The earliest recorded patent was issued to Patrick McGregorie in 1685. Others were as follows: 1,000 acres to William Chambers and William Southerland, September 2, 1709; 4,000 acres (in part) to Charles Huddy and Phillip Brooks, February 20, 1709; this included subsequently a portion granted to Mary Ingoldsby and her daughter, Mary Pinkhorn, August 12, 1720; 4,000 acres to John Haskell of the dates of April 9, 1719, and April 24, 1721; 800 acres to Vincent Matthews, June 17, 1720; 1,000 acres to John Johnson, February 3, 1720; 1184 acres to James Henderson, February 12, 1722; 1,000 acres to Vincent Price (in part), July 21, 1721; 2,000 acres to Andrew Johnson, July 19, 1719; 1,000 acres to Louis Morris, July 21, 1721; 2,000 acres to Patrick Hume, November 29, 1721; 3,292 acres to Cornelius Low & Co. (mainly), March 20, 1720; 1,000 acres to Richard Van Dam (in part), June 30, 1720; 2,000 acres to Phineas Mcintosh (mainly) April 9, 1719, and some portions of the patent granted to Cadwallader Colden, April 9, 1719, some portions of which and the Low & McIntosh patents were cut off in 1830, when the town of Hamptonburgh was created.
On the 7th of October, 1734, Dr. John Nicoll, of New York, purchased of John Waldron, Cornelius Van Horn and James Livingston 7,500 acres.
The Chamber and Southerland patents were divided November 7, 1723, into three equal parts. Chambers occupying the northern part, Matthews the central Part and Southerland the southern part, on the death of the latter in 1738, his portion passed to his two sons, William and John. On the death of William, without issue, John inherited and also obtained, in 1753, the water front from the village of New Windsor to Quassaick Creek. He sold this to Nathaniel Smith, of Kingston in 1738, together with a portion of the Ingoldsby patent, purchased by his father in 1726; also a portion of the German patent purchased by himself in 1742. Smith sold a portion to Robert Boyd, Jr., and another to George Clinton upon which the latter erected a house in 1769, and resided here until elected Governor in 1777, when he removed to Poughkeepsie. From him was purchased what is known as the Walsh farm on the Quassaick Creek, recently in the possession of his grandson, E. J. Dewitt Walsh. On this portion of the tract was Admiral William Chambers; Associate Judge John Chambers, 1751; Governor George Clinton, 1776; Captain Charles Ludlow, U. S. N. The central portion held by Matthews was purchased by John Aslop, 1724, whose son John Aslop, Jr., was prominent in the Revolution, and grandfather of Governor John Aslop King, in 1749. He also sold that portion on which the village of New Windsor stands to the company called the "Proprietors" of New Windsor, September 9, 1749. Their names were Vincent Matthews, Ebenezer Seely, Michael Jackson, Joseph Sackett, David Marvin, Evan Jones and Brant Schuyler.
The Southerlands tract came into the possession of Thomas Ellison in May, 1723, who erected a stone mansion on the bluff overlooking the river; also a storehouse and dock on the river, and conducted a prosperous business for over a century. His mansion was the headquarters of General Washington from 1779; until he moved to the Hasbrouck House in Newburgh.
He also purchased the Vincent Matthews patent, adjoining, at Vail's Gate, in May, 1724, upon which his son, Thomas Ellison, Jr., erected in 1754 the stone mansion and a mill, which subsequently came into the possession of his son John, and is now known as General Knox headquarters.
The fourth patent was on the Ingoldsby patent in 1726, by John Gate, who sold to Thomas Ellison in 1736. He sold a portion to James Edmonston in 1727, upon which the latter erected a stone house in 1754, just west of Vail's Gate, which figured conspicuously in the Revolution.
Dr. John Nicoll came into possession of a considerable tract, from one Peter Post in 1738, which extended from New Windsor village to the base of Snake Hill; his great-grandson now resides upon a portion of it on the river road.
David Mandeville purchased the Mary Ingoldsby patent May 1st, 1728, and sold to Samuel and Nathaniel Hazard who erected a mill which is still standing.
A patent was granted to Colonel John Haskell in 1719 of 2,000 acres and another 2,000 acres in 1721 upon which he settled in 1726. He erected a log cabin on what was known as the Dusenberry farm, upon which the army erected the Temple when encamped there. Other early settlers upon this tract were: Even Jones, Samuel Brewster, Elizabeth Stollard, Andrew Crawford and Neil McArthur.
The first settler upon the McIntosh patent was John Davis, July 5th, 1726; others about this time were Robert Boyd and the Dill families. Through his wife, Sarah McIntosh, Nathan Smith came into possession of a considerable portion of this tract and erected thereon a grist mill, a fulling mill and a store.