May
A New York City jury, considering the legality of East Jersey
governor Philip Carteret's title, approves his right to rule.
June
Colonial governor Edmund Andros attends a session of the East
Jersey assembly, then dissolves it.
Jun 31
New Amsterdam minister Olave Stevens convenes church and local
officials at his home to determine methods of raising money to
build the new Dutch church recommended by Governor Andros.
Astronomy
A comet appears over the northern colonies, causing Increase Mather
to preach a sermon on Heaven's Alarm to the World , and
the Hudson River Dutch to petition for a day of fasting and humiliation.
City
William Dyre is appointed mayor for the year.
State
Abraham, Jacob and Catherine Schellinger, children of East Hampton
settler Jacobus Schellinger, needing land to farm, move three
miles east and found Amagansett.
Mar 4
William Penn receives the grant for his colony from Charles II.
It includes land overlapping New York colony as far north as Syracuse.
City
The Duke of York's charter for the colony is granted. ** William
Dyre is appointed mayor for the second year in a row. ** The flour
trade revenue over the past three years totals £2,000.
State
Frederick Philipse erects a house on the Nepperhan River, at the
future site of Yonkers.
City
Former mayor Cornelius Van Steenwyck is appointed mayor again.
He will be reappointed next year as well.
State
Governor Thomas Dongan, a Catholic, arrives in New York City from
England, to assume command of the colony.
Mar 7
New York City petitions the Crown to have East Jersey reannexed,
to fend off a competing colony across the Hudson.
Oct 17
New York holds its first English representative assembly and adopts
a charter of liberties.
Oct 30
New York City's first Roman Catholic services are held.
Nov 1
New York's Albany, Dukes, Westchester, Ulster, Cornwall, Dutchess,
New York, Orange, Queens (including Hempstead and Oyster Bay),
and Richmond (Staten Island) counties are founded by Royal Governor
Thomas Dongan; Richmond named for the Earl of Richmond. Long Island's
East Riding of Yorkshire is organized as Suffolk County. Martin's
Vineyard, in Dukes County, later becomes Martha's Vineyard, part
of Massachusetts. Queens includes today's Nassau County with the
towns of Flushing, Jamaica and Newtown (which runs from Long Island
City to Elmhurst). ** Kings County (Brooklyn) is formed, with
the towns of Brooklyn, Bushwick, Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend
and New Utrecht.
Nov 28
The Connecticut-New York boundary dispute is settled by committee,
temporarily.
City
The city begins producing commercial grade flour, and is granted
a monopoly.
State
The French leave the Seneca country. Jesuit missionary Father
Jiulien Garnier returns to New France. ** The General Assembly
of Freeholders reorganizes the province's governmental structure
into 12 counties.
May
The Connecticut Assembly approves the border with New York.
June 16
James II names the Reverend Josias Clarke chaplain to the garrison
at New York.
Jul 30
The Iroquois renew peace treaties with Governor Dongan, at Albany.
Sep 6
The New York governor and council grants a requested tax exemption
for Lutheran Church premises, as is done with other congregations.
Nov 4
The village of Schenectady is patented.
City
New and Beaver Streets are paved. The first watch is appointed.
A Latin school is opened under the management of a Jesuit priest.
** Gabriel Minvielle is appointed mayor for the year.
State
Father Hennepin publishes Description de la Louisiane nouvellement
decouverte, in France, reports seeing a giant waterfall between
lakes Erie and Ontario - Niagara Falls.
Indians
War breaks out again between the Five Nations and France, in western
New York; is settled by the peace of September 5th, at Famine
Cove, on Lake Ontario.