The New York herald., 1878-12-03
THE WALDRON ESTATE.
Careless Manner in Which the Dutch
Records We're Kept.
LOSS OF THE HARLEM REGISTER
Original Patents Granting Large Tracts Of Land
to Resolved WaldfOl. :

t4MMI
The death Of Miss Cornelia waldron the descendant
of Peter Stuyvesants secretary has revived interest
In the manner in which grants Of land made on
Manhattan Island two hundred years ago. and has
Ilso called attention to the numerous litigatons
which have resulted thcrcfrom during the past
fifty years. As already stated i'll the HERALD, the
aged lady who is to be borne to her grave
in old fashioned Dutch style tomorrow, with
ont hearse, without carriages and without
the ordinary modern funeral trappings. died
possessed of several of Harlem aud other prop
erty, the remnant of the heavy grant received by
Baron Resolved Waldron from the sturdy Dutch Gov
These grants. when New Amsterdam was yet
full OF easy going Rip Van Wrinkles, carecssly
recorded. so far as Harlem concerned il book
called the Harlem Register or Record Singular
to say, in litigation which engrossed the attention
OF the Superior Court only four years ago, it was
proven under oath that this valuable book,
which contained the only record Of these
Dutch grants. had been lost. Mr. Cornelius A. Run
kle, gentleman who acted as counsel in this case
when this fact brought out in 1874. yesterday
called the writer's attention this important loss Of
valuable link in the chain Of records. 1t in
the case OF Crane Sonneborn. when Osborn f.
Bright who had charge of this testified that he
had made very diligent search for early grants and
in the of his examination found that the
holders and inhabitants of Harlem in the habit
OF making grants the result Of action in their
town meeting. and that their doings in town meeting
entered in register or record called the .Har-
lem Register" He did not omit any effort to find
these records; made application to the Historical So
ciety. also at the Registers Office. but failed find
them. 1t was thought ut one time that Mr. John
Adrance had possession of them, but it was proven
that they were not in his custody.
At the same trial Mr.. Samuel waldron a brother of
Miss Cornelia, above mentionhd was q witness He
then teatifed:--
Q. Where do You reside? A. At Harlem, ut present
@. Your ancestors resided at Harlem, in this
vicinity, before you? A. Yes sir; the first patent
was to Resolved Wadron; that my ancestor. and
the family has held property there ever since.
Point9 A. Yes, SIR and took in Horns Horns Hook.
q. And Rocky Hill? A. Yes. sir; the Rhinelander
property belonged to us
The map, being Exhibit No. 80, which was brought
in as evidence at this trial. showed that the wadron
property III times past was marked as lot No. .5
tending northward TO the Hop Garden and eastward
10 He'll Gstc hut the descendants to-day only own
thst tract which extends in northwcstery
direction from the corner Of Eighteth street aud
First avenue. Some portions of this have been
disposed Of by them in the of time, two or
three members of the waldron family being to-day in
quite reduced circumstances. The name Of Samuel
Wadron appears on the books as one Of the original
propretOrx Of Harlem patent granted the 2st of
september, IN the htta year OF the reign or Queen
ExaLrsa coxr1nMArroa or DUTCH TITLES.
erds broken by the loss of the Harlem register. in
Governor Nichols confirming the titles Of previous
Dutch placed In evidence and the diff
@ncuty was thus overcome The Governor. acting un-
der His Royal Highness James Duke Of York. pro-
claimed
..whercas there is ccrtsine towne or village CON-
monty calld aud knownc by the name of New Har-
lem scuate aud being the east part Of this island
now In the tenure occupacon Of SEVERAL freehold
ers and inhabitants who have beene ut considerable
charge in building wcl manuring. planting and
fencing the said towne and lands thcreunto belong
and inhabitants in THERE enjoyment and possession
Of their particular lofts and estates in the
said towne and also for an encouragement to them
In their farther Improvement of the said lands know
gee that by yertue Of the commission ana authority
unto NEE given by his royal highnesse the Duke Of
graunt and by these presents do ratify conrme and
Rraunt, unto the said ffrceholders and inhabitants
their heirs and assgnees, and to each and
every the their partic lott estates in the
said towne ANY part thereof and do likewise
hrme and graunt unto the freeholders and inhab-
Nants I'm fuall their heirs, and assgnces
the privuedges of townc, but Immediately depend
ing ON this as being within the hbsrtyes thereof,
The above general confirmation OF the patents pre-
viously granted by the Dutch Governors to the in
hsbitants of New Harlem was signed by Richard
Nichols ..in the eighteenth yeare ofhe reigne of our
sovcregnc Lord Charles the Second by the Grace of
God King of England. scotland. France and ireland
lord God 1866
Twenty years later. IN 1856. by which time the
Baron Resolved Waldron had been about forty years
Ia this country and allegiance to the British
nag he became by the following instrument the part
owner OF the immense tract OF iau WHICH, in later
years. became the sources Of his descendants great
nlsroaIcAL DESCRIPTION OF IHE PROPERTY.
Recorded for tho inhabitants of Harlen Thomas
Dongan. Capt Genie, Govcrnonr in Cliiefe and Vice
Admirall In and over the province of New Yorke AMI
Its dcpendenc thereon in America under His Majesty
d
Scotland France and Ireland. King defender of the
faith. etc. to all whom these presents shall come,
sendeth greeting Whereas Robert Nichols ESQ,
formerly Goycrnoor Of this province hath by his
csrsinc writing or patient bearing date the eleventh
day or October ammo dom. one Thousand six hundred
oxtyseven. did give. rnttfie conrmc and grant
Thomas Dellavai fsq John verveiin. Daniel Turner.
Joost Obene and Resolved Wgldron. patentees tor
and behac of themselves and their associates the
ffrceholders and inhabitants Of New Harlem, their
heirs. and assigns. all that tract, together
with the SEVERAL PARCELS of land which they then had
or after should bee purchased procured for and
ON behale Of the said townc. within the bounds aud
limits hereafter set forth aud cxprsst w.t. that is
to say from the west side Of the fence of the said
xowne. a line being rum due west fower hundred
English poles. without vsreon OF the compassc and
att the end thereof another line being drawn
crosse the island north and south with the
. certain piece of meadow uromnd commonly
called the meadow ground. the round meadow
ncare or adjoining unto Hudsons on the North River
and south to the place where formerly stood the
mills. over against vcrekins Hogg Island in the
Sound or East River. shall bee the westernc bounds
"
within the said line drawne. north and south ~
aforesaid eastward to the end Of the towne and
Harlem River, any parte Of the said river On
which this island doth abutt, and likewise
the North aud East rivers within tho limit
aforementioned described. doth and shall belong to
the aaid towne also foucr lofts OF meadow ground
upon the maine markt, which number /, q 3. A. lyc.
ing against the spring. where passage hath
been used ~ ford from the island TO the ainc.
and from thence hither, With small island conn
monty called Stony Island. lyeing 10 the east
of tho towne and Harlem River, going through
Hr rnck' by fhc nd Isiu
upon which their also four other lofts of
meadow ground, marked with No. !, 2. .. together
with all the soylcs, creeks. quarreys. woods nca-
dows, pastures, marshes, waters, lakes, Fishing,
hawking hunting and fowleng. aud all other profts,
coinmodityes. cmoluments aud heredtam't to the
said land aud prcmisscss within the bounds
and limits set FORTH belonging in any
wise appertainoing, and also frcdornc of comonage
Tor range and feed OF cattle and horses further west
INTO the woods upon this island. well without
within their bounds and limits sett forth and
10 have and to hold all and singular the said lands.