New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-07
OLDEST HOUSE IN nRooKIIAvEN. I7I5.

OLDEST HOUSE IN
IN = silk bag attached to the document. The whole
is framed and hangs in the drawing-room OF the
manor house, n decoration such as l'" |''''' .''
homes can boast. II might be thought mat SUE"
document should he preserved In hr'pr'o' N""'''
for upon it are based law suits OF the present 'ay
But II has been carefully photographed ana copies
deposited In safe places. moreover Il * Fprah upon
the town records. stu another grant or patent
dated 1897 is the possession OF the smith lahS'
a smaller document Of the same type coh'r"'ins
the original grant
The tract OF country in which Colonel NIi'Am
Smith commonly called Tangi"r Smith, owing 10
tho fact that he had A. one time been Governor ~
Tanger Africa under the English Crown received
this grant OF about 4o''D acres Is In hrookhh''n
township between Norichcs on the east anu
pa,chogtIe on tho west. the on The south ana
the Sound on the north II is included IN hh'H
hourb, from tho Indians IN Arril. l~f. hy certain OF
the Marty ~ Sew Eng,anlcrs who came rom
Massachusetts n fcw years before and settled ih
Southampton. The Indian deed 10 me '""" "i
Rrookhaven IS stl preserved In III" town archives
In return FOR tract % land covering nearly l"'""
acres John S-udder John S"esie. jonathan Porter.
Thomas Mabl4s. Roger Chest3n and Thomas Charles
agreed 10 give. the Indians "l' Coats. y Hoes. j.
Hatchcts - Muxes. l0' Nccd"ls . Kettles. lo falom
Of wampon chests - powder. pare ot 'hlld
Stockins 10 pound OF lead. poscn ~ knives MI
Nathaniel Miller. of Bro1khn'"n Who compiled the
records Of the town for iubl' Atlon SUNNI f'"' "N'
tells me that tho word "mlxcs' In the foregoing lst
means avis probably used by ~" Indians 10 se"!"s
their leather clothes. moccasln-. "t'.
During the next forty year, settlements were made
a, Se,,uket near Port jefferson on the sound. and
in the middle ~ the island. the south shore APP
pears - have been nearly d'sert'd N'vcrihr'rss,
the ,ands covered IS the orriah grant - William
Smith seem - have been decided - various persons
under Indian grants. and o., is not easy - deter
mine from the records the exact right ~ IN" King
+, deed the ST Georges Manor property 20 any
one II ~ possible that smith may have already
bought the lands IN question. wfich purchase" may
hay. been simply confirmed by thes" royal grani'
This view Is strengthened by The existence In ~"
town records ~ several documents. setting form
William Smiths elaine. that we're READ IN town
meeting without apparent protest Tn" earlier rec
o-is Of the town show that the whites frequently
bought tracts u land upon what appears 10 b" tn"
Smith patent 40 defined by ia" grant of 1873 Much
NJ ~. land Of Rrookhaven Township vas dly con
veycd - the whites by ToDdccus. famous Indian
CHIEF OF tho DAY. Ana a. early a. July. 1874 twenty
wears before the grant 10 William Smith. Brook
haven appears 10 have had not only owners and
settlers but a constitution. and strict one at that
~. witness the following extract from the records:
orders and Constitutions maei by IN" Athoaty ~
this towne. Sth July 1914. to be duy 'ep' ana OBJ
saryed: - 1900. ,,, .,.,,.. and ,ro
financing OF the lords day. by the younger sort or
people I'm discourssng OF vain" things ana rlnins
yJever shall doe the heke aeAinc notls shall he
taken Of them and be presented to the mex court.
there 10 answer for Their fats ana 10 R"s"Nc snch
punlehment AZ thay dcsarve.
. whereas II have ben" two conan In this town".
for Young men and maieds 20 be- out of Their fathers
and mothers house a. unsrsonab" TENS OF nlete.
sort shall be out OF Their fathers or mothers house
past nlcn OF the clock at Met shall be sumonscd
witb what punshmcnt the cori shall cause To
lay upon them. ecksep' ;hay can give suiissent
3 whereas god have bene much dlshonorcd.
much presSlous iyme missPent , ana men i,5o I'm
1rdnery or other prvct houses: Therefore. We
mack this o1drr n% E@y , s6al bo1 thus
shall pay IS. ana ne man OF the house ior letting
/ Tnat whosocver shall Run any Rasos. or Run
towne plat. shall forfeit los to thee use OF the
tOWnc.
In the same year 1914 what was called the
records "the purchase" vas divided by lot
among the settlers. Among those who received lots
were Daniel Lane Andrew Miller. Joseph Long
botham John Tooker. Zachary Hawkins. Richard
Floyd, John Roe and Joseph Davis. 1t viii be-
noticed by any one familiar with the Long Island
OF to-day how many Of the names Of these early
settlers are th).e Of the present inhabitants. The
people seem 20 have stayed by the soil with more
pcrsiatcncy than In other parts Of the country II
is also 10 be noted that many Of the settlers were
unable 10 write their names. In contract which |
the inhabitants of Brookhaven made with Daniel |
Iane build mill ana Gam. out of eighteen sign
ers all bearing good English names. reven signed
their names with cross. Now. the people Of |
Brookhaven were somewhat ltigous. witness the |
many lawsuits mentioned the records so that |
We may infer that Colonel William Smiths claim !
to 10000 acres. supported by royal patents |
had lust ground for we find trace of legal OBJ
staclos to his enjoyment Of the property.
The St Georges Manor tract as the ground COW
cred by the Smith patent OF 1888 is called presents
to-day in physical appearance probably a very
different picture from that OF 200 years ago Zig |
forests OF oak and pine then covered most of the |
tract and constituted the chief source OF incomo |
from the estate In the days before the Introduction
of coal Long Island furnished New-York with wood |
for heating ana cooking purposes ami scores of |
eoops and schooners piled between the Great South
Raw and the city. But the wood cut for market |
nv the Smiths their servants and slaves was M, |
sufficient TO make much OF an impression unon
such a tract and 1t was only in 1885, hen tho Long
leland Railway its tracks through 10 Say I,r
bor that the forests really began 10 dlsappear TIA
burning wood, sent forth showers OF ,
sparks 10 destructive 10 the forests that there
was scarcely time from May to January when n
Orc was not burning somewhere In the Long Island