USA > New York > Westchester County > Rye > Chronicle of a border town : history of Rye, Westchester county, New York, 1660-1870, including Harrison and the White Plains till 1788 > Part 17
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151
DRINKING HABITS.
The earliest reference to the sale of liquor in this town occurs under the date of April 17, 1789, when David Doughty was ' permitted to sell spirituous liquors without paying excise.'
April 14, 1797, ' Samuel Travis was permitted to keep a Tav- ern in the House which David Doughty formerly occupied - the Town to refund back money he shall pay for a permit for the same.' 1
Of the drinking habits of our early settlers, we have other traces besides the maintenance of so many public houses. Even those who brought with them something of the rigidity of Puritan man- ners, had their drinking cups and tankards at hand.2 But there is reason to believe that they exercised a comparative moderation in the use of spirituous liquors. At a later day, we hear much of the prevalence of drunkenness in this community. The Rev. Mr. Muirson writes, in 1707, 'Swearing and drinking and Sabbath- breaking' are the vices that are 'chiefly predominant.' 3 And Mr. Wetmore, schoolmaster at Rye, complains in 1765, that ' many of our people are too much addicted to the taverns.' 4
1 Records of Town Meetings.
2 The inventory of the estate of John Hoyt, 1684, mentions, among his scanty effects, ' one quart pot, two pint pots, one gill pot, one drinking cnp, one old quart pot, one tunnil.' (County Records, vol. A. p. 80.)
The last will and testament of Francis Brown, 1685, requires that his wife shall ' pay Captain Silleck for the cider I bought of him this last fall, [out] of the gear, and take in my bill.' Rye Records, vol. B. p. v. (end.)
3 Bolton's History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Westchester County, p. 181.
4 Ibid. p. 312. ' To the dissenting meeting, taverns, and slothfulness on the Lord's day,' is Mr. Wetmore's mournful language.
The custom of furnishing liquor at funerals prevailed here a hundred years ago, as appears from the following entry in the Vestry-book of the parish : ' March 13, 1759. To Ebenezer Kniffin, for half a Gallon Rum for ye Burying of Patrick Holo- ' day.'
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CHAPTER XVIII.
THE WHITE PLAINS.
1683-1788.
INTHE tract of land known to the natives as Quaroppas, and called by our settlers ' The White Plains,' was purchased by them from the Indians in the year 1683. The treaty was as fol- lows : -
'To all Christian peopell to hom these presence shall com greting Know yee that we Shapham, Cockinseko Orewapum Kewetoahon, Koa- wanoh Paatck Shiphattash Korehwewous panawok me- 8:99 R mishott pesekanoh oromah- e qah pathunck hohoreis so- tonge wonawaking owhora- d S was nosband :: have for a ØK NG valuabell sum of mony to us In hand paid by the towne B of Rye that are inhabitance bargained Covinanted alin- ated and soulld unto the V Inhabitance of the above said town of Rye A sartain CL U G GH tract of land Lying within the town bounds of Rye W Bounded as followeth on the north east with mamarinek River and on the South- h weast with a branch of the The White Plains in 1721. said River and marked trees till it coms to brunckes River and then to Runn by brunckes River till it Comes to the head of the whit plaines soe called and by marked trees from thence till it comes to the uppermost branch of marrinneck River which trackt of Land is commonly called by the English the whit plaines and called by the Indians Quaroppas which said tract of Land wee the above said shapham Cockinceeko orewopum kewetoakon koawanoh moahalice and
153
INDIAN TREATY.
the Rest of the above said endians have soulld as above said unto the In- habitance of the said towne of Rye them theire heires Execatars admin- istratars or asignes for ever and Doe hereby bind our selves our heires exectars Administratars and asignes unto the Inhabitance of the above said towne of Rye them theire heires Execatars administratars or asignes that they may att all times from and after the date hereof peasably and quieatly poses occupy and injoy the above said tract of land free from all former bargaines salles morgages or other incombrances what so ever and all soe to warrant and make good the above said salle against any parson or parsons what so ever that shall or will make or lay any claime or claimes theare unto and In teastimony there of wee have caused this bill of salle to be made and here unto haue sett our hands and sealles this two and twentieth of November one thousand six hun- dred Eighty three.
Sealed signed and delivered
in the presents of us CORNEILASS
his marke
JOSHUA KNAP
the marke of
MOTEPEATEHON
JOHN ODELL
his mark
This bill of salle is acknowledged by the granters to be their ackt and deed before me in Rye the day and yere aboue written
JOSEPH HORTON Comissioner.
the marke of SHAPIIAM
COKENSEKO
OROWAPAM
KEWETOHAM
KOAWANOH
MOAHPOATCH
PATTHUNK
HOHORNIS
SOTONGE
OWHIORAWAS ORAMAPUAH '
But the inhabitants of Rye were met at once by an opposing claimant in the person of Mr. John Richbell, of Mamaroneck. This gentleman, a native of England, had bought of the Indians in 1660, about the same time that Disbrow effected the purchase of Peningo Neck, the lands adjoining the town of Rye on the west. His right to these lands was confirmed in 1662 by the an- thorities of New Netherland ; and in 1668 by the government of New York. Mr. Richbell's patent gave him possession of the ' three necks ' bounded on the east by Mamaroneck River, and on the west by Stony Brook; together with the land lying north of these bounds, ' twenty miles into the woods.' The claim thus set up conflicted manifestly with the pretensions of the settlers of Rye. As the border town of Connecticut, they conceived that their bounds extended westward as far as the western line of that colony. This, we have seen, was 'a line drawn from the east side of Momor- onock river, north north west to the line of Massachusetts.' But negotiations were now pending between Connecticut and New
154
THE WHITE PLAINS.
York for a more satisfactory settlement of that boundary ; and on the twenty-eighth of November, 1683, the two governments agreed upon a line, to begin at the mouth of Byram River. Meanwhile, doubtless anticipating this decision, the inhabitants of Rye, on the twenty-second of November, only six days before the date of that agreement, concluded a treaty with the Indian proprietors of the White Plains for the purchase of that tract. They describe it as ' lying within the town bounds of Rye.' A week later the descrip- tion would have been incorrect.
Long after this, however, we may observe by the way, the peo- ple of Rye clung to the indefinite right which the earlier boundary treaties gave them. 'The old colony line ' running from Mamar- oneck River, so as to include the White Plains Purchase and a good deal more, was often referred to in their deeds and town acts as the western limit of Rye. It was difficult for them to come down from the large ideas with which their forefathers had com- menced the settlement, to the consciousness of their very moderate importance.
Mr. Richbell was not inclined to yield his claims upon a territory which he had now held for twenty-three years. On the twelfth of March, 1684, he petitioned the governor, Colonel Dongan, on the subject : 'Haveing a Desire to dispose of some Quantity of said Land which is Called the White Plaines,' and which was compre- hended in his patent, 'to severall Persons to settle thereon with themselves and familyes,' he is ' wholly obstructed and hindered by Rye men,' who have ' made a great Disturbance amongst them and Pretends a right to the same.' He cannot therefore dispose of any part of these lands until the governor 'will be pleased to grant an Order to clear the same.' 1
This complaint came before the Council at Fort James on the seventeenth of March; and the inhabitants of Rye, or some to be deputed by them for that purpose, were summoned to show cause at the next Court of Assize in Westchester County, why the said lands do not of right belong and appertain to Mr. John Richbell.2
The dispute appears to have remained unsettled. Mr. Richbell died soon after this, and the greater part of his lands, including all the northern portion, came into the possession of the Hon. Caleb Heathcote. In 1701 Colonel Heathcote obtained a confirmation of his rights to the Richbell estate by purchasing again from the In- dians the ' necks ' formerly known as East and Great Neck, now
1 Land Papers, Albany, vol. ii. p. 30.
2 Council Minutes, Albany, No. V. 47. (Quoted by Mr. Bolton, History of West- chester County, vol. i. p. 291.)
155
CLAIMS OF RICHBELL AND HEATHCOTE.
called Orienta and Larchmont, with the lands lying north of them along Mamaroneck River to its source, and across to the Bronx.1
This traet included the whole of the present town of Scarsdale, for which Colonel Heathcote immediately obtained letters patent from the British erown, securing to him that territory, and constitut- ing the ' lordship' or manor of Searsdale. But his Indian grants included also the whole of the White Plains, which the inhabitants of Rye had purchased from the Indians in 1683, and where some of them were already settled, though no division of the lands had yet been made. This new encroachment on their limits occurred just at the elose of their unsuccessful attempt to return to the col- ony of Connecticut. Having failed to recover the lands appro- priated by Harrison, the people of Rye probably had little hope of resisting these elaims. Colonel Heathcote, however, seems to have been disposed to treat them with great fairness. In the charter which he obtained for his lands, exception was made of 'ye land called White Plains, which is in dispute between ye said Caleb Heathcote and some of ye inhabitants of ye town of Rye.' To that land the patent gives him no further title than he already pos- sesses. The following action of the inhabitants refers to this mat- ter : -
' At a meeting held by the Properities of the White Plains purchase, Febeweary the 24, 1701-2, Hacaliah Browne and Deliverance Browne, and Humphery Underhill, Thomas Merit sener, Isaac Denham, John Stokham and Benjamin Horton are chosen a Committy in the be- half of the above said Proprietors to agree with Coll. Heatcoote con- sarning the runing of a line between said Coll. Heatcoote's patent and said White Plains purchase as they shall see good ; and what line shall be mutually agreed upon betweene the said Commity and Coll. Heat- coote, the said Properities do ingage for themselves and their heirs and successors to stand and abide by forever ; and what else the said Com- mitie mutually agrees upon shall be held good by them and their asso- ciates for ever.' 2
The controversy was still pending in 1702, when ' the Rev. Mr. Christopher Bridge, Mr. Hacalialı Browne, Ensign John Horton, Capt. Joseph Bude, and Mr. John Hoytt are chosen to treat with the Honrble Conl. Caleb Hathcut about the White Plaine pur- chase, and to make returne to the Proprietors of their treat upon what termes the Hon. Coll. Hathcut will agree with them to acquit all his claime of the above said White Plaine purchase.' 3
1 Bolton, History of Westchester County, vol. i. p. 293.
2 Town and Proprietors' Book, No. C. p. 20.
3 Records of Town Meetings, p. 9.
156
THE WHITE PLAINS.
At the time of Colonel Heathcote's death, which occurred about four years later, this question was still unsettled, but it does not appear that any claim upon these lands was made by the heirs to his estate.
Owing doubtless to these uncertainties and differences, the White Plains Purchase remained undivided for many years. Occasionally, from 1683 to 1715, we find in the town records entries like the following, which show that the inhabitants had their eyes upon this precious inheritance, and meant to keep it for future distri- bution : --
April 12, 1694, ' Hachaliah Brown and Thomas Merrit are ap- pointed to go with the Indians and renew the marks of the White Plains purchase, agreeing with the Indians as reasonably as they can.' 1
April 1, 1699, ' John Lyon and Isaac Denham are chosen to laye ont a rode to the White Playnes, begining at the head of Capt. Theall's land, and so to run to the caseaway [causeway ?] brook.'
April 17, 1699, ' The town hath past an act that the Rode shall continue . . . up to the White Playnes where John Lyon and Isaac Denham have marked it out, and the said Road to be 3 Rods in breadth.'
February 14, 1699-1700, Lieutenant Horton and others ' are to survay and lay out the three purchases of land, that is to saye, the White Plains purchase, and Lame Will's two purchases.'
April 27, 1708, the town ' chose Ensign Budd in the room of Captain Horton [deceased] to lay out lands in the White Plains purchase and Will's two purchases, according to the town's acts.' 2
Finally, ' at a meeting held in Rye by the Proprietors of the White Plaines purchase, Febeuery the 11, 1714-15,' Captain Joseph Budd, Ensign John Horton, Mr. John Hoyt, Samuel Purdy, Caleb Hiat, and George Lane, junior, 'are chosen to rectify all mistakes that has been formerly made by the former layers out of the White Plaines purchase, and also has power to add or diminish the just and true proportion of all the lotments of land which is in dispute to be above or under the true proportion, and to lay out propor- siable all the remaining part of the abovesaid purchase ; and when so done to make return to the said proprietors.' 3
This committee appear to have completed their work in the year 1720. The lands divided were apportioned to forty-one proprie-
1 Records, vol. A. (Bolton, History of Westchester County, vol. ii. p. 340.)
2 Town Meeting Books, C. and G.
8 Records of Town Meetings, p. 9.
157
APPORTIONMENT OF LANDS.
tors,1 all of whom were inhabitants of the town of Rye. It is not known what number of acres were contained in this division, which was soon followed by others.2 Nor do we know positively how far the lands thus divided were actually appropriated to the persons named. But in the following year, 1721, certain individ- uals who had already settled upon lands in White Plains, obtained from the British government a patent for themselves and their associates, for the whole tract of four thousand four hundred and thirty-five acres.
These persons were Joseph Budd, John Hoit, Caleb Hoit, Humphrey Underhill, Joseph Purdy, George Lane, Daniel Lane, Moses Knap, John Horton, David Horton, Jonathan Lynch, Peter Hatfield, James Travis, Isaac Covert, Benjamin Brown, John Turner, David Ogden, and William Yeomans. Several of them were actual settlers. The diagram at the head of this chapter shows the location of their lands and houses. It is copied from the map accompanying a survey of the tract made before the granting of the patent.3
The settlement at the White Plains drew largely on the strength of the community at Rye. Several of its most enterprising inhab- itants removed thither about this time. Some branches of nearly
1 The list is given by Mr. Bolton, who found it in the first volume of the Rye Rec- ords, now lost, to which he had access. ( Hist. Westchester County, vol. ii. p. 341.) Joseph Horton, Caleb Hiat, Joseph Budd, Richard Walter,
Isaac Denham, Samuel Hoyt, Philip Galpin, Andrew Coe, Francis Purdy, Timothy Knap, R'd Lounsbery, Thos. Jeffrey,
Deliverance Brown, Jacob Pearse,
John Galpin, John Horton,
Jos. Sherwood,
Thos. Brown, Joseph Purdy,
Joseph Horton,
Francis Brown,
John Frost, Benj. Horton, Henry Disbrow, Wm. Odell,
Peter Brown, Isaac Odell, Garret Travis,
Jonas Sherwood,
Peter Disbrow, Joseph Galpin, Jolın Stoakham,
Thos. Lyon,
John Merrit, John Hoyt, Jonathan Fowler,
John Brondig,
Hachaliah Brown.
2 The 'fifth or last division of the White Plains purchase' is mentioned in 1751. Records, C. 267.
3 The references in the diagram are explained as follows in the original drawing : -'A, Caleb Hyat's. B, Joseph Purdy's. C, Humphrey Underhill's. D, Sam1 Mer- ritt's. E, Sam1 Hunt's. F, Sam Hunt's Mill. G, Sam Hoit's. H, John Hoit's. I, George Lane's. K, Dan' Brundige's. L, James Travis. M, Moses Knap's. N, John Hyat's. O, Dan1 Lane's. P, Sam1 Horton's. Q, Christ" Yeomans. R, An- thony Miller's. S and T, Dan' Brundige's Bound Trees. U, Beginning of Mr. Bridge's Patent. V, Ye Bound Tree between Mr. Bridge and Sam Hunt .. W, Ye Bound Tree between Humphrey Underhill and Sam1 Hunt a, Ye road to Ma- maroneck. b, Road to East Chester. c, Road up to ye woods. d, Road to Hudson's Ferry. e, Road to Mr. Phillips' Mills. f, Road to Bedford. g, Road to California Patent [sic]. h, Road to Rye. i, Road to Budd's Neck.'
Isaac Sherwood,
Geo. Lane, Geo. Kniffin,
158
THE WHITE PLAINS.
all the ancient families established themselves there, and indeed those families are now represented there more numerously than in the parent settlement.
There was a Presbyterian church at the White Plains as early as the year 1727. It stood on or near the site of the present edi- fice. The land - three quarters of an acre - upon which it was built, appears to have been a part of the farm of the Rev. John Walton, the first minister who officiated here.1 In 1730 a ' high- way was laid out in the White Plains, beginning at the street near ye Meeting house, running four rods wide by marked trees till it comes to the Bridge over Bronckes' river near John Garritson's.' 2
In 1759 the county courts were removed from Westchester to the White Plains, and a building for their accommodation was erected on the site of what is now called the old Court House.
Of the memorable scenes that occurred here during the Revolu- tion, we shall speak in the proper place. ' After the war, in 1788, the White Plains became a town distinct from Rye, of which it had till then formed a part.
I Rye Records, vol. D. p. 188.
2 Record of Highways, White Plains, p. 32
CHAPTER XIX.
OCCUPATIONS : THE POOR.
' The spinsters, corders, fullers, weavers.'
King Henry VIII.
O UR ancient inhabitants were wont to call themselves, for the most part, by the humble but honest name of 'yeomen.' They were farmers, living frugally upon the produce of the soil. Most of their wants were supplied by doinestic industry ; and what they purchased was commonly procured in the way of barter. ' They trafficked chiefly,' we are told, in ' wood and cattle.'
By the middle of the last century, however, we find quite a variety of trades carried on in Rye : such as those of wheelwrights, cordwainers, carpenters, saddlers, tailors, hatters, weavers, rope makers, and the like. We are not to suppose that the persons so designated were employed exclusively in these occupations. They were generally farmers, who joined some kind of handicraft to their ordinary business, particularly in winter. The weaver's or wheelwright's shop was no unusual appendage to a farm-house a century ago.
As in all old-time rural places, these occupations were very gen- erally pursued by the same families age after age. In one branch of an ancient family, for instance, the designation 'house-car- penter ' occurs through as many as four successive generations. Another family is said almost to have covered the lower part of Budd's Neck with its 'rope-walks.' And others of our inhabitants, even to the present day, show a long transmitted fondness for the fisherman's goodly craft, which their remote ancestors followed along the same shoals and shores.
Rye, from early times, rejoiced in a considerable number of millers. Our numerous streams afforded excellent facilities for mills. Of these we find fifteen or twenty in operation before the period of the Revolution. The first established were grist-mills. John Budd's, afterwards known as Lyon's mill, on Blind Brook Creek, was built some time before the year 1669. Not long after, perhaps, the mill on the opposite side of Rye Neck was built by
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160
OCCUPATIONS: THE POOR.
the same proprietor on Mamaroneck River. In 1696, Samuel Lane and Joseph Lyon received permission from the town to build a mill on Blind Brook, - the location of which is supposed to be that now occupied by Park's mill. This was long known as Bloom- er's mill : and there were at least two others, above it, on the same stream. What is now known as Davenport's mill, near the outlet of Stony Brook, was owned in the latter part of the last century by Justice Gilbert Bloomer ; and that now known as Van Amringe's was formerly Deall's mill.1 In 1705, Samuel Hunt had leave to build a grist-mill on Mamaroneck River at the falls above Henry Underhill's. He must build within two years, and ' grind the town's corn for the 14th part.' In 1711, Richard Ogden was allowed to build a mill on Byram River, ' between the lower going over and the country road.' Peter Brown's fulling-mill stood in 1731 in the rear of the late ' Penfield House,' - now owned by the family of the late D. H. Mead. Kirby's mill was built about a hundred years ago, by one Wright Frost. Colonel Thomas' mill is indicated on our revolutionary chart of 1779 : it stood near the cross road from Harrison post-office to King Street. Kennedy's mill is marked on a map of Rye in 1798.
No early mention is made of saw-mills at Rye. The first settlers built their houses without the aid of this useful instrument. Not only the beams, but even the planks and shingles, were hewn and shaped by hand.
But beside these various employments, our inhabitants had abun- dant opportunities of making or eking out a livelihood by ' follow- ing the water.' The title ' mariner ' soon appears as an occasional substitute for 'yeoman.' Within a few years after the settlement of the town, there were several docks or landings along our shore. From these, small fishing craft put out into the Sound, and before long a few sloops or barges sailed to Oyster Bay and to New York. A century ago, most of the families composing the little village of Saw Pit derived their support from these pursuits. So too did many of those living on the lower part of Rye Neck. This famil- iarity with the water prepared them to engage actively, as they did, in expeditions of various kinds upon the Sound during the Revolutionary War.
A hundred years ago, the oyster fishery had become quite an important business at Rye. In 1753, much excitement was caused
1 This mill, however, is not as ancient as it is generally supposed to be. Permis- sion to build a dam across the mouth of the creek known as ' Horseneck creek,' was granted by an act of legislature about the year 1790.
161
FARMING IN OLDEN TIME.
by a ' great destruction of our oysters in Byram river.' Certain persons were 'getting great Quantities with Rakes, to Burn into Lyme.' A town meeting was called, and the inhabitants 'agreed and voted that no person or persons shall hereafter during the said year presume to take and destroy said oysters,' under penalty of a fine of forty shillings for each offence. Half of this snm was to go to the complainant, and the other half to the poor. This act was confirmed yearly until the time of the Revolution.1
The 'New York Gazette' of July 3, 1766, records the sad end of one of our Rye fishermen.
. On Tuesday evening, about eight o'clock, one Godfrey Haynes, who followed the business of Lobster Catching for this Market, and has a family in Rye - went into the water to swim near Burling's Slip; but not appearing again, his son, a young man about 21, and another man, went in search of him, and found his hand above water, holding the edge of the boat, his body and head under water : but he was entirely dead. They tried all methods that could be thought of to recover him, but in vain. From the time he went into the water till he was taken out was less than six minutes. The Coroner's inquest brought in their verdict - Accidental Death.'
Besides the market sloops that sailed from Saw Pit, Rye, and Rye Neck to New York, there were some larger vessels belonging here, and sailing to distant ports. Mention is made in 1774 of a ' Whaling Sloop belonging to Mamaroneck.' In 1771, Captain Abraham Bush, of Rye, advertises that 'on a voyage from the eastward, coming out of Milford harbour,' he discovered a scow and boom which he rescued and brought into port.2 The same Captain Bush, on the twenty-sixth of September, 1785, ' was cast away and drowned with all his crew, consisting of five persons, including himself,' in a violent hurricane that occurred off the coast of North Carolina.3
As to the farmning of olden times, though deficient in modern improvements, it possessed some advantages by no means to be despised. The sturdy yeomen of the Purchase and Byram Ridge seem not unusually to have been blest with numerous sons, con- tent to follow the plough over their paternal acres, and not yet
1 The last entry in the Town Records before the Revolution relates to the recent discovery of ' a Bed of young Oysters on the East side of the old Colony line joining to Mamaroneck Harbour lying Between Gilbert Budd's Neck and Hog Island.' -
2 Hugh Gaine's New York Gazette and The Weekly Mercury, Monday, July 1, 1771.
3 Family Record in the possession of Mr. A. Theall.
11
162
OCCUPATIONS : THE POOR.
possessed by the longing for city life. Land was plentiful and cheap, and the soil fresh and productive.
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