72
 

THE ICONOGRAPHY OF MANHATTAN ISLAND
 

formerly occupied by Evert [Focke] and five and twenty mor¬
gens of land, adjoining it, under the following conditions and
stipulations. First, his Honor, Director Kieft aforesaid sells
as he hereby does, to Thomas Sanders who also acknowledges
to have bought, the aforedescribed house and land for the sum
of 450 Carolus guilders at 20 st. the piece, payable in three
installments. Thomas Sanders promises to deliver and pay the
first installment into the hands of the said Director or of who
might succeed in his place on the first of January 1639, the
second on the same day 1640, and the third and last on the first
of January 1641; under the express condition that Thomas
Sanders shall submit to all such taxes and levies, as the Com¬
pany has already imposed and ordered  .   .   .

"His Honor the Director aforesaid conveys and transfers also
on behalfof the West India Company the aforesaid 25 Morgens
of land"  .   .   .

Not dated: the preceding document bears date July 20,
1638; the succeeding one is dated Oct., 1638,—iV, Y. Col. Docs.,
XIV:  14,

Thomas Sanders, called "The mad smith," was apparently
not insane. He seems to have had an ungovernable temper,
which had earned for him that soubriquet.

In September, 1639, he stabbed one of his servants, in a
fit of rage, injuring the man seriously.—Cal. Hist. MSS.,
Dutch, 6^.

His name stuck to the farm, however; as "the Smith's Hill"
it was srill known in 1697; earlier than that, as "The Malle-
sm its berg"—-yet he seems to have lived there but a short time.
March 22, 1639, he made a contract with one Richard Pitsert,
to fence the plantation, build a tobacco house and plant
tobacco on halves.—Ca/. Hisl, MSS,, Dutch, 6. Three months
later, Isaac Abrahamsen agreed to serve him "until the crop of
tobacco be saved."—Il/id., 9. The smith seemed to know and
care very little about tobacco raising. On Jan. i, 1641, he
leased "the house and plantarion . . . heretofore in the
occupation of Evert Foppe" to Abrahamsen and another, for
seven years from Easter, 1640.—See Chronology, Aug. 3,1639.
Apparently that lease was not fulfilled. Aug. 7, 164O (see
Chronology), Jan Tomassen "cadet" hired "the bouwery and
house . . . near Werpoes, formerly occupied by Evert
Foppe," for five years from Jan. i, 1641.

This is the first mention of the name "Werpoes" in this
vicinity. O'Callaghan says "there was another locality in
Brooklyn of the same name. ... It comes from Wapoos, a
hare or rabbit, with which it is presumed the place abounded."
—The Hist. Mag, 1st. Series, III;  85,

Sanderson is never again found at Werpoes. Apparently he
had failed to live up to his agreement with Kieft, The land
reverted to the Company. Sanderson married Sara van Gor-
cum. Sept, 16,1640.—M«?T. in Ref. Dutch Ch., 10, They lived
at the northeast corner of Broadway and Beaver St. as early
as 1639, and as late as 1650, when they went to Albany.—
Van Rensselaer-Botcier MSS., 841.

The history of the farm for the next few years is broken.
July 6, 1643, °'^^ J^" Francen conveyed to Jan Jacobsen a
house and plantation on the Island of Manhattan, apparently
the same hnd.—Cal. Hist. MSS., Dutch, 23.

There is no other mention of Jan Francen in the records.

Jan Jacobsen to Lambert Van Valckenburgh. Deed
dated July 29, 1644.—Records N, Neth., II: 121; Cal. Hist.
MSS., Dutch, 29.

Conveys house and plantation on the island of Manhattan,
together with twenty-five morgen of land adjoining.

Note: This grantor was Jan Jacobsen Stille van Vreelandt.
He was in New Amsterdam as early as July, 1638.—Cal. Hisl.
MSS., Dutch, 2. Purple says he probably died or left the
Colony about 1644.—N. Y, Geneal, and Biog, Rec, 1876.

Lambert van Valckenburgh may have surrendered this farm
 

to the company when he acquired the tract opposite to Kip's
Bay plantarion, the patent to which was issued May 15, 1649
(see the Samler farm).

There is no grant of record to Jan Claesz who stood charged
with it, Nov, 3, 1648 (see Chronology), when he promised to
have it transferred to Elcke Jansz. Evidently the bouwery had
reverted to the company.

1648, Nov. 3. Bond of Lucas Vander Liphorst as security
for purchase money of the lot called Mallesmits bergh bought
hyEXci^&'i&n&t^n.—Records N.Netk.,\li; 24; Cal, Hist, MSS.,
Dutch, 45.

This was followed by a grant from Stuyvesant dated Feb.
18, 1649.—Ibid., 46.

The description reads—"A piece of land formerly in the
occupation of Thomas Sanderson." The name ofthe patentee
is not given. Probably the grant was made out to Elcke
Jansen, although Lucas van der Liphorst seems to have been
the real purchaser,

Lucas Van der Liphorst to Thomas Hall. Deed dated
June 28, 1649,—Records N. Neth., Ill: 39.

Desc.: " Piece formerly in the occupation of Thomas
Sanderson, belonging to him, Lucas vander Liphorst, as
appears by the signature of Elcke Jansen, wherein is mentioned
the ground-brief by the Director, Feb. 18, 1649,"

Thomas Hall to Gerrit Jansen. Deed dated Oct, 27,
i6^q.—Records N. Neth., Ill: 68; Cal. Hist. MSS,, Dutch,
SI.

Whereby the former (Hall) exchanges the land called
Mallesmit's bergh for a house and farm belonging to the
latter. (Thomas Hal! takes the land, dwelling house &c.
near the bouwery of Cornelis Claessen Swits and Stille.
Bouwery No. 4.)

A copy of this instrument, taken from the record signed by
Jacob Kip, secretary, is in the author's collection.

Gerrit Jansen's tenure was short. Again the farm was in the
company's possession.

Stuyvesant gave a patent for the land " by ye Indians called
by ye name of Werpoes . . . about 50 acres or 25 morgen,"
to Augusrine Hermans. Dated March 28, 1651. Not found of
record; recited in confirmation,

Nicolls to to Augustine Hermans. Conf., dated Aug. i,
1668.—Liber Patents, III: 77 (Albany).

Whereas "there was a patent or ground-brief [Stuyvesant
to Hermans] for a certain piece of land upon Manhattan by ye
Indians called by ye name of Werpoes lying and being beyond
ye ffreshwater towards ye Sv/amp by ye Great Waggon way
abutting behynde on ye land of Tosyn Briel where it stretcheth
upon a west lyne 150 r. & before to ye Wa^on way 50 r,;
on ye S. side it abutts on ye land of John de Spanien where it
is also 150 r. & on ye N. on ye Land formerly belonging to
Hans Kiersteed 150 r.; in all w^li ye Swamp annexed amounting
unto about 50 Acres or 25 Morgen, which said pattent or
ground-brief bearing date ye 28th day of March, 1651 was
graunted unto ye said Augustine Hermans after ye said land
had passed & become in the Possession of divers other Persons,
revoking & disannulling {sic) all other or former graunts.
Now &c."

The blanket description in the foregoing patent covers all
of the Werpoes tract, and other lands. John the Spaniard
seems to have been living on Jochim Antony's land. He has
not been found elsewhere in the records.

B. Bouwery No. 8
 

In the "Special Instructions for Cryn Fredericksz," April,
1625, farm No. 8 was directed to have a frontage along the
road of 55 rods; a depth of 450 rods. The surveyor on the
ground laid it out 80 rods wide along the highway; the depth
was later defined by the grant to van Twiller.   Naturally it