Footnotes to Long Island History
Records Reveal Early Life
by
Thomas R. Bayles
By
Thomas R. Bayles
Early records of Brookhaven town reveal interesting glimpses
of every-day life as the settlers of Long Island knew it.
The first excerpt below shows the way the community provided
for its clergy.
“October24, 1665; Mathew Priar doth sell all his home lot,
with housing, glass windows, doors and partitions, with all the fencing,
young apple trees and other fruit trees, to the Constable and other
Overseers, for the minister’s accommodation, namely, Mr. Brewster The
said Constable and ‘Overseers engage td satisfy the paid Mathew Friar
with twelve pounds in Indian corn, wheat and peas, at the price current,
and this is for the use of the town, as witness our hands, this day.”
In those early days a house with glass windows was something
unusual and very much prized.
In the early Indian deeds the signature of Wyandanch the
Grand Sachem of all the Island tribes was required when purchases were
made by the white settlers as shown in the following deed.
“This writing witnesseth that Wyandanch, Sagamore of Long
Island, doth promise to sell the Greeat Neck, to the inhabitants of
Setalcott (Setauket) upon the delivery of the articles hereunder
mentioned; Six coats, six kettles, one brass gun, one trooper’s coat,
ten knives, one pair of shoes, two pounds of lead, two pounds of powder,
twenty muxes, and forty needles. Delivered him in part payment for the
above purchase, one pair of shoes. . .”
Court actions in the early days contain some interesting
items, as the following one in 1666.
“Obadiah Seward, plaintiff, Thomas Thorp, defendant, in an
action of trespass for striking me, and setting his dogs upon me, ‘which
did so bite ray legs to my great damage, for which the plaintiff desires
the judgment of the court." The record follows: “The plaintiff and
defendant is agreed betwixt themselves.”
On June 17, 1667 at a town meeting it was voted that John
Tooker “is to keep ordinary (tavern) in this town” and it also concluded
that the “meadow that lieth about Mount Misery, house, upland and meadow
to be for the use of a ordinary of Brookhaven town.”
At this meeting it was also ordered "that Mr. Daniel Lane is
to speak to his honor, the Governor, concerning the whales at the south,
that come within the bounds of our town, to be at our disposing.”
It was also agreed at this meeting that Mr. Lane should have
the land and meadow formerly agreed upon, upon condition that he grind
the town corn, as long as be could keep the mill in repair, doing the
best he could, and to have one ninth of Indian corn for pay.
In July, 1670, permission was granted "to John Tooker to
sell strong drink at retail, so long as be entertains people for their
money, until there be a settled ordnery in this town.”
On August 22,
1671, it is recorded that “at a town meeting it was voted and agreed
that John Tooker, Henry Perring, Mr. Bayles, Samuel Dayton, to go and
view the meadows at Unkechauge (Mastic) and treat with the Sachem about
the purchase of the meadows, and carry some likers with them to the
Indians, upon the town’s account.”
In 1672 Robert Hudson of Rye, sold a Negro named Anthony, to
Richard Floyd of, Brookhaven town, “to be delivered in this town of
Brookhaven, to the above said Floyd, sound wind and limb, and in
consideration of the same, Richard Floyd doth engage to pay forty eight
pounds sterling.”
In 1662, at a town
meeting, it was voted that the town should give William Pletcher 40
pounds a year towards his maintenance, for “dispensing the word of God
amongst them as long as be resides amongst them performing his
function."