USA > New York > New York County > Harlem > Revised History of Harlem (City of New York): Its Origin and Early Annals. : Prefaced by Home Scenes in the Fatherlands; Or Notices of Its Founders Before Emigration. Also, Sketches of Numerous Families, and the Recovered History of the Land-titles > Part 83
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The balance of Pipon's land stood in his name till 1743, when Simon Johnson succeeded .* The latter, on September 12, 1747 (Pipon, Auboy- neau, and Faviere, were now all dead), sold to Jacob Myer, of Bergen County, N. J., all his half of a lot at Round Meadow Hill; being the Delavall lot No. 15, Third Division. On September 25, 1747, he conveyed to said Jacob Myer all his half of the woodlot No. 16, Second Division, and to Benjamin Benson the two lots on Van Keulen's Hook, next the Mill Camp. He also sold Lawrence Low his half of lot No. 9, of 1691, and his half of lot No. 9, Fourth Division. Grietie Kortright bought par- cels 1 and 2 of No. 8, First Division (later added to the Nutter Farm) ; Harman Vandewater 17 acres of third parcel, and Adolph Myer, Jr., a remnant of the same, 4 acres, being exclusive of a piece held by Peter Waldron (see page 400). Johnson sold the balance of the Carteret wood- lot, which joined upon the Three Lots, to Johannes Myer; and the two erven or village houselots to Derick Benson and John Lewis. And lastly,
t Simon Johnson was the Recorder of New York from 1747 to 1769; had previ- ously served as Alderman and Assemblyman. He died March 9, 1772, in his 70th year.
* Elias Pipon succeeded his father in 1726. Whether he or a brother was the "young Mr. Pipon" who came out with the senior Pipon, but returned to Europe at the close of 1723, we know not. Mrs. Coddington, in her will, dated September 2, 1728, bequeaths "to Elias Pipon of the city of New York, Gent, £10, and my negro girl, Betty." The records of the French Church Du St. Esprit contain the following:
A la Nouvelle York le 10 de Juin 1730, Baptesme. Aujourd'hui Mercredi apres la priere, a ete baptiste par moi L: Rou, ministre de cette Eglise, Jean Pipon, ne a la Nouve York, le 28 de May dernier, fils d'Elie Pipon et de Blanche La Fonds, etant presente au St. Baptesme par Mr. Jean La Fonds et Mademlle Charlotte Faviere ses parrain et marraine. L: Rou, Pasteur. Jean Lafons. Elie Pipon.
Charlotte Fauviere.
Elias was born in Jersey, in 1702. He died in this country, having survived his wife. Being sick and weak, he made his will, August 30, 1744, leaving his estate to his four children, John, Jane, Mary and Elizabeth. It was proved September 30, 1746. "John Pipon, Esq., of the Island of Jersey," died at Cardiff, South Wales, October 5, 1815. Mrs. Braithwaite (see p. 13) thinks he may have been the John born May 28, 1730, as aforesaid.
·
814
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
on January 21, 1748, he released Belle Isle (Randell's Island), to St. George Talbot. See page 605, also Valentine's Manual, 1855. page 493. A deed from Jacoba Gouverneur, etc., children, etc., of Maria Gouverneur, deceased, to Johannes Myer, April 30, 1748, conveying one-half of a third of the Delavall common lands, a third having been before sold him by Abraham Gouverneur, perfected Myer's title to one-half of said lands. Thus the estate of Captain Delavall fell to many owners, originating as many separate titles. We only add that parcel 3 of No. 8, First Division, was subsequently included, mainly, in the Molenaor and Captain John Kortright farms; lot No. 16, Second Division, extending along the Kings- bridge Road, between 179th and 185th Streets, and thence to Harlem River, was afterward owned by Blazius Moore and others; lot No. 15, Third Division, running from the Cut Line in that division to Harlem River, has since formed a part of Dyckman's Fort George Tract. See abstract by Lockwood & Crosby. Of No. 9, Fourth Division, which ran from Kingsbridge Road to Hudson River, Myer took the upper, and Low the lower half; Myer's part passing to Adolph Myer, later to William Molenaor, and Low's part to General John Maunsell, being subsequently included in the large tract owned by Dr. Samuel Watkins, above Fort Washington.
J. Page 418. DIVISION OF THE COMMON LANDS. UNDER THE DONGAN PATENT.
I. Division of 1691.
At the date of the Dongan patent (see page 413) the appropriated lands at Harlem were held principally under the three general allotments made in 1658, 1661, and 1677, of which a full history has been given. The patent conferred upon these proprietors, or properly such as were named therein, a joint interest in all the unappropriated or common lands. Four years having expired, the patentees agreed to make an allotment, and at a meeting held November 29, 1691, chose Adolph Meyer, John Hendricks van Brevoort, Samuel Waldron, and Peter van Oblienis, "to consider and devise such measures as shall be most proper for the benefit and best interests of the town and inhabitants thereof.""The following resolutions were then passed :
I. It is resolved that the land lying in the common woods, so much as may be found suitable for making good tillable land, shall be laid out and surveyed into lots, or parcels, whereof each inhabitant of this town shall draw a part as his property, every one according to his estate or proportion.
2. It is also resolved that the parcel of land lying at the end of the lots named Jochem Pieters shall be laid out, from the end of the old lots to the hill, and so again to the Clove of the Kill, behind the high hill in the hills; on condition that a good and sufficient King's or high way shall be left around the fencing of the same.
3. It is resolved to lay out a parcel of land situated and compre- hended from Moertje Davids' Meadow eastward up Jochem Pieters' Hills, and northerly so far as good tillable land shall be found. Provided, that the land of Barent Waldron being extended, the east side from the island according to the river, shall claim no further in than the King's way is now running.
4. It is also resolved to lay out a parcel of land at the southerly end of the Long Hill, so much as shall be found good tillable land.
.
815
APPENDIX.
5. It is also resolved to lay out a parcel of land at Spuyten Duyvel, between the high hills by the Round Meadow, on the other side of the swamp (morass creupelbos), so much as shall be found fit for tillage; on condition that there remain a good and sufficient King's way where shall be found best and most convenient.
6. The land lying at the end of the lots named Jochem Pieters shall be so estimated that one morgen shall go for two morgen upon any of the other parcels that shall be laid out. Also that the hills shall be fenced off from the corner of the land behind the high hill to the meadow of Daniel Tourneur at Montanye's Kill, for a sheep pasture,-those having fences within this stretch to keep the same tight and in good order,-with a draw-rail (draei-hek) at the road; and that a bridge shall be made there, beyond the stone bridge or thereabouts.
7. It is further resolved that when the said surveys shall take place, each inhabitant shall have the privilege to draw according to his right or apportionment, for the erven a third part; and then the rest shall be drawn according to the number of morgen.
The Authorized Men, with the aid of Adrian Appel, surveyor, made up a list of the freeholders, with the number of erven and morgen each one held, and on which lands could be drawn; and proceeded to survey and allot the designated tracts, as shown in the following schedule:
.
DIVISION OF 1691 .- " List of the drawn Lands, as they are measured out by the Surveyor, A. Appel, by lot, pursuant to order from the whole Community and Authorised Men of this Town."
· I.ot
BY WHOM DRAWN.
Erf Rights.
Morgen Rights.
Number of Morgen drawn.
LOCATION OF THE LAND.
Numbers.
.
1
Thomas Tourneur.
2
9
7 1-2
Behind the old lots of Jochem Pieters.
2
Daniel Tourneur, Jr., dec
I
18
7 1-2
do.
3
Johannes Waldron
I
16
7 1-4
do.
+
Adolph Meyer
I
2.4
9 1-4
do.
5
Johannes Vermilye .
I
1 1/4
6
On Jochem Pieters' Hills.
6
Jan Hendricks Van Brevoort .. Jacques Tourneur
I
10
14
do.
7
Arent Harmans Bussing.
I
13
12 1-6
do.
9
Thomas Delavall, dec.
O
00
33 1-3
do.
Metje Cornelis .
I
31
20 1-2
do.
I
Isaac Delamater
I
6
8 1-3
do.
12
Barent Waldron
I
20
12
do.
13
Jan Tibout
1
0
5
dlo.
1.4
Jan Dyckman . ..
2
18
20
15
Louwrens Jansen
I
II .
II
do.
16
William Holmes
I
0
5
17
William Haldron, dec.
I
0
5
do.
18
I
7 1/2
9 1-2
19
Joost Van Oblinus
32
22 3-4
20
Pieter Van Oblinus
I
9
IO
21
Barent Waldron .
#4
North of his Erf.
22
Metje Cornelis
*1 1-2
Nigh Montanye's Flat.
23
Abraham Delamontanie
I
0
5
2.4
Jan Dyckman
26
24 1-2
25
Jan Louwe Bogert
I
16
14
26
Jan Delamater
I
9
10
·
·
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.* Drawn upon rights given under Nos. 10 and 12.
1
.
.
......
I
9
10
do
8
.
·
·
.
..
·
do.
do.
·
do.
On the Southern end of the Long Hill. By the Round Meadow.
Between the Patent Line and King's Way.
North of the Round Meadow. In the Bay of Hellgate. do.
816
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
.
·
Samuel Waldron .
I
817
APPENDIX.
In computing this allotment, 5 morgen, or 10 acres, were allowed for each erf right, and 333-600 of a morgen, or 333 square Dutch rods, for each morgen right .* To avoid many fractional parts, where the quantity fell less than 100 rods short of a full morgen, it was counted as a morgen, while fractions of a morgen below 100 rods were thrown out. In addition to the tracts designated, the authorized men had disposed of some other parcels (the lots 21 to 26), which lay adjoining the farms of the persons to whom granted. The last was formally allowed and approved of by the freehold- ers, December 1I, as appears by the following document, of that date :
"Whereas on this day have assembled the community of New Harlem, and having from among themselves chosen and authorized Adolph Meyer, John Hendricks van Brevoort, Peter van Oblienis, and Samuel Waldron to lay out the available land, according to the surveyor's schedule hereunto annexed; So we undersigned promise to hold inviolate that which the four persons before named have caused to be measured and set off (aange- wesen), to Metje Cornelis, John Louwe Bogert, John Delamater, Abraham Delamontanie, Barent Waldron, and John Dyckman. Nota, All the lands that are unsuitable for tillage shall bear half costs. And all those who have drawn the land behind the old land of Jochem Pieters shall be obligated to leave a convenient road for the town's use. The erven which have been drawn shall be required to contribute to town expenses. The path or road shall be taken from the newly drawn land. All this have we subscribed with our hands." [Signed by Adolph Meyer, Pieter van Oblienis, Joost van Oblinus, Jan Louwe Bogert, Arent Harmans, Jan Hen- dricks van Brevoort, Samuel Waldron, Johannes Waldron, Jan Delamater, Jan Dyckman, Metje Cornelis, Johannes Vermelje, Barent Waldron, Laurens Jansen, Isaac Delamater, Abraham Delamontanie, and Jan Tibout.]
During the years which expired before the title deeds for these lots were given, the town made several small grants and sales, hereafter noticed ; and at a meeting held Nov. 2, 1699, "all the residents or proprietors of the town made a conveyance of the church, to the Reverend Consistory, upon condition that the proprietors who have helped build the church shall continue to hold their seats."t And on December 14, following, Arent Bussing, Adolph Meyer, and Samuel Waldron were chosen as Authorized Men, to act with the overseers. Laurens Jansen, Peter van Oblienis, and Jacques Tourneur, in giving the freeholders their deeds for the newly drawn lands. The six persons met December 18, "to commence the busi- ness," and approved "the last survey. made by the surveyor, Adrian Appel." After fourteen days, allowed to hear objections, another meeting was held, January 4, 1700, and no one having appeared to oppose the survey it was finally adopted. The inhabitants then subscribed another paper promising to
* The erven were only the original village plots so called, with such other house lots as had been granted or sold for that purpose by the town, for a price, usually 25 guilders; no other house lot was counted as an erf, or invested with the erf right. So the morgen right only attached to the lots on Jochem Pieters' Flat, Van Keulen's Hook, Montanye's Flat, the New Lots, Bogert's or Benson's Point, Gloudie's or Bussing's Point, and the Dyckman and Nagel lots, near Kingsbridge. This right never attached to the lands allotted under the Dongan patent. (See last note on p. 602. This principle carried out with refererence to any claim which the present Har- lem proprietors may have upon such new lands as have been made by filling in the creeks and marshes, and never allotted to anyone, must necessarily limit such claims to those holding the original morgen lands and erven!
t Donderdag den 2 Novemb: Anno 1699. N: Haarlem. Present, de Overciers Louwrens Jansen, Pieter Oblinis en Jacques Tourneur.
Oock is hede ten dage voornoemt. van alle de inwoonders, off eygenaars, deses dorps, een opdragt gedaan van de Kerck, aan de cerwaarde Kerck-Raaden, onder conditie dat de eygenaars die de Kerck hebben helpen maaken sullen behouden haare vaste plaats.
Attesteert, datum ut supra,
.
Adr. Vermeule, Klerck.
.
818
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
pay their proportion of town charges, and agreeing to a pro rata distribution of the common lands. The meeting also voted a deed to Bastiaen Kort- right for two pieces of meadow (see p. 265), "as soon as the purchase money shall be paid." The overseers and authorized men met on March 7, 1700, and gave the deeds referred to pp. 394, 561 ; also one to Adolph Meyer for "three feet of ground lying north of his house," and granted him in 1694. On May 2, deeds for all the newly drawn lands were ordered. These being prepared, were signed by the overseers and authorized men March 21, 1701. But to a brief notice of these lots :
Nos. I to 4, lying on the flats, and described as "behind the old lots of Jochem Pieters, by the high hill," were identical with the Lawrence, Mole- naor, and Myer tracts, filling the space above the Samson A. Benson farm, to the junction of the roads. They were those which came under the rule making one morgen here equal to two in the other places. See references to these lots pp. 417, 418, 599, 604, 607, 608. Day's Tavern (pp. 418, 500) was on No. 4, on the line of 126th Street, 200 feet west of Eighth Avenue.
Nos. 5 to 18 lay upon the heights above Manhattanville; the southeast corner of No. 5 touching 133d Street, say 100 feet west of Ninth Avenue; its southwest corner the North River at 136th Street. No. 18 reached up nearly to 162d Street, at the Kingsbridge Road. The lots ran from the river within parallel lines, southeast, "according to the course of a pocket compass," and were 200 Dutch rods in length. Their breadth was as fol- lows, Dutch measure: No. 5, 18 rods; No. 6, 42 rods; No. 7, 30 rods, 9 feet ; No. 8, 361/2 rods; No. 9, 100 rods; No. 10, 611/2 rods; No. 11, 25 rods; No. 12, 36 rods ; No. 13, 15 rods; No. 14, 60 rods; No. 15, 33 rods; No. 16, 15 rods; No. 17, 15 rods ; No. 18, 281/2 rods.
No. 5, since owned by Schieffelin, may be traced by reference to pp. 500, 567, 642. For Nos. 6 and 7, owned latterly by the Myer family, see pp. 477, 601, 605. No. 8, its lines crossing Bloomingdale Road at 139th and 14Ist Streets, passed from Arent Bussing to his son Peter, and to his son Aaron, whose heirs sold it to John Myer, November 6, 1790, and May 19, 1791. See pp. 482, 605. No. 9, extending (where intersected by the Bloomingdale Road) from 14Ist Street to 145th, is particularly referred to in Appendix I. In a resurvey it was called No. 6 (the Peter van Oblinus 100 acre tract taken as No. 1), was 20 chains 85 links broad, and ran from lot No. 16, First Division (which lay between it and the highway), north 38° west to Hudson River, being in length on the south side 36 chains 43 links, and on the north side 37 chains 26 links. It was divided by Delavall's successors, first crosswise, afterward lengthwise, the upper half subsequently owned by Gen. John Maunsell, and later by Dr. Samuel Bradhurst; the lower half sold by Samuel Kelly to Jacob Schieffe- lin, January 15th, 1799. "Hamilton Grange," the former seat of Gen Alexander Hamilton, occupied part of this lot.
No. 10, first in the range reaching to the highway, its northerly line touching it at 148th Street, was latterly owned by Dr. Bradhurst; the lower corner was included in Hamilton Grange. See pp. 563, 565, 581.
Nos. 11 to 13 were bought up by John Dyckman and the Nagel heirs. Dyckman had drawn No. 14, on his rights and those of John Nagel jointly, the latter I erf, 15 morgen, and Dyckman's, I erf, 3 morgen; the morgen rights being upon their lots on Jochem Pieters' and Montanye's Flat. Each had a deed for his share of No. 14, Dyckman for 62-3 morgen, and Nagel for 13 1-3 morgen. Dyckman's patentee deed, of June 1, 1713, covers his undivided half, or 45 acres, of Nos. 11 to 14. See further pp. 547, 549. Trinity Church Cemetery is on these lots; also "Minniesland," the seat of the late John J. Audubon. As this tract, when sold to John Watkins, in 1767 (it reaching nearly to 156th Street on Kingsbridge Road, and to 159th
* That is the old Kingsbridge Road. The first move for extending the Blooming- dale Road through lots 5 to 10 was made in 1791.
819
APPENDIX.
Street, North River), contained about 112 acres, we infer that it took in the Low lot, No. 15, 22 acres. The lots in this range were resurveyed by Peter Berrien, and some surplus pieces were found and disposed of, forming the "Last Division." This survey is not well understood, yet it would appear that space was found between Lawrence Jansen and John Kiersen for two new lots (Nos. 16, 17), the last of these, containing 16 acres, being allotted to John Dyckman (see p. 546), but subsequently added to Kiersen's tract. No. 16, extending upward to a line from Kingsbridge Road, 86 feet below 158th Street, to the North River at 16Ist Street, was sold by John Low, as 31 acres, to John Watkins, enlarging Watkins' tract to 1421/2 acres. This tract, embracing lots 11 to 16, being sold with other parcels, under a foreclosure by Gen. John Maunsell, to Charles Watkins, was reconveyed to Maunsell, March 28, 1793. Two years later General Maunsell's widow succeeded under his will, and devised her lands here, May 20, 1815, to her nephew, Dr. Samuel Watkins (son of said John), and her nieces, Lydia, wife of James Beekman, and Elizabeth, widow of Robert H. Dunkin. These divided the 1421/2 acres into equal parts, under Nos. 1, 2, 3, and passed deeds October 17, 1816; Mrs. Beekman taking No. I (the lower lot), Mrs. Dunkin No. 2, and Dr. Watkins No. 3. Dr. Watkins subsequently removed to Jefferson (since for him called Wat- kins), at the head of Seneca Lake.
The old Nos. 16 to 18, which completed this range of lots, and were bounded northerly by a line touching Kingsbridge Road, say 50 feet below 162d Street, and the North River, midway of 164th and 165th Streets, formed a part of the Kiersen lands, which shortly before the Revolution came into possession of Col. Roger Morris. See pp. 558, 561. This tract then contained 57 acres, which included No. 17, Last Division. Colonel Morris' estates being confiscated, because of his supporting the royal cause, his Harlem lands, called 115 acres, were sold, July 9, 1784, by the Commissioners of Forfeiture, to John Berrien and Isaac Ledyard, and passed by several mesne conveyances, all of record, to William Kenyon, who sold this tract with others, August 29, 1799, to Leonard Parkinson, Esq., of Kinnersley Castle, Herefordshire, England .* Colonel Morris owned the Kiersen homestead, lying opposite, east of the road (see p. 561), and built the fine residence known as the Jumel House.t He enlarged this tract, which already included lot No. 6, Second Division, by the pur- chase of No. 7, being 16 acres, from Jolin Bogert, and giving Morris 35 acres 1 q. 36 rods, or 361/4 acres, as subsequently surveyed by Charles Loss. This too passed through the same hands to Parkinson, who con-
. William Kenyon, son of David Kenyon, of Liverpool, England, ironmonger, and of Dorothy Barnes, his wife, was born February 2, 1753. At about twenty-one years of age he came to New York, where he was successful in business, and became an eminent shipping merchant. In 1779 he was admitted a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He was one of the governors of the New York Hospital from 1795 to 1797. For some years he made his residence upon Hoorn's Hook, having purchased from Joseph Blackwell, May 4, 1799, i2 acres of land, since in the Prime tract; the house he is said to have built. He died at Gloucester, Va., November 29, 1826. Mr. Kenyon's parents were Quakers, and he adorned the same profession by an exemplary life. He was married in New York April 8, 1778, to Abigail, daughter of Samuel Bowne. Their children, save two who died in infancy, were Samuel, born March 6, 1780, died unmarried September 6, 1803; William Barnes, born August 7, 1784, married in 1815 (see p. 298), died at Harlem May 26, 1866, being father of Mr. Samuel B. Kenyon, etc., and James, born August 20, 1791, who married in 1813 (see same p.), and died at Harlem December 10, 1852, being the father of Mr. John S. Kenyon, etc.
t Col. Morris's 115 acres included, with his said homestead, and the 57 acre tract, the lots, Nos. 3, ad Division, 8, 3d Division, and 7, 4th Division, besides salt meadows (see p. 298) not counted in the 115 acres. The Dyckmans seem to have gotten the lot in 3d Division in exchange for 8 acres of No. 17, ad Division, before September 25, 1793. when William Kenyon bought the Morris lands from Anthony J. Bleeker. Col. Morris died in England in 1794; and it appearing that the Confiscation Act did not affect the rights of his children, it was not till 1828, after satisfaction had been made by the State, etc., that the persons who held the confiscated lands were quieted in their possession. (See Sabine's Loyalists, ii., 104.)
1
1
.
1
820
HISTORY OF HARLEM.
veyed the said homestead-tract to Stephen Jumel, April 28, 1810. Of Parkinson more anon. Melbourne, the rural seat of the late Shepherd Knapp, is on the 57 acre tract.
The remaining numbers of the allotment of 1691 are sufficiently noticed as follows : No. 19, on p. 625; No. 20, on p. 267; No. 21, in note p. 602; No. 22, on p. 563; No. 23, on p. 591 ; No. 24, on p. 546; No. 25, on p. 447; and No. 26, on p. 808. We notice that these lots are described in the deeds, as set off or designated (aangewesen ) ; but all the others, as sur- veyed (gemceten). This choice of terms was not without reason. These six lots lying adjacent to the farins or other lands of the grantees, and allotted, as we must . conclude, under special arrangement between the latter and the town authorities, were taken as the tracts lay, consisting largely of heights, abrupt slopes or rocky land, not answering the descrip- tion of "good and tillable," and allowing a margin in the measurement. Nos. 21, 22, 23 took in order (north to south) the small grants which con- formed nearly to what was due on their rights, and Nos. 24, 25, 26. the principal grants; this explains the seeming want of order in the num- bering. The reasons for the extraordinary grant to Dyckman and Nagel, at Spuyten Duyvel, have been given p. 546 .* What interest gathers about this tract, whose title, in fact, reaches backward over two centuries to the closing days of Governor Kieft's directorship; and whose history, in the times agone, recalls the most stirring incidents, whether of early Indian barbarity, or of civil contests for its ownership, or yet of British and Hessian sway, when the patriotic Dyckmans being fled, their homes in ashes, and their fields a military camp, with breastworks and cannon frowning from every neighboring hill, this charming section of Man- hattan was given over, for seven years, to the rude alarms of war! Pleasanter the anticipations of 1883, when on this very spot, now known as Inwood, visitors from every state and nation shall gather in friendly concourse at the World's Fair.
II. THE FOUR DIVISIONS.
Under an act passed by the Governor, Council, and General Assembly, October 30, 1708, entitled "An Act for the easier Partition of Lands in Joint Tenancy, or in Common," steps were taken by the Harlem freehold- ers for a more complete division of their common lands.
This act allowed a majority of the resident owners to make a division, after giving public notice for three months previous, and required such division to be made by drawing lots in the presence of at least three dis- interested persons to be named by the dividers, and paid five shillings per day "for their trouble had in the making of said division." The surveys were to be made by a sworn surveyor, or any three neighbors, men of in- telligence and integrity, to be chosen by the dividers; the lots after being laid out "as equally as possible in regard both to quantity and quality," must be numbered and then publicly drawn for; and in order to prevent dispute as to the costs of making the division, it provided that before any division was made, such part of the land as they should judge reasonable for defraying said costs should be laid out and sold by the majority of the dividers, whose conveyance thereof should be good and effectual in the law.
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