History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 29

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 29

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May 19th 1690, in accordance with a plan that had been adopted by the neighboring towns, this town elected officers to carry on a temporary government. These were: Thomas Jenner, constable; Peter White- haire, Arthur Futhy and Thomas Helme, commissioners; Timothy Brewster, clerk; John Jenners and Timothy Brewster, assessors; and Richard Floyd, collector. The operation of the town government by virtue of the patent was suspended, and the ruling power reverted to its origi- nal seat, the democratic people. As a consequence the election of trustees in 1690 was passed over. November 24th a town meeting warned by the constable was held; the question of a tax levy of three pence to the pound was discussed, and a committee was appointed to gather from the inhabitants the valuations of their estates and report them to the assessors.

Governor Sloughter having taken the head of the gov- ernment at New York in March 1691, on the 28th of that month a town meeting was held here, under his warrant, for the election of burgesses for Suffolk. The town chose John Jenner and Timothy Brewster to go to South- ampton to represent Brookhaven in convention there. The general commission of peace, the great seal of the province, and the governor's commission to the military officers of the town were published and proclaimed at a town meeting on the 6th of April following, and on the 2Ist of July the several acts of the last Assembly " weare publiquely read." Thus after a suspension of govern- ment for about two years the town resumed its place in the colonial government, under which it continued until the outbreak of the Revolution.

" THE TIME OF THE SMALLPOX."

It may be noted here in passing that in the year 1732 the smallpox was prevalent in this town. It must have made --- as those epidemics generally do-sad havoc among the Indian and negro population. Precautions were taken by the trustees to prevent as far as possible the spread of its ravages. They forbade the inhabitants furnishing in any way any strong drink to those classes; required masters of families to prevent their servants from going out after dark; and offered a premium of three shillings for the arrest of any Indian servant or negro slave who should in violation of this order be ab- sent from home after dark. The decree ordered that the persons so convicted should be publicly whipped, unless their masters paid for them a fine of six shillings. The same premium was offered and the same fine or punishment was prescribed for any Indian found drunk either by day or by night. Fences were erected-proba-

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

bly temporary ones surrounding infected houses-to pre- vend the spread of the disease, and the trustees solemnly warned the people against pulling down those fences. These regulations were made on the 10th of April, and were declared to be in force for three months.

The records show that October 31st 1740 the trustees ordered that Henry Smith be reimbursed to the amount of twenty shillings for his gun, which was lost by fire while in the service of the town "at the time of the smallpox."

OLD ROADS.

The early trustees and people were zealous in protect- ing the rights of the public in the highways. To prevent encroachments the trustees, May 28th 1701, called upon the people to notify the town clerk of any encroachments. As a stimulus to the surveyors of highways to be vigi- lant in the discharge of their duties the town meeting, May 1st 1705, voted that they should be allowed three shillings an acre for all the land they could find en- croached upon by the inhabitants adjoining the high- ways.

At a meeting of the trustees April 20th 1704 it was decided that the inhabitants should engage in the work of clearing the highways, according to the directions that should be given by Thomas Helme, one of the commis- sioners of the county for laying out highways. The work was to be performed or begun on May 2nd follow- ing, and Thomas Jenner, Timothy Brewster, Daniel Brewster and Benjamin Smith were to oversee the work. The inhabitants were to work according to their several assessments in the county rate, a day's work for every fifty pounds or fraction thereof in the county rate. The following year the town ordered that men should be sent four days in the year to clear the commons and repair the highways. In August of that year (1705) men went out to clear the middle Country road, one squadron going east to " Horn Tavern " and the other going west to the Smithtown line. Orders were given again in 1707 that every freeholder should work two days in clearing the commons and highways of undergrowth. It was the duty of the surveyors to designate the days when this service should be performed.

The following early record of roads will be of interest here:

" March 27th 1712: Att a meeting of ye Trustees, Pres- ent Coll Smith, William Satterly, Thomas Jenners, Samuel Tomsun, Selah Strong, ordered yt ye Hyways Layd oute by the servaires & aproued at ye Courte of sesshons bee Entered by ye Clarke.

" Laide oute at ye olde mans Betwen Mr. Helmes Land & Richard miller a hiwaye four Rod wide to ye plaines.

"Betwen John Robersun land & Samuel Daytons Lande to ye olde mans Beach a hiwaye layde oute tu Rod | the Horseblock; a short distance beyond which another wide a swinging gate alowed:

" From ye East side of Mr. Helmes fifty akerlot a hyway from ye head of pipestane Brooke fower Rod wide to ye plaines.

Rod wide a swinging gate allowed from ye springs to ye landing place at ye harbor.

"A hiwaye Layd from a marked pine tree below Ricard Grenes & so rounde by ye pint to Jonathan Nortons Brook tu Rod wide & : 4 : Rod wide : by : moses Burnets & by Cristel Brooke fower Rod wide to ye plaines : : A hiway betwen William Jean and William Healmes Lande to ye Drowne medow Beach fower Rod wide.

"Layd out a hiwaye betwene Jonathan Roses : 20 : Aker Lot & moses owens: 20a- Lot fower Rod wide to ye plaines. Layd out a hiwaye from ye south End of ye Towne by Sam'l Muncys a long Joseph Akerlys path fower Rod wide to ye plaines. Layde out a hiwaye by bengemans Smiths fielde to ye mouth of Stony Brook fower rods wide from ye Towne. A hiwaye layd a Long by ye Claye pit & so by John hallats jr. & so to stony Brook fower Rod wide. Layd out a hiwaye by John Fa- Land upon Jacobs Longbothom Lande so greed to ye fresh pon in ye olde fielde."

" Suffolk Att a Court of Sessions held at Southampton in ye County aforesaid on Last tuesdaye in March 1713 the wethin written is Allowed & approved in open Court. "Pr. GRADUS. A. GIBB, Clarke."

The oldest road of any considerable length opened in this town is that running from Setauket in a southeasterly direction through Coram (old Town road) to Fireplace. It was opened soon after the settlement, and was the main thoroughfare of travel between the "Town " and the settlement and meadows on the south side. For many years it was used more than any long road in the town, but at the present time its dust is seldom stirred by a passing vehicle. Roads from the town to the Wad- ing River east and to Smithtown west were also opened at an early day. The old Country road through the mid- dle of the town east and west was probably broken through before the beginning of the last century, and the parallel roads on either side were established soon after. A road from Old Man's to South was laid out in 1728, and another from Old Man's to Wading River at the same date. A road from Wading River to South was estab- lished in 1738, though having been previously used. The following are the principal roads not already mentioned that had been laid out before the latter part of the last century: The Horseblock, running from Southaven to Stony Brook on a generally northwest course; the "Sills road," from Bellport to Swezey's mills, Yaphank, in a north-northeasterly direction; a road southerly from Co- ram to Patchogue; another through Halsey's manor and Brookfield southwest to Fireplice mills; the "Wading River Hollow road", from Woodville to Middle Island, in a southwesterly direction; a road from Yaphank to Moriches, running southeasterly; another running on a southeasterly course from Miller's Place to Middle Isl- and, then following the left bank of Connecticut River to Mastic; the "Granny road," running from a point just below Middle Island westward to a junction with road diverges from the latter on the left, continuing a westerly course to Ronkonkoma Pond; a road from Stony Brook southerly to the same pond; one from Miller's Place to Coram, southwesterly; another from Old Man's

"A hiwaye Laide oute betwen Ben Davish & Rob- erd Robersuns Land to ye heade of ye spring fower to Middle Island, southeasterly; and the "Crystal Brook

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

Hollow" road, from Strong's Neck-west part of Old Man's-to Coram, in a southerly direction. The road from Coram to Drown Meadow was laid out August 18th I790.

The commissioners of highways in the year 1830 di- vided the town into forty road districts, which number has been increased by the subdivision of original dis- tricts as convenience or equity from time to time sug- gested.

CHURCH AND TOWN.

From the first years of settlement the observance of public worship and the support of gospel principles and of Smithtown having joined the townspeople of Brook- ordinances was considered one of the most im- haven, a yearly salary of £40 in money and the use of the parsonage were offered by the town meeting to Mr Stone. The cost of sending a letter to Mr. Stone was twelve shillings, which the trustees afterward paid. This, it will be remembered, was before the organization of any regular mail service. portant concerns of the town association. True to the idea that their duties toward God and toward their fellow men went hand in hand, and that it was the legitimate province of government to secure the fulfillment of both, we find the little colony at a town meeting on the 12th of May 1662 voting to give The parsonage land, not being used, was let to Mr. Wakeham for a year for forty shillings, and the house was let to Moses Owen, who agreed to make some re- pairs in payment of rent. Mr. William Fletcher forty pounds a year for dispensing the word of God among them. This salary was raised by a rate upon the individual inhabitants, and so continued, as may be seen from an incidental mention of the fact in a record of the following year. Rev. Nathaniel Brewster became the minister of the town in 1665, and to provide a home for him and his family the constable and overseer purchased, October 24th of that year, the house of Mat- thew Priar, which, as the record states, had doors and partitions and glass windows.

How long Mr. Fletcher continued in the ministry here we are not informed, but the spirit that prompted the vote calling him lived and gathered strength with the growth of the settlement. When the building of a house for the purpose of all public meetings was discussed, Na- thaniel Norton, a carpenter, submitted a proposal to build one which should be 26 by 30 feet and 10 feet high. The matter appeared to stand for a time without motion, but in 1671, February 2nd, it was decided that a meeting- house 28 feet square should be built. At this time the minister's salary was being raised as usual, and that year William Satterly in the place of a church warden looked after the collection of the minister's rates.

"At a training day it was ordered by ye major part of ye Towne that Mr. Jonah Fordham, of South Hampton, be sent unto desiring him to officiate in ye worke of ye ministry in this place. Sept. ye 26th 1687."

The subject of a permanent parsonage seems to have been under discussion in 1689, and at a town meeting May 7th a committee was appointed to select a suitable location. This committee did its work promptly and re- ported in favor of the land that had been Goodman Moshier's. On the 18th of the same month the town meeting accepted the site and resolved to build upon it a house the same size as Jonathan Smith's, and it was voted to pay £65 for the land, and the trustees were instructed to have the house built at the town's expense.

April 15th 1690 a liberal minded merchant named Robert Simpson visited the town and made a donation of

forty shillings to the minister, which fact is duly pre- served on the town records. On the same day a call was given by the town to Mr. Dugal Simpson to be its min- ister. In this the people of Smithtown joined those of this town.

May 29th 1694 the trustees sent a committee to Fair- field to solicit Mr. Webb to be their minister. But a few months later, January Ist 1695, the trustees instructed Timothy Brewster to invite Nathaniel Stone, of Norwalk, to visit the town with a view to settlement as their min- ister. On the 4th the same month, Colonel Smith, of the newly established manor of St. George, and the people

April 26th 1696 the trustees sent a man to invite Mr. Boetell to visit them, and May 1Ith ordered Mr. Owen to repair the meeting-house by shingling and clap-board- ing and putting in a new sill on the south side. The town on the 25th of May sanctioned the action of the trustees in inviting Mr. Boetell, and offered the £40 in money per annum; also at this time hired the house, barn and home lot of David Eddows for the use of the parish for three years. Mr. Boetell accepted the propo- sal made him and was removed hither, the town paying the charge by an order of the trustees July 31st 1696. But his ministry seems to have been short, for April 6th 1697 the trustees were again looking for a minister. An invitation was sent to Mr. Phillips of Jamaica to visit the town with a view to settlement. Timothy Brewster was engaged to entertain him when he should come, and Lieutenant Floyd to take care of his horse, and the rea- sonable charge of all was to be paid by the town. The result of this visit was a formal call made April 30th fol- lowing, in which the townspeople, with Smithtown and the manor of St. George, agreed that, if after one year of trial all parties were satisfied with each other, Mr. Phil- lips was to receive £40 annually in current money; "and also for the consideration of his remaining their minister during the term of his natural life he is to have the house and home lot that was Thomas Jenners's, and one hun- dred acres of land near Nassakeag Swamp;" the public to be at the expense of moving him hither and putting the house in habitable repair. To this agreement the names of thirty parishioners are signed. The one hun- dred acres of land referred to were laid out by Richard Woodhull November 12th 1697, and their boundaries were: on the north a line beginning at a " whiteoake Tree marked four sides," and running westerly to the middle of Nassakeag Swamp, "Joyning to the Land of John Bigs; & from thence Running a little Southerly to

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

another white oake tree marked four sides; & from thence Southerly to a Red oake under a hill marked 4 sides; soe running Easterly by the sd hill to a chesnutt Tree marked 4 sides, to ye Eastward of a Round Swamp; soe returning northerly to the first whiteoake Tree wheare first began."

The records show that the church and its organization and methods were continually undergoing change. It is probable that in its forms of worship the primitive church observed some of the ceremonies of the Episcopal church. Several years earlier than the time of which we are speaking Rev. Samuel Eburne, who is supposed to have been elected the minister of the town about 1685, at the earnest request of some to whom the service from the book of common prayer was offensive, consented to omit those ceremonies in public worship and in the adminis- tration of sacraments to those who desired it. It is fur- ther evident that the payment of minister's salaries by an arbitrary tax was by this time (1700) discon- continued.

On the 12th of June 1701 the town meeting voted to give Mr. Phillips one hundred acres of land near the west line of the town, in addition to the one hundred acres already given him. Mr. Phillips having selected the location of the land it was granted to him by the town February 19th 1702. The location was a place called by the Indians Cutsqunsuck. On the 6th of August 1702 the trustees gave a warrant for the survey.

Mr. Phillips desiring to be ordained in due form the trustees, October 13th 1702, appointed a committee to represent the town in the services of ordination.

The house in which Mr. Phillips lived being somewhat out of repair, the trustees, in accordance with their prom- ise, ordered (April 12th 1706) Justice Helme and Daniel Brewster to compute the cost and have the old end of the house recovered with good oak shingles, and the well belonging to it stoned up before winter. At this time

the two hundred acres of land which had been condition- ally granted to him were confirmed to his possession. At his own proposition he afterward accepted eight pounds from the town in consideration of repairs on the house, and agreed to keep the house in repair himself during the time he should occupy it.

About this time there appears to have arisen some contention between different individuals in regard to which should occupy the " chief places " in the church. It is possible that this contention may have been carried to the extent of a hand-to-hand scuffle for the occupa- tion of certain seats of honor. To whatever extent the "rude actions " were carried, however, it was ordered |however, who opposed the measure and advocated the that every one should be seated in the church according In 1710 there seems to have arisen a desire on the part of some for a new meeting-house. The question was dis- cussed in private and in public, and on the 28th of Ang- ust, at a town meeting, it was voted upon and agreed that a new house should be built, and men were appointed to solicit subscriptions for that purpose. There were some, repairing and enlargement of the old one. The sympa- to a prescribed plan, which designated that the president thies of a New York merchant, Captain Thomas Clarke, of the trustees and the clerk should sit under the pulpit- which in those days was very much elevated-the trus- tees in the front seat; the justices and all who paid forty shillings toward the minister's salary at the table-at which also Colonel Smith's lady, but no other " woman- kind," should be admitted; and the pews to be occupied by different classes, graded according to the amount sub- scribed to the minister's salary. The scheme was so ar- ranged that men, women, girls and boys should not be mixed in the same pews. Captain Clarke and Joseph Tucker were to act as ushers and see that the arrange- ment was carried out. were enlisted in the latter plan, and at his own expense he built a new end to the building during the year last mentioned, and gave it to the town. This gave room for several more pews. Still the old house must have been in bad condition, and so it continued until, May 6th 1712, the town meeting again took up the discussion of the question and voted that the old house should be given up and a new one built. On the 27th of the same month, however, the trustees decided to repair the old house enough for temporary use, and also to build a new one as soon as practicable. They at the same time ordered a £35 rate to be made for the purpose of carrying forward these combined plans. The work now went forward, and the location after considerable strife was fixed by lot near the old church or town hall. The building was erected, and on the 9th of August 1714 was solemnly dedicated to the " Honour of Almity God in ye purity of holy Rele- gion & in quallyte of a Presbeterian Meeteing House for- ever, and no other use or uses what soever." The major part of the expense of this building was probably met by voluntary subscriptions; but the trustees had charge of the matter. Some of the subscribers were slow in making their payments, and in 1715 the trustees decided to pros- ecute those who refused thus to meet their obligations. March 5th 1716 the trustees decided that the meeting- houses hould be ceiled within with boards " with all con- venient speed."

At the time of the dedication of the meeting-house Richard Floyd gave to the town half an acre of land, to be laid out of his home lot adjoining the burying ground already established, for the purpose of a burying ground forever.

December 22nd 1718, the town and Mr. Phillips en- tered into an agreement by which the former was to make good any valuation of permanent improvements made upon the house occupied by the latter whenever he should be called to leave his charge.

Some arrangement had been adopted for seating the congregation in church; whether the particular one of which we have spoken or some other form of grading the seating according to the money paid does not appear plain; but, whatever it was, dissatisfaction had grown out of it, to quiet which those holding seats under the ar- rangement relinquished all such claims, only holding to

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

the position that the house should remain to the "pres- teran ministry." This release was made December 4th 1719 and signed by thirty-one holders of seats.

In those early days church bells were and from the be- ginning had been unknown here, their purpose being answered by the drum, which was beaten in the church door on Sabbath morning to call the worshipers together. But little is said of this custom in the early records of this town, but on the 7th of May 1723 the trustees agreed with Nathaniel Tooker to perform the office of " Beate- ing the Drum on ye Lorde's Daye and for sweeping ye meteing house for ye yeare above written," for which he was to have thirty shillings.

Mr. Phillips, who had now served the church for many years, in April 1725 had laid out to him by Selah Strong and Samuel Thompson, surveyors for the town, another hundred acres of land, six acres of which lay between John Bayles's and Cardell's line, and the remainder at the north end of the long lots, in a body 128 rods eastward by 125 rods southward. In consideration of this he re- leased to the trustees all claim upon the house in which he lived, that it might be for the use of a " Presbyteran Ministry " according to the original intent.

As the infirmities of age crept upon this faithful expo- nent of the gospel, and the individuals by whom he had been called to this field of labor one by one were laid to rest, Mr. Phillips found that his material support was also falling short. About this time (1738) he left the town- house and occupied a house of his own, and in May he petitioned the trustees for an addition of about one and a half acres to his lot, which was granted.

No. 5 in the meadow and creek thatch of Old Man's Hollow, half of lot No. 15 in the Old Man's Sheep Pas- ture, half of lot No. 47 lying on the south side of the Country road, the lot numbered 24 in Great Division and the lot numbered 32 in Little Division, lot No. r in the division on the east side of the Connecticut River, a five- acre lot at Newtown called the parsonage lot, share No. 22 of meadow at Fireplace Neck, half of lot No. 34 on the east side of the head of Connecticut River, half of lot No. 43 at Long Swamp, and half of all common land afterward divided to the right of a parsonage. In order to consolidate the scattered possessions of the Presbyte- rian church a town meeting May 3d 1743 voted to sell the different parcels above named, and buy with the money arising from such sale a tract of land with the buildings upon it then belonging to Selah Strong, Jonathan Thomp- son and Richard Woodhull, lying between the home lots of Richard Floyd and Joseph Brewster, and also such other tract as the overplus of money would buy; the premises thus purchased to be devoted to the same use as those which should be sold. This plan seems to have proved abortive, and on the 20th of May 1756, at a town meeting of which all the Presbyterian party had been duly warned, it was voted that the different parcels of land should be sold and the money invested where its interest could be turned to account for the benefit of the party to whom the lands belonged. At this meeting three trustees, John Roe, Benajah Strong and Benjamin Brew- ster, were elected to have the care of the matter, to act in behalf of the Presbyterian party.

With this appears to close the history of the intimate association of town and church. The payment of min- isters' salaries had for more than half a century been made repair of church buildings had been mostly provided for in the same way; the lands of the town originally de- signed for religious purposes had been divided between the two sects occupying the field, and the town as a polit- ical body ceased to exercise the functions of a religious body.

The Episcopal denomination had for several years been gaining ground in the town, and the adhe- rents of the Church of England were now demand- by voluntary contributions; the erection and keeping in ing at least a share in the patronage of the town. To quiet all disturbances that had arisen in respect to this matter an arbitration was appointed, the set- tlement of the differences being referred to a com- mittee composed of Isaac Brown, William Smith, James Tuthill and Richard Woodhull, who decided Oc- tober 5th 1741 that the various parcels of land and prop- Let it not be supposed, however, that the townspeople or the trustees ceased to respect or to exercise interest in the observances and welfare of the Christian church. As late as February 6th 1792 the trustees, having met at the house of Joshua Smith at Coram, directed one of their number, Isaac Overton, to invite the Rev. David Rose to preach an election sermon in the Baptist meet- ing-house at Coram, on the occasion of the coming an- nual town meeting on the first Tuesday in April, the ser- mon to begin at rr o'clock in the forenoon. erty that had from time to time been set apart by the town for gospel or church purposes should be divided between the two sects, and thus the matter be forever put at rest. In this division the church party were 10 have one-half the parsonage lot, forty acres of woodland in the Equalizing Division, one half a piece of thatch bed lying between Little Neck and Old Field Beach, and half a right in all common land that should afterward be allotted to a parsonage accommodation. To the Presby- terian or dissenting party was given half the parsonage WINTHROP'S PATENT. lot, half the thatch bed lying between Little Neck and Old Field Beach, a twenty-acre lot on the west side of We have noticed thus far only so much of the ter- ritory of Brookhaven as was purchased and divided by the original town proprietors or their legal representa- tives. There were other large tracts of land upon the south side of the island, which near the time of the Rev- olution became connected with the town and have since the town, twenty acres in West Meadows, half of lot No. 17 in the west division of Long Lots, half of lot No. 9 in the Skirt Division, half of lot No. 14 in the Sheep Pasture Division southeast of the town, half of lot No. 35 in the West Meadow Neck Sheep Pasture Division, share No. 45 in the creek thatch in the mill creek, lot been under its jurisdiction, but were never owned by the

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