History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 13

Author: W.W. Munsell & Co., pub; Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather); Cooper, James B. (James Brown), 1825-; Pelletreau, William S. (William Smith), 1840-1918; Street, Charles R. (Charles Rufus), 1825-1894; Smith, John Lawrence, 1816-1889
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 677

USA > New York > Suffolk County > History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683 > Part 13

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Southampton, Southold, Easthampton, Huntington and Brookhaven were independent colonies until the new charter of Connecticut was granted (1662), by the provisions of which they became a part of that colony. They had it is true formed alliances with the New Eng- land colonies, but those alliances were for the protection and assistance of these towns and did not interfere with their independence. They were formed as follows :- Southampton with Connecticut in 1644, Southold with New Haven in 1648, Easthampton with Connecticut in 1657, Brookhaven with the same in 1659 and Huntington with the same in 1660.

Title to the soil was acquired by the satisfaction of two claims-that of the Indians and that of the crown of Great Britain. Land was purchased of the Indians by com- panies and by individuals, in tracts varying in size, loca- tion and valuation as circumstances or opportunity hap- pened to suggest. Boundaries were indefinite, and it often happened that a tract of land was claimed by dif- ferent tribes or chiefs, so that double Indian claims had sometimes to be satisfied. The patent of James I. to the Plymouth Company in 1620 and that of the latter to Earl Stirling in 1635 comprehended this territory. After the death of Earl Stirling, in 1640, and that of his son a few months later, his heir surrendered the grant to the crown. The earliest settlers were required to recognize the rights of Earl Stirling, but after those rights were thus surrendered they had only the Indian claims to satisfy until the conquest of 1664, which threw the forts and government at New York into the hands of the English.

In 1662-63 some plan seems to have been under con- sideration for a union of the eastern towns. Committees were appointed by Southold, Southampton and East- hampton to confer together and with the general court at Hartford in reference to the establishment of govern- ment here. Just what kind of a settlement of govern-

SUFFOLK COUNTY AND THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.

ment was contemplated does not appear, but from the fact that a patent was spoken of we may presume that the organization of a colony here distinct from that of Connecticut, with a patent from the king, may have been designed. It is inferred that the price which these towns were to pay for this patent was about five hundred pounds sterling. But whatever may have been their plans, the discussion of which appears to have been continued with much earnestness into the early part of 1664, their fulfillment was doubtless defeated by the events of that year, when these towns were required to become a part of the colony of New York. Some of the easternmost ones strongly objected, and, though they were compelled to submit, afterward retained and asserted a decided affinity for the former allegiance.

Upon the organization of the government under Rich- ard Nicolls, the first English governor, the boundaries of townships and individual holdings of real estate were more definitely settled, and to perfect their title they were required to obtain patents from the governor, for the granting of which he demanded such perquisites as he thought proper. As not all of the land had at this time been bought of the Indians, the governor himself in some instances satisfied their claim in the name of his Royal Highness, and then granted patent deeds for the same to

The colony reverting to the English in 1674, a new the planters who might desire to purchase. Governor patent was issued by the king to the Duke of York, and Nicolls's price to his subjects varied from one penny per acre for land where the Indian claim had been satisfied down to a rate of two shillings and sixpence for a hun- dred acres where the responsibility of satisfying the In- dian claims was assumed by the purchaser.

A uniform code of laws was also given to each town, similar in general to those of other English colonies of that time. They contained many of those regulations for the suppression of Sabbath-breaking, drunkenness, profanity and slander so common among the enactments of the English towns before the conquest.

The towns of Huntington, Brookhaven, Southold, Southampton and Easthampton were by the Hempstead convention of 1665 organized as the "east riding " of Yorkshire. The further judicial arrangements made at the same time are described on page 25.

The popular impression that the practice of witchcraft ber 16th a requirement was sent to these towns to rein- should be suppressed by the strong arm of the law found but few opportunities here to develop itself. Two cases are on record, that of " Goody Garlicke," of Easthamp- ton, in 1657, and that of Ralph Hall and his wife, of Setauket, in 1665. The charges were gravely considered in high courts, the former at Hartford and the latter at New York, but nothing appears to have been developed worthy of punishment.

At this time the principal products of the land were corn and cattle. These articles were no doubt exported to some extent. The expenses of government were met by direct taxes upon the people. Each individual planter had his own portion of corn ground to cultivate, also his own allotnient of meadows adjoining the bays, from which to cut grass, but the wide ranges of pasture land were used in common by the inhabitants of a town.

When the Dutch recovered New York in 1673 the eastern towns of Long Island took the opportunity to seek again an alliance with the colony of Connecticut. The governor was able to induce Huntington and Brookhaven to continue their connection with the government at New York, but Southold, Southampton and Easthampton were uncompromising in their determination to return to their former associations. They implored the protection of Connecticut through a delegation of deputies, who were successful in their efforts, and accordingly these three towns were organized into a county under that jurisdic- tion.

October 30th 1673 the Dutch governor, Anthony Colve, sent a commission to induce these towns to submit to his government. Visiting Shelter Island and Southold this commission found the people in no mood for sub- mission, but in arms ready for resistance. The Dutch authorities were so much incensed by this attitude that they threatened to reduce the obstinate towns by fire and sword. In execution of this purpose an armed force was sent down the sound to the east end. Connecticut in the meantime having sent troops to the assistance of the English towns, the Dutch forces were repulsed at every effort, and finally driven from the island.

he appointed Sir Edmund Andros to re- establish his gov- ernment. The three eastern towns of Suffolk, anticipating the demand which would be made upon them to resume allegiance to the duke's government, sent a committee to Connecticut to obtain a firmer establishment of their al- liance. In compliance with this request the general court of that colony, May 14th 1674, appointed commis- sioners to go over and settle the government of the county on a more permanent basis. Soon afterward the towns appointed a committee to petition the king to grant them authority to remain with Connecticut. The petition, if ever presented to the king, was not granted.

Andros immediately set about organizing the govern- ment. The three eastern towns in a memorial to him declared themselves to belong to the government of Con- necticut, with a determination " so to continue." Novem-

state the former constables and overseers, under penalty of being declared rebels. The deputies who had signed the rebellious memorial-John Mulford, of Easthampton, John Howell, of Southampton, and John Youngs, of Southold-were also called to New York to answer for their action. These towns, being unable to retain their connection with Connecticut, were obliged to submit, with the other towns of the island, to the duke's govern- ment.

The government re-established under Andros was the same as before the Dutch interregnum. The towns were taxed to support the government at New York, and in making assessments a uniform scale of valuations was prescribed, for the principal items of personal property as well as real estate. Upon the basis of such valuations applied to the real and personal property of each town,

HISTORY OF SUFFOLK COUNTY.

as enumerated by its officers, a tax of one penny on a pound was exacted. This arbitrary scale of valuations ran as follows : Improved land or meadow belonging to an individual owner, f1 to an acre; oxen £6 each ; cows four years old and over, £5; three years old, £4 ; two years old, £2 Ics .; one year old, £1 Ios .; horses four years old and over, £12; three years old, £8; two years old, £5; one year old, £3; goats, 8s .; sheep, 6s. 8d .; hogs, f1 each. An assessment of £18 on each head (probably each adult male citizen) was also added as the basis of a poll tax. These arbitrary valuations were probably much higher than the average of prices which the same property would at that time bring in the market. The representatives of Southampton in 1675 claimed as an notorious fact that the assessment of horses was unreasonably high. They hinted that those estimates of value belonged to former years, when the price of horses ruled higher than at that time; and petitioned that their assessment might be amended so as to value horses at £4, three-year-old colts at £3, two-year-olds at £2, and yearlings at £1, which prices they declared to be still above the market. The governor appears to have conceded their petition. In 1675 the assessment of these towns was as follows :- Huntington, £6,339; Brook- haven, £3,065 16s. 8d .; Southold, £10,935 10s ; South- ampton, £13,667; Easthampton, £6,842 16s. 8d. The figures show the comparative wealth and importance of these towns at that time. Applying the rate of one penny

to the pound we find that these five towns paid into the ing, instructing, admonishing or directing the people or New York treasury an annual tax of £170 4S. 214d.

The stock owned by the inhabitants of these towns numbered 4,297 cattle, 896 horses, 2,030 hogs, 1,262 sheep, and an inconsiderable number of goats. Individ- ual owners held 5,687 acres of improved and meadow land, besides that which was used in common for pastur- age. The planters of that period no doubt found cattle to be the most profitable kind of stock to raise. Proba- bly owing to the danger from dogs and other animals, sheep were not generally raised. Among the wild animals which the settlers found here were wolves, and the Indians it is said had a habit of catching the young ones and training them for dogs. The natural propensities of these animals made them still a terror to sheep. Efforts were made to exterminate them, and the early settlers adopted the practice of setting guns in the woods for them. This practice was countenanced by the town authorities, but some of the towns passed requirements that such guns should be taken up by sunrise in the morning, so as not to endanger the life of any person who might be going into the woods about his legitimate business. Owing to these causes only now and then a man ventured to keep a flock of sheep, while nearly every man owned from ten to twenty-five cattle. Horses were also raised in consider- able numbers. It is probable that the average farmer of two hundred years ago on the soil of Suffolk kept a great- er number of horses, cattle and hogs than the average farmer on the same soil does at the present time. Some- thing had been done toward improvement in a few locali- ties outside the jurisdiction of either of the towns above of Peace that all Jealosies and Dissentions may be

named, but the figures of their taxable wealth probably would not materially swell those we have given. Such localities were Gardiner's Island, Shelter Island, Fisher's Island, the Smithtown patent and a few points scattered along the south side from Southampton to the boundaries of Huntington.

An illustration of the high-toned moral sense of the people of that day is furnished by the following instance: One Saturday in the spring of 1682 Nathaniel Baker, of Easthampton, went to look for a stray ox. Not finding him readily he continued his search until the following morning, when he found the ox and drove him home. For this offense he was arraigned before the court of ses- sions and compelled to pay a fine of £9 35. 3d., which included court charges, and was further required to give bonds in the sum of £20 for his good behavior.

When we consider the mint-tithing exactness with which the people of that day demanded obedience to the Sinaitic decalogue we are almost surprised at the language of the following postscript to a communication from the magistrates of Southampton to the authorities at New York in 1675: "Wee are greived to heare of ye loss of English blood by ye cruell damned pagans and very many are Sorry the Indians here have theire guns returned to them."

The governors seemed to consider it their province to look after the spiritual as well as the temporal interests of their subjects. Hence we find them frequently advis- their ministers in regard to their religious duties. In 1671 Governor Lovelace, in a letter to Rev. John Youngs, of Southold, intimates that the privilege of exercising his religion after his own manner is an " extraordinary indulgence " afforded by the governor, and he exhorts him to administer the sacraments of the Lord's Supper and baptism of infants to those who desire it though they are not of his own church, and to otherwise exercise a liberal spirit toward those of other denominations or be- liefs; hinting that if he by refusing to do so should incur the displeasure of the governor he might be "Inter- rupted in ye Exercise of that Church ffunction, which he now so peaceably enjoys." In 1682 Governor Brock- holst received a complaint from some of the inhabitants of Huntington that Rev. Eliphalet Jones refused to bap- tize their children; but on inquiry he found that Mr. Jones was willing to baptize the children of Christian parents, but that many of the inhabitants who solicited the ceremony were so loose in their conduct as scarcely to deserve the name of Christian. Mr. Jones promised the governor that in deciding who should be accepted as Christian parents he would " use his Endeauour to be as Moderate therein as possible." The governor instructed Justice Wood to allow the minister's salary account, which was considerably in arrears, to be collected in the usual way, and concluded his letter with the follow- ing benediction to the people: "I wish you all to be & Continue in one faith and one minde and that you may bee Soe Bound & United togather in the Bond

TAXATION UNDER GOVERNOR DONGAN.

Removed which will be to yor Owne Comforts & Re- joyceing off Your affectionate ffriend."

By action of an Assembly called by Governor Don- gan in 1683. the county of Suffolk was formed in place of the east riding of Yorkshire. The court of sessions was now organized, to meet twice a year, and to consist of the justices of the peace of the county. Three com- missioners were appointed in each town to constitute a local court, with power to decide cases not exceeding £5 value. This Assembly also provided for a revenue to the government from duties on imports as follows: Rum; brandy and distilled liquors, 4 pence a gallon; Ma- deira, Malaga, sherry and all sweet wines, 40 shillings per pipe; powder, 12 shillings a barrel; lead, 6 shillings per hundred weight; every gun or gun-barrel with lock, 6 shillings; general merchandise not otherwise specified, an ad valorem duty of 2 per cent .; all merchandise in- tended for the Indian trade, 10 per cent. The follow- ing merchandise was exempt: salt, brick, pan-tiles, coal, fish, sugar, molasses, cotton wool, ginger, logwood, " brasalette," fustic, West India hides, tobacco, bullion and plate. An excise was also placed upon all liquors sold in less quantities than five gallons, of 12 pence a gallon, except beer and cider, which were rated at 6 shillings .a barrel. An export duty was also laid upon all skins of animals sent away. In computing the value of skins and the duty thereon a whole beaver skin was taken as the standard or unit of value, and other skins were reckoned by it. The duty on a whole beaver was nine pence, and the same on its equivalent in any other skins, as follows: two half-beavers, four "lapps," three "drillings," ten "ratoons," four foxes, four "fishers," five cats, twenty-four "mees-catts," ten "mallers," twenty-four pounds of deer skin and the same weight of moose skin.

The growth of Suffolk county, as well as the compara- tive importance of the different towns, may be inferred from the following figures, which show the ratable prop- erty of each town according to the returns of 1683: Huntington, £6,713; Smith's Towne, £1,340; Brook- haven, £5,029 ; Southold, £10,819 ; Southampton, £16,328; Easthampton, £9,075; total, £49,304. There were also a few localities not comprehended in these valuations.

Under Governor Dongan the towns were required, in order that they might be compelled to pay an increased quit rent, to take out new patents wherever the governor could find some patch of land that had not been bought of the Indians previous to the issue of a former patent. This appears to have been the case with Huntington, Brookhaven, Southampton and Easthampton. " The methods that I took," says the governor, "for the obliging them to this, was finding several tracts of land in their townships not purchased of the Indians, and so at his Ma'ty's disposal. They were willing rather to submit to a greater quit rent than have that unpurchased land disposed of to others than themselves."

The Assembly met again in October 1684. At this session the court of assize, which had been held at New

York annually, was abolished, and in its stead a court of oyer and terminer was created, to be held in each county once a year. The members of this court were one of two judges appointed for the province, and three justices of the peace belonging to the county. This court had power to hear appeals from inferior courts. The court of chancery was composed of the governor and his coun- cil, of which there were ten, and it was the supreme court of the colony. To it appeals might be taken from any inferior court.

It is probable that the arbitrary character of the gov- ernment under James II. alienated the people of Suffolk county in a greater measure, if possible, than those in other parts of the province. As a consequence the people were not over scrupulous about paying the full amount of revenue to which the law entitled the government. The collection of the excise on liquors, etc., seems to have been "farmed out " to contractors in different sections. Governor Dongan about this time declared that in Long Island there is " great consumption of Rumm," and there- fore he refuses to accept the offer of £52 a year for the excise thereof. He also found here considerable difficulty in collecting other items of revenue, such as the duty on imported goods. In the governor's opinion the people of the island, "especially toward the east end, are of the same stamp with those of New-England, refractory @ very loath to have any commerce with this place [New York] to the great detr'm't of his Ma'ty's revenue @ ruin of our merchants." It was convenient for the inhabitants to have commerce with their New England neighbors, and they found a market in Boston for their whale oil and other products, and could there buy the goods from other countries which they desired. In order to accom- modate the people who desired to have commerce with Boston, so that they need not be obliged to come to New York to enter or clear, the governor allowed them a port and appointed Isaac Arnold collector. The people still persisted in smuggling goods from the eastern colonies, so that the governor and council abandoned the east end port and ordered that all trade should enter and clear at New York. To enforce that order, and to intercept any illicit passage of goods, he sent a bark with ten men on board to cruise about the east end. Even with this array of naval dignity it is to be doubted whether he was able to command a very full obedience to his order. The rigorous administration of the government at this time may have been the cause of an apparent suspension of immigration into the province. The governor in deplor- ing this circumstance declared that there had not twenty families from Great Britain come to this province in seven years, but on the contrary the inhabitants of Long Island -which by the way he declared to be the " best peopled place in this government "-were moving into the neigh- boring province.

Events of importance now rapidly succeeded each other. The incursions of the French upon the Iroquois Indians west of Albany excited the attention and alarm of the colony, and the government made preparations to sustain the Indians. August 20th 1687 the council

HISTORY OF SUFFOLK COUNTY.

ordered a special tax for this purpose, to be paid in before the Ist of May following. The amount of this tax required of Suffolk county could not have have been less than £255. It was a tax of one and a half pence to the pound sterling. A few weeks later, September 11th, the council ordered that every tenth man of all the militia of the province, except those who were out whaling, should be drawn to go to defend Albany against an attack from the French. On May 3d 1688 the council ordered another special tax for the use of the government in sustaining its alliance with the Iroquois and resisting the French. Suffolk was drawn upon by this call to the amount of £434 Tos., which sum was just equal to that required of the city and county of New York. How fully these calls were met by the people of Suffolk we are not informed; but from the remoteness of the contested territory and the weakness and unpopular- ity of the government at that time it may be supposed that a full compliance was not yielded.

Governor Dongan was succeeded in 1688 by Lieu- tenant Governor Nicholson, who had been appointed over the colony of New York by Edmond Andros, who had been commissioned as governor of all the American colonies. The following April brought the news of the succession of William and Mary to the throne from which James II. had been driven by the English revolu- tion. Encouraged by the demonstrations that followed the receipt of this news at Boston, where Andros had been seized and imprisoned by the people, the inhabit- ants of Suffolk county held popular meetings and sent a delegation to New York urging the people there to rise and take possession of the fort. This was done about the last of May, 1689, and the commission was so suc- cessful that the people almost unanimously rose, and, receiving no opposition from Nicholson, took possession of the fort and assumed the government, while the lieu- tenant governor, being no longer needed, left the prov- ince. The sequel of these movements was the assump- tion of the government by Jacob Leisler. Leisler com- missioned the following officers for Suffolk county : including in Suffolk the county court or court of common

Justices-John Howell, Richard Smith, Samuel Mulford, Thomas Mapes, and Ebenezer Platt; Matthew Howell, high sheriff. At a council meeting on the 17th of De- cember Captain Ebenezer Platt, of Huntington, was com- missioned to administer the oaths of office to the other justices. On the 18th John Howell was appointed clerk of Suffolk county, and on the day following was commis- sioned as collector. On the 19th Leisler sent orders to Suffolk county commanding the people to proclaim Wil- liam and Mary their king and queen, with appropriate ceremonies at the chief town of the county, and " with all convenient speed." The following commissions were issued to Suffolk county early in 1690: Richard Osborn, of Madnan's Neck, captain; John Hubbs, of Madnan's Neck, lieutenant; Joseph Sutton jr., of Mad- nan's Neck, ensign; John Willet, Easthampton, captain ; Thomas Wicks, Huntington, captain; John Wood, Hunt- ington, lieutenant; Thomas Hickly, Huntington, ensign.

March 10th 1690 Easthampton, represented by Samuel

Mulford, Samuel Pierson and Thomas Chatfield, politely protested to Leisler that the people could not comply with the demands made upon them to accept his author- ity, because of their desire to rejoin Connecticut and the fact of their isolation; but they assured him that they in- tended keeping a watch on Montauk to give notice of the apprehended approach of their common enemy, the French, by way of the sea.

On the 8th of April 1690 Leisler made a call for an assembly of representatives, two from each county. It appears that Suffolk refused to be represented in this. May 19th Leisler sent Samuel Edsall, one of his council, to secure the allegiance of Suffolk county to his govern- ment. It is probable that but a small measure of success attended this commission. In July 1690 an alarm reached Leisler that the French were cruising and com- mitting depredations about the east end of Long Island. He accordingly ordered Major Thomas Lawrence to conscript seventy men and go thither for the assistance and defense of Southold. This was followed by an ex- pedition of four vessels which he fitted out on the 23d and sent to cruise down the sound and about the east end as far as Block Island, with instructions to capture any French vessels they might find committing outrages there. What success attended this expedition we are not informed. Suffolk county did little or nothing to avert the overthrow of Leisler, who was arrested, tried and convicted of treason, and was executed on the 16th of May 1691.

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