Lot: Jan Jansen Damen Farm (Original Grants and Farms)

Lot
Jan Jansen Damen Farm
Lot Group
Original Grants and Farms
Property Was Used in 1660 For:
Full Stokes Entry (See images below)
THE JAN JANSEN DAMEN FARM (8: Plantage van Out Jan. Manatus Maps) Block Check List. 50-80-52-81-46-84-40-42.

Jan Jansen Damen seems to have been in possession of this farm, on both sides of the road, for which he afterward procured a grant, earlier than April 19, 1638.

At that time he leased from the West India Co. two parcels of land south of his own land. The description of the leased land is rather vague, but interesting. "The larger of which has thus far been used by the blacks and is situated on the east of the road, [being bounded] on the north by the said Jan Damen, on the south by the esplanade of the fort, and on the east by Philip de Truy; and the smaller situated to the north of the company's garden and to the south of the said Jan Damen, extending from the road to the river:" See Chronology, and authorities there quoted. See Key to Manatus Maps, II: 190.

The leased land west of the road may be easily identified. It was granted to Cornelis Groesens, Jan. 10, 1645. The parcel east of the road bounded (generally) south by the esplanade of the fort, and east by Phihp de Truy, cannot be so well defined.

Although Philippe du Trieux is known to have been a very early settler, he is not noted on Manatus. He is said to have had a small grant on the north side of the Bevers Gracht. — Block C, lot 15, Map of Dutch Grants.

April 25, 1644, D.amen procured a ground-brief, not for these leased parcels, but for the land to the north of them, already in his possession. This patent (Liber GG: 91, Albany) is fully set forth in Key to Map of Dutch Grants, II: 407. It was confirmed as follows:

Richard Nicolls, Governour, etc., to Creditors and Heirs of Jan Jansen Damen. Confirmation dated Oct. 3, 1667. — Liber Patents, II: no (Albany).

Recites ground-brief Kieft to Damen, April 2J, 1644.

Desc. same as in ground-brief "Out of which there have been several transports," now, Damen having died, the remainder is confirmed to his creditors and heirs.

The Damen heirs sold land west of Broadway, south of Fulton St., and north of a line nearly midway between Dey and Cortlandt Sts., to Dirck Siecken, by the following deed.

Jan Vingie to Dirck Siecken. Deed dated Feb. 25, 1672/3. —"Original Book of New York Deeds, 1673-75," in Coll., N. Y. Hist. Soc. (1913), 5.

Conveys "a Certaine parcel! of Land Lying & being on this Island manhatans, without this Citty Land Gate, on the westside of the highway, haveing on the northside his Royal Hignesses farme, and on the southside the Land of Olof Stevensz. Contain: in breadth before & behind Eighteene Rod & 7/10 part of a Rod, In lenght from the highway to the waterside; as more at Large doth appeare by the prcipal deed of sale Signed by the sd: 'Jan Vingie in the prsence of the alderm: Olof Stevensz & the Secretary N: Bayard ..."

The original deed is in the Alexander Papers in the N. Y. Hist. Soc.

Dirck Siecken was later known as Dirck Jansen Dey. In the Alexander papers are many original documents relating to the Dey family, also two original maps. The first, dated Oct. 24, 1730, is an outline survey of the property conveyed by Jan Vinge, above. The superscription reads: "Cornelius Lodge Surveyor, his Certificate of the Survey of Tunis Dey's Lott in the broadway. 12/." The second map (now in a portfolio of original maps) is the survey by Francis Maerschalck, May 5, 1748. It shows the farm with streets and lot numbers.

The Damen heirs sold the tract immediately south of the Dey parcel to OlofF Stevensen van Cortlandt, Sept. 18, 1669. — Book oJ Records oJ Deeds &? Transfers (1665-1672), 157, in city clerk's oifice. New York.

The Van Cortlandt land was bounded east by Broadway, west by the Hudson River. When Cortlandt St. was laid out, it divided the tract almost equally.

The. remainder of the Damen farm west of Broadway, and a large irregular parcel east of Broadway, north to Maiden Lane, vested in Maj. William Dyre. The deed to him has not been found, nor is it recited in his conveyance of the same property to Thomas Lloyd, April 23, 16S6 [Liber Deeds, XIII: 202 New York).

The Damen farm house is shown on the Castello Plan. It was east of Broadway, at Cedar St. See Vol. II: 338-39.