Two City of Albany Deeds (1717-1721)
Which Contain 20 Surnames, plus index
Webpage by Cliff Lamere Sep-Oct 2000
Every person named in two early City of Albany deeds posted below is
indexed here, including witnesseses, officials, and owners of surrounding
land. If a name is spelled more than one way in a deed, it is indexed under
each spelling. Click on a name to go to the beginning of the correct deed.
INDEX OF NAMES
Bancker, Evert Read his Biography.
De Peyster, Philip Livingston, Jn.
LIST OF DEEDS, ARRANGED BY DATE
1717 Evert Backer to Mathews Flensburgh and Johannis van Santen
1721 City of Albany to Mathews Flensburgh
Evert Bancker to Mathews Flensburgh and
Johannis van Santen
14 Mar 1716/7 [= 1717]
Contributed by Darin Flansburg
To all Christian People To whom this present writing shall come Evert Bancker of the Mannor of Ranslaers Wyck in the County of Albany in the Province of New York Gent whereas the Mayor Alderman and Commonality of the city of Albany by a certain Deed of Conveyance did grant and confirm unto the said Evert Banker his heirs and asigneys for Even a certain Lott of ground Situated lyeing and being upon the plain lying to the westward of Hendrick Bries garden being the Lott [?] 32, is bounded on the East by Hendrick Bries on the South the Lane that goes from the South Gate Towards the plain, on the West the plain itself and on the North the Lane that goes round the City Stockadoes without [containing?] in length seven Rodds in breadth towards the West End four Rodd keeping the same breadth on the East side as Hendrick Bries his garden as in and by the said Deed of conveyances bearing date the fifteen day of June 1689 relation thereunto being had it may more fully and at large appear. Now know ye that the sd Evert Bancker for Divers good cause and considerations him thereunto [moving?] But more and especially for and in consideration of the Sume of Forty pounds current money of the said Province to him in name paid at and before the Ensealing and Delivery hereof by Mathew Flensburgh, Turner, and Johannis van Santen , Weaver, both of the City of Albany aforesaid , the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged and therewith to be fully fortified and contented and thereof and there from and of every part and parcell [of?] doth clearly freely acquitt Exonerate and discharge the sd Matthews Flensburgh and Johannis van Santen their heirs Executors and administrators and assigns and every of them for ever by these present, Hath granted bargained sold aliened release and confirmed and by these present doth grant bargain sell alien released and confirm unto the sd Mathew Flansburgh and Johannis van Santen their heirs and assigns “for ever all that the above mentioned and [recited?] lott of Ground with all the profitts commoditys and appartenances whatsoever to the said lott of ground or any part or parcell thereof belonging or in any wise appertaining or to or with the same now or at any time heretofore belonging or in any wise appertaining, used , occupyed or enjoyed , as part parcell or member thereof, To have and to hold the said Lott of ground and all and singular other the premisses to the said Mathew Flansburgh & Johannis van Santen their heirs and assigns to the only proper use benefitt and behoof of them the said Matthews Flansburgh and Johannis van Santen their heirs and assigns for Ever and in their quiet and peaceable posessions and seizin against all [persons?] to warrent and for ever by these present defend. In Testimony whereof the said Evert Bancker hath hereunto sett his hand and seal this fourteenth day of March and in the third year of his majesty’s Reign Anno-Domini 1716/7.
Signed
sealed and delivered
was Signed
in
the presence of
Gosse
van Schaick
Evert
Bancker SS
Rutger
Bleeker
Daniel
Hogan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
City of Albany to Mathews Flensburgh
4 April 1721
Transcribed by Darin Flansburg
This
Indenture made and conducted this fourth Day of april in the Seaventh year of
the Reign of our Soveraign Lord George by the grace of God of Great Brittain
France and Ireland King Defender of the faith and in the year of our Lord one
Thousand Seaven hundred and Twenty one Between Myndert Schuyler Esqr
: Mayor Johannis Cuyler Esqr Recorder Hendrick Hanssen. - Harmanus
Wendell Goose van Schaick Johannis Pruyn Hendrick Roseboom Barent Sanders Esqr
Aldermen Johannis Hansen, Johannis TenBroeck David Schuyler David van
Dyck Gerrit Lansingh and Hendrick Roseboom Junr
[?] Together Mayor Alderman and Commonality of this City of Albany of the
one part and Mathews Flensburgh of the City of Albany Turner of the other part
Witnesseth that the said Mayor Aldermen and Commonality for and in
consideration of the Sume of four pounds ten shilings Current money of the
Colony of New York to them in hand paid at and before the Ensealing and Delivery
hereof by the said Mathews Flensburgh the Receipt whereof they do hereby
acknowledge and therewith to be fully paid contented and satisfyed do therefore
fully Clearly and absolutely acquit Exonerate and discharge the said Mathews
Flensburgh his heirs Executors and administrators forever have Given granted
Release and Confirmed and by those present do fully clearly & absolutely
give grant Release and confirm unto the said Mathews Flensburgh a certain piece
of ground [Situated] Lying and being on the south of the City of Albany having on
the East the lott of the heirs of anthony Bries, on the South the lott of the
said Mathews Flensburgh on the west the lotts of Thomas Williams and Johannis
van Sante and on the north the ground of Peter Ryckman - Containing on the South
three Rodd and one half on the east one Rodd three foot and two inches on the
west one Rod and two foot, and on the north three Rodd and two foot and And one
half foot all Rynland measure.
Together with all and singular the Profitts Comedities and
[appertainces?] to the said above granted Lott of ground is belonging or in any
wise appertaining Reserving unto the said mayor Aldermen and Commonality
and their successors for the time being in time of
[Imagine, with me, that the wealthy land owner at the left has been out for a walk,
inspecting the borders of his property. He stops to rest on the rock wall that his ancestors
had constructed long ago, but is now fallen down and overgrown with weeds. Hardly a
rock is visible any longer. The ancient glacier of ice which once covered Albany, NY to a
depth of about two miles left a rocky soil across the entire northern US when it melted
away. To make plowing easier, farmers had to do something each year with all of the
"field stones" that they removed from their fields. The rocks were carried out of the way
to the edge of the property, and rock fences were constructed with them. Robert Frost,
the New England poet, observed that there are forces at work to bring the wall down, and
that it should perhaps remain down. But, the owner of the adjoining property has a
different view. He believes that "Good fences make good neighbors".
Excerpts from "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends a frozen-ground-swell under it
And spills the upper boulders in the sun,
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
[I believe that Frost refers to frost, or the forces of nature.]
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they would have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
"Stay where you are until our backs are turned!"
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of outdoor game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, "Good fences make good neighbors."]
Visitors since 2 Oct 2000