Report of Committee on Historical Tablet 5 



We know of no evidence whatever to warrant this statement. 

 We find in reference to 1613, that "none manifested a disposi- 

 tion to settle here until the spring of 1613 " (Morris i : 25). In 

 Wilson's Memorial History of the City of New York, in the 

 table of dates, occurs: " 1613. Trading camp established on 

 Manhattan Island," and in O'Callaghan's Register of New Neth- 

 erland: " 1613. Huts constructed on Manhattan Island, and the 

 yacht Restless built there." It has recently been decided (by 

 authorities in the matter) that Manhattan was not settled until 

 May 1626. (Rep. N. Y. Commercial Tercent. Com. 80. 1914.) 



As to Oude Dorp, the statement is made that " The summer of 

 1641 witnessed the commencement of the building of Oude Dorp." 

 (Morris i : 32.) 



It may be seen, on consulting the appendix to this report, that 

 at this time (1641) Cornells Melyn had been made Patroon and 

 had settled on Staten Island (i).^ We know of no evidence to 

 connect his colony with Oude Dorp, although he may have lo- 

 cated not far away, as he was " to go upon the point of Staten 

 Island where the maize land lay," and soldiers were to be placed 

 there to signal to the fort at New Amsterdam when vessels ar- 

 rived (2). The few settlers previous to 1662 lived on farms or 

 bouweries and we find little evidence of village life. In 1662 

 Director Stuyvesant wrote that Melyn's lands had been aban- 

 doned for seven years (3). 



Stuyvesant writes in 1664: "A hamlet not yet named was be- 

 gun on Staten Island about two years ago, and has now about 12 

 to 14 famihes of Dutch and French from the Palatinate; it lies 

 about half an hours walk from the Narrows " (4). 



On January 28, 1664, a Court of Justice was established at the 

 recently begun village on Staten Island (5). 



Grants of land made in 1668 refer to lots on the hill to the east 

 of the Town (6), while in 1685 a survey of these same lots de- 



3 References to authorities, numbered as above, may be found at the 

 end of the report (see p. 20). 



