THE TOWN OF WEST FARMS. 473 



holding and keeping the said court-leet and court-barron from time to time, and 

 to award and issue out the said accustomary writs, to be issued and awarded out 

 of the said court-leet and court-barron, to be kept by the heirs and assinees of the 

 said Lewis Morris, forever, or their or any of their stewards deputed and appoint- 

 ed with full and ample power and authority to distraine for the rents, services, 

 and other sums of money, payable by virtue of the premises and all other lawful 

 remedies and means, for the having, possessing, recovering, levying and enjoying 

 the premises, aud every part and parcel of the same, and all waifes, estrages, 

 meeks, deododans, goods or felons, happening and being forefeited within the 

 said lordship or manor of Morrisania, and all and every sum and sums of money 

 to be paid as a post fine, upon any fine or fines to be levyed, of any bounds, tene- 

 ments or hereditaments within the said lordship or manor of Morrisania, together 

 with the advowson and right of patronage, and all and every the church and 

 churches erected or established, or thereafter to be erected or established within 

 the said manor of Morrisania, and we do also give and grant unto the said Lewis 

 Morris, his heirs aud assinees, that all and each of the tenants of him the said Lewis 

 Morris, within the said manor, may at all times hereafter, meet together and 

 choose assessrs, within the manor aforesaid, according to such rules, waj r s and 

 methods, as are prescribed for cities, towns and counties within our province 

 aforesaid, by the acts of General Assembly, for the defraying the public charge 

 of each respective city, town and county aforesaid ; and all such sums of money 

 assessed or levied, to dispose of and collect for such uses as the acts of the Gen- 

 eral Assembly shall establish aud appoint, to have and to hold, possess and enjoy, 

 all aud singular the said lordship or manor of Morrisania and premises, with all 

 their and every of their appurtenances, unto the said Lewis Morris, his heirs and 

 assinees forever, to be holden of us, our heirs and successors, in free and com- 

 mon soccage, according to the tenure of our manor of East Greenwich, in our 

 County of Kent, within our realm of England, yielding, rendering and paying 

 therefor, yearly aid every year, on the feast day of the Annunciation of our 

 Blessed Virgin, unto us, our heirs and successors, at our city of New York, the 

 annual rent of six shillings, in lieu and stead of all former rents, dues, services 

 and demands whatsoever, for the said lordship and manor of Morrisania, and 

 premises ; in testimony whereof, we have caused the great seal of the said pro- 

 vince to be affixed. Witnesse our trusty and well beloved Benjamin Fletcher, our 

 capt. gen. and gov. in-chief of our province of New York, and the territories and 

 tracts of land depending thereon, in America, and vice-admiral of the same, our 

 lieutenant commander-in-chief of the militia and of all the forces by sea and land 

 within our colony of Connecticut, and of all the forts and places of strength 

 within the same, in council at our fort in New York, the 8th day of May, in the 

 ninth year of our reign, Anno Domini, 1697. a 



By command of his excellency, BEN. FLETCHER. 



David Jameson, SecVy. 



The greatest part of the life of Lewis Morris, before the arrival of 



a Alb. Book of Pat. No. vii. 64 and 70. 



