the people of Staten Island have had

a kinder regard, than Governor Thomas Dongan. His advent in America was simultaneous with the organization of county government on Staten Island, and throughout his entire administration he was directly interested in the place.

Colonel Thomas Dongan received his appointment as Governor in 1683, and assumed the duties of the position on the 27th of August of that year. He came here with instructions from the Duke of York to call a general assembly of the representatives of the people. In his obedience to this order, the first assembly of the colony of New York was convened in the city on the 17th of October, 1683. By this assembly was adopted a "bill of rights." It also repealed some of the most obnoxious of the Duke's laws, altered and amended others, and adopted such new laws as they deemed the circumstances of the colony required. At this session an act was passed abolishing the "ridings," and organizing in their stead the counties, (one of which was Richmond), with some alterations in the constitution of the courts.

The colonial assembly, with Governor Dongan at its head, met again in October, 1684. Among the acts passed at this time was one by which the Court of Assize was abolished. The election of a new assembly was held in September, 1685, and in the following October it was organized. But two or three unimportant acts of this assembly remain on record.

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On the death of Charles II., the Duke of York ascended the throne of Great Britain with the title of James II. He instantly abolished the colonial assembly of New York, and re-established the Governor as the supreme head of the colony," subject only to such instructions as the King himself might from time to time dictate."

It must be remembered that at the time of Governor Dongan's arrival, the persecutions of the Huguenots were at their height, and those noble people were landing on the shores of the New World in considerable numbers, "bringing with them useful arts, a knowledge of gardening and husbandry, and, above all, their own well-known virtues, with a pure, simple, Bible faitth."

Important political changes were now taking place in the province of New York. The attempt of James II. to restore the Catholic church had made him odious to the British nation. The citizens of New York were mostly Protestants, and were exceedingly opposed to the Roman Catholic faith. Governor Dongan had exhibited extreme religious toleration; but this judicious policy displeased the King, and he was recalled.

James II. did not long wear the crown. He was deposed during the same year, and, deserting his family, became a refugee in France. In compliance with the popular wish, William was proclaimed King, and the famous Protestant revolution was effected. Throughout the province of New York a rumor was spread to the effect that the friends of the deposed monarch intended to massacre the disaffected. There followed a wild, popular excitement. The people of New York generally recognized William and Mary, Prince and Princess of Orange, as their sovereigns; yet a small party remained who insisted that the colonial government still remained vested in the LieutenantGovernor and his council.

Nicholson, the deputy governor, was well known to be an ardent adherent of the Catholic church, as also were many of his intimate friends. This fact increased the distrust of the people. A mob formed and paraded the streets of New York. The entire militia force, consisting of five companies, surrounded the residence of Jacob Leisler, a merchant of the city and captain of the militia, and demanded that he should seize the fort at the Battery, which was accomplished. Nicholson, as soon as he was deprived of his authority, sailed for England. The distrust of the people continued.

A rumor was then spread that an attack was plotted on the church in the fort, and that possession of the Government was to be taken and the standard of King James again set up. The general excitement increased, and a large body of militia was sent to New York from Long Island" to seize the fort and to keep away French invasion and slavery."

On Staten Island the apprehensions of the people culminated in a wild panic. For a time fear reigned supreme. The people dared not remain at night in their own dwellings; but in the deepest recesses of the forest they constructed temporary shelters, to which after dark they resorted, that they might not be discovered. They could not trust themselves to their fellowmen. Many took their families in boats on the bay and kills, and anchored a short distance from the shore, and thus passed the nights, while others resorted to various expedients for concealment and security.

Reports of various natures were spread over Staten Island, which added to the excitement. Among these, it was stated that a number of papists, who had been driven out of Boston, had been admitted into the fort at New York, and had enlisted as soldiers; that the

papists on Staten Island had secretly collected arms, which they kept concealed and ready for use at a moment's notice; that Governor Dongan's brigantine had been armed and equipped for some very desperate enterprise, and the absolute refusal of the commander of the vessel to permit it to be searched, was not calculated to allay the alarm. The captain admitted that the vessel had been armed, but not for the purpose alleged; but as it was bound on a voyage to Madeira, it was in danger of being attacked by the Turks, and it was armed for the defence of its crew and cargo. This plausible story was not generally credited; but the excitement subsided without any one being hurt.

Popular tradition says that several pieces of cannon were afterward found in the cellar of Governor Dongan's mill, which it was believed had been concealed there, to be in readiness when they might be required. This mill stood on the south side of the Post avenue bridge in West New Brighton.

Leaving the scenes which always awaken sad memories of days when our forefathers knew little else than persecution, we shall now turn our attention to the Dongan patent on Staten Island and the persons that were connected with it for succeeding generations. In 1683, John Palmer, a lawyer residing in New York, was the ranger for the Staten Island and the Long Island towns. He had emigrated from Barbadoes. At the time of his first meeting with Governor Dongan he resided on Staten Island, and was a judge of the Court of Oyer and Terminer. Besides being a member of the council he was generally an active and prominent man in the affairs of the province. It was to John Palmer that Governor Dongan executed a patent, known in Staten Island history as the Palmer or Dongan patent. The brook which forms a part of the boundary between the towns of Castleton and Northfield, and which runs to the mill pond, is still known by the name of "Palmer's Run," because it also formed a part of the boundary of the land conveyed by the patent. It is thought that an attempt was previously made by Dongan to gain possession of this large property, but without success.

The first transaction of which there is any record, is dated January 14th, 1684-5, when Governor Dongan purchased of John Palmer, of Staten Island, and Sarah, his wife, for the sum of twelve hundred pounds:

"All that their Capitall Messuage or dwelling house with the Appurtenances situate lying and being on the north side of Staten Island Aforesaid within Constables hooke neere the Mill Creeke late in the Occupation and possession of the said John Palmer, And All that Certaine Parcell or tract of Land thereunto belonging being upon the north side of Staten Island aforesaid within Constables Hooke lyeing between the two runnes att the mill creeke beginning with A narrow point And Running up wider into the Island Containing the quantity

of three hundred forty and two Acres with meadow Ground to be laid out proportionately."

The conveyance also includes other parcels, the title to which had been obtained as recited in their specifications in substance as follows:

"Ninety-six acres to the east of Mill creek, with the mill, which was granted to Palmer by Governor Andros, in 1677, upon which had also been built by Palmer two windmills and a sawmill; eighty acres which had been conveyed Palmer by Francis Barber, who had a grant from Sir Edmund Andros; ninety acres, with eight acres of meadow, which had been granted by Andros in 1680 to Jacob Cornelis, and by him conveyed to Palmer; another like tract of ninety acres with eight acres of meadow, granted by James Gyles, by Andros, and by Gyles conveyed to Palmer; and a tract of four thousand five hundred acres of land lying in a body in the middle part of the Island, with an island of meadow near Fresh Kill, All which Said Last mentioned tract or parcell of Land And Island of meadow were Granted unto the said John Palmer,' by Governor Dongan by patent dated May 2, 1684."

KING GEORGE II.

Thus it will be seen that the premises purchased by Governor Dongan had been obtained in small parcels through different channels and under grants of different dates. They were consolidated. and treated as a unit, in order that some manorial privileges could be associated with their proprietorship. The early provincial governors having shown some disposition to appropriate too much land to themselves, they had been restricted by an order in council, to evade which the plan was devised of granting a patent to Palmer for this land, and then having a transfer made from Palmer to Dongan. The patent to Palmer was approved at a council held March 31, 1687, at which were present Governor Dongan, Anthony Brockhoist, Frederick Phillips, Stephanus Van Cortlandt, and Nicholas Bayard. The instrument bears the above date and reads as follows:

"Whereas John Palmer of the City of New York Esqr. as will by virtue of Several deeds and Pattents to him or them under whome he claymes made by the former Governors of this Province as by virtue of a certain Pattent or Confirmation under my hand, and seale of the province, bearing date the second day of May, 1684: stands Lawfully and Rightfully Seized of & in all that Tract or Parcell of Land Beginning at a cove on Kill Van Cull, on the east

bounds of the lands of Garret Cruise [Cruser] and so running in the woods by the said Kill to a marked tree, and thence by a line of marked trees according to the natural position of the poles, south and by east two degrees and thirty minutes southerly according to the compass south, there being eight degrees and forty-five minutes variation ffrom the north westward, and from thence by the rear of the land of Garret Cruise & Peter Johnson, east & by north two degrees and thirty minutes to the line of Peter Johnson's wood lott, & by his line south and by east two degrees and thirty minutes south sixty-one chains, and thence by the reare of the aforesaid lott & the lott of John Vincent northeast & by east one degree northerly to the southeast corner of the land of John Vincent thirty-three chains & a halfe, from thence by his line south & by west two degrees thirty minutes northerly to a white oak tree marked with three notches, bearing northwest from the ffresh pond, from thence to a young chestnutt tree the southwest corner of the land of Phillip Wells, & so by a line of marked trees east nine degrees & fifteen minutes southerly by south side of a small ffresh meadow to the north & to the north of the ffresh pond, including the pond to the land of Mr. Andrew Norwood & so by his land as it runs to the reare of the land of Mary Brittaine & so by the rear of the Old Town lotts to the land of Isaac Bellew & Thomas Stillwell, & from thence upon the Iron Hills, to the land of William Stilwell & by his land to the land of George Cummins & ffrom his northeast corner, to the southeast corner of the land of Mr. James Hubbard at the head of the ffresh kills & so round by the land to the reare lotts at Karles neck & so by the lotts to the highway left by Jacob pullion & the great swamp to the land of John ffitz Garrett including the great swamp, thence by the soldier's lotts and the reare lots of Cornelis Corsen & company to the southwest corner of theire ffront lotts & so by the runne which is theire bounds to the mill pond including the mill pond to the sound or Kill Van Cull & so by the sound to the cove where ffirst begun. Containing all the hills, valleys, ffresh meadows & swamps within the above specified bounds five thousand one hundred acres be the same more or less.-Also a great island of salt meadow lying near the ffresh kills & over against long neck not yet appropriated-and all the messuages, tenements, fencings, orchards, gardens, pastures, meadows, marshes, woods, underwoods, trees, timber, quarries, rivers, brooks, ponds, lakes, streams, creeks, harbors, beaches, fishing, hawking and ffowling, mines, minerals (silver and gold mines only excepted), mills, milldams," etc.

By this patent it was also constituted one lordship or manor " to be called the Lordship and Manor of Cassiltowne." It was subject to an annual quit-rent of one lamb and eight bushels of winter wheat, to be paid if demanded on the 25th of March in each year. On the 16th day of April, 1687, John Palmer and Sarah, his wife, conveyed the terri