Lot: Meadows Beyond Corlaers Hook (Original Grants and Farms)

Lot
Meadows Beyond Corlaers Hook
Lot Group
Original Grants and Farms
Property Was Used in 1660 For:
Full Stokes Entry (See images below)
THE MEADOWS BEYOND CORLAERS HOOK

A. The Abijah Hammond Meadow.

B. The Brown and Eckford Meadow.

Between the north line of Corlaer's Hook and the south line of Bouwery No. 2, at Burnt Mill Point, four parcels of salt meadow, each containing about eleven acres, were surveyed off in very early days and apportioned to four bouweries, that all should have the necessary salt hay for the cattle. These meadows had to be taken wherever found, often at some distance from the farm. The method of allotting such meadows is explained by Riker, Hist, of Harlem, 192.

In accordance with ancient Dutch custom, the ditches between the meadows were run at right angles to the stream, insuring equal riparian rights.

The most southerly meadow in the range belonged to Bouwery No. 6. It was divided equally between the owners of that farm. The south one half passed to Hermanus Rutgers. See the Rutgers farm.

The northerly one half finally vested in Abijah Hammond, as follows:

A. Abijah Hammond's Meadow

Block Check List. 373-362-360-373.

When Francina Herman, as attorney for Augustine Herman, conveyed his one-half interest in Bouwery No. 6 to Wolphert Webber and Hendrick Cornelissen, Jan. 10, 1685, she expressly excepted this piece of salt meadow. (See Rutgers farm.)

The city of New York gave a confirmatory deed as follows:

The Mayor, et al., to Francina Herman. Quit-cLaim deed dated Sept. I, 1687. — Liber City Grants, A: 48 (compt. office. New York).

Quit-Claims premises described in patent to Col. Bayard below.

No deed has been found of record into Nicholas Bayard, who procured a confirmatory patent as follows:

Benjamin Fletcher, Governour, etc., to Coll. Nicholas Bayard. Patent, dated June 21, 1697. — Liber Patents, VII: 130 (Albany).

Desc: (Second Parcel) As Also a certain parcel of Meadow Ground situate, lying and being &c. "Beginning Near the Bank of Upland Commonly Called Corlaers Hooke at a Stone Sett in the Ground and Runns by Stake Sett in the Ground E. & by S. two and fifteen minutes [sic] E'ly 88 r. to the River which runs from our City of New York to a place called Hellgate; thence alongst the River side measured on a Streight Line S. & by W. 7° 45' W'ly 12 r. to a Stake sett by the Banke; thence by Stakes sett in the ground W. by N. 15' W'ly 84 r. to the upland and so as the upland Runns N'ly to the place where first bcgunn, being Bounded to the N. by the land of Collonell Stevanus Cortlandt; to the E. by the River; to the S. by the Meadow belonging to Hendryck Cornelinsen [sic] and to the

W. by the Upland belonging to Mr. Henricus Selyns. Containing 5 Acres and fi and 24 r."

Nicholas Bayard to Abijah Hammond. Deed dated June 25, 1793. — Liber Deeds, CLXI: 324 (New' York). Consid., £450.

Conveys property in the 7th ward of the City of New York; bounded north by meadow land belonging to the heirs of Henry Rutgers, formerly belonging to Stephen van Cortlandt; east by the East River; south by meadow of the heirs of Henry Rutgers; west by upland of Petrus Stuyvesant; being in front 24 r.; from front to river on each end, 80 r. Along the East River, 24 r. Containing 12 acres.

B. The Brown and Eckford Meadow Block Check List. 387-364-362-387.

The most northerly meadow in the range belonged to Corlaers Hook and passed to James De Lancey. See the De Lancey farm.

The two central meadows belonged to the Dutch West India Company. They remained the property of the government until the surrender in 1664.

One of these meadows, always appurtenant to the old Company's Bouwery, passed with it to Trinity Church. Its subsequent history, until Petrus Stuyvesant bought it, will be found with the Stuyvesant farm.

The other meadow of the Company, which belonged to Bouwery No. 8, vested in Eckford and Brown in 1815, as follows:

When Bouwery No. 8 was sold (presumably to Augustine Hermans who was confirmed in it), this meadow did not go with it.

In 1662 Thomas Hall was the lessee of the Company's meadow; Wolphert Webber was privileged to cut the salt hay from the Hermans meadow. Their bitter controversy is set forth in detail in Rec. N. Am., IV: 13 1-7.

Francis Lovelace, Governour, etc., to Isaack Bedloo. Grant., undated — 1669 or 1670. — Liber Patents, III: 97 (Albany).

Conveys land "Lying and being behinde Curlers Hooke being bounded on ye one syde W. & by N. by the Creek, E. by the Ryver commonly called East River; on the other side W. & by N. by ye land belonging to Augustine Hermans & running N. N. W. by the fence & by the Creeke to an Angle Containing 22 Acres or thereabouts W^J^ said Valley or Meadow Ground did heretofore belong to the West Indya Company & now is in the Disposall of his Royall Highness, to ye end some good improvement may be made thereof & for other good Causes & Considerations mee thereunto moving KNOW yee &c. ... do Ratifye, Confirme & Grant unto Isaac Bedloo of this City, Merch' . . . the one Moyety or halfe of the above recited Valley or Meadow Ground & Premisses w'^'' containes about 1 1 Acres, that is to say soe much of the said meadow as lyes W. & by N. by ye Land of Augustine Hermans & N. N. W. by ye fFence."

No connection has been found between Isaac Bedlow and Stephanus van Cortlandt who obtained the following patent.

Benjamin Fletcher, Governour, etc., to Stephanus van Cortlandt. Patent, dated June 2, 1697. — Liber Patents, VII: 114 (Albany).

Conveys, with other premises, "a Lott of Meadow lying and being scituate within our said City behinde the land of Nicholas Stuyvesant upon the East River being Bounded on the east by the said River, on the south by [of] the Meadow belonging to our farme within our said City and on the west by the land of the aforesaid Nicholas Stuyvesant, and on the north by [of] the Meadow of Coll. Nicholas Bayard, Containing 1 1 Acres. With buildings, messuages, tenements," etc.

William Skinner and Elizabeth, his wife, daughter of Stephanus van Cortlandt, deed., to Hermanus Rutgers. Deed dated Sept. 21, 1733. — Liber Deeds, XXXIII: 29 (New York). Consid., £75.

Conveys same premises.

Henry Rutgers, heir and devisee of Hendrick. Rutgers, deed.; Anna Bancker, Mary McCrea, daus. and devisees of Hendrick Rutgers, deed.; Henry Bedlow, son and heir of Catharine Bedlow, deed., a dau. and devisee of Hendrick Rutgers, deed.; John Beekman and Mary E. G., his wife, dau. and heiress of Catharine Bedlow, deed.; John Player Crosby, William Bedlow Crosby, grandsons and heirs of said Catharine Bedlow, deed, to Thomas Ten Eyck. Deed dated Feb. 4, i%o^.— Liber Deeds, LXVIII: 212 (New York). Consid., 15,172.50.

Conveys, with other premises, same as preceding instrument.

Thomas Ten Eyck and Margaret, his wife, to Henry Rutgers. Deed dated Feb. 14, 1804. — Liber Deeds, LXVIII: 215 (New York). Consid., 15,172.50.

Conveys, with other premises, a parcel bounded east by the East River; south by Abijah Hammond; west by Nicholas Stuyvesant; north by John Watts, being same as preceding instrument.

There is an original survey of the Rutgers meadows, dated April, 1814, by Bridges and Poppleton, in the N. Y. Hist. Soc.

Henry Rutgers to Henry Eckford and Adam Brown. Deed dated Aug. 30, 1815. — Liber Deeds, CXI: 541 (New York).

Conveys same meadow. Recites Map by Bridges & Poppleton, April, 1814.