Footnotes to Long Island History
Early Land Purchases On L.I
by
Thomas R. Bayles
Gardiner's Island Deed recorded in 1639-Second Grant covered
all East Hampton Town except Montauk and Gardiner's.
The earliest recorded purchase of land on eastern Long Island from
the Native American proprietors was that of the island called by the
aboriginies Manchomacke (the land or place of the dead.) This was
known to English settlers as the isle of Wright, and afterwards
named Gardiner's Island. This was purchased by Lion Gardiner, the
first white English settler within the boundaries of New York State.
The first record of the town of East Hampton relates to this
purchase and is dated March 10th, 1639.
The deed known as the town purchase of 1648 is the second entry in
East Hampton town records and relates to the purchase from the
Indian Sachems, Poggatacut, Wyandanch, Momowetow, and Nowedona by
Theophilus Eaton, Governor of the Colony of New Haven and Edward
Hopkins, Governor of the colony of Connecticut. This covered all the
land from Southampton to the east side of Napeak with the whole
breadth from sea to sea.
This
grant from the Indians was assigned by Edward Hopkins to in
inhabitants of East Hampton April 16th, 1651 in
consideration of 30 pounds for shillings, eight pence. This covered
all the land of east Hampton town except Montauk and Gardiner's
Island.
In
1658 an agreement with the Indians was made to secure the pasturage
on Montauk for seven years, with the privilege of purchasing the
land if the Indians cared to sell. Title was acquired to the portion
known as Hither Woods, lying west of fort pond, in 1660 and 1661,
after the over throw of the Montauk Indians by their foes, the
Narragansett’s, from across the sound. The remainder of the Montauk
tribe fled to east Hampton where they were sheltered and protected
by the settlers. In 1670 title was acquired to the tract of land
lying between Fort Pond and Great Pond, and in 1686 the remainder
was acquired, subject to certain reservations and Indian rights. It
was agreed that the Indians should “have leave to plant what corn so
ever they have occasion for to plant from time to time, themselves
and their heirs forever upon the land as purchased of them by us.”
They also had the right to pasture 50 head of cattle, and to take
wood for fuel and fencing.
From the first agreements with the Indians in 1658 concerning the
privilege of pasture, until the sale at auction in 1879 to Arthur W.
Benson, the 10,000 acres which comprise the peninsula of Montauk
East of Napeague beach remained undivided and used as a common
pasturage ground by the farmers of East Hampton town, who help
proportional shares in the land.
The Montauks were probably the most powerful tribe on long Island,
east of the Canarsee territory, and held all the other tribes or
groups as some historians call them, under tribute. Wyandanch, the
chief of the Montauks at the time of the first settlement by the
English, was recognized as the Grand Sachem to whom all the other
chiefs owed allegiance. No deed of any other tribes or groups was
considered valid without his signature. The Montauks in turn paid
tribute to the fierce, warlike Pequot’s across the sound around New
London, and continued to do so until the white settlers subdued the
Pequot’s.
During one of the invasions of the Montauks by the Narragansett8 0s,
they surprised the wedding ceremony of the daughter of Wyandanch,
and seized the bridge captive and carried her across the sound.
Where she was afterward rescued by Lion Gardiner. In gratitude for
the return of his daughter Wyandanch gave Gardiner a tract of land
which now compromises most of the town of Smithtown. In 1658 a
disease swept through the Indians and it is said that two-thirds
died before it was brought under control.
As late as 1895 there were two or more families of Indian descent
living in East Hampton. One family were the children of David
Pharaoh and his wife Maria, who were known as the king and queen of
the Montauks. A brother, Stephen Pharaoh was famous as a walker and
frequently walked from Montauk to east Hampton in the morning,
cradled three acres of wheat, and walked back to Montauk in the
evening. Another brother, Elisha Pharaoh was a famous basket maker
and was a familiar figure in East Hampton as he went around with his
huge pile of baskets, made of rushes, covering completely like a
haystack.