USA > New York > Queens County > History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals. > Part 76
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The town's history is much interwoven with the early history of the town of Hempstead. The early settlers suffered much in person and property from the depreda- tions of the Indians, and were frequently compelled to abandon their settlements. Their cattle were stolen, and their wives and children maltreated. The whites fre- quently resorted to bribes as the most effectual mode of securing immunity from them. These Indian depreda- tions were by the Dutch ascribed in part to instigation by the English settlers from Massachusetts and the New Haven colonies.
Cow Neck, containing about 6,000 acres of land, was at the earliest settlement of the original town of Hempstead used principally for pasturing cattle by the inhabitants of other portions of the town. Great Neck, containing about 4,000 acres of land and formerly known as Mad- nan's Neck, was earliest permanently settled, religious services being established there as early as 1676. For a long period and up to about 1676 Cow Neck continued to be used by residents in distant parts of the town, in- cluding the present town of Hempstead, as a common pasture; and for this purpose was fenced from near the head of Cow Bay across to near the village of Roslyn. The freeholders of the town were permitted to pasture a number of sheep or cattle proportioned to the number of panels of this fence they had respectively constructed. These rights of pasturage were bought and sold much as we now sell bank stocks or railroad bonds. The land was divided among the claimants (probably in the same pro- portions) subsequent to The part now known as Plandome was so named by Dr. Samuel I .. Mitchell, meaning a pleasant home; or, as some say, after the Place Vendome in Paris, which he had visited. It was known as Little Cow Neck. Plandome mill was built either by William or Matthias Nicholls, early in the last century. It was spoken of as "Latham's mill " in 1746.
North Hempstead was set off from Hempstead by an act of the Legislature, passed April 6th 1784. Its first supervisor was Adrian Onderdonk, grandfather of Henry Onderdonk jr., of Jamaica (author of numerous historical publications relating to Long Island), and Judge Onderdonk, of Manhasset. The entire town then con-
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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.
tained but four churches or places of worship-the Re- formed Dutch, erected in 1732, near the lake at Success (now Lakeville); the Methodist Episcopal, at Searingtown; and two Friends' meeting-houses, one at Westbury and the other at Manhasset.
COLD, STORM, AND FLOOD.
North Hempstead, like other parts of Long Island, suffered greatly by the memorable "cold summer." This occurred in the year 1816. The crops of hay, corn, wheat, rye, oats, and potatoes were shrunken up, with- ered and destroyed by the long continued cold of this remarkable summer. The farmers had great difficulty and expense in procuring food for their livestock. For the following winter they had to rely on salt hay from the meadows and marshes.
Another calamity by which this town suffered greatly was the "September gale," September 3d 1821, which prostrated buildings, trees, fences and growing crops, causing immense damage.
On August 10th-13th 1826 came "the great flood," when tremendous rains, long continued, caused the over- flow of streams, and great disasters. The flood broke through the dam of John T. Mitchell's mill-pond at Man- hasset Valley, and carried away the grist-mill there and the adjacent saw-mill. It also broke through and carried away the dam of William Hewlett's mill-pond at Cow Neck. The dam of Judge Mitchell's tide-water mill at Plandome shared the same fate. On the 12th and 13th nine inches of water fell. Roads, fields and crops in all parts of the town were destroyed or damaged to an ex- tent never known before or since.
FAMILY NAMES, ETC.
The following list comprises the names of most of the old families, original settlers of the town, dating back to colonial times : Allen, Brinkerhoff, Bogart, Burtis, Cornwell, Cox, Cock, Denton, Dodge, Hewlett, Hege- man, Hicks, Hoagland, Kissam, Mitchell, Morrell, Mott, Onderdonk, Platt, Pearsall, Post, Powell, Robbins, Rem- sen, Rapelyea, Schenck, Smith, Sands, Titus, Treadwell, Thorne, Underhill, Valentine, Willets, Willis, Williams and Woolley.
The Sands family was once numerous in the town, but that name has now become nearly extinct. They were once large landholders, especially near Sands Point light-house, which took its name from this family. With this exception many or most of the above named families are represented in the present population.
There were also some few families representing the names of Appleby, Adriance, Albertson, Baker, Burr, Burt, Bedell, Bennett, Baldwin, Baxter, Craft, Covert, Crooker, Carpenter, Cheeseman, Cornell, Duryea, Down- ing, Demilt, Ellison, Frost, Foster, Fowler, Hutchings, Haines, Haviland, Hawkshurst, Hagner, Ketcham, Kirk, Kirby, Jackson, Jarvis, Lewis, Losee, Layton, Mudge, Nostrand, Peters, Poole, Sell, Seaman, Sealy, Townsend, Toffey, Van Nostrand, Van Wyck, Vandewater, Van Dyne, Whitson, Wood and Wiggins. Some, though not
many, representatives of these names and families yet reside in the town.
The following names are also represented in the pres- ent population of the town, but few if any of them were "to the manor born," having descended from families originating elsewhere and settling here in comparatively modern times, to wit: Arthur, Armstrong, Burdett, Bay- lis, Brush, Brewer, Chester, Clapham, Conklin, Cline, Clark, Davis, Doncourt, Fleet, Field, Firth, Fletcher, Gibson, Grace, Germaine, Hayden, Hyde, Hendrickson, Hoag, Horsfield, Jenks, Jagger, Jayne, Kelsey, Keese, King, L'Hommedieu, Mackey, Messenger, Morgan, McKee, Oakley, Purdy, Pierce, Porter, Prior, Rogers, Rushmore, Skidmore, Sherwood, Spinney, Thibbets, Til- ley, Travis, Taber, Thompson, Terry, Udall, Van Pelt, Vanderveer, Velsor, Walters, Wight and Wright.
The town of North Hempstead has sent many repre- sentatives to the Legislature; among others, to the Senate John Schenck in 1793, Andrew Onderdonk in 1797 and John I. Schenck in 1828; and to the Assembly Hendrick Onderdonk in 1784, Daniel Whitehead Kis- sam in 1786, Richard Thorne in 1787, John Schenck in 1788, Samuel L. Mitchell in 1791, John M. Smith in 1798, John Willis in 1846, Sylvanus S. Smith in 1852, John A. Searing in 1854, Stephen Taber in 1860 and Francis Skillman in 1867.
The town in 1810 had 2,570 inhabitants; in 1845, 3,987; 1850, 4,291; 1855, 9,446; 1860, 5,419; 1865, 5.335; 1870, 6 540; 1875, 7,217; 1880, 7,562.
There were in 1880 about 1,063 persons assessed for taxation. In 1801 there were but 310 taxpayers in the town, and the average tax was about $5.70 for each taxpayer. The present rate of taxation is increased enormously-very far beyond the increase in population.
The town now has the following post-offices: Old West- bury, Roslyn, Mineola, East Williston, Port Washington, Manhasset and Great Neck.
CEMETERIES.
The oldest cemeteries are one near Sands Point, where many persons of the Sands and Hewlett and some of the Cornwell families are buried; another and larger ceme- tery, on the Treadwell farm, just north of Port Wash- ington, where the Motts, Cornwells, Treadwells, and others are interred; another at Flower Hill, where the Onderdonks, Hegeinans, Brinkerhoffs, Rapelyeas, Bo- garts and Dodges comprise the more numerous inter- ments. Some of the Hewletts, Thornes, and others have family cemeteries on their own lands. The Friends have an ancient burial ground adjoining their meeting-house at Manhasset. The Episcopal and Reformed churches at Manhasset have burial grounds adjoining their respect- ive churches, which have been used about seventy years. The Rose Hill Cemetery, at Manhasset, adjoining the churches, has existed but about forty years. There has recently been laid out, a mile east of Roslyn, a large cemetery, partly under the auspices of the Presbyterian church of Roslyn. In the Friends' meeting-house grounds at Westbury is another ancient burial place. There
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REVOLUTIONARY PATRIOTS IN NORTH HEMPSTEAD-ADAM MOTT'S WILL.
are in various parts of the town many other less exten- sive cemeteries, now disused.
THE JONES FUND.
The poor of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay are now mainly supported by " the Jones fund for the sup- port of the poor." This fund is a legacy of $30,000 left by Samuel Jones, of the town of Oyster Bay. For some time after this generous bequest was made there was an undercurrent of hesitation in if not opposition to de- manding and securing this $30,000 legacy. Seeing this, one public spirited gentleman from Oyster Bay and an- other from North Hempstead called a public meeting, aroused the inhabitants of their respective towns, pro- cured the necessary legislation at Albany, and (all with- out any charge for their services) secured to the people the lasting advantages intended by the benevolent donor. Further particulars are given in the history of Oyster Bay.
THE WILL OF ADAM MOTT.
Although Adamn Mott was a resident of Hempstead village he owned large tracts of land in the present town of North Hempstead, whither the family subsequently removed. The will is especially interesting in showing the manner of thought in those days, and the stress laid on small articles of personal property. Yet when it is considered that the people had made several homes since leaving England, and that goods could only be replaced at an enormous cost compared with their intrinsic value, we look with respect upon their care for little things. The following is a copy of his will:
"I, Adam Mott, lying now very weak, do now declare this to be my last will and testament from this day, I being through God's mercy in my right senses. I do humbly surrender and give my soul and spirit to God which gave it me, and my body to the earth, to be buried in decent manner; that all just debts that shall be made appear shall be paid justly to the creditors so applying. I do give to my eldest son, Adam Mott, fifty acres of land that he is to take up and five shillings in money; to my son Jeames I give two cows and a hollow lying by the Harbor parth and my Kersey wescoat and my Searsg drawers and my new Hatt; to my daughter Grace I give four great pewter platters, and those Hallows lying be- between the Great Run and Tanner's Hook, those two Hollows which lyeth on the left hand of the parth going to the Town from Madnan's Neck, and three Hollows lying on next to the other side of the parth by the great Run, the said land to remain to her and her heirs forever; to my son John I do give my Lott of Meadow lying at the Wheat Neck and my Hollow lying by the Harbor parth; to my son Joseph I give a hundred acres of land where he shall see good to take up for his use which is yet untaken up, and a Hollow lying by the West Hollow in the Sandy Hollow. To my Gershom I do give five cows; to my son Henry's three children I do give one two years old Heifer. To my dear wife Eliza- beth Mott and all the children I have by her I do give and bequeath my house and lott upon Madman's Neck, and with all the rest of my said Estate except mentioned in my will aforesaid, Moveables and Immoveables, with
all and every part thereof, to stand and remain to my wife and children, only my House and Orchard and home Lott at Hempstead and the Mill Hollow in particular I do give to my younger son, Adam. But in case my wife Elizabeth should see cause to marry, that then the Estate which I have given to my wife and children shall be Equally divided into four parts, and my wife Elizabeth to have and enjoy the one part and those children which I have had by her shall have the other three parts, to be Equally divided between them. And I do give unto my wife Elizabeth for her life time, If she shall see Cause, my House and Land on Madnan's Neck and a Lott of Meadow; and If my Wife doth Remain a Widow that there should be none of the children to enjoy any of the said Estate untill they marry, Except that my wife shall see cause to the Contrary. As to four proprietyships which I have in the bounds of Hempstead I do give unto my wife Elizabeth and her children, first to take her choice of two of the said proprietyships and the Other two to be Equally divided amongst my four Eldest Sons in Equall proportions; and with all and Every Part of this my will and Testament I do heartily desire may be performed in all particulars, as witness my hand and seal, this 12th day of March Anno Dom. 1681."
NORTH HEMPSTEAD DURING THE REVOLUTION.
A large majority of the people of Hempstead, of which North Hempstead was then a part, were opposed to the Revolution and to sending delegates to the Pro- vincial Congress. Congress having in April 1775 recom- mended the appointing of Whig committees in each town, some inhabitants of Cow Neck and Great Neck assembled September 23d following and, taking into serious consideration their distressed situation, and con- vinced of their inability to pursue proper measures for the common safety while they were considered a part of Hempstead, resolved that they would no longer be a part of that town in all matters relating to the Congressional plan. They then elected a town committee, consisting of Benjamin Sands (chairman), Adrian Onderdonck (deputy chairman), and John Farmer, a schoolmaster (clerk). They adopted a form of association sent them by the Congress and had it circulated for signatures. They also reorganized the militia company by appointing the following officers and musicians: John Sands, cap- tain; Thomas Mitchell, first lieutenant; Aspinwall Corn- well, second lieutenant; Andrew Onderdonk, ensign; Richard Manee, William Hutchings, Joseph Akerly, and William Hicks, sergeants; Hosea Hauxhurst, Austin Mitchell, Andrew H. Onderdonk, and Jonathan Hutch- ings, corporals; Stephen Cornwell, clerk; John Whaley, drummer; Charles Stubbs, fifer; Gregory Ritchie, haut- boy. There was also a north side company, of 120 men, of which Philip Valentine was captain and Coe Searing second lieutenant. The Congress on learning of these proceedings complimented the committee for their ac- tion. Most of the persons holding offices under the crown opposed the measures of the committee, who re- ported their names to the Congress, by whose order they were arrested and carried off to prison. John Sands was promoted colonel June 25th 1776, when Thomas Mitchell was made captain, Aspinwall Cornwell first lieutenant and Oliver Lawrence second lieutenant. Recruiting com-
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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.
menced July 23d 1776, $to bounty being offered to volunteers. Colonel Sands had his headquarters at Nathaniel Seaman's, Westbury. Some of the men were engaged in the battle of Brooklyn, August 27th, and retreated with the army to Westchester county, where they were disbanded, and many crossed over the sound to their homes. Some staid out of the British lines till the end of the war. As British armed vessels were expected to come down the sound to New York, a guard, under Sergeants Richard Manee and William Hicks, was set at the bottom of Cow Neck and Great Neck, which was visited and inspected August Ist 1776 by Cols. Josiah Smith and John Sands and Major Abraham Remsen. The orders to Manee were : "You are to take your recruits to the bottom of Cow Neck and then apply to Simon Sands, who is to reconnoitre and choose a place for you to be stationed at, where you are to build a shelter and place one sentinel where he will have most prospect of the sound ; the sentry to be re- lieved once every two hours. Should he spy any vessels appearing to be ships of war, send express to Simon Sands, William and John Cornwell. Ask Sands also for a long pole to hoist a flag on for a signal." William bottom of Great Neck, now John A. King's place, then owned by Lawrence Hewlett and called Haviland's Point. On discovering ships of war he was to report to Major Richard Thorne or John Thorne.
The farmers had their teams impressed from time to Hicks, sergeant, was ordered to take his recruits to the time to cart baggage, pickets, fascines for forts, and military stores for the army.
Soon after the defeat of the American army at Brook- lyn a detachment of the British light dragoons rode into North Hempstead and carried off to the provost prison in New York such of the prominent Whigs as had not left the island ; among others Colonel John Sands, Adrian Onderdonck and Major Richard Thorne. The livestock, hay, grain, wagons and teams of rebels were at once carried off for the use of Howe's army. But on the 25th of October 1776 petitions were circulated and signed by all the residents of the county praying to be
at peace with the king ; and all rebels taking the oath of like cause.
allegiance were once more left in peaceable possession of their property, but subject to the inconveniences of an armed occupation, such as having officers quartered or soldiers billeted in their houses. The British army from time to time needed horses, wood, hay, straw, and grain, which the farmers were obliged to furnish whether they could spare them or not. These were paid for, at prices fixed by the British general, in silver and gold, which the farmers hid away and buried in their cellars, and which became at last a temptation to robbers, wlio tor- tured their victims till they disclosed and gave up their hidden treasures. There were requisitions for wood at least three times ; we give one list (June Ist 1782) as a specimen :
Apportionment of 36434 cords of wood to be cut under Major Kissam's directions for the use of the |he fired. Judging of his position by the report, the rob- British army in New York: Jacob Mott, 112 cords; Is- rael Pearsall, 23; Michael Mudge, 6; Richard Kirk, 6; Jeremiah Robbins, 5; George Weeks, 3; Joshua Willis, 1 1/2; Widow Ireland, 1; William Valentine, 4; Hendrick
Onderdonck, 472; Thomas Applebe and son, 14; James Hewlett, 6; Samuel Hewlett, 8; John Burtis, 4; William Hutchings, 21/2; John Sands, 11; Daniel Kissam and son, 12; Andrew Hegeman, 6; Andrew and Elbert Hege- man, 11; Daniel Rapeleye, 372; Peter Onderdonk, 6; widow of Tristram Dodge, 11/2; Oba. Demilt, 472; Thomas Dodge, 572; Captain St. Thorne, 6; Henry Sands, 19; John Cornwell and son, 4; Edward Sands, 2; Simon Sands, 5; Stephen Mott, 9; Adam Mott, 10; John Mott, 4; Joseph Dodge, 4; Robert Sutton, 4; Hendrick Vander Belt and daughter, 7; Israel Baxter, 272; John Mitchell and son, 7; Daniel Whitehead Kissam, 8; Joseph Kissam, 31/2; Benjamin Kissam, 11/2; Dr. Samuel Latham, 6; Joseph Pearsall, 5; Adrian Onderdonk, 31/2; Richard Thorne, 3; Joseph Thorne, 3; Benjamin Aker- ly, 372; George Rapelye, 4; Timothy Smith, 11; William Smith, 372; John Schenck, 11; Daniel Brinckerhoff, 5; Cornelius Cornell, 1; Charles Cornell, 21/2; George Cor- nell, 174; Samuel Mott Cornell, 134; Samuel Tredwell, 4; Henry Hawxhurst, 2; Richard Sands, 5; Charles Hicks, 4; Josh Cornwell, 5; William Thorne, 6; Caleb Cor- nell, 134.
The Friends, not feeling free to aid war, were great suf- ferers. March 3d 1777 Elias Hicks, their great preacher, was deprived of a great coat worth 26 shillings on a demand for 12 shillings to pay the hire of men to repair the British forts at Brooklyn; April 4th a pair of shoes worth 10 shillings was taken from him on his refusal to stand guard; on August 28th he was distrained of a pair of silver buckles worth 18 shillings, two pairs of stockings, worth 15 shillings, and a handkerchief worth 5 shillings, all because he would not go on an alarm in armed pursuit of the enemy; and in June 1778 a pair of stockings worth 5 shillings and a razor case with two razors, worth 4 shillings, were taken from him for some
Besides the outrages of British soldiers in stealing, burning fences and robbing at night, North Hempstead suffered greatly from the nightly depredations of whale- boatmen, as they were called, who had their quarters in Connecticut. Guards were stationed along the shores of the sound. After years of mischief the head of a gang of these robbers was shot, and the governor of Connecti- cut, on a representation made to him by the sufferers, re- fused to commission any more. On a Thursday evening (October 26th 1782) two whaleboats with muffled oars landed a number of whaleboatmen in Cow Bay at Thorne's dock (afterward Judge Kissam's) and pro- ceeded to James Burr's store, Manhasset Valley. Burr had been robbed once before, and slept in the store with his gun loaded. As soon as they demanded admittance bers fired diagonally through the front corners of the store. Burr received a ball in his body, went to the bedside of his little brother, told him he was a dead man, and fell. Being unable to force open the door, the rob-
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bers ripped off the boards, entered through the side of the store, and loaded themselves with goods. As they returned and were rounding the corner of John Burtis's blacksmith shop, west of the house occupied by the late Dr. Purdy, David Jarvis, an apprentice boy, fired on them, one after another, from the second story window, Burtis loading the guns and Molly, his wife, handing powder. In this way several were wounded, till at last came their leader, Captain Martin, staggering under an enormous load of goods, who received a buckshot in the center of his forehead and had his breast also tattooed with shot. Throwing down his carbine, he stumbled up the hill north of Dr. Purdy's, dropping his load by the way, and fell down dead on the summit, where his body was discovered by George Onderdonk. The firing alarmed the neighbors, who had now assembled in great numbers. Before it was yet day Joseph Onderdonk was dispatched for Major Kissam, who came and held an ex- amination. In Martin's pocket-book were found a list of his crew and a captain's commission from the State of Massachusetts authorizing him " to cruise against the en- emies of the United States," but not to go on land. Captain Martin's clothes, shoes with silver buckles, and watch, together with the guns dropped in the flight, were given to Jarvis. He was also presented with a pair of new pistols as a reward for his heroic daring. Jarvis had on a previous occasion beaten off a party of whaleboatmen and wounded one Jim Brown. Martin's body was buried in a corner of Martin Schenck's land, south of the Epis- copal church. The rest of the gang escaped to their boats, which were seen by Joseph Onderdonk during the alarm of firing slowly dropping down the bay to a pre- concerted spot, probably Mitchell's landing. The night was overcast. Joseph Onderdonk, a lad of sixteen, was stationed with a gun in a young locust northeast of his father's house to fire an alarm in case the house was attacked. While he was here a fellow ran up to him, crying out, " D-n their blood, they've wounded me!" On discovering his mistake he made off and was out of sight in an instant. Captain Martin had been a lucky fellow, having captured a number of prizes.
The old block-house now standing at Herricks was erected for a store, on the Jericho turnpike near West- bury, during the Revolution. It was bullet proof and had portholes in the second story to afford protection from robbers. Not only was there loss of property on land from the whaleboatmen, but their captures of boats plying between here and New York were numerous. The prizes were carried over to the Connecticut shore. Thomas Dodge was once a passenger and sat in the cabin when a boat was taken. Hearing a noise he tried to get on deck, but found he was fastened down. He sang out, " What are you about up there? Open the door and let me up, or else come down yourselves, and let us drink for better acquaintance." The captors came down, and were treated with a bottle of spirits from Dodge's pro- vision basket. They had a jolly time of it, and on Dodge's arrival at Horse Neck he found many old friends, and was allowed to return on parole. This exempted
him from the fatigues of military duty (which consisted in frequent trainings and patrolling the coast at night) until he was exchanged.
At the peace in 1783 many loyalists sold out and left North Hempstead for Nova Scotia for fear of being punished by the Whigs; but some returned after they found it safe to do so. The Legislature passed the " trespass act," by virtue of which suits were brought against all British agents who had impressed horses, cat- tle, wagons, forage, or persons, or carted off wood, during the war. Many farmers thus recovered damages. Only two farms in North Hempstead were confiscated to the State. One was that of Daniel Kissam the elder (now occupied by Howell and Adrian Onderdonk, at Flower Hill). It consisted of 330 acres and was bid in by the widow for £2,000, August 5th 1784. The other belong- ed to the Ludlows.
The Legislature ordered a special town meeting De- cember 22nd 1783, when Whigs were chosen to office in place of the loyalists who had held office during the war, viz .: Adrian Onderdonk, supervisor; John Schenck, clerk; John Searing and John Burtis, constables; Peter Onderdonk, Abraham Schenck and Benjamin Everitt, commissioners of highways, etc. Such was the antipathy of the Whigs of North Hempstead to the loyalists of South Hempstead that the Legislature, April 16th 1784, divided the town by the line of the "Country road."
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