City
England's Queen Anne grants local land to be used for St. Paul's
parish. ** The Reverend Peter Peiret, minister of the French
Church, dies.
State
Legislation against runaway slaves provides the death penalty
for those found more than 40 miles north of Albany.
State
A closed season on deer hunting is imposed on Long Island.
Jan 23
Cornelius Sebering and 40 supporters petition New York's Royal
Governor Lord Cornbury for permission to establish a ferry across
the East River between Red Hook, Long Island, and lower Manhattan.
Feb 5
The mayor and aldermen and the Corporation of New York publish
a remonstrance to Lord Cornbury, to reject the Sebering proposal,
which would threaten the ferry profits of the municipality.
Apr 8
Lord Cornbury grants the municipality's request for exclusive
rights to East River ferry service.
City
Ebenezer Wilson is appointed mayor; serves to 1710. ** Presbyterian
Francis Makemie is tried and acquitted during a prosecution of
dissenters.
Feb 10
French Protestant refugees petition Lord Cornbury to investigate
claims of former French prisoner of war Morris Newinhuysen, regarding
an alliance between the refugees and French citizens, to capture
New York.
Feb 24
John van Brugh, shipmate of Newinhuysen, gives his deposition,
attesting he found some letters on a French ship which he gave
to Newinhuysen, who read them and tossed hem overboard.
Feb 25
Newinhuysen makes a deposition that while prisoner on a French
privateer he came across letters, seemingly from Benjamin Fanueil
of New York, inviting the French to capture the city. Commissioners
Thomas Wenham, R. Mempesson and John Barborie report the two depositions
to the governor, with the notation that they showed Newinhuysen
letters written in French and that he understood "very little
or nothing of either of them."
Mar 4
The council exonerates Benjamin Fanueil.
Mar 9
The French refugees in New York petition Lord Cornbury to do what
he can to stop the rumors flying around the colony and to publish
pertinent documents proving the accusations false.
Apr 19
New York colonial governor Montgomerie grants New York City a
new charter, enlarging its municipal powers. The city is granted
control over all Brooklyn lands between today's Navy Yard and
Red Hook, lying between high and low water marks.
Apr 20
Britain's Queen Anne grants 1,500,000 acres of New York land,
including most of the Catskills - the Hardenbergh (Great) Patent,
to seven men, headed by Kingston merchant Johannis Hardenbergh.
State
Kings, Queens and Suffolk Counties close the hunting season on
game birds, to protect dwindling supplies. ** Royal governor
John Lovelace is instructed to enforce new rules for land grants
- a uniform quit-rent rate of 2 shillings and six pence for every
100 acres; all landholders to cultivate 3 out of every 50 acres
granted, within three years; a maximum size per individual of
2000 acres; and that grantees be given an equal amount of profitable
and unprofitable land.
Spain
A bell is cast in Malaga. It will one day be placed in the steeple
of the Episcopal Church in Ellicottville.
May
The Reverend James Laborie becomes pastor of New York's French
Church.
Dec 13
Reverend Laborie having petitioned Royal governor Lord Cornbury
for a salary of £20 a year, the amount his predecessor was
allotted, has his request approved.
City
A slave market is built at the foot of the main street.
State
Peter Schuyler builds Fort Nicholson, named for English commander
Colonel Francis Nicholson of Connecticut, at the Great Carrying
Place (Fort Edward).
© 2001 David Minor / Eagles Byte