2,2 The Story of The Bronx 



and to run back as far "as the situation of the occupiers will 

 admit." The owner of the land was styled "patroon," and 

 he was almost absolute ruler of whatever colony he might 

 plant. He bound himself, however: (i) to transplant the 

 fifty settlers to New Amsterdam at his own expense; (2) to 

 provide each of them with a farm stocked with horses, cattle, 

 and farming tools, and charge a low rent; (3) to employ a 

 schoolmaster and minister of the Gospel. In return, the 

 colonist bound himself: (1) to stay and cultivate the patroon's 

 land for ten years; (2) to bring his grain to the patroon's 

 mill and pay for grinding; (3) to use no cloth not made in 

 Holland ; (4) to sell no grain or produce till the patroon had a 

 chance to buy it. 



This generous offer of the Company found many takers, 

 and during the Dutch period, over six hundred patents were 

 granted. The greatest of all the patroons was Kilian Van 

 Rensselaer, a diamond polisher and director of the Company, 

 who took up over seven hundred thousand acres of land in 

 the valleys of the Hudson and the Mohawk. He selected as 

 sheriff of his patroonship, de Jonkheer Adrien Van der Donck, 

 who came to Rensselaerswyck in 1641. Van der Donck was 

 a native of Breda, a graduate of the University of Leyden, and 

 a lawyer by profession, the first to come to New Netherland. 

 He served for five years with Van Rensselaer, with whom he 

 had many differences, and who accused him of dishonorable 

 dealings. 



On October 22, 1645, Van der Donck married Mary, the 

 daughter of the Reverend Francis Doughty of Long Island; 

 and soon afterwards, disgusted with his experience with Van 

 Rensselaer, he withdrew from Beverwyck and settled in New 

 Amsterdam. He desired to become a patroon himself; and 

 being a man of culture and education, as well as of means, 



