Text of 1643 New Netherland Patent to John Throckmorton for Land at Vreelandt, Once Part of the Manor of Pelham

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Today's Historic Pelham Blog article includes an image of a patent to lands that later became part of the Manor of Pelham issued by Director General William Kieft and the Council of New Netherland on July 6, 1643 to John Throckmorton.  The patent encompassed lands that later became known as Throgmorton's Neck, today's Throggs Neck.

John Throckmorton emigrated from Norfolk, England to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century.  Religious tensions with Puritan leaders of that colony, however, led him in 1638 to become one of the twelve original proprietors of the settlement of Providence Plantation, an area that became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.  

In 1643, Throckmorton and his family removed to New Netherland and settled in an area known by the Dutch as Vreedlandt (various spellings), a Dutch term roughly translated by many as "Freedom Land."  Throckmorton, his family, and several dozen others settled in the region after Director General William Kieft and the Council of New Netherland granted Throckmorton a patent to the lands on July 6, 1643.  

Throckmorton could not have picked a worse time to settle in the region.  Relations between the Dutch and local Native Americans had been deteriorating for years with skirmishes and killings on both sides throughout the region.  Only months before Throckmorton arrived, Kieft launched an attack on camps of refugee Wichquaeskeck and Tappan Natives on February 23, 1643, one of the early skirmishes of what some have called "Kieft's War."  

Local Natives including Wiechquaeskecks (who later sold local lands that became the Manor of Pelham to Thomas Pell) clearly viewed the settlements of the families of John Throckmorton and Anne Hutchinson as threatening intrusions into their territory by the Dutch.  

In July, 1643, Native Americans approached the Hutchinson family settlement in the area of today's Coop City apartments in the Bronx.  They feigned friendship and convinced the family to tie up its fierce guard dogs.  They then massacred the entire settlement.  (The attackers spared only little Susanna Hutchinson whom they kidnapped and held for several years until traders ransomed the child and returned her to Dutch authorities.)

The Natives then proceeded to Throckmorton's nearby settlement and attacked.  Fate intervened.  As the attack began, the crew of a passing ship in Long Island Sound saw the pandemonium and pulled alongside the settlement to take on board a number of the settlers who were saved from murder.  

Though no patent for the lands settled by Anne Hutchinson and her family has ever been located, the patent for the lands settled by Throckmorton, his family, and followers continues to exist.  Below is an image of the page of the New Netherland deed book reflecting the patent, followed by two translations of the Dutch patent.

Image of Original Page from the Council of New Netherland

"Dutch Colonial Patents and Deeds, 1630-1664.  Series A1880.

Volume GG" Reflecting Patent to "John Trockmorton; part of

Vreland, being half a league along the East river, as by the map

and survey thereof may appear."  This, of Course, Became

Known as Throgmorton's Neck, Today's Throggs Neck, Once

Part of the Manor of Pelham and, Later, Westchester County.

Source:  New York State Archives Digital Collections:  New

Netherland Council Dutch Colonial Patents and Deeds, "Patent

of John Trockmorton for land along the East river" (visited

June 21, 2019).

*          *          *          *          *

Below are two translations of the pertinent portion of the page depicted above reflecting the patent issued to John Throckmorton by the Director General and Council of New Netherland on July 6, 1643.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"Patent to Jan Trockmorten . . .  

We, Willem Kieft, etc... have conceded and granted to Jan Trockmorton a parcel of land, (which is a part of Vrelant) extending along the East River of New Netherland for one half mile beginning at the point; and bounded on one side by a small river and on the other by a great kil, which river and kil run together at high water surrounding the aforesaid parcel of land, as is shown by the map thereof, made and deposited by the surveyor, under the express condition etc... 

Done at Fort Amsterdam, 6 July 1643."

Source:  New York State Archives Digital Collections:  New Netherland Council Dutch Colonial Patents and Deeds, "Translation Patent to Jan Trockmorten Series:  A1880  Scanned Document:  NYSA_A1880-78_VGG_0078" (visited June 21, 2019) (Citing Translation: Gehring, C. trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vols. GG, HH & II, Land Papers, 1630-1664 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1980)).

"PATENT TO JOHN THROCKMORTON FOR LAND AT VRELAND (THROCKMORTON'S NECK, WESTCHESTER CO.)

We, William Kieft, Director General and the Council of New-Netherland etc. etc., 

Testify and declare herewith, that this day, date as below, we have conceded and granted to Jan Trockmorton a parcel of land, (which is a part of Vreland) stretching along the East river of New-Netherland for one half of a league beginning at the Point and bounded on one side by a small river and on the other by a great Kil, which river and kil run together at high-water surrounding the aforesaid parcel of land, as is shown by the map thereof, made and deposited by the surveyor, under the express condition and stipulation, that he, Jan Trockmorton or his successors, shall acknowledge as his Masters and Patroons the Noble Lords-Directors of the Privileged West-India Company under the sovereignty of Their High : Might : the States-General and obey their Director and Council, as is the duty of a good inhabitant, provided also, that the said Jan Trockmorton and his company submit to all burdens and taxes, which have been or may hereafter be imposed by the Lords-Directors.  It is further expressly stipulated, that the said Jan Trockmorton shall according to his promise settle as many families upon the said land as may conveniently be done, And we constitute the said Jan Trockmorton and his company etc. etc.

Done at Fort Amsterdam, July 6, 1643."

Source:  "PATENT TO JOHN THROCKMORTON FOR LAND AT VRELAND (THROCKMORTON'S NECK, WESTCHESTER CO.)" in Fernow, B., ed., Documents Relating to the History and Settlements of the Towns Along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers (with the Exception of Albany), from 1630 to 1684 and Also Illustrating the Relations of the Settlers with the Indians, pp. 15-16 (Albany, NY:  Weed, Parsons and Company, 1881).

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "The Haunted History of Pelham, New York"
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."