Jacob Vande Water, the clerk, owned property in the neighborhood of Tillary and Raymond streets. His tract was mentioned in the patent issued by Governor Dongan in 1686, ratifying previous grants. He took the oath of allegiance to the Government at the time his patent was ratified, having then resided in the colony twenty-nine years. In 1697, he was appointed one of the freeholders to lay out and divide the common lands, and acted in that capacity with Joris Hanssen and Jan Garretse Dorlant, heretofore referred to as trustees. Vande Water was a man of great importance in the little hamlet, and enjoyed the confidence of the community.
The officials of Brooklyn[39] who acted from 1700 were as follows:—
Hendrick Vechte was trustee from 1700 to 1726.
Jacob Hanssen was trustee from 1700 to 1708.
Cornelius Vanduyk was trustee from 1700 to 1726.
John Staats was trustee from 1709 to 1726.
Samuel Garritson (or Gerritse) was town clerk in 1714 and 1715.
Adrian Hegeman became town clerk in 1727, and served in that capacity until 1752.
Joramus Rapelye (Rapalje), Jacobus Leffertse, and Rem Remsen, acted as trustees from 1727 to 1752, a continuous and unbroken board.