Lot
John Watts Estate
Lot Group
Original Grants and Farms
Property Was Used in 1660 For:
Original Grants and Farms Document(s)
Grant Lot Document(s)
Tax Lot Events
Full Stokes Entry (See images below)
THE JOHN WATTS ESTATE (Rose Hill)
Block Check List. 852-886-910-954-902-904-849-852.
The Watts farm was originally part of the Stuyvesant lands.
This tract fell to the share of Anna Pritchard, daughter of Nicholas William Stuyvesant, after a partition between herself and her brother, Gerardus Stuyvesant, April 20, 1742. — Lamb, Hist, of the City of N. Y., I: 654, note.
In the spring of 1746, the tract was advertised for sale:
"To BESoLD,"The following Lots of Land and Meadow, viz.:
"[Parcel I.) One Lot of Land adjoining to Kipsborough and fronting the King's Highway, having a very convenient Landing on the East River, being about two Miles out of Town, very commodious for a Gentleman's Country-Seat or Farmer, containing One Hundred and Thirty-one Acres; to which belongs a Swamp stored with Wood, which if cleared may be made good Meadow-Land; with a convenient Landing to the East River. [Then follows description of certain other parcels.) .•^n indisputable Title will be given by Anna Pritchard, living at the Widow Brevoort's, near the French Church. Any Person inclinable to purchase the Whole or any Part, may apply to the said .'^nna, and know the Conditions of Sale." — X. Y. Post-Boy, Mr 31, 1746 (No. 167).
Anne Pritchard, of the city of New York, widow, to James Delancey ("for the use and behoof of John Watts"). Deeds of lease and release, dated June 23, 24, 1746. Not found of record; recited in an old abstract in the possession of the author.
Conveys "All that certain lot or tract of land, bounded northerly by the King's Highway, leading from the City of New York to Harlem, easterly by land belonging to Samuel Kipp, southerly by the East river, and land belonging to Gerardus Stuyvesant, westerly by Charles Dawson's land and the highway aforesaid. Beginning at a great stone on the east side of the said highway marked and runs thence
along a row of pear trees, south 46°, east 10 ch. and 30 links, thence south 25°, west 3 ch. and 45 links, thence south 60° 30' east to the corner of a fence where three great stones lie in an angle 8 ch. and n links, thence south 69° 15' east 32 ch. and 10 links to the east river, thence north 36° and 30', east 3 ch. to a rocky point near a small meadow; thence north 9 ch. over said meadow, thence north 10°, west 2 ch., thence north 19°, west 5 ch. thence north 18° and 15', west 2 ch., thence north 4°, 30', east 2 ch., thence north 3° and 30', east 5 ch., thence north 7° east 6 ch., thence north 50° and 30', west 5 ch. and 67 links, thence north 3° and 30', west 8 ch. to the corner of Samuel Kipp's land by his gate, thence along the highway, south 86° and 30', west 6 ch. and 40 links, thence south 73° and 15', west 14 ch. and 40 links, thence south 70°, west 14 chains, thence south 21 ° and 30', west 2 ch. and 33 links, thence south 18°, west 4 ch. to the great stone set up by the fence at the place of beginning, containing 131 acres, 2 rods and 15 perches."
James Delancey, of the city of New York, Esq., to Johk Watts, of the said city of New York, merchant. Deeds of lease and release, dated Nov. 12-13, 1747. Not found of record; recited in an old abstract of title in the possession of the author. Consid., £700.
Conveys same premises.
The Watts estate, as pictured on the Ratzer Map, must have been a delightful country home. From the Post Road a long driveway led to the mansion house. On either side of the driveway was an orchard flanked by fields and woodland. Behind the mansion, a formal garden in the old style. The house shown on the Ratzer Map (built after 1747) was destroyed by fire, Sept. 28, 1779. — See Chronology.
Undoubtedly "the elegant dwelling house 50 by 37 feet" which, with the farm of 92 acres, was advertised for sale Feb. I, 1790, had been built on the same site. This house is shown on the Randel Map on the north side of 24th St., 170 ft. west of Second Ave. The long driveway is not on the Randel Map, but the circular gateway where it ended at the Post Road is still shown on Map 26, register's office (New York).
By an act of the legislature of New York, passed Oct. 23, 1779 {Laws of N. Y., 1779, chap. 25), John Watts, Sr. was attainted of treason and his estates were forfeited to the people of the state of New York and vested in them. By an act passed May 12, 1784 {ibid., 1784, chap. 64), the commissioners of forfeiture were authorized to release this farm to Robert Watts and John Watts, Jr.
Isaac Stoutenburgh and Philip van Cortlandt, commissioners of forfeiture, to Robert Watts and John Watts, Jr. Commissioners' deed dated June 16, 1784. — Liber Forfeited Estates, \\: I.
Conveys farm in the Out Ward formerly belonging to John Watts, Sr., and by him forfeited.
Robert Watts and Mary, his wife, to John Watts, Jr. Release dated Feb. 20, \-]%b.— Liber Deeds, CCLXV: 488 (New York).
Releases one moiety or half part of above premises.
The triangular lot north of the road, shown on Map 26, was not part of the Rose Hill Farm. It was a lot of the Common Lands, and was conveyed by the city to Nicholas Cruger in 1797.— /Wrf., CXXXIII: 58.
•On a copy of this map the streets and avenues were plotted by Edwin Smith, June 12, 1834.
Block Check List. 852-886-910-954-902-904-849-852.
The Watts farm was originally part of the Stuyvesant lands.
This tract fell to the share of Anna Pritchard, daughter of Nicholas William Stuyvesant, after a partition between herself and her brother, Gerardus Stuyvesant, April 20, 1742. — Lamb, Hist, of the City of N. Y., I: 654, note.
In the spring of 1746, the tract was advertised for sale:
"To BESoLD,"The following Lots of Land and Meadow, viz.:
"[Parcel I.) One Lot of Land adjoining to Kipsborough and fronting the King's Highway, having a very convenient Landing on the East River, being about two Miles out of Town, very commodious for a Gentleman's Country-Seat or Farmer, containing One Hundred and Thirty-one Acres; to which belongs a Swamp stored with Wood, which if cleared may be made good Meadow-Land; with a convenient Landing to the East River. [Then follows description of certain other parcels.) .•^n indisputable Title will be given by Anna Pritchard, living at the Widow Brevoort's, near the French Church. Any Person inclinable to purchase the Whole or any Part, may apply to the said .'^nna, and know the Conditions of Sale." — X. Y. Post-Boy, Mr 31, 1746 (No. 167).
Anne Pritchard, of the city of New York, widow, to James Delancey ("for the use and behoof of John Watts"). Deeds of lease and release, dated June 23, 24, 1746. Not found of record; recited in an old abstract in the possession of the author.
Conveys "All that certain lot or tract of land, bounded northerly by the King's Highway, leading from the City of New York to Harlem, easterly by land belonging to Samuel Kipp, southerly by the East river, and land belonging to Gerardus Stuyvesant, westerly by Charles Dawson's land and the highway aforesaid. Beginning at a great stone on the east side of the said highway marked and runs thence
along a row of pear trees, south 46°, east 10 ch. and 30 links, thence south 25°, west 3 ch. and 45 links, thence south 60° 30' east to the corner of a fence where three great stones lie in an angle 8 ch. and n links, thence south 69° 15' east 32 ch. and 10 links to the east river, thence north 36° and 30', east 3 ch. to a rocky point near a small meadow; thence north 9 ch. over said meadow, thence north 10°, west 2 ch., thence north 19°, west 5 ch. thence north 18° and 15', west 2 ch., thence north 4°, 30', east 2 ch., thence north 3° and 30', east 5 ch., thence north 7° east 6 ch., thence north 50° and 30', west 5 ch. and 67 links, thence north 3° and 30', west 8 ch. to the corner of Samuel Kipp's land by his gate, thence along the highway, south 86° and 30', west 6 ch. and 40 links, thence south 73° and 15', west 14 ch. and 40 links, thence south 70°, west 14 chains, thence south 21 ° and 30', west 2 ch. and 33 links, thence south 18°, west 4 ch. to the great stone set up by the fence at the place of beginning, containing 131 acres, 2 rods and 15 perches."
James Delancey, of the city of New York, Esq., to Johk Watts, of the said city of New York, merchant. Deeds of lease and release, dated Nov. 12-13, 1747. Not found of record; recited in an old abstract of title in the possession of the author. Consid., £700.
Conveys same premises.
The Watts estate, as pictured on the Ratzer Map, must have been a delightful country home. From the Post Road a long driveway led to the mansion house. On either side of the driveway was an orchard flanked by fields and woodland. Behind the mansion, a formal garden in the old style. The house shown on the Ratzer Map (built after 1747) was destroyed by fire, Sept. 28, 1779. — See Chronology.
Undoubtedly "the elegant dwelling house 50 by 37 feet" which, with the farm of 92 acres, was advertised for sale Feb. I, 1790, had been built on the same site. This house is shown on the Randel Map on the north side of 24th St., 170 ft. west of Second Ave. The long driveway is not on the Randel Map, but the circular gateway where it ended at the Post Road is still shown on Map 26, register's office (New York).
By an act of the legislature of New York, passed Oct. 23, 1779 {Laws of N. Y., 1779, chap. 25), John Watts, Sr. was attainted of treason and his estates were forfeited to the people of the state of New York and vested in them. By an act passed May 12, 1784 {ibid., 1784, chap. 64), the commissioners of forfeiture were authorized to release this farm to Robert Watts and John Watts, Jr.
Isaac Stoutenburgh and Philip van Cortlandt, commissioners of forfeiture, to Robert Watts and John Watts, Jr. Commissioners' deed dated June 16, 1784. — Liber Forfeited Estates, \\: I.
Conveys farm in the Out Ward formerly belonging to John Watts, Sr., and by him forfeited.
Robert Watts and Mary, his wife, to John Watts, Jr. Release dated Feb. 20, \-]%b.— Liber Deeds, CCLXV: 488 (New York).
Releases one moiety or half part of above premises.
The triangular lot north of the road, shown on Map 26, was not part of the Rose Hill Farm. It was a lot of the Common Lands, and was conveyed by the city to Nicholas Cruger in 1797.— /Wrf., CXXXIII: 58.
•On a copy of this map the streets and avenues were plotted by Edwin Smith, June 12, 1834.
