Report of Committee on Historical Tablet 39 



their houses, which were shghtly constructed of straw and clap 

 boards ... its garrison consisted of 6 old soldiers, unfit to ac- 

 company the others against the Indians. The aforesaid Block- 

 house and hamlet stood within sight of Najeck." (Col. Doc. 2: 



443-) 



1668. Patent for two lots of land granted to Henry Hedger 



and Thomas Walton, ist May 1668, recites : 



" Whereas there are foure Lotts of Land upon Staten Island 

 lying and being upon y^ Hill to y^ East of y® Towne w'"'^ said 

 Lotts were heretofore lay'd out Proportionably w'*' y® rest of y® 

 Town Lotts" etc. (Record of Patents 3: 13.) 



The land granted Hedger and Walton was surveyed by Philip 

 Wells April 4th, 1685, by command of Gov. Dongan, and Wells re- 

 ported " have surveyed and Layd out for Thomas Walton a Cer- 

 taine tract of Land upon the hill to the East of the old towne.'' 

 (Land Papers 2 : 6'j.') 



1670. Name of Old Town first appears on map. — Old Town ap- 

 pears on a manuscript map showing New York, Long Island, and 

 Staten Island, by Robert Ryder, Surveyor, 1670. Robert Ryder 

 made a number of surveys on Staten Island, and was granted a 

 patent for a large tract of land thereon. The map is in the pos- 

 session of the New York Historical Society, and a photographic 

 copy is in the possession of the Staten Island Association of Arts 

 and Sciences. 



A Brief Description of New York formerly called New Nether- 

 lands by Daniel Denton, London 1670, which is the first Eng- 

 lish book on New York, contains the following extract : " With- 

 in two Leagues of New York lieth Staten-Island, it bears from 

 New York West something Southerly : It is about twenty- 

 miles long, and four or five broad, it is most of it very good Land, 

 full of Timber, and produceth all such commodities as Long 

 Island doth besides Tin and store of Iron Oar, and the Calamine 

 Stone is said likewise to be found there : There is but one Town 

 upon it consisting of English and French, but is capable of enter- 

 taining more inhabitants ; betwixt this and Long Island is a large 

 Bay, and is the coming in for all ships and vessels out of the Sea : 

 On the North-side of this Island After-skull River puts into the 

 main Land on the West-side, whereof is two or three Towns, but 

 on the East-side but one. There is very great marshes or Medows 



