Description:

Colonial New York - Important 1705 deed concerning the division of 100s of acres of land in "New Harlaem", present day Harlem and Randalls Island

Large 26" x 23" land deed comprised of two sheets of vellum secured by four wax seals at bottom, paper ties, and brown twine. Title is beautifully handwritten in Gothic calligraphy, with English seal depicting lion and unicorn rampant tucked within "T" of first word at upper left; the rest of the document is written in an ornate script. In fine condition with some wear along folds including two isolated tears, and red wax seals mostly intact with some cracks. Signed "Ph. Pipon", "Elizabeth Pipon", "Joh. Mntgue", and "Charl Latimorss" along bottom alternated by seals. Dockets appear verso, one testifying to payment of postage. Accompanied by a color engraving after George H. Moore depicting a "View of Harlaem from Morisania in the Province of New York Septemr; 1765" inlaid on stock paper, 10.75" x 6.75".

This "indenture tripartite" dated June 1, 1705 concerns lands found in northeastern Manhattan, specifically in "New Harlaem" and Little Barnes or Little Barent Island (known today as Randalls Island) in the East River. This area, known also as the Delavall lands, was acquired in the mid-seventeenth century by Thomas de la Val, the maternal grandfather of our signee Elizabeth Pipon. In 1676, De la Val bequeathed the property to his daughter Frances and her husband Captain James Carteret; their daughter Elizabeth came into the land sometime after. Phillip and Elizabeth Pipon were married on the island of Jersey on November 11, 1699, and by 1705, they were ready to liquidate their holdings in colonial New York.

Our document appears to concern the division of the Delavall ancestral holdings. Whereas the first sheet appears to reinforce the right of Pipon's offspring (to the twelfth son and among daughter or daughters), the indenture also involves one John Montague and Charles Latimorss, both described as London gentlemen. Montague and Latimorss appear to be at cross purposes as there are multiple references to Montague's appearing before the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster before "Trinity Term" to resolve a legal matter. Two English laws are explicitly referenced in the document: sur cognizance de droit, which relates to the transfer of land from one person to another; and sur disseisin in co post, which relates to evicting someone or depriving them of possessions.

Thomas De la Val had been one of the largest landowners in Harlem. His lands here in question are described as: "...tenement and farm which Thomas de la Val formerly of New York and London merchant grandfather to the said Elizabeth by her mother's side purchased of one Maxman situated lying and being in the township of New Harlaem within or upon a certain island called or known by the name of Manhattan also Manhattan Island in America together with all the land meadow and pasture to the premises belonging or adjoining or therewithal usually held __ or enjoyed and also all that island called Little Barnes Island near adjoining to Manhattan also Manhattan Island aforesaid and all other the lands and __ purchased by the said Thomas de la Val..." In 1712, seven years after our document was drafted, the remains of the De la Val property in Harlem alone were around 175 acres, and his property on Little Barnes Island constituted around another 250 acres. The land in question here probably would have been measured in morgen, or a unit of measurement commonly used in the Netherlands and Germany. One morgen was between 0.5 - 2.5 acres.

An extremely rich document relating to the land division of early New York!

Secondary source: James Riker, Harlem: Its Origins and Early Annals, published 1904

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