APPENDIX.

A.

Deed from William Morris and wife to the Corporation of New-York.

This Indenture made the twelfth day of October, in the sixth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord and Lady William and Mary, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, King and Queen, defenders of the faith, &c. and in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and ninety-four, between William Morris, now of the ferry, in the bounds of the town of Breuchlen, in Kings County, on Long-Island, Gentleman, and Rebecca his wife of the one part, and the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of New-York, of the other part, Witnesseth, that the said William Morris, by and with the consent of Rebecca his said wife, testified by her being a party to the sealing and delivery of these presents, for, and in consideration of a certain sum of good and lawful money to him, at and before the sealing and delivery hereof, by the said Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty, in hand well and truly paid, the receipt whereof he the said William Morris doth hereby acknowledge, and thereof and therefrom and of and from all and every part thereof, he doth hereby acquit, exonerate and discharge the said Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty, and their successors forever, hath granted, bargained, sold, assigned, conveyed and confirmed, and by these presents doth grant, bargain, sell, assign, convey and confirm unto the said Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the said city of New-York, and their successors forever, All that messuage or dwelling house and lot of ground thereunto adjoining and belonging, with the appurtenances, situate, lying and being at the ferry, in the bounds of the town of Breucklen, in Kings County aforesaid, now and late in the possession of him, the said William Morris; as also one small house, now in the possession of one Thomas Hock, lying in the said City of New-York, over against the ferry aforesaid, Together with all and singular houses, barns, stables, yards, backsides, wharfs, easements, benefits, emoluments, hereditaments, and appurtenances to the same messuage or dwelling house and premises belonging, or in any wise appertaining, and the reversion and reversions, remainder and remainders, rents, issues, and profits of all and singular the premisses and the appurtenances, and all the estate, right, title interest, property, possession, claim and demand of him the said William Morris and Rebecca his said wife, of, in, unto or out of the said messuage or dwelling house and premises, or, of, in, unto, or out of, all or any part or parcel thereof, and all and singular grants, deeds, escripts, minuments, writings and evidences, touching, relating to or concerning the above-mentioned, to be bargained, messuage or dwelling house and all and singular, the premises with the hereditaments and appurtenances to the same belonging, or any part thereof, unto the said Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of New-York, aforesaid, and their successors unto the only proper use, benefit and behoof of the said Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of New-York aforesaid, their successors and assigns forever. In witness, &c.[28]

A Warrant for enforcing the payment of a town tax in the town of Brooklyn.

Whereas there was an order or towne lawe by the ffreeholders of the towne of Brooklyn, in Kings County aforesaid, the 5th day of May, 1701, ffor constituting and appointing of Trustrees to defend the rights of their quondam common wood lands, and to raise a tax ffor the same to defray the charge of that and theire towne debts, &c. which said lawe has bin since ffurther confirmed by said ffreeholders at a towne meeting at Bedford, the 11th of Aprill, 1702, and since approved of and confirmed by a Court of Sessions, held at Fflatbush, in said County the 13th day of May, 1702. And whereas by virtue of said lawe, a certaine small tax was raised on the ffreeholders in said towne proportionably to defray the charges aforesaid: And now upon complaint of the said Trustees to us made, that A. B. has refused to pay his juste and due proporcon of said tax wch amounts to L1 16s 0d, current money of New-York. These are therefore in her Majesty’s name, to command you to summons A. B. personally to be and appeare before us, &c., then and there to answer C. D. E. F. Trustees of said towne of Brooklin, in an action of tresspass on the case, to the damage of the said C. D. E. F. L1 16s 0d, current money as aforesaid, as it is said, and have with you then there this precept. Given, &c.

B.

Brookland, November 14th, 1753. A Town meeting called by warrant of Carel Debevois, Esq. and Jacobus Debevois, Esq. two of his Majesty’s Justices for the township of Brookland, in the County of Kings, to elect and chuse Trustees to defend our Patent of Brookland against the Commonalty of the City of New-York.—And the Trustees so elected and chosen by the freeholders and inhabitants of the township of Brookland aforesaid, are as follows: Jacobus Lefferts, Peter Vandervoort, Jacob Remsen, Rem Remsen, and Nicholas Vechte. And we the hereunder subscribers being freeholders and inhabitants of the township of Brookland, by these presents do fully impower and authorize the abovesaid Trustees, Jacobus Lefferts, Peter Vandevoort, Jacob Remsen, Rem Remsen, and Nicholas Vechte, elected and chosen by the freeholders and inhabitants of the township of Brookland aforesaid, to defend our patent where in any manner our liberties, privileges and rights in our patent specified is incroached, lessened or taken away by the Commonalty of the City of New-York. And that we hereunder subscribers of the township of Brookland, oblige ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators to pay to the abovesaid Trustees, all cost that they are at in protecting of the profits of our patent, and that money shall be collected in by the constable of our town. And that the abovesaid Trustees do oblige themselves to render upon oath a true account of all such moneys they have expended in protecting or defending our patent, to any person or persons, as the hereunder subscribers shall appoint for that purpose. And in defending our patent so that verdict shall come in our favour, where income of money or other profits should arise concerning the premises, all such profits or income should be kept towards defraying of all the necessary cost and charge of our township of Brookland, till such time as it is altered by the majority. And that the Trustees should have three shillings per day for their service and no more.

C.

The Petition of Volkert Brier.

To his Excellency.—The humble peticon of Volkert Brier, inhabitant of the towne of Broockland, on the Island of Nassau.

May it please your Excellency your peticoner being fined five pounds last Court of Sessions, in Kings County for tearing an execucon directed to him as Constable. Your peticoner being ignorant of the crime, and not thinking it was of force when he was out of his office, or that he should have made returne of it as the lawe directs, he being an illiterate man could not read said execucon nor understand any thing of lawe: humbly prays yr Excellency yt you would be pleased to remit said fine of five pounds, yr peticoner being a poore man and not capaciated to pay said fine without great damage to himself and family. And for yr Excellecy yr peticoner will ever pray, &c.

D.

A Letter from Justice Ffilkin to the Secretary at New-York.

Sir,—I am in expectation of a complaint coming to his Excellency by Coll. Beeckman against me, and that his Excellency may be rightly informed of the matter, my humble request to you is, that if such a thing happen, be pleased to give his Excellency an account thereof, which is as follows: A Ffriday night last, the Justices of the County and I came from his Excellency’s; Coll. Beeckman happened to come over in the fferry boat along with us, and as we came over the fferry, Coll. Beeckman and we went into the fferry house to drink a glass of wine, and being soe in company, there happened a dispute between Coll. Beeckman and myself, about his particular order that he lately made to Mr. Ffreeman, when he was President of the Councill, without the consent of the Councill; Coll. Beeckman stood to affirm there, before most of the Justices of Kings County, that said order, that he made then to Mr. Ffreeman as President only, was still in fforce, and that Mr. Ffreeman should preach at Broockland next Sunday according to that order; whereupon I said it was not in fforce, but void and of noe effect, and he had not in this County, any more power now than I have, being equall in commission with him in the general commission of the peace and one of the quorum as well as he; upon which he gave me affronting words, giving me the lie and calling me pittifull fellow, dog, rogue, rascall, &c. which caused me, being overcome with passion, to tell him that I had a good mind to knock him off his horse, we being both at that time getting upon our horses to goe home, but that I would not goe, I would fight him at any time with a sword. I could wish that these last words had bin kept in, and I am troubled that I was soe overcome with passion and inflamed with wine. The works of these Dutch ministers is the occasion of all our quarrells.[29] And this is the truth of the matter, there was no blows offerred, nor noe more done. Mr. Ffreeman has preached at Broockland yesterday accordingly, and the church doore was broke open, by whom it is not yet knowne. Soe I beg your pardon ffor this trouble, crave your favour in this matter, and shall alwayes remaine.

Sir, your ffaithful and humble servant, H. FFILKIN.

[E]

The Address of the Deputies, assembled at Hempstead.

We the deputies duly elected from the several towns upon Long-Island, being assembled at Hempstead, in general meeting, by authority derived from your royal highness unto the honorable Colonel Nicolls, as deputy governor, do most humbly and thankfully acknowledge to your royal highness, the great honor and satisfaction we receive in our dependence upon your royal highness according to the tenor of his sacred majesty’s patent, granted the 12th day of March, 1664; wherein we acknowledge ourselves, our heirs and successors forever, to be comprized to all intents and purposes, as therein is more at large expressed. And we do publickly and unanimously declare our cheerful submission to all such laws, statutes and ordinances, which are or shall be made by virtue of authority from your royal highness, your heirs and successors forever: As also, that we will maintain, uphold, and defend, to the utmost of our power, and peril of us, our heirs and successors forever, all the rights, title, and interest, granted by his sacred majesty to your royal highness, against all pretensions or invasions, foreign or domestic; we being already well assured, that, in so doing, we perform our duty of allegiance to his majesty, as freeborn subjects of the kingdom of England inhabiting in these his majesty’s dominions. We do farther beseech your royal highness to accept of this address, as the first fruits in this general meeting, for a memorial and record against us, our heirs and successors, when we or any of them shall fail in our duties. Lastly we beseech your royal highness to take our poverties and necessities, in this wilderness country, into speedy consideration; that, by constant supplies of trade, and your royal highnesses more particular countenance of grace to us, and protection of us, we may daily more and more be encouraged to bestow our labors to the improvement of these his majesty’s western dominions, under your royal highness; for whose health, long life, and eternal happiness, we shall ever pray, as in duty bound.

List of the Deputies.

New-Utrecht Jaques CortelleauYounger Hope

GravesendJames HubbardJohn Bowne

FlatlandsElbert ElbertsenRoeloffe Martense

FlatbushJohn StrikerHendrick Gucksen

BushwickJohn StealmanGisbert Tunis

BrooklynHendrick Lubbertsen John Evertsen

NewtownRichard BettsJohn Coe

FlushingElias DoughtyRichard Cornhill

JamaicaDaniel DentonThomas Benedict

HempsteadJohn HicksRobert Jackson

OysterbayJohn UnderhillMatthias Harvey

HuntingtonJonas WoodJohn Ketcham

BrookhavenDaniel LaneRoger Barton

SoutholdWilliam WellsJohn Youngs

SouthamptonThomas ToppingJohn Howell

EasthamptonThomas BakerJohn Stratton

WestchesterEdward Jessup—— Quinby

The people of Long-Island considered the language of this address as too servile for freemen; and were exasperated against the makers of it to such a degree that the court of assizes, in order to save the deputies from abuse, if not from personal violence, thought it expedient, at their meeting in October 1666, to declare that “whosoever hereafter shall any wayes detract or speake against any of the deputies signing the address to his royall highnes, at the general meeting at Hempstead, they shall bee presented to the next court of sessions, and if the justices shall see cause, they shall from thence bee bound over, to the assizes, there to answer for the slander upon plaint or information.”

The deputies subsequently to the address made to the duke of York, made one to the people, in which they set forth their reasons for agreeing to the code styled the duke’s laws.