172
 

THE ICONOGRAPHY OF MANHATTAN ISLAND
 

FRANCIS B. WINTHROP
(The Turtle Bay Farm)
Block   Check   List.     1323-1360-1299-1317-1315-1297-
1295-971.

The earliest settlement on the East River between Bouwery
No. 1 and Montagnes Point was at Turtle Bay.

George Holmes and Thomas Hall declared their incencion
to make a plantacion and build a house there as eariy as Sept.
7, 1639, Their plantarion is not listed on the Manatus Maps;
an indication that thac map had been completed earlier in the

The original patent extended from Turtle Bay and the Mill
Kill as far south as the Kill of Schepmoes, but did not reach
back to che Weckquasgeck Road as later grants did. Its depth
into the woods was 100 rods of 13 feet to the rod, Dutch
measure.   Almost exactly 1200 feet, English measure,

"How this Vacancy Came to be Left out of the Adjoining
Patents we think is Easily determinable if it be Considered
that the aforesaid Vacancy is an Enrire Swamp: which sort
of Land it is well known w.is not Antiently esteemed worth
patenting." Report of a committee of che Common Council,
Jan. 9, 1760.—A/. C. C, VI;   igg.

The Ratzer Map shows a large swamp and a high hiU be¬
tween che plantation and the road.

The Turtle Bay farm also included part of the patenc Co
Gabrielle Curtesee (Carbosie, Carpesy) and a considerable
tract which was originally part of the common lands of the
City of New York.

First, che Turcle Bay Grant, souch of the creek.

Willem Kieft, Director etc., to George Homs and Thomas
Hal. Ground-brief dated Nov, 15, i63g,—Liber GG: 32
(Albany).

Conveys "A certain piece of land lying on the Island Man¬
hates, extending in breadth from Deutel Bay along che East
River till to the Kill of Schepmoes, where the Beach tree lies
over the water, and then in ics length from the said river
straight into the woods, and of the same breadch all along the
water, 100 rods of 13 feet to the rod, upon the express condition
and terms that George Homs and Thomas Hal, or their
successors shall acknowledge the noble lords, che managers
aforesaid, as their masters and patrons," etc.

The translation following better expresses the meaning of
the original,

"We, Willem Kieft, Director General and Council of
New Netherland, Etc., hereby testify and declare that to¬
day, date underwritten, we have Granted Co George Homs and
Thomas Hal, tobacco-planters in partnership, a certain piece
of land situate upon the Island Manhatans, reaching in width
from Deutel bay along the East river to the Kil of Schepmoes
where the beach-tree lies across the water and in length from
the said river directly inco che woods for che same distance as
along the water, one hundred rods of thirteen feet each: under
the express condition and sripulation that George Homs and
Thomas Hal . . . shall acknowledge the Noble Lords
Directors as their Lords and Patroons," etc. "Done this 15th
day of November, 163c,."—N. Y. Col. Docs., XIV:  26.

George Holmes and Thomas Hall were the first Englishmen
to sectle on Manhattan Island.

Sent out by West, the provisional governor of Virginia,
Holmes, with a small force of men, one of whom was Thomas
Hall, had taken possession of Fore Nassau on the South River.
Van TwUler prompriy sent an expedition against chem, cap-
cured chem'and brought them to the fort at the Manhattans,
Sept. I, 1635. David De Vries was just ready to sail for Vir¬
ginia, Van Twiller asked him to take the men, 14 or 15 in
number back with him, which he did, landing chem near
Hampton ten days later.—Jameson, Narr, N. Neth., 195.
 

Holmes and Hall returned to New Amsterdam. They were
working for Van Twiller on his plantarion at Sapokaniean in
July, 1638.—Ca/. Hist. MSS., Dutch, 2.

Van TwiUer returned to Holland. March 22, 1639, K'^f":
demanded and obtained from the Cwo men an inventory of
their late employer's property, which had been left in their
charge. They were then living in Van TwUler's own house.^
N, Y, Col Docs., XIV;   ig.

Kieft took over the bouwery and other lands of his prede¬
cessor; the men applied for a grant of land for themselves,
which was given to them after they had taken the oath of
allegiance, August, i63g.—Ibid.,   24.

Two carpenters contracted to build the house, Aug. 30,1639,
before the patenc issued.—Chronology.

Thomas Hall, as all his subsequent history proves, was a
resriess man. By Sept. 6, 1640, he had grown rired of the
soUtude of the plantacion so far away from the town. He sold
his half share In the house and farm co his partner, except a
boat, gun and dog, which he reserved. He also felc himself
"at liberty to eat, drink, sleep, go and come to" the farm
house. The price he asked was "1600 pounds of Tobacco pay¬
able from the crop which George shall make A" 1641." It is
added in a postscript thac Holmes paid the purchase price Co
Director Kieft.—^^cor^J A'. Nelh. (O'Callaghan's trans.), I:
224, N. Y. State Library. Hall went back to Van TwUler's
plantation at Sapokanikan,

Geot^e Holmes had married a widow with a little son, Jan
Jemptingh. No record of their marriage nor of the baprisms of
their children, Priscilla, William, and John, found in New
Amsterdam.

Jan Jemptingh was 25 years old in 1661. Born in 1636, he
must have been a very little fellow when he worked on Old
Jan's land in 1646. His stepfather had to bring suit for his
wages.—Cal. Hist. MSS., Dutch, 103. With 70 florins of this
money his mother bought a cow, which was the progenitor of
all the animals on the farm Jan claimed in later years.

Holmes had a house at the corner of the Winckel and Brugh
Straets.—Vol. II: 259. The family lived chere in 1647.—■
Cal. Hist. MSS., Dutch, 41.

Afcer Hall's departure from Turtle Bay the records tell
nothing about the farm unci! chc deach of Holmes, which
occurred before Occober, 1658. In the Minutes ofthe Orphans
Court a few meagre items give a clue to che history of the

1658, Oct, 4, che will of Jan Hutsitson was proved. He had
left "to Jon Hom, son of Joris Hom, dec'd" 100 florins.—
Min. of Orph, Court, 49, The boy was about five years old.

1658,  Nov, 9, The administrators of the estate of Jan
Hutsitson, deed., want the lowest bidder to complete a yacht
which Hutchinson had been building for Rynier Pietersz.
Simon Claesen Turck is accepted as che lowesC bidder,—Ibid.,

1659, Jan. 8, Jeen Hom, widow of Joris Hom, appears before
che Board. Her husband had lefc no will. She agrees to give
each child at marriage 200 florins and asks for the 100
florins thac had been bequeached Co her child. Joris Woolsy
and Tomas Hall were appointed to look after the children and
the property.—Ibid., y6, 78, 114, 123,

John Hutchinson seems Co have built small vessels at Turtle
Bay, where a saw mill had been set up by Pieter Cornelissen,
"master millwright," later than 1649, when he was "in the
Virginias;" earlier than 1658, the year In whieh.both Holmes
and Hutchinson died.

The facts about this saw mill, whose existence has never been
noted in our histories, have been gleaned from brief and unsat¬
isfactory entries in the records. It scood on the south bank of
the creek, and is not Co be confused with the grist mUl of a later
period, which was built on the north bank.