Lot: John Kingston Farm (Original Grants and Farms)

THE JOHN KINGSTON FARM

Block Check List. 167-162-160-166-167.

This farm comprised two small grants. The first to Paulus Schrick; the second to William Beeckman.

North of the Highway (Chatam St., Park Row). East of the stream of the Fresh Water, which crossed the road at the present Pearl St.

First —

A. The Grant to Paulus Schwck

Petrus Stuyvesant, Director, etc., to Paulus Schrick. Ground-brief dated Oct. 7, 1653. Not found of record, recited in Liier Patents, II: 154 (Albany).

Conveys land "lying and being just on to'thr side of ye fresh water between the Bowery then belonging to William Beekman and said Fresh Water, beginning from the Pond of fresh water near the Bridge upon the common highway and extending to the mark set by appointment and consent of Cornelys van Tienhoven, fiscal!, continuing in length till it comes over against (i e., opposite to) the house of Wolphert Webber, 50 rods and from thence alongst the common wagonway in breadth 13 rods and ^ a rod [should be 2o}4]; then between the Bowery of the said William Beekman and the land of the said Paulus Schryck to the Pond of the fresh water aforesaid, its in length 60 rod and in breadth behind 44 rods, amounting in all to about 5 Acres or 2 morgen and }4 and 95 rods."

Paulus Schrick, by his attorney, Augustine Herman, to Do. Johannes Megapolensis and Cornelis van Ruyven. Deed dated Sept. I, 1662. Not found of record: recited in Lil>er Deeds, XXXVI: 486 (New York).

Richard Nicolls, Governour, etc., to Do. Johannes Megapolensis and Cornelis van Ruyven. Confirmation dated Jan. 15, 1667/8. — Liber Patents, II: 154 (Albany).

Confirms land described in the ground-brief.

Next —

B. The Grant to William Beeckman

Petrus Stuyvesant, Director, etc., to William Beeckman. Ground-brief dated June 20, 1656. — Liber HH-i: 55 (Albany).

Conveys "A lot lying beyond the Fresh Water, whereon his house now stands. Is in breadth on the road on south 30^ r. and on north adjoining Augustyn Heermans, 44 r. and on east adjoining Thomas Hal (Hall) 27 r., 7 feet and on west adjoining Paulus Schrick, 42 r."

William Beekman to Do. Johannes Megapolensis and Cornelys van Ruyven. Deed dated April 15, 1661. Not found of record; recited in Liber Patents, II: 153 (Albany).

Conveys same premises.

Richard Nicolls, Governour, etc., to Do. Johannes Megapolensis and Cornelys van Ruyven. Confirmation dated Jan. 15, 1667/8. — Liber Patents, II: 153 (Albany).

Confirms premises described in ground-brief.

Megapolensis died late in 1669. Cornelis van Ruyven was his son-in-law. — Vol. II: 218.

Cornelis van Ruyven and Wolfort Webber. Articles of agreement dated Jan. 26, 1670. Cons. 2100 guilders.

Cornelis van Ruyven bargains and sells to Wolfert Webber all the lands granted by the two "English Patents." — "All title now vested in Wolfert Webber."

Cornelis van Ruyven to Wolfert Webber. Deed dated Sept. 9, 1673.

Deed of confirmation.

Wolfert Webber to Philip Minthorne. Deed dated July 22, 1699. "For a Lott of Land near fresh Water (part of the above granted Land) therein particularly set forth and described. In consideration of his Intermarriage with said Webber's daughter."

Wolfert Webber to Jacques Fountain. Deed dated July 22, 1699. "For another lot adjoining the above, in Consideration of his Intermarriage with said Webber's daughter."

Wolfert Webber to Philip Minthorne. Deed dated April 2, 1706. "Another Lott adjoining his former Lott."

Wolfert Webber to Jacques Fountain. Deed dated April 25, 1706. "Lott adjoining his other Lott."

Jacques Fontaine of Bushwick, married Anna, daughter of Wolfert Webbers, May 20, 1689. — Marriages in the Ref. Dutch Ch., 66.

Wolfert Webber to Philip Minthorne. Deed dated Oct. 19, 1713. Cons. £200.

Conveys {inter alia) "All his place at Fresh Water by meets and bounds therein Particularly set forth and described (being the remainder of the land Granted by the aforesaid 2 Patents)."

Jacques Fountain to Philip Minthorne. Deed dated May 5, 1715. Cons. £30.

Conveys "Both the Lotts granted by Wolfert Webber to said Jacques Fountain."

Last will and testament of Philip Minthorne devising, inter alia, his house and land at Fresh Water after the decease of his wife, to his son John Minthorne. Will dated Jan. 16, 1726.

Last will and testament of John Minthorne. Appointing his wife, Jannetie Minthroen, and Johannes van Duersen, his executors. Will dated March 20, 1749/50.

None of the deeds in this chain of title has been found of record: they are all recited in Liber Deeds, XXXVI: (New York), 486.

Philip Minthorne, second of his name in New Amsterdam, married Hillegonde, daughter of Wolfert Webbers, July ig, 1696. — Marriages in Ref. Dutch Ch., 83. Their second son, Johannes, was baptised, March 6, 1706. — Baptisms, Ref. Dutch Ch., 314.

Philip Minthorne died between Nov. 21, 1728, when he attended a meeting of the common council, and Jan. 10, 1728/9, the next meeting, when he was spoken of as deceased. — M. C. C, III: 459,464.

His will, recited above, is not of record.

The will of John Minthorne, yeoman, dated March 20, 1750, proved Feb. 6, 1751, left all his personal estate to his wife; certain lots to his daughters Hillegunt and Janetje. "My executors to sell all the rest of my lands." — Liber Wills, XVII: 308 (New York).

Jacob Read, Tailor, and wife Jannetje, formerly widow of John Minthorne deed, executrix, Johannes van Duersen, Cordwainer, Executor of John Minthorne, deed., to John Kingston, blacksmith. Deed dated Nov. 21, 1751. — Liber Deeds, XXXVI: 486 (New York).

Conveys 12 acres, 1 rods, 31 perches of land. "As in and by a Certain Draft or Chart hereunto annexed it doth and may more fully and at large appear relation being had thereto."

There is now no map annexed to the deed. Doubtless the book has been rebound more than once since 1751. The map may have been lost or destroyed.

John Kingston married Jane Elsworth, April 19, 1733. — Marriages in Ref. Dutch Ch., 156. Before November, 1751, she had married Jacob Read.

The foregoing deed is not set forth in full, reference being made to the original record. The description, which is long, was evidently drawn from a survey.

In the office of the register of New York County there is a map entitled — "The Kingston Draught By Francis Maerschalck, C. S. Lands Purchased by John Kingston from the Executors of John Minthorne Deed. Nov. 2ist 1751. (See L. 36 C. P. 486.)

"The Lots as numbered represent approximately the Conveyances as made by the Kingston Draught"

Note: "Reindexing Department Map Division Compiled & Drawn by C. W. Butler, March, 1913.

"Approved J. B. Gill, Chief Surveyor."

In a portfolio of maps in the N. Y. Hist. Soc. there is a map of the Kingston farm showing the streets cut through, the blocks laid out into lots. On the margin, the deed of release of these streets, verbatim.

The map has this superscription — "New York, December 13, 1751. A plan of a parcel of Ground belonging to Mr. John Kingston, first John Minthorn, Deceased, Surveyed and laid out into Lots of Ground for said Kingston by Lawrence Letslier [Le Tellier] Sur"."

There is an annotation on the map — "A true Copy from the original Map & Deed which said original is on file in the Street Commissioners office of the City of New York, Oct. 8, 1823. Geo. B. Smith. City Surveyor."

The history of this map and its maker is found in the Minutes of the Common Council.

1751, Aug. 13. "M'' Lawrence Le Tellier being proposed and Recommended to this Board as a person well Qualified for the Office of one of the Surveyors of this City in the Room of Brandt Schuyler, Esq. who has Declined the said Office. Ordered that the said Lawrence Le Tellier be . . .appointed," etc. — M. C. C, V: 343. Le Tellier was sworn into office, Sept. 29, 1 75 1. — Hid., 349.

1763, Feb. 15. Daniel Dunscomb produced before the Common Council a release of all the streets in this farm as in "A map or plan of a Certain piece or parcell of Ground formerly patented to John Minthorne . . . which said map or Draft was made by Lawrence Letelier one of the Citys Surveyors . . ." — Hid., VI: 321-2.

1763, Feb. 7, John Kingston, blacksmith, and his wife, and Jacob Read, tailor, and his wife, released to the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of New York all the streets which had been opened through the farm. The release and the map were ordered to be recorded in the Book of City Grants, on the fifteenth of February, 1763. — M. C. C, 321. But the deed was recorded, April 5, 1917, more than 150 years later, without the map. — Lii/er Ancient Conveyances, I: 26.

By an ordinance of Aug. 15, 1763, the streets were ordered to be regulated and paved. — M. C. C.,VI: 336. The Le Tellier Map seems to have been lost from the records. The deeds recorded do not mention any surveyor's name, or any date of a map. The lots are sold as in "The Kingston Draught" or on a "Map of the Plantation of John Minthorne."

In 1845, Bishop David Beecker, of the United Brethren's Church (the Moravian Congregation), wrote a history of the church. An extract from it is in an abstract of title with the Title Guarantee and Trust Co. "In 1754 A Spot of ground, then outside the City, was obtained for a place of interment for members." The deed was never placed on record. About 1817 the church began to lease the lots. On April 21, 1884, the Trustees sold the burying ground for ?86,5co. — Liier Deeds, MDCCCI: 84 (New York).

The old cemetery covered the present Nos. 24 to 38 Mott St. and 31 Pell St.

Neither the real estate records, nor the maps give the location of the early Minthorne or Kingston house.