USA > New York > Suffolk County > Southampton > The early history of Southampton, L. I., New York, with genealogies, 2nd ed. > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
Another colony, strongly represented by Southampton and East Hampton families, was that of Achter Kol or Feversham or Elizabethtown, New Jersey, which settlement had successively all of these names. Among the inhabitants who took the oath of allegiance in Elizabethtown in 1665, February 19, and again about 1714, were the following :*
John Ogden, Sen., John Ogden, Jun.,
1665. Jeremy Osborne, Joseph Osborne,
* Hatfield's Hist. of Elizabeth, pp. 56, 57.
80
HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
John Woodrofe,
David Ogden,
Jonas Wood, Thomas Pope,
Jonathan Ogden,
Benj. Price,
Thos. Tomson, Moses Tomson,
Benj. Conklin,
Rob. Bond,
Joseph Bond,
Isaac Whitehead.
1714.
Joseph Sayre,
Jonas Wood,
John Pope, Will. Oliver, Richard Painter,
Caleb Carwithy, Stephen Osborne,
Francis Barber.
Joseph Osborne,
About the year 1800 another emigration went ont from South- ampton to Montrose, Penn. Bartlett Haines or Hinds, originally from Boston, but from Southampton, in 1800 married Agnes, the widow of Isaae Post, and removed with her and her two sons, Isaac and David Post, to what is now Montrose - then a wilder- ness. Both of these boys lived to rear families themselves, whose descendants now live there.
Among others, Daniel Foster, Ichabod Halsey and David Har- ris went there about the same time. Isaac P. Foster removed there in 1811. Austin Howell, William Foster, Francis Fordham and Abraham Fordham in 1812.
Benjamin Sayre, a native of Southampton, went to Montrose from Cairo, N. Y., with his wife Priscilla and six children about this time also.
Judge William Jessup, born June 21, 1797, graduate of Yale 1815, married 1820 to Amanda Harris, emigrated there later. He died September 11, 1868, honored alike in church and State.
From a sermon of Rev. Horace Eaton, of Palmyra, N. Y., we give the following extraet concerning another Southampton Colony.
"In 1788 a company was formed of eleven, in Southampton, Long Island. In the early spring of 1790, Elias Reeves and Joel Foster took their way to the far west, as their agents,- first to Fort Pitt, now Pittsburg, where they found Luke Foster, an ac- quaintance. Together they penetrated to the vast wilderness of Virginia, to the Ohio, and passed down to Fort Washington, now Cincinnati. There they purchased land on what was called Tur-
John Haynes, Caleb Carwithy,
William Oliver,
81
DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
key Bottoms. They left Luke Foster to build and make prepara- tion while they returned to condnet the colony to their forest home.
" But a singular circumstance turned the locality and the future history of the projected immigration. When Joel Foster and Elias Reeves, arrived at Long Island, they found William Hopkins, an unele of Elias Reeves, and Abraham Foster on a visit from New Jersey. Hopkins was a son of the Hon. Stephen Hopkins, whose trembling hand stands so prominent among the signers of the Dec- laration. William Hopkins had been connected with the ‘Leasee Company,' was acquainted with the Genesee country and saw its prospective importance. He urged upon his friends the value of a God-fearing community. He told them of the colonies from New England, that they were descendants from the Puritans, with principle and purpose congenial with their own. His arguments prevailed. The company relinquished the purpose of settling on the Ohio-and directed Elias Reeves and William Hopkins to pass by the northern route, beyond the military Tract, while Joel Foster, Abraham Foster, and Luther Sandford were to explore along the boundaries of Pennsylvania. The Fosters and Sandford started June, 1791, but found the country mountainous and forbid- ding. Being carpenters, on consideration of good wages, they stop- ped at a place called Lindley town, and engaged in the erection of mills, leaving the work of exploration to Reeves and Hopkins, who, on the 20th of Angust, 1791, left Long Island with their rifles and knapsacks, came by water to Albany -then on foot, following the Indian trails to Geneva, - thence to town 'No. 12' [afterward called Swiftown -then Tolland -and finally, Pal- myra]. These valleys were well watered. The height and strength of the trees were an exponent of the depth and richness of the soil. They resolved to try the effect of hard work and honest principles upon a region more luxuriant than that from which they came. Upon the tall maples and the sturdy oaks, they placed their names as a pre-emption mark. This done, Hopkins and Reeves made their way across the State to the Pennsylvania line, where they found Joel Foster, Abraham Foster and Luther Sanford. There they drew and signed the following bond :
11
82
HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
"This instrument of writing witnesseth, that Wm. Hopkins, of the State of New Jersey, Elias Reeves, Joel Foster. Abraham Foster and Luther Sanford, all of the State of New York, do agree and bind themselves severally each to the other, under the penalty of fifty pounds, to abide by and make good any purchase of land which Elias Reeves and Abraham Foster shall make of Oliver Phelps, Esq., or any other person, within twenty days from the date hereof. The proportion of land which each of us shall have is to be concluded among ourselves hereafter. In witness of all which we have hereunto set our hands and seals in Ontario County, State of New York, this ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety one.
" WILLIAM HOPKINS, " ELIAS REEVES,
" JOEL FOSTER,
" ABRAHAM FOSTER.
" LUTHER SANFORD."
After concluding this engagement, all, save Elias Reeves and Abraham Foster, returned to the Island. These made their way back to " No. 12," stopping at the house of one Crittenden, resid- ing in the " Old Castle," at Geneva. From him they received a peck of apples, the fruit of the old Indian Orchard, as a present to John Swift. [Swift was the " first pioneer " in Palmyra, and had bought the land of the town, though it was not then entirely paid for.] When they arrived they were offered some of the apples. They craved only the seeds, and proceeding to a beautiful bluff on the farm now owned by Gen. Lyman Reeves, they planted them, which proved the first bearing orchard west of Geneva. Having selected their lands, they contracted with Phelps at Can- andaigna, for five thousand five hundred acres, for eleven hundred pounds, New York currency, one hundred of which they paid down. It will be noticed this was in September, 1791. The Durfee family had not yet arrived. As Swift could not meet his engagements, his title was doubtful. Hence, Reeves and Foster, to make the thing sure, treated with Phelps and Gorham directly. But when Gideon and Edward Durfee arrived, his hard money met the hard times, and Swift was enabled to pay his notes, and received a genuine title to the town. Hence we find the Long Island Company the next year taking their deed from John Swift. " Having viewed the land, the spies returned, bringing back,
83
DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
all of them, like Caleb and Joshua, a good report. This enter- prise was not a failure. The coming winter, Joel Foster built a sail boat, Cyrus Foster making the nails, and launched it on Heddy Creek, near Southampton. After a well-spent Sabbath, on Monday morning the 4th of April, 1792, the first colony, from Long Island, embarked on their voyage of nearly five hundred miles. They sailed through the sound # to New York, then to Albany : from Albany they transported their boat by land 16 miles to Schnectady - with 'setting poles' pushed the boat up the Mohawk to Rome. There the boat was taken from the Mohawk and conveyed by land something less than a mile, to Wood creek, thence floating down to Oneida Lake - through the lake and the outlet they came to Oswego River ; thence into Seneca River - through that to Clyde River - from Clyde River through Mud Creek to Saw-mill Creek, landing near the present residence of Hiram Foster. The whole voyage occupied twenty- eight days. Mrs. Joel Foster brought in her arms her eldest son, Harry Foster, then an infant of eleven months.
" The way now being open, the same old hive sent out repeated swarms of working bees. The Clarks, Posts, Howells, Jaggers, Culvers, Jessups and many others followed. 'The wilderness and the solitary place were glad for them.' This old boat did good service in going and returning, with other companies, as they ar- rived from Long Island at Schenectady. It was finally conveyed around to Seneca Lake, and used as a pleasure boat. Truly a noble craft ! I would go as far to see that old bout as the ship in which Dr. Kane penetrated the frozen North."
Besides this colony others removed to Seneca county, N. Y., and still others to Susquehanna county, Pa., about the beginning of this century. Among the latter was the Hon. Williani Jessup of Montrose, who beginning his career in his new home, rose to eminence and obtained a name honored widely both in church and State.
Upon the discovery of gold in California, of course for a peo- ple who had lived like the Vikings of the north upon the sea
* An error - they went by the bays along the south shore of the Island.
84
HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
(but not like them by plunder), and engaged in the perilous en- terprise of whale fishery, who had circumnavigated the world, a trip to the mines of the modern Ophir was a trifling matter. Con- sequently, besides a large company who purchased a ship, and in the winter of 1849-50, set sail from Greenport for San Fran- cisco, others followed in their footsteps from time to time, some of whom found there a home and some unhappily a grave.
NEW YORK ANNEX.
The fact that the shores of Southampton are the first coming from the west, to border directly on the ocean, and its beauty, healthfuluess and the high tone of morality pervading the place, all have combined to induce a large settlement of the people of New York seeking a country residence for the summer. The first to come here was a grandson of the Rev. David S. Bogart, before mentioned. Mr. Leon D. DeBost with his older brothers had spent his boyhood days here and about 1872, purchased a lot of Mr. Wm. S. Pelletreau and built a residence. The impulse to a settlement, however, was given by Dr. T. Gaillard Thomas, a well known successful physician of the city. His residence was built in 1877 and annually thereafter house after house has been erected. Though styled cottages they are of liberal dimensions, often finished in hard woods and elegant without and within. They have all two full stories and most of them have parlors on each side of a central hall. In general terms they belong to the Queen Anne style of architecture though no two are similar in appearance.
At the time of writing this, September, 1886, nearly all the land bordering upon the ocean has been purchased and occupied by the Annex. Lawn tennis grounds were given by Dr. Thomas for this amusement and daily through the summer months young men and maidens are seen in friendly competition for the highest score. The people of the Annex have united with the villagers in a Village Improvement Society and the name is justified in the results of their labors through the streets and about the resi- dences of the inhabitants.
S5
NEW YORK ANNEX.
The names of such as have cottages here, or are understood to have such erected soon, are as follows :
Mrs. David Babcock,
J. Lawrence Mckeever,
Francis M. Bacon,
Thos. M. Markoe, M. D.,
A. H. Barney,
Edward S. Meade,
Charles T. Barney,
Edward Mitchell,
F. E. Beck with, M. D.,
U. A. Murdock,
C. Wyllys Betts,
Mrs. Emily F. Nelson,
Frederic H. Betts,
Arthur J. Peabody,
Judge Jolin R. Brady,
Senator J. Hampden Robb,
A. T. Bricher,
Elihu Root, Eugene B. Sanger,
Nehemiah B. Cook,
Duncan Cryder,
Mrs. C. N. Schermerhorn
Miss Julia Chalmers,
George R. Schieffelin,
Leon D. De Bost,
Richard L. Schieffelin,
James G. Duer.
Louis P. Siebert,
Mrs. Henrietta W. Fondey.
Mrs. Susanne A. Steers,
J. B. Gemmill,
G. H. Studwell,
Sidney S. Harris,
John A. Stuart,
Judge Henry E. Ilowland,
General Wager Swayne,
Edward H. Kendall,
T. Gaillard Thomas, M. D.,
Mrs. D. T. Kennedy,
Mrs. Chas. De Kay Townsend.
Judge J. T. Kilbreth,
J. R. Townsend,
J. Bowers Lee,
Salem H. Wales,
Henry A. Lewis,
Miss Wheelwright,
Messrs. Lombard & Ayres, Water- mill,
Wm. H. Wickam, James H. Young.
George F. Lough,
The following have become identified with the village by spending their summers there with their families :
H. M. Bishop,
T. B. Bowring
R. H. Derby, F. A. Dwight,
William Greenough, William S. Hoyt,
J. C. Jackson, Edward H. Moeran, James F. Ruggles, Russell Sage, Mrs. Morgan Smith.
SOLDIERS IN THE SLAVEHOLDERS' REBELLION.
The repeated demand for men to fill the armies and sustain the cause of freedom during the war of the Slaveholders' Rebellion, from 1861 to 1865, were met in a patriotic spirit by the people of Southampton. Her quotas were always promptly filled, either by her own sons or by substitutes which her wealth procured, as was customary throughout the country.
The limits of this work will not permit a detailed list of the soldiers who served in this war, but a copy taken from the origi- nal returns of the census of 1865, now deposited in the New York
S6
HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
State Library, will be deposited in the office of the town clerk at Southampton. This list shows that from the first election district, including that portion of Sag Harbor lying in the town, were sent forty-one soldiers. From the second district, Bridgehampton, fifty soldiers. From the third, Southampton village, thirty-one soldiers. From the fourth, including Goodground, etc., twenty-nine. From the fifth or westernmost district, eleven soldiers. Total, 162. Besides these the town procured a large number of substitutes.
87
CIVIL LAWS.
CHAPTER VII.
CIVIL LAWS - COURTS - DECREES OF COURTS.
WE have seen before how the jealous care for the liberties of the people resulted in the institution of the General Court, the fundamental idea of which was that the people, being the fountain of power, should be invested with it. We have also seen that for the government of the colony they enacted a code of laws founded on those of the Jewish Lawgiver. Besides these are found occa- sional regulations for temporary purposes scattered through the Records. And when the union with Connecticut occurred, they accepted its code of laws also, so far as they did not interfere with their own. Again when the Island came under the jurisdic- tion of New York, in 1664, they received a copy of laws from Governor Andros, which, of course, superseded all the former.
Of course the execution of their laws must be committed into the hands of proper officers. The first of these were two and afterward three magistrates chosen annually. A record defining their functions is found, dated January 2, 1641, as follows :
" The magistrates shall govern according to the laws now established and to be established by General Courts hereafter. They and eithier of them shall be able to send out warrants to any officer to fetch any delinquent before them, and examine the cause and to take order by sureties or safe custody for his or their appearance at court. And further, to prevent the offenders lying in prison, it shall be lawful for the Magistrates or either of them to see execution done upon any offenders for any crime that is not capital according to the laws that [are] established or to be established in this place."
The first town meeting on record was held April 6, 1641.
By an order of the General Court, December 22, 1644, four quarter courts were to be held annually, commencing on the first Tuesdays in March and June, the third Tuesdays in September and the fourth Tuesday in December. These were the Magistrates'
88
HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
Courts. At the same time it was ordered to hold an annual General Court on the first Tuesday of October for election of town officers.
For many years this was the county seat of Suffolk county, and, of course, county courts were held here, concerning, which the town records are silent.
TOWNSMEN.
The office of " Townsmen " appears to differ from the Magi- stracy. Their duties embraced those that are now divided between the supervisor and assessors, as will be seen from the following :
" Feb. 4th, 1664. John Jessup, Edward Howell and Henry Pierson were chosen Townesmen until the 6th of October next. During wh time they have given them, and are by the Towne authorized to make any rate or Levvy they shall see necessary. to use all lawfull means they shall see meet for getting in the debts dne from any pson or psons unto the Towne, to make any law or order (tht contradicts not some former order made by the Towne) concerning fences or any other publique occasion, and to doe or act any thing wh in theire judginnts may conduee to the Townes ad- vantage. And whatsoever they shall act or transact as afforesaid the Towne doe ratify & confirme and shall observe. Moreover the said select men setting up theire order or orders on the Meet- ing house poste at the beat of the drum the same shall bee, and bee accompted sufficient and lawfull publishint thereof. The Towne beeing to defray the cost the said 3 men shall be at in the premises."
The mere insertion of the orders and decrees of the General Court, while it preserves the records that are yearly growing more illegible, also, perhaps depiets more vividly than a narrative could possibly do the surrounding circumstances of our founders. No other apology is therefore needed for the following extracts :
FREEMEN.
"Southon this Sth of the Sth month, 1647. It is ordered by this generall Cort that if any man be chosen to be a freeman of this towne shall refuse it shall paye fortie shillings for his fine.
89
CIVIL LAWS.
In the New Eng. Entries, Plantation office London, the quali- fications of a freeman in New England about 1680 are said to be as follows: A freeman must be orthodox, above 20 years old and worth about £200." But the latter qualification was not ex- acted in Southampton.
"Imprimous, at this instant Generall Cort, that Richard Odell Gentleman was chosen freeman and Edward Joanes Josias Stam- bro and John White.
" It it ordered this 7 day of October 1648 by the Generall Court that Mr. Richard Smyth, Mr. William Browne, John Howell were chosen Freemen of this towne of Southampton.
"This 15 day of June 1649 Mr. Thurston Rayner is chosen ffreeman of this towne of Southampton at the generall Coort by the freemen.
"It is ordered uppon the 6th day of March 1649 by the gen- erall Court that William Rogers is chosen freeman of the towne of Sonthampton.
" It is ordered uppon the 31st day of March 1650 by the gen- erall courte that Mr. Thomas Topping & Mr. John Ogden were chosen freemen of this towne of Southampton aforesayde.
"1652 October 6 Mr. Alexander ffeild, Christopher ffeild, Thomas Goldsmith and Jolin Cooper Jun. were all and every of them chosen ffreemen of this Towne."
TRAINING.
Jan., 1642. Ordered by the General Court that the " Com- pany of the Towne of Southampton shall be trayned sixe tymes in the yeare." All men from 16 years old upwards to bear arms unless licensed to the contrary, and if absent upon the calling of the roll to be fined two shillings. " Traynings are to beginn at seaven of the clock in the morning from the first of March to the last of September, then from the last of September to the first of March to beginn at eight of the clock in the morning."
"Oct. 9, 1642. It is ordered that every man in this towne that beareth armes shall watch and ward and come to traynings in their coats.
* Chalmer's Political Annals of the United Colonies to 1763, vol. 1, p. 135. 12
90
HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
" Oct. 9, 1642. It is ordered that whosoever shall be found sleeping after he hath taken the charge of the watch shall be lia- ble to the censure of 4 lashes of the whippe by the Marshall or else forthwith to pay 10 shillings."
MEASURES FOR THE SAFETY OF THE TOWN.
" May 4, 1657. It is ordered by the seven men empowered to devise and take means to preserve the town - that one half of the Inhabitants of this town shall keep centinell or ward in the town according as they shall be disposed by officers for that purpose for one day - and the other half of the Inhabitants shall have liberty to goe about their planting or occations, provided they goe to- gether and work soe neere together that in the judgment of those appoynted by a centinell, the company that soe goe forth may come together before any danger in respect of assault, as came upon them the other day, and so successively untill further order in this respect. And all those that soe goe forth are to have their armes with them, & it is left to Sergeant Post to see to and effect the aforesaid order.
" It is further ordered that ye letting off of one gun ahall be sufficient Allarum in the night, and if there be any allarum in the night, then all Inhabitants from ye North End of ye town to Thos. Sayres # shall repaire to about Mr. Gosmer's ; t all south- ward of Thos. Sayres unto ye lane by Richard Barretts # shall repaire to the Meeting House § ; and all from thence to the south end of the Town to repaire to about Thos. Halsey Senior his honse | : - none to make a wilfull false allarum upon penalty of be- ing whipped. And in case there be an allarum and a man hear- ing it yet appeareth not to his appoynted place, as aforesaid, shall forfeit to the town the some of 5 shillings.
"Jan. 30, 1667. It is ordered by the Constable and overseers together with the inhabitants of the Towne that if any pson soever
* Thos. Sayre lived where is yet the homestead of his descendant, Mrs. Sarah S. Larry.
+ The homestead of Chas. Pelletreau, deceased, now of Mr. Josiah Foster.
# Toilsome lane.
§ The church was on what is now the homestead of Mr. Edwin Post.
Il This was probably (for this and other reasons) on Horse-mill lane, which ran from the main street to the town pond, and about 30 or 40 rods south of the residence of Mr. Francis Cook.
91
CIVIL LAWS.
shall psume to make any ffalse alarum shall for his or there De- fault pay twenty shillings or to be severely whipt, and that noe pson pretend Ignorance.
" It is concluded that one gunne being ffired off in the night after the watch is set shall be accompted an Allarum : Likewise three being sudenly ffired one after another in the day ; and all psons are hereby required to be very carcumspect herein upon there utmost perill ; Also that if any upon the watch shall at any tyme hereafter bee by such psons as are upon oath hereunto appointed, found sleeping or any way careless shall pay unto the publiek 20 shillings for any default. As witnesseth our hands."
LAND ALLOTTED.
" October 13, 1643. Thomas Burnett hath a lott granted unto him one the Southeast side upon Condition that hee staye three years in the Towne to improve it.
"May 6, 1648. It is ordered that Thomas Robbinson shall be accepted as an Inhabitan & hath a fifty pound lot granted vnto him prouided the said Thomas be not vnder any scandalous crime wh may be layd to his charge within 6 months after the date hereof & that he carry himself heare as becometh an honest man.
" It is further ordered that Samuel Dayton shall be accepted an inhabitant & hath a fifty pound lot graunted unto him pronided the said Samuel (being a stranger to vs) weare of good aprobation in the place where he last lived at ffleshing & do demeane himselfe well here for the time of aprobation namely six months next to come.
" May 12, 1648, Robert Marden alias Marvin (elsewhere called Merwin) granted a £100 lot upon 3 months aprobation had of him.
"Dec. 10, 1678. The Town give unto Christopher ffowler tenn accres of land in some convenient vacant place about or neare the land granted to Mr. John Laughton for his brother Josiah at the discretion of the layers out : he the said Christopher continuing upon it seaven yeares and improving it."
This is the first mention in the Records of the Fowler family.
" Jan. 25, 1655. It is ordered that noe Inhabitant within the
92
HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
boundes of this Towne shall sell his house and Land or any part thereof unto any pson tht is a forrainer at any time hence forward except the pson bee such as the Towne doe like of."
BENEVOLENCE.
In 1679-80 (March 11) at a time when money must have been very scarce, as the usual transactions in "country pay " or barter of agricultural produce was called, sufficiently indicate, the peo- ple of Southampton contributed a fund of €18, 15sh., as a " free- will offering towards the reliefe of the captives which is in slavery in Turkey."
THANKSGIVING.
This custom of setting apart a day for public thanksgiving to the Almighty for the usual or extraordinary blessings experienced in their lives is found quite early. As we find in the MSS. records at Albany .* Thus June 7, 1675, and Febuary 8, 1676-7, were appointed as days of Thanksgiving and prayer by Governor An- dros.
VOTING ENFORCED.
"October 13, 1643. It is ordered that whatsoever matters or Orders shall be referred to the publick vote enery man that is then and there prsent and a Member of the Courte shall give his vote and suffrage eyther against or ffor any such matters and not in any Case to be a neuter."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.