May 13, 1686. Governor Dongan granted to the inhabitants of Brooklyn the following confirmatory patent:
L. S. “Thomas Dongan, Lieutenant Governor, and Vice Admiral of New-York, and its dependencies under his Majesty James the Second, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c.—Supreme lord and proprietor of the Colony and province of New-York and its dependencies in America, &c. To all to whom this shall come sendeth greeting, whereas the Honorable Richard Nicolls, Esq. formerly Governor of this province, did by his certain writing or patent under his hand and seal, bearing date the eighteenth day of October, Annoque Domini, one thousand six hundred and sixty-seven, ratifie, confirm and grant unto Jan Everts, Jan Damen, Albert Cornelissen, Paulus Verbeeck, Michael Enyle, Thomas Lamberts, Tunis Gisberts Bogart, and Joris Jacobsen, as patentees for and on behalf of themselves and their associates, the freeholders and inhabitants of the town of Breucklen, their heirs, successors, and assigns forever, a certain tract of land, together with the several parcels of land which then were or thereafter should be purchased or procured for and on behalf of the said town, whether from the native Indian proprietors, or others within the bounds and limitts therein sett forth and expressed, that is to say, the said town is bounded westward on the further side of the land of Mr. Paulus Verbeeck, from whence stretching south-east they go over the hills, and so eastward along by the said hills to a south-east point, which takes in all the lotts behind the swamp, from which said lotts they run north-west to the River, and extend to the farm on the other side of the hills heretofore belonging to Hans Hansen, over against Keak or Look-out, including within the said bounds and limitts all the lots and plantations, lying and being at the Gauwanes, Bedford, Wallabocht and the ferry, all which said parcells and tract of land and premises within the bounds and limitts aforementioned described, and all or any plantation or plantations thereupon, from henceforth are to be, appertain and belong to the said town of Breucklyn, Together with all harbor, havens, creeks, quarries, woodland, meadow ground, reed land or valley of all sorts, pastures, marshes, waters, rivers, lakes, fishing, hawking, hunting, fowling, and all other profits, commodities, emoluments and hereditaments to the said lands and premises within the bounds and limitts set forth, belonging, or in any wise appertaining, and with all to have freedom of commonage for range and feed of cattle and horses, into the woods with the rest of their neighbours, as also one third part of a certain neck of meadow ground or valley, called Seller’s neck, lying and being within the town of Jamaica, purchased by the said town of Jamaica from the Indians, and sold by them unto the inhabitants of Breucklen aforesaid, as it was laid out aforesaid, and divided by their mutual consent and order of the Governor. To have and to hold unto them the said patentees and their associates, their heirs, successors and assigns forever, as by the said patent reference being thereunto had, doth, fully and at large appear. And further, in and by the said patent, the said Governor, Richard Nicolls, Esq. did erect the said tract of land into a township by the name of Breucklen aforesaid, by that name and style to be distinguished and known in all bargains, sales, deeds, records and writings whatsoever; and whereas the present inhabitants and freeholders of the town of Breucklen aforesaid, have made their application to me for a confirmation of the aforesaid tract of land and premises in their quiet and peaceable possession and enjoyment of the aforesaid land and premises. Now Know Ye, That I, the said Thomas Dongan, by virtue of the commission and authority derived unto me, and power in me residing, have granted, ratified and confirmed, and by these presents do grant, ratifie and confirm, unto Teunis Gysberts, Thomas Lamberts, Peter Jansen, Jacobus Vander Water, Jan Dame, Joris Jacobs, Jeronimus Rapalle, Daniel Rapalle, Jan Jansen, Adrian Bennet, and Michael Hanse, for and on the behalf of themselves and the rest of the present freeholders and inhabitants of the said town of Breucklen, their heirs and assigns forever, all and singular the afore-recited tract and parcels of land set forth, limited and bounded as aforesaid; together with all and singular, the houses, messuages, tenements, fencings, buildings, gardens, orchards, trees, woods, underwoods, pastures, feedings, common of pasture, meadows, marshes, lakes, ponds, creeks, harbors, rivers, rivulets, brooks, streams, highways and easements whatsoever, belonging or in any wise appertaining to any of the afore-recited tract or parcells of land and divisions, allotments, settlements made and appropriated before the day and date hereof. To Have and To Hold, all and singular, the said tract or parcels of land and premises, with their, and every of their appurtenances unto the said Tunis Gysberts, Thomas Lamberts, Peter Jansen, Jacobus Vander Water, Joris Jacobs, Jeronimus Rappalle, Daniel Rappalle, Jan Jansen, Adrian Bennet and Michael Hanse, for and on behalf of themselves and the present freeholders and inhabitants of the town of Breucklen, their and every of their heirs and assigns forever, as tenants in common without any let, hindrance, molestation, right of survivorship or otherwise, to be holden in free and common socage according to the tenure of East Greenwich, in the county of Kent, in his Majesty’s kingdom of England. Yielding, rendering and paying therefor yearly, and every year, on the five and twentyeth day of March, forever, in lieu of all services and demands whatsoever, as a quit rent to his most sacred Majesty aforesaid, his heirs and successors, at the city of New-York, twenty bushels of good merchantable wheat. In testimony whereof, I have caused these presents to be entered and recorded in the Secretary’s office, and the seal of the Province to be hereunto affixed this thirteenth day of May, Anno. Domini, one thousand six hundred and eighty-six, and in the second year of his Majesty’s reign.
THOMAS DONGAN.”
Quit rents to the following amounts and at the following periods have been paid on the Brooklyn patents.
June 8, 1713. Paid to Benjamin Van de Water, Treasurer, the sum of £96 7s. 1d. for upwards of 16 years quit rent.
April 6, 1775. Charles Debevoice, Collector of the town of Brooklyn, paid to the Receiver General of the Colony of New-York, 20 bushels of wheat, for one year’s quit rent, due from said town.
November 9, 1786. Fernandus Suydam, and Charles C. Doughty, two of the Trustees of the town of Brooklyn, paid to the Treasurer of the State of New-York, the sum of £105 10s. in full for arrears of quit rent due from the said town.
Town Rights and Ferries.
The difference between this town and the city of New-York relative to the water rights of the former, has deservedly excited the attention and interest of our inhabitants, as involving property to a great amount, and unjustly withholding from our town a revenue which would enable it to improve with almost unparalleled rapidity. In order that each person so interested may form a correct opinion of the subject matter in dispute, the Compiler has thought proper, under this head, to lay before them the foundations of the claims on both sides of the question.
October 18, 1667. In the reign of Charles 2d. Richard Nicolls, Esq. Governor General of the Province of New-York, under his Royal Highness James, the Duke of York, &c. afterwards James 2d. of England, granted to the inhabitants of this town a confirmatory patent, acknowledging that they were rightfully, legally and by authority in possession of the property and privileges they then enjoyed. The patent after naming the patentees, and describing the bounds of the town, and binding by the River and not by high water mark, proceeds to say, “Together with all havens, harbors, creeks, marshes, waters, rivers, lakes, fisheries.” “Moreover, I do hereby give, ratify and confirm unto the said patentees and their associates, their heirs, successors and assigns, all the rights and privileges belonging to a town within this government.” Under this patent the town of Brooklyn justly claims the land between high and low water mark on their shore, in opposition to the claims of the Corporation of the city of New-York; and an equal right with them to erect ferries between the town of Brooklyn and the city of New-York.