Report of Committee on Historical Tablet ii 



was no province of New Jersey until that year (33). It may 

 also be seen that Governor Nicolls of New York, previous 

 to the year 1668, had placed Staten Island for the administration 

 of justice in the West Riding of Yorkshire (34), and had con- 

 firmed Nicholas Stillwell as constable (35). Governor Carteret 

 of New Jersey claimed Staten Island as a part of New Jersey by 

 virtue of the grant by the Duke of York to Berkeley and Carteret ; 

 but this claim was stoutly denied by Nicolls and his successors, 

 who retained their authority over it.* 



A New Jersey historian sums up the matter as follows : " Al- 

 though always in the possession of New York, the question of 

 jurisdiction remained a mooted point until 1833, when the water 

 boundary between the two states was established by a commis- 

 sion" (Whitehead, East Jersey under the Proprietary Govern- 

 ments 332. 1875). 



We, therefore, find that Staten Island was not separated from 

 New Jersey in 1668, nor was Staten Island ever a part of New 

 Jersey. New Jersey, however, when conveyed to Berkeley and 

 Carteret in 1664, and taken possession of by them in 1665, was 

 separated from the territory retained by the Duke of York, which 

 included Staten Island. The inscription is clearly erroneous. 



The eighth date and event inscribed on the tablet is : 

 1683. Court House erected at Stony Brook (County Seat). 



The committee of 1906, however, selected and approved " 1683. 

 Stony Brook made County Seat — until 1729. First County Court 

 House, erected at Stony Brook. Organization of Richmond 

 County." 



A law was passed November i, 1683, establishing the County 

 of Richmond, and at the same time an act was passed establishing 

 courts of justice (36). We have not been able to find any record 

 bearing out the statement that in 1683 a courthouse was erected 



* See Delavan, E. C. Jr., The Disputed Claim of the Proprietors of East 

 Jersey to Staten Island. Proc. Staten Is. Assoc. 3 : 37. Oct.-Dec. 1909. 



