USA > New York > Orange County > New Windsor > History of the town of New Windsor, Orange County, N.Y. > Part 2
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MacGregorie Patent .- In the order of settlement, the town is the old- est in the present county, having been begun by Colonel Patrick Mac- Gregorie, in 1685, on the lands subsequently embraced in the patent to his son, Patrick MacGregorie, and now known as Plum Point. The story of this first settlement has the interest of romance. Its founder was a native of Scotland, and a soldier of fortune. He served in the
*Patents described as mainly or in part included in the precint, were divided by the old line of the counties of Orange and Ulster.
** The original Colden patent was conveyed by Cadwallader Colden to his son, Cadwallader, Jr., Sept. 7, 1771. The deed particularly describes the property as that "whereon the said Cadwallader, the father, for many years resided commonly known and called Coldengham."-Ulster Records.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
English army in France under Charles I, and on his return took part in the religious controversy of 1681-82. One of the results of that con- troversy was the emigration to America of a large number of Presby- terians, and among others a company of which he was the chosen leader. This company landed in Maryland in 1684, and from thence came to Perth Amboy, N. J. Ultimately Staten Island was selected as the place for permanent settlement, and MacGregorie petitioned for permission to take up lands there; but at the instance of Governor Dongan, he re- moved to the Highlands, where he purchased from the Indians four thousand acres, for himself and his associates, the latter, so far as can now be ascertained, being composed of his brother-in-law, David Tos- hack, who boasted the title of "Laird of Minivard"; Daniel Maskrig, a servant or in the employ of Yoshack, and one Collum .* After erecting a commodious log cabin, he mastered the Indian language, and, in com- pany with Toshack, established a trading post on Sloop Hill. While in this occupation he was appointed muster-general of the militia of the province ; was subsequently sent on a mission to the French Indians, by whom he was captured and taken to Montreal. Returning from cap- tivity, he took part in the Leisler revolution, and was killed in the effort to reduce the Leisler party, in March, 1691. He left surviving him and in occupation of the lands which he had purchased, his widow, Margaret, his sons, Hugh, John, and Patrick, and his daughters, Catharine Evans and Jane Lawrence. Toshack continued the trading post on Murderer's Creek until his death in 1689, when his affairs passed into the hands of his clerk, Daniel Maskrig, for settlement .** He left one son, who died without issue.
*Margaret MacGregorie, widow of Patrick MacGregorie, recites in petition of November 23, 1710, that in addition to her husband and David Toshack, were "twenty-five others, their families and Sundry of their servants." Capt. Evans, in his petition, November 1, 1711, states that he "planted several families of Scots and Irish under annual rent," referring without doubt to the MacGregorie colony, Soon after the death of her husband, Mrs. MacGregorie and her son Hugh, were granted 1,500 acres of land near Peekskill. This tract was sold to Stephauns Van Cortlandt, July 13, 1696. In the deed to Van Cortlandt, the reading is "Hew Mac Gregor, gentleman, of New York." No doubt the founder of he family was of the Scotch Clan MacGrgor. Some of the members of the clan chnaged their names, when the clan was prosenbed in 1296, to MacGregorie and Gregory.
** Daniel Maskrig, late servant to David Toshack, late of ye county of Orange, informing that ye said Toshack is deceased, and none having power to meddle with his estate, it is danger of being embezzled. Ordered, that the said Maskrig do take all ye Indian goods, and all personal estate which ye deceased died pos- sessed of, into his custody, and make a true inventory thereof; that he dispose of ye Indian goods and receive ye debts due by ye Maskrig and render a true ac- count of what he shall do here as in Board by ye ten of April next .- Council Min- utes, Dec. 3, 1689
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Meanwhile the lands which MacGregorie had purchased were in- cluded in a purchase made by Governor Dongan, and, after MacGreg- orie's death, were embraced in the patent to Captain John Evans. The subsequent history of the settlement is stated in a petition by Mrs. Mac- Gregorie, in 1710, who recites that her husband and her brother, David Toshack, "were not only the first Christians that settled and improved thereon, but also peaceably and quietly possessed and enjoyed the same during the term of their natural lives, though as yet they had no patent for the said lands, which happened partly by the death of your petition- er's brother and the public engagements of your petitioner's husband"; that since the death of her husband ( March 19, 1691), a patent had been petitioned for but had not been granted; that one had been issued to Captain John Evans "comprehending the lands which your petitioner's husband and brother had taken up, purchased and truly paid for and settled as aforesaid, by force of which patent, in the dead of winter, he, the said Evans, expelled your petitioner and family from said lands, to the utter ruin of your petitioner and all depending on her." By the sub- sequent petition of Patrick MacGregorie, Jr., it would appear that Evan's object was to perfect his title, as he gave to the petitoner (Oct. 10, 1697), "and to his first wife, and to his son," a lease confirming them in the use and occupation during their natural lives of "all that the hill and land" where the petitioner lived, possession of which was threatened by a patent which had been issued to Charles Huddy and Philip Brooks. In this petition (Nov. 12, 1712), patent was asked for the lands covered by the lease and described as: "All that the hill and land whereon the peti- tioner lives, encompassed with a swamp, beginning where one Collum then lately lived, and so running along a swamp next the land, on the one side, down to Hudson's river on the other side, bounded by the said river ; on the third side beginning at the end of said swamp and running to the foot of the upland till it comes to said Hudson's river, including the morass." It was not until the ninth of August, 1720, that the claim of the MacGregorie's was finally adjusted, at which time letters patent were issued conveying to Patrick MacGregorie, in acknowledgment of the purchase and occupation by his father, the Plum Point farm of one hundred and sixty acres; and, in acknowledgment of the claim of David Toshack, a tract of five hundred acres on the north slope of Butter Hill,
*"'Capt. Evans' grant has but one house on it, or rather a hut, where a poor man, lives, and that hut built by Captain MacGregorie, a Scotchman, who was killed at the time of the Revolution here, and his widow said to be compelled by Col. Fletcher, to sell her house and land to Capt. Evans for £30 or £35, to the ruin of herself and family .- Colonial History, IV. 822.
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to which he became heir through the death, without issue, of Toshack's son, Thomas.
At what time the MacGregorie family removed from Plum Point is not of record. It is only shown that from 1685 to 1720, its occupation by them was continuous. On the 7th October, 1734, Dr. John Nicoll, of New York, purchased the place from John Waldron, Cornelius Van- Horne, and James Livingston, who appear to have been a company en- gaged in the purchase and sale of patents. The title of a portion of the tract, including the original Nicoll homestead, erected in 1735, is now in the descendants of Dr. Nicoll ;* the remainder was the property, at the time of his death, of Philip A. Verplanck.
Chambers and Sutherland Patent-The second settlement in the town was that of the patent to William Chambers and William Sutherland. Although issued in their names, the patentees had but one-third interest each in the grant, it being of record that they consented, "for and in consideration of one equal third part of said tract," that their names should be made use of in obtaining the grant by Colonel Peter Matthews, who, by the agreement, became the owner of the remaining third. The lands are described in the patent as "lying in the county of Ulster, north of Murderer's creek, bounded north by the Widow Plettell ** and Quas- saick creek, on the east by Hudson's river, and on the west by the hill Much-Hattoes." In the division of the patent (Nov. 7, 1723), Cham- bers was assigned lands immediately south of Quassaick creek, Mat- thews received the center of the plot, and Sutherland the southern part. The land had been previously cleared of timber, as appears by a petition from Chambers for an additional tract (June 17, 1720) in which he states : "The petitioner, with great labor and expense, hath for some years past, settled, cultivated and manured a small farm to the northward of Mur- derer's creek. upon Hudson's river ; but before. the said land was grant- ed unto him, most of the timber that stood thereon was cut down and carried away for the use of the crown, *** so that he hath not a sufficient quantity for fencing and for the use of said farmi; but near to a place or hill called Much-Hattoes there are certain lands, mostly stony and
*John Nicoll, son of the purchaser, came into the possesion of the lands and erected the homestead dwelling in 1735. The house occupied the site, or nearly so, of the MacGregorie cabin on Murderer's creek, east of the highway leading to Moodna.
** Lot No. I of the German Patent, Newburgh.
*** While the government was directly engaged in cutting down and removi g ship timber from this and other patents contiguous to the Hudson, Captain Evans claimed to have expended a considerable sum in the work of clearing and improv- ing .- Colonial History, V, 283.
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unfit for cultivation, which he will take and pay the rents required there- for."
Chambers died in 1738, and his portion of the tract passed to his sons, William and John. The former died without issue, and full pos- session passed to the latter, who obtained, in 1753, a grant of the lands under water extending from the lands then owned by what were known as the "Proprietors of New Windsor," to the Quassaick. On the 6th of November, 1758, he conveyed the property to Nathan Smith, "black- smith, of Kingston," together with a portion of the Ingoldsby patent, purchased by his father, William Chambers, in 1726, and also part of lot No. I, of the German patent, purchased by himself from William Brown, of Salem, Mass., in 1742. From Nathan Smith the title passed in part to Robert Boyd, Jr., and to George Clinton. Boyd erected a smithery on Quassaick creek and subsequently engaged in the manu- facture of guns for the revolutionary authorities. Clinton erected, im- mediately adjoining Boyd, a saw mill and a grist mill, and occupied the farm house on the premises. He sold to Hugh Walsh, April 26, 1790, and the latter conveyed the grist mill property to Isaac Schultz, July 25th, of the same year. Retaining the remainder, Walsh erected a paper mill and homestead house, subsequently the farm homestead and paper mill of his son, John H. Walsh, and now in the possession of his chil- dren. The portion more immediately representing the Chambers home- stead house and residence of George Clinton, came into the possession of Captain Charles Ludlow, and is now the residence of Thomas Christie.
The central portion of the patent ( that held by Peter Matthews) was purchased by John Alsop ( 1724-5), who, in company with his brother- in-law, Joseph Sackett, Jr., settled on the lands immediately after, and erected a dwelling house and barn, and also a store-house and landing on the Hudson .* He sold (1749) the tract, or a considerable portion of it, to an association or company organized under the name of "The Pro- prietors of New Windsor," who founded thereon what is now known as the village of New Windsor, but which was then called "The Township of New Windsor." More particular reference to this township will be made hereafter.
The southern part of the patent was mortgaged by Sutherland, then in possession and occupation "for many years," to John Ellison, of New York, November 26, 1718, to secure the payment of £160. Ellison
*Sackett purchased from Alsop a lot of land lying at the foot of what was called "" Union Street," and had there a dock and store house from which he sailed a sloop and where he proposed in 1743 to locate a ferry to Fishkill. There were several settlers under Alsop, one of whom, on the Haskell patent, was Robert Hoey.
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made an additional loan of £140, May 7, 1721, and perfected his title to the property May 8, 1723, when his son, Thomas Ellison, took posses- sion, erected a stone mansion on the bluff overlooking the river, and a dock and store-house, where he conducted a mercantile and forwarding business which was continued by his descendants.
Vincent Matthews Patent .- The patent to Vincent Matthews, imme- diately adjoining the southern portion of the Chambers and Sutherland patent, was purchased by Thomas Ellison on the 24th of January, 1724, and on which he erected, in 1754 .* the stone farm-house and mill near Vails Gate (subsequently occupied by his son, John Ellison), now gener- ally known as Knox's Headquarters.
Ingoldsby Patent .- The fourth settlement was by John or Joseph Gale, in 1726, on the northwest corner of the Ingoldsby patent. Yale sold to Thomas Ellison in 1736. William Chambers was a purchaser of part of the patent in 1726. James Edmonston is said to have pur- chased one of the lots in 1727; but his deed is not recorded, nor does his name appear on the tax-roll of that year. He was an early settler, however. The stone house, which he erected in 1754, ** is still standing, and is associated with the annals of the town in the war of the Revolu- tion. Peter Post was the purchaser from George Ingoldsby, July 22, 1730, of five hundred acres on the north bank of Murderer's creek. He sold to Dr. John Nicoll, April 12, 1738, leaving behind him the name of "Post Hill," by which one of the elevations on the tract is still known. The title to a considerable portion of this purchase remains in Dr. Nicoll's descendants. The most considerable and important of the early settle- ments on the patent, however, was of that portion now embraced in the village of Moodna, which was purchased from Mary Ingoldsby by David Mandeville, May 1, 1728. Mandeville sold to Samued Hazzard, who, in company with his brother, Nathaniel Hazard, established a landing at Sloop Hill, erected a mill, and laid out a township plot under the name of Orangeville.
Haskell Patent .- The patent granted to Colonel John Haskell *** was settled by himself in 1726. He erected a log house on what was after-
*An earlier date has been given to this building, but the contract for its erect- ion, recently discovered, fixes the year precisely-1754. William Bull was the builder.
** It has been stated, but on what authority does not appear, that this house was erected in 1729, and that at that time it was the only house between New Windsor and what is now Washingtonville.
*** Erroneously printed "Haskins" in Eager's Orange County. He also held one fifth of the Harrison patent in the town of Newburgh, but, aside from his land- grants has no records in Colonial History.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
wards known as the Dusenberry farm, and which is now standing on lands adjoining the farm late of Ezra P. Thompson, Muchattoes hill. To this portion of his patent he gave the name of "The Hermitage"; divided it into farms, and remained in occupation of his original loca- tion, it is said, until his death. Tradition asserts that after obtaining his patent, he visited England and brought back with him many kinds of seeds, plants and cattle, which he cultivated and raised. Evan Jones, surgeon, was among the early settlers on the patent, having purchased and occupied lot No. 3. His farm of two hundred and ninety-two acres was sold by Bridget Jones, John Jones, and Thomas Jones, his execu- tors ( Dec. 27, 1763), to Samuel Brewster, who erected (1768) what is now known as the Brewster house. Henry Haskell, a son of the pat- entee, also had a title for a portion of the tract, under which he became a freeholder in 1728. John Alsop was a purchaser on the east, and sold to the proprietors of New Windsor (1749), the deed, being given to Ebenezer Seely "of Greycourt, in the precinct of Goshen," in trust for the proprietors, as appears by their minutes. The western part of the patent, or more properly speaking, the first patent to Haskell (April, 1719), was conveyed by him to Elizabeth Stollard, June 13, 1719, who sold six hundred and thirty-one acres to John Crawford, weaver, Octo- ber 18th, 1738 .* Andrew Crawford sold part of the purchase of John Crawford to Neil McArthur, March Ist, 1763.
McIntosh Patent .- The first settler on the patent to Phineas McIn- tosh, was John Davis, in 1724-5. Davis' deed (July 5, 1726), recites the sale to him of fifty acres "on which his house now stands." ** Robert Boyd, "blacksmith and farmer," was also an early settler. He sold to Nathaniel Boyd, July 12, 1759, "fifty-four acres adjoining Joseph Sweezy's land." Joseph Sweezy appears on the military roll of 1738,
*On the military roll of the "Wall-a-Kill" district (now Montgomery) of 1738, are the names of James Crawford, John Crawford, William Crawford, James Crawford (probably son of James first mentioned), and Samuel Crawford. Whet- her they were all sons of James, the first mentioned, does not appear from any record. The late David Crawford gave his descent from James. John Crawford the second mentioned, has been identified as the settler on the Haskell patent. He married Sarah Barkley and had Robert I., Andrew, George, John, Israel, Nancy, Sarah, Ellen, Pelianna, and Ketura. James Crawford, jr., Samuel Crawford and Dacid Crawford, were patentees of lands in Wallkill precinct in 1761. These facts may aid in tracing the geneological lines of a very numerous and respectable family. There was still another John Crawford. He was related to the Clintons and settled near Albany. (See sketch of Doct. Young).
** The Davis house was a stone structure and is still standing. It is the third house from Rock tavern on the road to Washingtonville. John Davis is name in will of Mathew Davis, "of Hunting-Grove, Ulster County," Who died about 1748, as appears in Abstract of Wills, at Albany in Newburgh Free Literary. John Davis also appears on the tax roll of the Precinct of the Highalnds in 1728.
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and was a settler prior to that time. The Dill family were also early purchasers. A considerable portion of the patent passed to the hands of Nathan Smith, through his wife, Susan McIntosh, who established thereon a grist mill, a fulling mill, and a store, giving to his place the name of Hunting Grove. The mills are now known as Buskirk's and are in the town of Hamptonburgh.
Andrew Johnston Patent .-- The district known as Little Britain, of which this patent is the center, had its first settler in John Humphrey, who purchased, in 1724-5, a farm lot of two hundred and fifty acres, being part of the Andrew Johnston patent. Peter Mullinder purchased and settled on a farm of the same patent, Sept. 29, 1729. Robert Bur- net. of Raritan, N. J., Oct. 7, 1729, and at the same time, John Reid ; Charles Clinton, of Longford, Ireland, Aug. 22, 1730, and at the same time Mary McClaughry (widow), John Young, Alexander Denniston, Andrew McDove (McDowell), and others. John Humphrey took his deed Dec. 6, 1731, although his land was located in 1724. The lot pur- chased by Mary McClaughry was bounded west by Humphrey and north by lands of Betsey Mallard, widow, showing the residence there of the Mallard family (now written Mallard and Mailler), as early as 1730. Her farm was subsequently purchased by Robert Carscadden. The Clinton company was the most numerous body of settlers on the patent and in its neighborhood, but of whom it was composed cannot now be accurately ascertained. The journal of Clinton's voyage supplies the names of Armstrong, Beatty, Barkey, Brooks, Denniston, Davis, Dunlap, Frazer, Gordon, Gray, Hamilton, Little, Mitchell, McDowell, McClaugh- ry, Nicholson, Oliver, Thompson, Wilson, and Young.
Low & Co.'s Patent .- The patent to Cornelius Low and Company (Cornelius Low, Garret Schuyler, and John Schuyler), was divided among the patentees. The third held by John Schuyler passed by his will to his nephews, Brant and Samuel Schuyler, and on the death of the latter to Brant Schuyler. The other patentees sold to Allan Jarratt, April 5th, 1720, a very considerable portion of their interests. Cor- nelius Low sold, Sept. Ist, 1734, six hundred acres to John Vance, of Newark, who conveyed two hundred acres to James Thompson, "lately of Drumeel, in the county of Longford, Ireland, but now a resident in Little Britain, in the county of Ulster, in the province of New York," by deed dated May 22d, 1738 .* John Slaughter was a settler on the patent as early as 1726, and Thomas Shaw was a purchaser in 1726 or 1729. John McMichael was a purchaser in 1738. William Miller,
*Thompson was the ancestor of Dr. J. H. Thompson of Goshen. He was a neighbor to Charles Clinton in Ireland, and a member of the same church there.
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weaver, then a resident on the patent, purchased, Nov. 12, 1746, two hundred acres. Brant Schuyler sold (Aug. 22, 1744), to Charles Beat- ty, *two hundred acres, which the latter sold to James McClaughry, July 14, 1749. Thomas King was also an early settler. By deed from himself and his wife, Lydia, a portion of his lands were conveyed, April 9, 1773. to Capt. Robert Cross, who, in company with James Clinton, laid out a township plot thereon to which they gave the name of Mont- gomery. It is not to be confused with the later village now known as Montgomery. Samuel Wood, Alex. Falls, James Denniston, George Denniston, Isaac Moffat, James McClaughry, and Alex. Stewart, were owners in 1780.
Hume ** Patent .- James Gembell and John Humphrey purchased, in 1724, three hundred acres of the patent granted to Patrick Hume, and divided the same equally, by agreement, April 6, 1730. Gembell sold to Patrick Byron, March 12, 1744, and Humphrey sold to Patrick Mc- Claughry, Feb. 22, 1769. One-half of the remainder of the patent (850 acres) was sold by James Lithgow, of Scotland, nephew of the patentee, through his attorney, Cadwallader Colden, to James Neelly, Henry Man- Neelly, Henry Man Neelly, William Young, and Patrick McClaughry, Mch. 6, 1794, and the remaining half (850 acres) to the same parties by Hannah Lithgow, widow, and John Nicholas, carpenter, of Philadelphia, April, 1750. June 10th, 1757, William Young sold to Samuel Sly 233 acres, now known as the Sly homestead. The Gembell and Humphrey portion of the patent was sold to William Telford *** and Samuel Falls, and in 1822, was owned by John Finley, Robert Burnet, Wm. Mulliner, and E. Keled, Sr.
John Johnston, Jr., Patent .- This patent was transferred to Cad- wallader Colden on the date of its issue .**** A branch of the Belknap family settled on it, Benjamin Belknap paying the quit rents in 1789.
Van Dam Patent .- The patent to Richard Van Dam passed to the
*Described in the deed as "the Rev. Charles Beatty, of Shammine, Penn.' He was an eminent missionary, and the son of Christiana, sister to Charles Clin- ton.
** The patentee appears on the records as Home, Hume and Holme. Hume is the name on the original MSS. at Albany.
*** Major William Telford. He came from the Shire of Galloway, North Brit- ain. He kept a tavern before and during the Revolution on the main road. He died in 1815. He was captain of the "9th Company, New Windsor Precinct." Col. James Clinton's second regiment Ulster militia, 1775; re-appointed 1778.
**** Jan. 4, 1774, William Smith, of Newburgh sold to Thomas Nicholson, for £49. southeast end of lot No. 2. of patent to John Johnston. Nicholson was first lieutenant Capt. Livington's company, Col. James Livingston's battalion, Dec. 18, 1776.
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possession of Jesse Woodhall, who settled at Blagg's Clove, in the present town of Blooming Grove, in 1753. He subsequently became well known in Orange County as colonel of the Cornwall militia during the Revolution, and as a representative in the State Senate from 1777 to 1780. David Gallatian, John Moffat, and Peter Welling, and his brother held portions of the patent.
Henderson Patent .- John Wandel was an early purchaser of a por- tion of the Henderson patent. David Edmonston was also an early pur- chaser ; he held part of lots Nos. 3 and 4.
Lewis Morris Patent .- Alexander Denniston, Francis Crawford, Thomas Cook and Wm. Denniston were owners of eight hundred acres of this patent in 1786.
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