Appendix - 1770-1779
Memorabilia Related Research Material
Contents
1772 Petition of the Inhabitants of New Canaan New Concord Spencer Town & New Britain Etc
To the Honorable Cadwallader Esq: Lieutenant Governor of the Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America Etc Etc In Council
The humble Petition of the Inhabitants of New Canaan, New Concord, Spencer Town, New Britain etc.
Sheweth,
That they have at sundry Times, presented Petitions to government, explaining their situation from their first Settlement on the Lands; That some of those Settlements have been made upwards of 20 years ago, and all of them under a firm Persuasion that the Land was vacant, in which they were confirmed by the general Sense of the Country, and the opinions of experienced Surveyors, and particularly of John R Bleeker Esq. now a Proprietor in Westenhook; and altho they had no express Licence(sic) yet they conceived, that all his Majesty's Subjects would be considered equally in the Dispensation of the Royal Bounty and that by the Settlement and Cultivation of a Frontier County they could not incur the Displeasure of Government especially as they immediately applied for a Patent, as they have different Times done since.
That some years ago, sundry Persons claiming under the Patent to the Renselaer Family, and under that called Westenhook after mutually disparaging each other's Boundaries as vague and indeterminate, and their claims as exorbitant & rediculous[sic] (Tho [none?] of them had then yet been so far extended, as to comprehend the Settlements of your Petitioners) united their Titles and then first set a Claim so far North, as to include the Land in the Possession of [your?] Petitioners. That about eight years ago, a great Number of [Suits?] were commenced in Consequence of the said Coalition against [some?] of your Petitioners. That by the advice of some of the most eminent Counsel at Law in the City of New York, it was resolved to defend said Suits and to abide the Event of one or more Trials. That [altho?] the said Causes were noticed for Trial from year to year, those Notices were as often countermanded, to the great cost and [word?] of the Petitioners. That at Length the Plaintiffs have [words?] Nonsuits in all the said Actions.
That your Petitioners find, but they said Claimants have lately petitioned government for a Patent, under the specious [Title?] of a Confirmation. That if they said Patent or Patents under which they claim, comprehend the land they petition for, your Petitioners conceive a new Patent is unnecessary; and if those Lands are not so comprehended, your Petitioners humbly hope that they will be preferred, who cultivated the Land "Tho exposed to the frequent Wars and Incursions of the Savages," which the said Claimants alledge(sic) as their Reason for not setling(sic) them at all. That altho the said Claimants alledge(sic) as a Reason for the Application for a new grant, the Difficulty of deducing a Title from the Number of Persons interested yet your Petitioners conceive the true Reason is a total Defect of Right. That while they Suits aforesaid were depending against your Petitioners, others have been brought by other Persons for land exactly in the same situation with that of your Petitioners, and altho the said Claimants engaged to defend the said Suits, yet in two of them they have suffered Judgments by Default, and in another a Verdict was obtained against them. In these Causes, they said Claimants being Defendants, your Petitioners are advised the Difficulty so much complained of, of deducing a Title, might have been avoided, and that it would have been sufficient, only to prove the Premises in question to be within the Bounds of their Patent. That from the conduct of the said Claimants in the said two Suits, and the Event of the third after a fair Trial; from the Delays of their sad Parties in the Actions they themselves brought, as well as from their finally abandoning them, your Petitioners do confess, that every Idea they entertained of the Futility of the said Claim was confirmed. To this your Petitioners beg Leave to add, that the said Claimants have from several of the said Letters, taken Bonds in heavy Penalties not to controvert their Title. Your petitioners however disavow all Kinds of Riots, nor have they insulted the Laws by any Acts of Violence, or abused it by Delays. They wish they had no Reason to complain of the conduct of the Commissioners, appointed to make the Partition, which as it is alleged was attempted under the act of Assembly. These Persons [word?] contending for an arbitrary Power in their Employers, to give them Directions they pleased, & pretending to act in Obedience to such {word] have at different Times broke down Fences, and entered into and through inclosed, and improved Fields attended by numbers the Persons. The only Opposition your Petitioners have ever [word] made by Argument, insisting that as from their Possessions they were [the?] presumptive Owners, and as this great Question whas then in a [word] for judicial Decision, the Event of that ought to be wasted, before any steps were taken by either Party. Whatever Acts of Violence may [have?] been committed, your Petitioners are no more responsible for them than peaceable Members of every Community are, for the Irregularities of Individuals.
That your Petitioners have never declined a public Trial, [and?] on the contrary have always been ready to submit their Cause [to?] the impartial Decision of this honorable Board. That in [February?] 1773, his Excellency governor Tryon and his honorable Board, as [word] by the Minutes of Counsel, ordered the Petitions & Representations [word] the said Land to be transmitted to his Majesty, which was a[...]dingly done. That in Order to expedite a Determination, your Petitioner[s?] have employed two Agents, who at a great Charge and Expense, are soliciting the said Business in England. They have yesterday received a letter from James Savage Esq: one of the said Agents aquainting them, that upon receiving his Application the Right Honorable the Earl of Dartmouth had appointed a Day in August last for a more minute Enquiry in the Presence of their Excellencies Governor Tryon, & Governor Hutchison, which Letter is submitted to [the?] Perusal of your Honor & this Honorable Board.
NB The Letter was not delivered with the petition. S.B.
Your Petitioners therefore submit it, whether under these Circumstances a Decision ought now to take Place, and most humbly pray, that may be postponed until his Majesty's Pleasure is known. And your Petitioners also pray
[over]
That if his Majesty shall direct said Controversies to be decided here, a Day may hereafter be assigned for that Purpose, and that timely notice thereof may be given to the Petitioners, & they be allowed to make their Defense.
And the Petitioners shall ever pray.
Hezekiah Baldwin
Martin Beebe
David Pratt}Committee for the Said Town of New Canaan &
—
The Petition of Hez. Baldwin
Martin Beebe, David Pratt,
in Behalf of the Inhabitants
of New Canaan & Odr1772
Septm. 29th Read in Council, and
postponed to Thursday the 8th
of October Next.—
The Petition of the Inhabitants
of New Canaan New Concord
Spencer Town & New Britton.
1774.
Sept. 29th. Read in Council—
Transcribed from an image of the original at New York State Archives. Dept. of State. Applications for land grants, 1642-1803. A0272-78, Volume 32, page 94.[Emphasis added - jhc]
I think Hez. Baldwin settled in the New Britain area, Martin Beebe in New Concord/Canaan area, and David Pratt in Spencertown. - jhc
There is an undated early map titled "Plan of the Town of Chatham" at New York State Archives. New York (State). State Engineer and Surveyor. Survey maps of lands in New York State, ca. 1711-1913. Series A0273-78, Map #177 showing a house labeled "James Savage Esq", the Agent referred to in this petition, which appears to be at Morehouse Corners. - jhc
1773 John Griswold Settles at the Abner Hawley Place
About 1773, John Griswold, a young woolen manufacturer, came from the East and purchased of Abner Hawley a small piece of land with a water privilege, and established a carding machine and fulling mill and began the manufacture of cloth. He was successful and soon established a reputation for manufacturing fine broadcloths, supplying the surrounding counties. He eventually became wealthy and in 1795 erected a fine mansion, which is still standing and owned by a Mr. Peterson. Lucian Griswold is the only surviving descendant of the pioneer, in a direct line, now living in the town.
—
Transcribed from: Columbia County at the End of the Century: A Historical Record of Its Formation and Settlement, Its Resources, Its Institutions, Its Industries, and Its People ..., pg 699 (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012239798)
— revised 2024-07-24 jhc