USA > New York > Ulster County > Marlborough > The history of the town of Marlborough, Ulster County, New York: from the first settlement in 1712, by Capt. Wm. Bond, to 1887 > Part 5
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1713-July 13 .- Petition of Francis Harrison and Com- pany, praying for a patent for 5000 acres of land. Page, 167, Vol. V.
1714-JULY 10; VOL. VI .- Certificate of Land Board to Francis Harrison and others for a certain tract of land in Ulster Co., bounded on the North by Andrew ffolks' land and ye ninc Germans families, on the West and South by land unsurveyed, and on the East by Hudson's river, con- taining 5000 acres. Page 48.
JULY 10 .- Warrant for a Patent to Francis Harrison and others for the land last described.
1713-JULY 10 .- Petition of Francis Harrison and Com- pany, praying for a patent for 5000 acres of land. Vol. V. page 170.
1713-VOL. 6; PAGES 6, 8, 9 .- Petition of Francis Harri- son and others for a warrant to the Surveyor General to survey 5000 acres out of the resumed lands formerly granted to Capt. John Evans, with (Nov 23) Report of A. D. Peyster and others of the Council to whom the foregoing petition was referred, recommending the same be granted, and on April 10, 1714, Warrant to the Surveyor General to survey and lay out the land.
1720-MAY 26; VOL. VII .- Petition of Francis Harrison and others for a warrant to survey and lay out for them 5000 acres of land in the County of Ulster, being part of the resumed land of Capt. John Evans, beginning at the S. E. corner of the tract of 10,000 acres lately granted to Jeremiah Schuyler, on the West side of Paltz creek. May 31, report
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of A. DePeyster, of the Council to whom it was referred. June 2-Warrant of a survey for the same.
1723- JUNE 26; VOL. IX .- Certificate to Francis Harri- son for a certain lot of land now in his possession, being his share in an allotment of 5000 acres granted him, in company with Mary Tatham and others, beginning on the West bank of the Hudson river, and containing 1000 acres, together with an undivided fifth part of ye meadow ground called the Dance Chamber, and 315 acres adjoining the West bound of aforesaid tract for highways.
1714-AUG. 26; VOL. VI .- Warrant to the Surveyor Gen- cral to lay out for Lewis Morris and others 5000 acres of land, lying on both sides of Old Man's creek, in Ulster Co., near Hudson's river, being part of ye lands formerly granted to Capt. John Evans.
1715-JUNE 30; VOL. VI .- Petition of Servus ffleraboom, on behalf of Johnnes Johnson and others, children of Peter Johnson, deceased, for 300 acres of land lying North of a small run, which comes into Hudson's river South of the Dance Chamber, being part of the tract formerly granted to Capt. John Evans, lying with the bounds of the land of Francis Harrison and Comp'y, but excepted and reserved out of his patent.
1717-Nov. 20 .- Description of a survey of 300 acres of land lying within the patent granted to Francis Harrison & Co., on the West side of Hudson's river, in the County of Albany (evidently Ulster) near the Dans Chamber, being part of the resumed lands of Capt. John Evans, laid out for the children of Peter Johnson, deceased, by Wm. Bond, Deputy Surveyor, with draught. 179.
1719-AUG. 27; VOL. VII .- Petition of Melcher Gellis, praying a patent for 300 acres of land, being part of the re- assumed land of Capt. John Evans, lying on the West side of Hudson's river, near the Dans Chamber, the said land being comprehended within the limits of the tract granted to Francis Harrison & Comp'y, but excepted and reserved out of their patent. With, Oct. I, Report of A. D. Peyster and others, a committee to whom the same was referred. 68.
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OCT. 8 .- Warrant for a patent to Melcher Gellis for the above mentioned 300 acres, near the Dans Chamber.
1767-FEB. 9; VOL. 33 .- Caveat by Gilbert Purdy against granting any lands in the South part of Ulster Co., between or near the patent of Francis Harrison or James Alexander, to Thomas Palmer, Samuel Fowler or Henry Smith, until the others are heard. Page 28.
FEB. 14; VOL. 33, PAGE 35 .- Petition of Henry Smith, the elder, Samuel Fowler and Isaac Fowler, all of the precinct of Newburgh, in the County of Ulster, praying a grant of all the land above 5600 acres within the bounds of a certain tract granted Francis Harrison and four others in the said county.
1769-APRIL 18; VOL. 25, PAGE 113 .- Petition of John Bel- field, of the precinct of Newburgh, in the County of Ulster, Matthew Van Cura, of Dutchess county, praying the privi- lege of keeping a Ferry over Hudson's river opposite their respective dwelling houses in Ulster and Dutchess County, to the exclusion of all others, for the distance of 5 miles.
1775-DEC. 22; VOL. 35 .- Return of survey for Christo- pher Duyckinck, James Downes, Wm. Butler and William Kennedy, of sundry lots, containing 3275 acres of land in the County of Ulster. (Plattekill and Marlborough, Ulster Co.)
1786-FEB. 21 .- Affidavit of Thomas Palmer and Freder- ick Rhinelander respecting the claim of Solomon Simpson, and his associates to lands in New Marlborough, Ulster Co. Page 54, Vol. 41.
1787-Nov. 19; VOL. 45 .- Abstract of letters patent issued to Lewis Morris, Augustine Graham, Symon Clarke, Henry Wileman, Wm. Bond, Henry Rainer and Alexr. Griggs on the roth Feb'y, 1714, for 3600 acres of land in the County of Ulster, Marlborough. Page 120.
1791 -- Caveat of Anthony Rutgers against granting to any person Wm. Butler's part of lands formerly surveyed for James Lendabetter, Charles Gyles, F. Rhinelander and others in New Marlborough, Ulster Co. Page 71.
1793-JANY. 26 .- Return of survey of 1841 acres of land for Daniel Graham, Marlborough, Ulster Co. Vol. 55, Page 113.
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1793-JANY. 3 .- Notice by Lewis DuBois that he intends to apply for grant of a water lot in New Marlborough, Ulster Co. Vol. 60, Page 154.
1791-JANY. 31 .- Petition of Lewis DuBois for a grant of land under water at New Marlborough, Ulster Co. Vol. 60, Page 156.
1793-MARCH 19 .- Petition of Lewis Du Bois for a grant of the Hats in Hudson river, opposite his property at Old Man's Kill, in New Marlborough, Ulster Co.
Nov. 20 .- Certificate of certain inhabitants named, of the neighborhood of New Marlborough, in favor of the above application. Vol. 60; 157.
Description of the land covered by water of Hudson's river, opposite to the farm of Lewis Du Bois.
APRIL 22 .- Return of a survey for Lewis DuBois of 28 acres of land under water at New Marlborough, and map of the above land. Vol. 60, Page 159.
1796-Feb'y 12 .- Certificate of undersigned inhabitants of the town of Marlborough, in favor of granting the above water lot to Lewis DuBois. Vol. 60 ; 160.
FEB'Y 16 .- Claim of Lewis DuBois for bounty land, as Colonel in the line of this State and in the Army of the United States. Vol. 60; 161.
1767-Nov. 2; VOL. 24 .- Return of survey for Samuel and Isaac Fowler of the surplusage of land contained in a lot now in their possession, being part of a tract of land granted to Francis Harrison and others in the County of Ulster (Newburgh.) [Note .- Sam'l and Isaac Fowler purchased 500 acres, part of the Harrison patent, from Samuel Gomoz, Nov. 6, 1747. Gomoz was a Jew merchant in New York. The creek that runs through Fowler's and Wolfert Acker's land was called Jew's creek. Ruttenber's Hist. of New- burgh.]
1786-VOL. 41 .- Copy of John Barbarie's patent for 2000 acres of land, on the West side of Hudson's river, being part of the lands formerly granted to Capt. John Evans, dated March 24, 1709, Marlborough, Ulster Co. Page 45.
1787-NOV. 19; VOL. 45 .- Abstract of letters patent issued
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to Lewis Morris, Augustine Graham, Symon Clark, Henry Wileman, Wm. Bond, Henry Rainor and Alexr. Griggs on the 10th Feby, 1714, for 3600 acres of land in the County of Ulster, at Marlborough.
1791-AUG. 15 .- Proposal of Dan'l Graham to pay 2 shil- ling an acre for 2400 acres of land in the township of New Marlborough, in the County of Ulster.
1792-JAN'Y 23 .- Proposal of Dan'l Graham to pay 3 shilling an acre for a tract of 2400 acres of land in New Marlborough, Ulster Co.
1793 -- JAN'Y 14 .- Letter of Dan'l Graham to the Commis- sioner of the land office explanatory of his proposal to purchase 2000 acres of vacant land in Ulster Co.
JAN'Y 26. - Return of survey of IS41 acres of land for Dan'l Graham, in Marlborough, Ulster Co.
BILL OF SALE OF A SLAVE.
The following is a copy of a bill of sale of a slave to Josiah Merritt, grandfather of J. C. and P. E. Merritt. The slave referred to was the mother of Figaro Milden, and grand- mother to Jacob and George Milden, of Marlborough.
KNOW all men by these presents that I Joseph Sherwood of the Town of New Burgh County Ulster and State of New York for and in Consideration of the sum of twenty pounds of Current Lawful money to me in hand paid by Josiah Merritt of the Town of Marlborough County and State aforesaid ILAVE granted bargained and sold and by these Presents DO grant bargain and sell unto the sd Josiah Mer- ritt one Negro Girl Named Syl Aged Seventeen years To have and to hold the said Negro unto the sd Josiah Merritt and his Executors Administrators and Assigns for and dur- ing the Natural lile of Her the sd Girl. And I the said Joseph Sherwood for myself my Executors and Adminis- trators unto the sd Josiah Merritt his Executors Adminis- trators and Assigns against me the said Joseph Sherwood
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my Executors Administrators and Assigns shall and will Warrant and Defend by these Presents; In witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Scal this twenty-eighth day of March one thousand seven Hundred and ninety- threc.
JOSEPH SHERWOOD, [L. S.] Scaled & Delivered }
in the presence of ( Sarah Mory, Jacob Degroot.
DEED FROM CHARLES BROWN TO BENJAMIN HARCOURT.
The following extracts from an old deed show how cheap land was in Marlborough in 1828, and give the location of lands owned by several old residents :
This indenture made the twelfth day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight, between Charles Brown and Margaret, his wife, of the town of Marlborough, in the county of Ulster and state of New York, of the first part, and Benjamin Harcourt of the same town, of the second part, witnesseth that the said parties of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of ten thousand dollars lawful money of New York, to them in hand paid, etc., etc., the land described as follows :
Beginning at the west side of the road leading to Lattin- town, and running thence along the land of Frederick Bar- nard, North eighty-seven degrees, East forty-nine chains and forty links to the Northeast correr of the lands hereby in- tended to be conveyed, thence along other lands of the said parties of the first part, South three degrees, West twenty- four chains and seventy-five links to the lands of Guernsey Smith, thence along lands of the said Smith, Allen Lester and John Crook, South eighty-seven degrees, West one hun- dred and forty-six chains to the lands of Josiah Lockwood, thence along the lands of the said Lockwood, John Kniffin and John Cornfield North nineteen degrees. East thirty-
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four chains and forty links to the lands late of James Butter- worth, thence along his lands North seven degrees, East eighty-one chains to a point, thence South nine degrees, East three chains, eighty-six links, thence South sixty-one degrees, East three chains and ten links, thence South eighteen degrees, West one chain and seventy-five links to the place of beginning, containing four hundred and seven acres and one-half of land, be the same more or less, etc., etc.
CILARLES BROWN. Her MARGARET x BROWN.
mark
Signed, sealed and delivered / in the presence of A. D. SOPER.
DEED FROM DRAKES TO MATTHEW WYGANT.
These extracts from an old deed give a few points as to old settlers in Lattintown :
This indenture, made the sixth day of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and one, between William S. and Samuel Drakes and Rebecker and Mary Drakes, of the town of Marlborough, in Ulster county, and state of New York, of the first part, and Matthew Wygan', of the same place, of the second part, witnesseth, that the said partys of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum two thous- and and sixty-two dollars and fifty cents, etc., etc., all that piece or tract of land situate lying and being in the town, county and state aforesaid, being part of a tract of land known and distinguished by the name of the seven patenteen ; being the most southerly division of lot number four ; be- ginning at the Southeast corner thereof of chestnut stump, standing in the fence and stones around it, from thence North thirty-four degrees, East twelve chains and eighty links to a heap of stones set in the line when the said tract was divided by Charles Clinton, Esq., from thence West as the compass pointed when the said tract was first divided,
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one hundred and fifty-five chains to the line of the West end of the said tract, thence along the line Southwest about twelve chains to the Southwest corner of said lot, thence along the line thereof, East one hundred and fifty-three chains to the place of beginning, containing one hundred and seventy- three acres of land, reserving the publick road that leads through said lands, that leads from Lattintown to New- burgh, and also one rod in breadth on the North side from Benjamin Ely's Southeast corner to the main road, which Joseph Mory now uses as his private road. The aforesaid lands are bounded on the East by Joseph Mory, on the North by Joseph Mory, Dr. Benjamin Ely and Levi Quimby, on the West by lands granted by letters patent to Daniel Graham, deceased, and on the South by the lands of Elisha Purdy and Hannah Connell, widow, and Joshua Lounsbury and Silvenus Purdy, etc., etc.
WILLIAM S. DRAKE. SAMUEL DRAKE, Her REBECKER & DRAKE, mark MARY DRAKE.
Sealed and delivered in } the presence of
JOSEPH MORY. MICHAEL WYGANT, JR.
AN ELEGY
On the death of Capt. Annanias Valentine, Thomas Pinkney Isaac Elliot, Jacamiah Cropsey and Leonard Merritt, all re- spectable citizens of the town of Marlborough, who where un- fortunately drowned on the flats in front of the town in attempting to go on shore on Friday morning, December 12, 1800, in a violent storm of wind and rain.
This poem will be recognized by many old residents as one which attained considerable local celebrity in their younger days.
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Come all ye good people, of every degree, And listen with attention one moment to me, For a sorrowful story I mean to relate, Of a mournful disaster that happened of late.
Oh, Marlborough ! tremble at this awful stroke. Consider the voice of Jehovah, that spoke To teach us we're mortals, exposed to death And subject each moment to yield up our breath.
Oh, reader! these coffins exhibit to view A striking example that's mournfully true To show thee that death will be thy certain doom, 'That shortly the body must enter the tomb
On Friday, the twelth of December, so cold, In the year eighteen hundred, as I have been told. The wind blowing high and the rain beating down, A vessel arrived at Marlborough town.
The anchor being cast and their sails stowed away All hands for the shore prepared straight away. Down into the boats soon all did repair, And unto the shore were preparing to steer.
But, mark their sad fortune, mournful indeed ! Yet no man can hinder what God has decreed, For the councils of heaven, on that fatal day, By death in an instant called a number away.
A number of men in their health and their prime Called out of this world in an instant of time. For their boats turning over plunged all in the deep, And five out of seven in death fell asleep.
A vessel at anehor was lying near by, The men in the cabin heard their piercing ery : To grant them relief they hasten with speed, And two of their number from the water were freed.
These sorrowful tidings were carried straightway To their friends and relations without more delay. But, Oh! their lamenting no tongue can express, Nor point out their sorrow, great grief and distress.
Three wives widowed, left in sorrow to mourn The loss of their husbands, no more to return ; Besides a great number of orphans, we hear, Lamenting the fate of their parents so dear.
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Also a young damsel left mourning alone For the untimely death of her lover that's gone : For the day of their nuptials appointed had been In the bonds of sweet wedlock these lovers to join.
Yet, alas! their lamentings are all in vain. Their husbands are drowned, they can't them regain. Their friends and relations came now too late, The conneil of heaven had sealed their fate.
Their bodies being found were all conveyed home And the Sabbath day following prepared for the tomb. Their bodies in their coffins were laid side by side In Marlborough meeting house alley so wide.
A numerous concourse of people straightway Attended with sorrow on that mournful day. To see the remains of the neighbors so dear, And join their relations in a friendly tear.
A sermon was preached on the occasion also. While the people attended with a solemn awe, To see such a number by death snatched away, Who all lay before them as lifeless as clay.
The sermon being ended the corpses were conveyed. And in the cold caverns of earth they were laid, Where now we must leave them to molder to dust. Until the resurrection of the just and unjust.
To the widows and mourners o'erwhelmed with grief : May you all trust in God, who will grant yon relief. He'll ease all your sorrows and soothe all your pain. And finally take you to glory to reign.
Come all that are living and know you must die. I pray you take warning by this tragedy. That when death shall call you and close up your eyes, Your sonis may be happy with Christ in the skies.
PRECINCT MEETINGS,
The following extracts from the early records of the New- burgh Precinct meetings, will be of interest, as Marlborough was then included in the territory, and a number of first set- tler's names will be found in the record :
At a Precinct meeting at the house of Capt. Jonathan Hasbrouck, for the precinct of Newburgh, the first Tuesday in April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hun- dred and sixty-three, according to an act of Assembly for that purpose.
Samuel Sands, Clerk.
Capt. Jonathan Hasbrouck, Supervisor.
Richard Harker, Jesse Windfield, Samuel Wiatt, Assess- ors.
David Gidney, Constable.
Henry Smith, Collector.
Joseph Gidney, Benjamin Woolsey, Poor Masters.
John McCrary, John Wandal, Burras Holmes; Isaac Fow- ler, Humphrey Merritt, Thomas Woolsey, Path Masters.
Nathan Purdy, Isaac Fowler, Fence Viewers and Apprais- ers of Damages.
Lenard Smith chose to collect the quit rent, the patent he now lives on.
Then adjorned to the house of Capt. Jonathan Hasbrouck. 1764 .- The town officers were :
Samuel Sands, Clerk.
Lewis Du Bois, Supervisor.
Nehemiah Denton, Henry Tarbush, Peter Ostrander, As- sessors.
Samuel Winslow, Constable and Collector.
Daniel Thurstern, Michael Demott, Poor Masters.
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Cornelius Wood, Martin Wygant, Leonard Smith, Henry Smith, Gilbert Denton, Edward Hallock, Benjamin Carpen- ter, Path Masters.
Samuel Sprague, Henry Smith, Jehiel Clark, David Purdy, Isaac Fowler, Pounders.
1767 .- Silas Wood, Constable, to take his fees from Isaac Smith's house.
1768 .- It is agreed on by Stephen Case and Micajah Lewis, candidates for Constable, than whoever of them is chosen Constable for the year ensuing, that they will appoint two deputies to serve under them, such as shall be agrecable to the inhabitants, such deputies to have full fees for what they serve, and shall be obliged to give the Constable surety, etc., and shall serve his turn in tending our General Court.
1769 .- Voted, at annual meeting, that the sum of £30 be raised for the support of the poor for the year ensuing. That Martin Weygant be Pounder for the German patent and all adjoining.
1771 .- Rule first, voted, as an encouragement to all suc- ceeding Poor masters, the more faithfully to discharge their duty in their office, by preventing all unnecessary charges and needless costs on the inhabitants of the Precinct, and also a reward for their good service, we freely vote them the sum of fro each, etc.
Rule Third .- That no Poor master for the time being shall for any cause whatever, relieve or cause to be relieved, or made chargeable, any . person or persons whatever, that may by law be transported, or any private person can be made accountable for according to law, on pain of perjury, and making themselves liable to pay all such charges, and forfeit to the use of the poor twenty shillings and charges of prosecution, to be recovered before any of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, etc.
1772 .- And it is voted, that the Assessors shall have for their serving the sum of $14 each, provided they go toevery man's house and make the enquiry of their substance, and they are not excused of working on the road.
£30 voted to support the poor.
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1773 --- Voted that $50 be raised to support the poor, and Poor masters have £210.
1777 .--- Voted fioo be raised for the poor.
1778 .- Voted that any person that shall take cattle to keep on the commons of this Precinct, from persons out of another Precinct, shall be subject to be assessed for them, etc.
Voted that the donations collected in this Precinct be applied to such poor whose husbands or parents were either killed or taken prisoners at Fort Montgomery, etc.
TOWN MEETINGS.
The precinct of New Marlborough was set off from New- burgh March 12, 1772, and the precinct became a town by act of the legislature March 7, 1788. Consequently the meetings were called precinct meetings between those dates, and since then town .meetings. Plattekill was represented at these meetings prior to 1800. The first precinct meeting was held at the house of Henry Deyo, April 7, 1772. At this meeting Abijah Perkins was chosen clerk ; supervisor, Lewis DuBois; Assessors, John Yonge, Jacob Wood, Mar- cus Ostrander ; poormasters, Robert Merritt, Joseph Mory : commissioners, Richard Woolsey, Durmee Relyca ; pounder, Silas Purdy ; fence viewers, Caleb Merritt, Richard Carpen- ter; pathmasters, Gabriel Merritt, James Quimby, Jacob Wood, Samuel Merritt, Henry Deyo; constable, William Martin. '
The second precinct meeting was held at Richard Carpen- ter's, April 6, 1773. At this time the first road districts were laid out. These original districts were again divided in 1779.
In 1776 the precinct meeting was held at Silas Purdy's inn. The first meeting after the precinct became a town was held April 7, 1778, when $125 were voted for the poor, and " also to collect this year for the last two years Rearages," amount- ing to $70. At this meeting it was also "Voted that John
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1
Davis, last year's collector, be paid sixteen pounds for bad money he lost in the county treasury, out of the poor fund."
At the town meeting held in Lattintown April 4, 1780, it was voted that collector this year be paid a bad thirty dollar bill out of the first spare poor money.
In 1785 the meeting voted that road No. 2 from Lattin- town " somewhere along by Moses Quimby's, up to the Paltz precinct, be known as No. 26."
The easy manner in which collectors were remunerated for bad bills, seems to have caused several dishonest free- holders to try to take advantage of the easy methods, and swear they had paid their tax when such was not the case, for May 29, 1790, the following was passed: " Voted, that the town in general shall pay no taxes for any individual in particular who pretends to have paid theirs twice over."
The town granted its first liquor licenses in 1792, the price being £2 each. The following took out licenses: David Merritt, Jacob Powell, Thomas Mott, Daniel Crawford, Chris. Ostrander, Ebenezer Foote, Caleb Merritt, William Ostrander and Rich'd Lewis.
April 2, 1793, it was " Voted, unanimously, that the dog tax be finally disaunulled."
In 1794 David Merritt was town clerk. He was the first to hold that office who wrote a respectable hand, and, his penmanship in the town records is very good.
April 7, 1795, the town " Vouted that the supposed wile of and is not the wife of Robert Gilmore to be transported and not to be chargeable any more to the town of Marlborough."
April 5, 1796, at the town meeting, " Voted, that all inn- holders of the town or tavernke pers shall pay the excise moneys down or No i be permitted to retail Spiritus Lick- wor." Also " Voted, no liquor shall be sold at the next town meeting and no Hors racing shal Be don under the Penalty of five pounds finc."
In 1799 it was " Voted, that our next annual town meeting be held at the house of Benajah and Samuel Wright, in Pleasant Valley, and by an agreement between the people on the West side of the mountains and those on the East
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side, the town meeting is to be held alternately on the West and East side," the Supervisor to be chosen from the side where held.
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