original GRANTS, AND FARMS
 

151
 

William Smith, of the same city, merchant. "Deed of Mort¬
gage" dated June 16, 1709; recorded July 1, 1709.—Liber
Deeds, XXVI:   343 (New York).   Consid., £ioS.

Conveys "All that his certain piece and parceU of ground
... on Manhattan Island . . . at a place called the bowry
Lane on the East side of the said Lane containing in breadth
upon the said lane or path two hundred paces and in length
backwards three hundred and thirty three paces as the same is
now within fence be the same more or less; the said piece and
parcell of ground Is bounded West by the aforesaid lane or
highway; North by the land heretofore belonging to Gerrard
Hendrickse and South by the land of Anthony Congo, to¬
gether with a lat^e brick house which was lately erected and
built upon the said Ground by the said Thomas Ekerse  .   .   ."

The deed makes provision that the property shall revert to
Eckerse upon payment of the sum of £108 to William Smith
"for the proper use and benefit of Peter Smith of the Island of
St. Thomases, merchant."

The large brick house is shown on the Ratzer Map (Pl. 41,
Vol. I) and the Taylor-Roberts Plan (Pl. 70, Vol. I). It stood
at the south-east corner of the Bowery and Houston St.

Thomas Eckers, or Eckerson, was a son of Jan Thomasz,
who assumed the surname of Eckerson about 1692.—Purple,
Ancient Families of N. Y,, 22.

In 1718, the farm was owned by Col. Abraham De Peyster.—
See recitals in deeds of land on the south.

The heirs of Isaac De Peyster conveyed to Pierre van Cort¬
landt shortly after Oct. i, 1774, when Ger.ird Bancker sur¬
veyed it at their request. He estimated the area as 13 a, 3 r.
35 p.—Bancker Coll. Surveys, N. Y. P. L.

A note on a map of the De Lancey farm, copied by B. F.
Stevens from the original in the audit office in London, says:
"Pierre van Cortland bought ye estate ... for 1800 P. or
thereabouts in ye year 1774. 18 acres at about a hundred
pound an acre having a face to ye Bowery lane." There is a
copy of this map in N. Y. P. L., MSS. Div.

In August 1780, the farm seems to have been occupied by
William Bayard.—See "List of Farms of absentees on the Is¬
land," Bancker MSS. notes, N. Y. Hist. Soc.

1794, Sept. 3, the farm was surveyed and staked off into
lots for Col. WiUiam Smith. Map in Bancker Coll., N. Y.
P.L.

THE JOHANNES VAN COUWENHOVEN FARM
At Greenwich

BlockCheckList. 635-643.

Cornelis van Ruyven's home farm at Northwyck was only
five acres in extent. He sold the farm house and garden to
Teunis Eides, the brewery and mill and their outbuildings to
Johannes van Couwenhoven.

Lot 16 of the Warren farm shows the jagged outline between
the brewery lot and the farmstead.

The deed from Van Ruyven to Couwenhoven was not de¬
livered until 1674, but the following mortg.ige was probably
the purchase money mortgage drawn when che property actu-
aUy passed, March 1, 1671/2,

Johannes van Couwenhoven to Cornelis van Ruyven,
Mortgage dated March I, 1671/2, for 1000 guilders.

"The worthy Johannes van couvenhoven, inhabitant at
Noortwijck," mortgages "A Brewery Malt house See." "Which
sum of one thousand guilders Wampum value arises on
account of a Horse MUl stones Ironwork &c,, built by Mr,
Van Ruyven at Noortwyck, and sold to the appearer; which
the appearer acknowledges to have received and entered into
possession. Which sum of one thousand guilders the appearer
promises to pay ... so soon as circumstances wiU permit
in good grain or merchandize wampum value as it will pass from
man to man at the time when the payment will be made,"—
 

Deeds and Mortgages (1664-1675), 169 (trans, by O'Cal¬
laghan), in city clerk's office, New York, A guilder, wampum,
was worth about 13 cents of our money.

Cornelis van Ruyven to Johannis van Couwenhoven.
Deed recorded June 22, 1674,—N, Y, Hist. Soc. Collections,

Conveys "a brewery, mill and malt-house . . . certain
lot and parcel of land situated on this Island Manhattans at
Saphackenican, enclosed by the land of Teunis Idusse and
Jacob Pietersz De Groot as the same at present is surrounded
by its fence and has been occupied and used until this date by
the said Van Couwenhoven. Extent, according to the measure¬
ment of the sworn surveyor Jacques Corteljou, fully two
morgens."

Johannes van Couwenhoven, dwelling in New York County
at Nort Wyck, made his will, which was signed July 18, i68g.
Proved August lo, 1690.—Liber Wills, III: 195 (New York).
New page I40.

For more than fifty years the farm remained In his descen-

The Couwenhoven farm was sold Co two wealthy Jewish
merchants of New York. Mordecai Gomez boughc the most
southerly tract later, of James Jauncey, Abraham Lynsen
the northerly part later, of WUliam Bayard.

Gomez was the first to buy here. He is mentioned as a neigh¬
bour in the survey of the northerly piece, March 10, 1746, By
his will, dated May 3,1750, he devised the place to his wife and
children.—tWw Wills, XVII:   272 (New York).

He probably built the house which is mentioned in a deed
June 6, iy66.—Liber Deeds, XXXVII:  554 (New York).

James Jauncey must have purchased at this rime. His
name is on the Ratzer Map. Deed not found.

The northerly parcel was sold about March, 1746.

In the Warren Papers, 1639-1795, in N. Y, Hist, Soc, there
is an excellent survey of the upper part of the Van Couwen¬
hoven land, "Done by Brandt Schuyler ye loth March,
1745/6, by order of Francis Couwenhoven and Abraham
Lynsen."

In the same collection there is a lease and a survey signed
by Abraham Lynsen Jan. 25,1747/8, proving that Mr. Lynsen
leased the old Teunis Eides house for three years. The paper is
marked: "Memorandum of an agreement between Mr. Oliver
De Lancey and Abr. Lynsen relating to a cercain House & Lott
of Ground at Greenwich." A sketch with the agreement shows
the "Old house," a barn, and the arrangement of the fences.

Possibly at this time Mr. Lynsen was engaged in building
his home here. When Abraham Sarzedas sold it, in 1659, che
house had been builc about six years, according to the
advertisement.  The deed to Abraham Lynsen has not been

Abraham Lvnson, merchant to Abraham Sarzedas, gen¬
tleman. Deed dated Nov. 30, lyso.—Liber Deeds, XXXIII:
406 (New York).

Conveys "All that certain Messuage or dwelling house and
lott of ground thereunto belonging." The further description
is of the plot of 3 acres, 2 roods, and 15 perches shown on the
survey.

^759) Ja"- 'Si "To be sold. A very pleasant Country seat
situated nigh the North River, about three miles from the City,
generally known by the name of Greenwich; containing near
four acres, all in Garden, Inclosed wich a good board fence, six
feet high and Red cedar posts. A Dwelling house the best Part
whereof is finish'd in the best manner, not above six years ago,
fit for any Gentleman. . . . Apply to Abraham Sarzedas,
living in the premises."—A'^, Y. Mercury.

William Bayard seems to have bought the house and
grounds ac this rime. No deed found. The Ratzer Map shows