became seized in fee of 1253 acres. Upon the 13th of November, 1671, Francis Lovelace issued the following letters patent, under the great seal of the province :

Francis Lovelace, Esq., one of the gentlemen of his Majestie's Hon'ble Privy Chamber, and Governor-General under his Royal Highness, James, Duke of York and Albany, and of all his territories in America, to all to whom these presents shall come, sendeth greeting: Whereas, there is a certain parcel or tract of land within this government, upon the main continent, situate, lying and being to the eastward of Harlem River, near unto ye passage commonly called Spiting Devil, upon which land ye new dorp or village is erected known by the name of Fordham-ye utmost limits of the whole tract or parcel of land beginning at the high wood land that lyes due northwest over against the first point of the main land to the east of the island Pepiriniman—there where the hill Moskuta is-and soe goes alongst the said kill, the said land striking from the high wood land before mentioned east southeast, till it comes to Bronk's, his kill; soe westward up alongst ye main land to the place where Harlem Kill and Hudson River meet, and then forth alongst Harlem Kill to the first spring or fountain, keeping to the south of Crabb Island; soe eastward alongst Daniel Turner's land, the high wood land, and ye land belonging to Thomas Hunt; and then to Bronk's Kill afore mentioned, according to a survey lately made thereof by the surveyor-general-the which remains upon record; all which said parcel or tract of land before described being part of the land granted in the grand patent to Hugh O'Neal, and Mary his wife, purchase was made thereof, by John Archer, from Elyas Doughty, who was invested in their interest as of the Indian proprietor, by my approbation, who all acknowledge to have received satisfaction for the same: and the said John Archer having, at his own charge, and with good success, begun a township in a convenient place for the relief of strangers, it being the road for passengers to go to and fro from the main, as well as for mutual intercourse with the neighboring colony, for all encouragement unto him, the said John Archer, in prosecution of the said design, as also for divers other good causes and con siderations: know yee, that by virtue of ye commission and authority unto me given by his royal highness, upon whom, by lawful grant and patent from his majestie, the propriety and government of that part of the main land, as well as Long Island, and all the islands adjacent, amongst other things, is settled, I have given, granted, ratified and confirmed, and by these presents do give, grant, ratify and confirm to ye afore mentioned John Archer, his heirs and assignees, all the said parcel or tract of land butted and bounded as aforesaid, together with all the lands, soyles, woods, meadows, pastures, marshes, lakes, waters, creeks, fishing, hawking, hunting and fowling, and all ye profits, commodityes, emmoluments and hereditaments to the said parcel or tract of land or premises belonging or in any wise appertaining, and of every part and parcel thereof; and I doe likewise grant unto ye said John Archer, his heirs and VOL. II. 41

assignees, that the house which he shall erect, together with ye said parcel or tract of land and premises, shall be forever hereafter held, claimed, reputed, and be an entire and enfranchised township, manor and place of itself, and shall always, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, have, hold and enjoy like and equal privileges and immunities with any town enfranchised or manor within this government, and shall, in no manner of way, be subordinate or belonging unto, have any dependance upon, or in any wise be under the rule, order or direction of any riding, township, place or jurisdiction either upon the main or Long Island, but shall, in all cases, things and matters, be deemed, reputed, taken and held as an absolute, entire, enfranchised township, manor and place of itself in this government, as aforesaid, and shall be ruled, ordered and directed, in all matters as to government, by ye governor and his council, and ye general court of assizes, only always provided that the inhabitants of the said town, or any part of the land granted as aforesaid, shall be obliged to send forward to ye next town or plantation all public pacquetts and letters, or hue and cryes, comming to this place or going from it towards or to any of his majestie's colonies; and I do further grant unto the said John Archer, his heirs and assignees, that when there shall be a sufficient number of inhabitants in the town of Fordham aforementioned, and the other parts of ye manor capable of maintaining a minister, and to carry on other public affairs; that then the neighboring inhabitants between the two kills of Harlem and Bronk's be obliged to contribute towards the maintenance of their said minister and other necessary public charges that may happen to arise, and likewise that they belong to the said town, according to the direction of the law, although their said farms and habitations be not included within this patent, to have and to hold ye said parcel and tracts of land, with all and singular the appurtenances and premises, together with the privileges, immunities, franchises and advantages herein given and granted unto the said John Archer, his heirs and assignees, unto the proper use and behoof of him, the said John Archer, his heirs and assignees forever, fully, truly and clearly, in as large and ample manner, and from and with such full and absolute immunities and privileges as is before expressed, as if he held the same immediately from his majesty, the King of England, and his successors, as of the manor of East Greenwich, in the county of Kent, in free and common soccage and by fealty, only yealding, rendering and paying yearly and every year unto his royal highness, the Duke of York and his successors, or to such governor and governors as from time to time shall by him be constituted and appointed, as all acknowledgment and quit rent, twenty bushels of good peas, upon the first day of March, when it shall be demanded. Given under my hand, and sealed with the seal of the province at Fort James, in New York, on the island of Manhattan, this thirteenth day of November, in the twenty-third year of the reign of our sovereign lord, Charles the Seccond, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and Anno Domini,, 1671, FRANCIS LOVELACE,

Sometime prior to 1672, Daniel Turner purchased forty morgen of land from the Indian sachems Shahash Panazarah and others, bounded west by Harlem River, &c. This sale is presumed to have embraced Devoe's Point, called by the aborigines Nuasin. On the 15th of June, 1668, Richard Nicoll, governor of the province, confirmed to the above grantee all that parcel of land "situated upon the maine, lying and being to the north of Broncks's land, beginning at the mouth of Maenneppis-kill, (now known as Cromwell's Creek,) and goes into the woods the depth of fifty rods, containing 80 acres," &c. &c.

Upon the restoration of the Dutch in 1673, we find the inhabitants of Fordham, petitioning at a meeting of the governor-general, through counsellor Cornelius Steenwyck, in the village of New Harlem, 4th of October, 1673, upon which occasion the inhabitants of Fordham appeared and complained, in substance, of the bad management of their lord, (land-heer,) John Archer, soliciting that they might be permitted to make the nomination of their own magistrates, &c. as is granted to all the other inhabitants under this government; on which, the aforesaid John Archer, being summoned, this complaint was communicated to him, who voluntarily declared that he abdicated all authority and patronage over the villages, reserving only to himself the property of the lands and houses there, and permitting the said inhabitants the nomination of their own magistrates, which was confirmed by the governor and council. The following act was granted them:

"The inhabitants of the village of Fordham are, by a majority of votes, to choose a number of six persons of the best qualified inhabitants, and only those of the Reformed Christian religion, as magistrates of aforesaid village, and to present the aforesaid nomination, by the first opportunity, to the governor-general, from which he shall make the election. They are recommended to take care that at least the half of the nominated are of the Dutch nation. Done in this village of New Harlem, 4th of October, 1673. "From the nomination of the inhabitants of Fordham, there are elected, by the governor, as magistrates of said village for the ensuing year,

"Johannes Verveelen, as schepen and secretary,

"Michael Bastyeusen,

"Valentyn Claessen.a

"Done at Fort William Hendricke, on the 18th Oct., 1673." The following year, John Archer, Esq., laid claim to a neck of land called Humock Island, commonly named Papiriniman,Þ which he asserted he had by patent.

Upon the 25th of November, 1676, John Archer mortgaged the manor of Fordham to Cornelius Steinwyck, merchant of New York.

This indenture, made the twenty-fourth day of November, in the 2d year of the reign of our sovereign lord, Charles the Second, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and Anno Domini 1676, between John Archer, owner and proprietor of the manor of Fordham, upon the main, near Spiting Devil, on the one part, and Cornelius Steenwick, of the city of New York, merchant, on the other part, witnesseth, that the said John Archer, for, and in consideration of the sum of twenty-four thousand guilders seawant, or the value to him paid, secured to be paid at or before the ensealing and delivering of these presents by the said Cornelius Steenwick, whereof and wherewith he, the said John Archer, doth acknowledge and confess himself to be fully satisfied, and thereof doth clearly acquit and discharge the said Cornelius Steenwick, his heirs, executors, and administrators, hath allowed, granted, bargained and sold, and by these presents doth fully, clearly and absolutely alien, grant, bargain and sell unto the said Cornelius Steenwick, his heirs and assigns forever, all his right, title and interest in the town and manor aforesaid, together with all the messuages, tenements, buildings and fences thereupon, and all the land improved or other ways now in the tenure or occupation of him, the said John Archer, and others, his tenants or assigns, and also all and all manner of rents, duties and profits received or may be received, and payable for and in respect of every or any of the said bargained premises, and also all and singular deeds, patents, evidences and writings, touching and concerning the same, and the privileges therein contained, to have and to hold the said manor of Fordham, with the messuages and all and singular other the premises by these presents granted or intended to be granted, bargained and sold, with their and every of their appurtenances, unto the said Cornelius Steenwick, his heirs and assigns, to the only proper use and behoof of him, the said Cornelius Steenwick, his heirs and assigns for ever, provided always, nevertheless, and upon the condition that if the said John Archer, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, or any of

Alb. Rec. vol. xxiii. 26 and 52.

b See Yonkers.

them at or in the new dwelling house of the said Cornelius Steenwick, situate and being in the city of New York, shall pay unto the said Cornelius Steenwick, his heirs, executors, or administrators or assigns, that value of twentyfour thousand guilders, or the value, within the time and terms of seven years after the date hereof; that is to say, before the twenty-fourth day of November, which shall be in the year of our Lord, 1683, and also paying a yearly interest for the same until the principal be paid, at the rate of six per cent., as allowed by law, and that without fraud, or henceforth this present indenture or bargain and sale shall cease, determine, and be utterly void and of none effect to all intents, construction and purpose; and that then also it shall and may be lawful for the said John Archer, his heirs and assigns, to enter into and upon the said bargained premises, wholly to re-enter, and the same to have again, and to possess as his and their former estates, any thing contained in these presents to the contrary notwithstanding and whereas, the said John Archer, at or before the ensealing and delivery of these presents, hath delivered to the said Cornelius Steenwick certain deeds, patent evidences in writing, which he hath concerning the said bargained premises, he, the said Cornelius Steenwick, for himself, his heirs, executors and administrators, doth by these presents covenant and grant to and with the said John Archer, his heirs assigns, and every of them; that if the said John Archer, &c. &c. recorded 25th of November, 1676.

On the 20th of November, 1684, Cornelius Steenwyck of New York, merchant, and Margaretta his wife, made their last will and testament in the Dutch language. After the usual preamble they express themselves to the following effect, viz. :

"We the said testators do declare that our earnest will and last desire is, that the general inheritance of us, the said testators, and between our heirs, shall be regulated after the form, manner, custom and practice of the Nether Dutch nation, and according to the articles made upon the surrendering of this place. And I, the said testator, with the free consent of my wife, by form of a legacy have given, granted, and legacied, as I, the said testator, by form of legacy, do give and grant by these presents, for and to the proper use and behoof of the Nether Dutch Reformed congregation within the city of New York, for the support and maintainance of their ministers ordained according to the church orders of the Netherlands, now at present here in being, or hereafter to be called, ordained, or to come, all the testator's right, property title, and heraditaments in and to the manor of Fordham, lying in the county of Westchester, together with all the lands, meadows, fields, woods, creeks, rivulets, and other waters, as also all the said testator's jurisdiction, right, title, action, and property, in and to the said manor of Fordham, with all the patents, deeds, schedules, hypothets, mortgages, and other instruments of writing to the said manor of Fordham belonging or in anywise appertaining, in