New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-16
LAW LNTELLG ENCE.
TIE TRINITY CHURCH PROPERTY.
sUFRYNs COURT-GENrEAL rEsN.

II'lry Cha1es IL b- CIV 81 VswYOrs inPieist si'h
~ Psopls of,re state ofNs~-Tork
BY ere Of the be.1s 81 Anneke Jlaiz, Otherwise
calico Annette Japts, iwi6os Of the Rev. Eyersdas
Bcgsrdus. claiming 20 be euti5ed uulcr her will 10
moieiy OF he property known in 1908. in her lifetime,
CONSISTING 81 that ire Of farms, called the
Dominic Bowery. OF acres; and another the DOni-
ne Hook. Of $50 acres. situated west Of Osdway.
rorion Of latter street and oxte nding from War
reu to Cbrs,opt er-s, bounded by the uison River,
ard extending mile and hall alongside the river.
At that time Manhattan Island IS Neg-iork
Island was called belonged TO the Dutch, and the
Dutch West In6ia Company owned a trac. OF land
without the gate known as the Dutch West India
Company 5 farm; this extended from COurlandt to
warsn-st and adjoining it, north, was tho property
claimed in this suit.
The nIaintif claims TO be descendant, in the sew
enth or es nth generation, of Strah Recloe, wife OF
Hans Kisrsted and daughter OF said Anneke Jan,z
he brings suit in bis own behalf and for the benefit
of as many Of the heirs as msy choose to JOIN in the
sui-and it is supposed there are living about two
hundred lipeal descendants of said Anneke
Plaintiff says that after the capture Of Manhattan
Island BY the British and the capitulaon and ees-
zion by the Dutch in 1864 Petrus Siuyvesant beng
at the time the Dutch Governor, there was written
agreement that this and other property should be
respected and preserved for the owners and heirs,
and the British Government aftervard confirmed IT.
that subsequently, in consequence OF the persecu-
tons and hostility of the British born ibjects toward
the Dutch inhabitants the said Anpeke Jantz and her
family left Manhattan Island, after which the British
Governme Mt took the property in trust for her benefit
ard that of her hers-,hat said land vi been origi
nally granted, farm OF it to said Anneke Jantz
snd Der former husband, Roeoff Jansen, for services
rendered TO the Dutch Government, and the other
farm TO herself individually.
Plaintiff further states that upon the conquest Of the
ISLAND in 1864 the Dutch w. i. Co.'S farm became
the property of the British crown, and the right
Of posse sson vested in the Duke OF York latter
ward James Ill and that said Duke of York exercised
control also, the tive farms in question but with
out the knowledge OF said Auneke Janz, and without
affecting her title; that the three parcels sitter said
Duke became king, were thrown together and called
"the Kings Farm, but in loss be ceased TO be king,
and his power and rights vested in his SAGE sssors
10 the throne-William III, and Mary the H. He
further says that 9th May, 1897 in the reign OF
William ILL., the Rector, &c. of Trinity Church we're
created corporation and endowned with certain lands
lying west of the cemetery for charitable purposes, and
in August lease was given to said Trinity Church Of
Il King Farm for seven years, at the annual rent OF
sjxty bushels of wheat but the lease was afterward
revoked by q law Of the colony, and another given
for the same rent during the term of the then Gov
ernor Lord Cofnbury, I'll 1908, when Lord Loyesce
became Governor under the reign Of Queen Anne,
and new lease was given, the name Of the farm
being changed to the Queens Farmland obtained
renewals on the accession of tho different Governors
during the term Of each. They paid no rent Tor
seventy yesrs vet that did not affect the title OF the
fee as the rent could have been any time demanded.
The complaint goes on to show THAT said Trinity
Church corporation in this way retained possession
of said property till the treaty OF peace between
Great Britain and the United States in 1888. He al
eges that the British Government had held 1t in tru
agreeGbly TO written combinations Of granis on be-
half Of the heirs Of Anneke Jantz, to said 1883, at
which time the people Of The State Of New-York as
sumed the trust.
The present bill is filed to be placed in possession
of the property embraced in the said two farms sub
tho rules ssles and leases of Trinity Church. that
the Church account the said heirs for the rents and
proceeds of the snid property since l7s3; that they
be enjoned from parting with any property belong
ing to them in this country or England and that re-
ceyer be appointed.
They further say, they were not fully aware OF the
fscts in the case until the trial OF similar suit like
this, in ls46, when the tenure by which Trinity Church
claimed to own was shown.
demurrer was put in, denying that the allega-
tons set forth in the complaint sufficient 70 sus-
tain the action Also setting up possession in defend
anti for twenty years, and want Of possession
or Of rents being paid to plaintiff for six years, &c
George Sullivan, Esq., appears on behalf Of plain
tiff: Messrs. kirkland, b. +. Butler, and WIN. E.
Dun,couib, for Trinity Church; and the Hon. Ogden
Hoffman, Attorney Genera, for the State. Argument
was presented, to be continued this forenoon.