HISTORY
The Early
History of Suffolk County,
Long Island, New York
compiled by Sherrill Halsey
Stevens
Source: The
Stevens/Stephens Genealogy with Collateral Families
http://expage.com/page/anaxas55
~~~~~~~~~~
Early Settlers
of Southampton, Suffolk County, New York
The Dutch who had settled on Manhattan Island in the
early part of the seventeenth century, soon began to
build and occupy on the opposite shore of Long Island;
and as their population increased, they pushed their
settlements out eastward to the north and south shores of
the Island. Therefore, the western part of the Island
came under the jurisdiction of the Dutch Government at
New Amsterdam until the surrender of New York to the
English in 1664.
The proximity of the Island to Connecticut afforded some
ground for the English Crown to set claim to it. On April
22, 1636, Charles I requested the Corporation for New
England, called the Plymouth Colony, to issue their
patent to William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, for Long
Island, and the islands adjacent. They did so , and on
April 20, 1637, the Earl gave power of attorney to James
Farret to dispose of said lands. This, however, took
effect only on the east end of Long Island where the
English subsequently resided. 1.
Upon the death of Lord Stirling in 1640, his heir
relinquished the grant above mentioned to the king and
thus it happened that on March 12, 1664, Charles II,
granted, with other territory, Long Island and the
islands adjacent, to his brother James, Duke of York and
Albany. In the following August, Colonel Richard Nicolls,
at the head of a fleet, came and obtained a surrender of
New York to the crown of England. Now for the first time
the eastern towns of the Island came under the
jurisdiction of New York, Southampton having sent
deputies to the General Court of Connecticut regularly,
from 1644 to 1664. In July, 1673, New York was recovered
by the Dutch and the Island followed the fate of the
larger colony. Both, however, were again surrendered by
the Dutch to the English Government, November 10, 1674,
and so remained English Colonies until the War of our
Independence. 1.
Few traces can be found of the original proprietors of
the town (Southampton) prior to the settlement. They were
all of English origin, and probably came from the
counties of Bedford, Bucks and Lincoln. The tradition
that they sailed from Southampton, England, and for this
reason adopted the name for their settlement, is without
foundation, since there is no evidence that they did sail
from that place, but on the contrary, so far as known,
they sailed from other ports of England, and at different
times. George Rogers Howell offers the opinion that the
town was named for Henry Wriothesly, Earl of Southampton,
who was very active in colonizing the new world. He was
director and treasurer of the Virginia Company, 1620 to
1624, and must have been well known to and by the leading
men of the Southampton colonists.
The common statement derived from Cotton Mather is, that
between thirty and forty families in Lynn, Massachusetts,
finding themselves straited for land, came over to Long
Island and effected a settlement. In enumerating the
settlements of New England, Ogilby, in his History of
America, says: “About the year 1640, by a fresh
supply of people, that settled Long Island, was there
erected the twenty-third town call’d Southampton, by
the Indians, Agawam.”
There is truth in both of these statements though neither
is absolutely correct. Some of the colonists had lived in
Lynn for years and some doubtless were new arrivals.
Among the inhabitants of that place in 1630 were Edmund
Farrington, Allen Breed, Daniel Howe, and John White. In
1637, were also Christopher Foster, John Pierson, Thomas,
Halsey, Josiah Stanborough, George Welbye, Richard Wells,
William Partridge and Phillip Kertland. John Cooper was
made freeman, i.e. admitted to privilege of voting, at
Boston, December 6, 1636; Christopher Foster, the same,
April 17, 1637; Edward Howell, same March 14, 1639;* Rev.
Abraham Pierson arrived in America in 1639. With some
more which are mentioned elsewhere, these are all the
traces that can be given of the founders of Southampton.
The original
“undertakers,” eight in number, purchased a
sloop for the transportation of their families and their
goods for 80 Pounds, of which Edward Howell and Daniel
Howe each contributed 15 pounds. Edmund Farrington,
George Welbe, and Henry Walton each 10 pounds; and Josia
Stanborough, Job Sayre, Edmund Needham and Thomas Sayre,
each 5 pounds. More on the disposition of the sloop and
payment for land on Long Island can be found in
Howell’s History of Southampton and other Long
Island historical texts.
The next we hear of them, the
Lynn Immigrants arrived in the following month of May
(1639-40) at Manhasset at the head of Cow Bay (or
Schout’s Bay, as the Dutch called it). Here they
found the arms of the Prince of Orange erected upon a
tree, and Lieutenant Howe, the leader of the expedition,
pulled them down. This was on the 10th of May 1640. But
the Sachem Penhawitz who had just ceded all his rights to
the Dutch, promptly informed (the Dutch) Governor Kieft
that some “Foreign strollers” had arrived at
Schout’s Bay, where they were felling trees and
building houses, and “had even hewn down the arms of
their High Mightinesses.” Commissary Van Curler
(Corlear) was sent to ascertain the facts, and the
Sachem’s story was found to be true. The arms of the
State had been torn down, and in their place had been
drawn and “unhandsome face,” “all which
aforesaid appeared strange to us, being a criminal
offense against his Majesty, and tending to the
disparagement of their High Mightinesses.”
After arresting and interviewing most of the settlers,
the Dutch authorities ordered them to “depart
forthwith from our territory, and never return to it
without the Director’s express consent.” Thus
ended the first attempt at settlement; the
“strollers and vagabonds” departed, and low
Dutch alone was spoken in that land.*
*Subsequently, (Sept. 19, 1650) when the English
settlements had increased and strengthened on the eastern
part of the island among other questions submitted to
four arbitrators for settlement was the boundary line
between the Dutch and English in Long Island. This was
then declared to be a “line run from the westernmost
part of Oyster Bay, and so a straight and direct line to
the sea,” the Dutch west and the English east.
~~~~~~~~~~
THE TWO EARLY
SETTLEMENTS
Although there is some argument about the original date
of the Settlement of Southampton by the English,
Winthrop* in his History of New England, says expressly
the second and successful attempt at a settlement was
made in the fourth month (or June) of the year 1640.
Among the town records of Southampton, a writing exists
which begins with “Southampton, June, 1640”.
Some historians of the town of Southold argue that on the
15th of August, 1640, a man named Oliver obtained a deed
from Lord Sterling’s agent, James Farrett for lands
which he had purchased in this Town. Therefore if one
believes the old records and Governor Winthrop, there is
little doubt that Southampton was the first English town
settled on Long Island.
This author believes that the above argument is moot in
that the small amount of time elapsed between the two
settlements is so minor as to be inconsequential. In any
case, some of our earliest ancestors settled in
Southampton (Thomas Halsey, John Cooper, Ellis Cook, Lyon
Gardinier, John Jagger, William Rogers, Thomas Stephens,
Obadiah Rogers, William Hallock, Richard Howell and
others), and some settled Southold. (Thomas Mapes, John
Tuthill and others.)
~~~~~~~~~~
THE FIGHT FOR
FREEDOM FROM THE DUTCH
On the 30th of July, 1673, the Dutch sent a fleet to
re-take New York and Long Island from the English. The
Dutch required that all men take an oath of fidelity,
however, the men of East Hampton, Southampton, Southold
and Huntington refused to take the oath, they believing
that the oath was to be taken only by their magistrates.
The Dutch then sent a vessel to compel the people to take
the oath in October, 1673.
The commissioners came from New
York in the frigate “Zeehond,” arrived at
Southold, and called a meeting of inhabitants to take the
oath of allegiance to the Dutch government. The flag of
the Prince of Orange was brought in and displayed.
Failing in their attempts to force the oath upon the
Southold people, they resolved to break up the assembly
and depart. An extract from the frigate’s Journal
affords an interesting item:
“On leaving the place, some inhabitants of
Southampton were present; among the rest one John Cooper
who told Mr. Steenwyck, to “take care and not appear
with that thing at Southampton,” which he more than
once repeated, for the the Commissioners, agreeably to
their commission, had intended to go thither next
morning. Whereupon, Mr. Steenwyck asked what he meant by
that word thing, to which said John Cooper replied, the
Prince’s Flag: then Mr. Steenwyck inquired if he
said so of himself or on the authority of the Inhabitants
Southampton. He answered, “Rest satisfied that I
warn you, and take care that you come not with that Flag
within range of shot of our village.”
They (the commissioners) did not visit South and East
Hampton fearing that they would “do more harm than
good.” The commissioners, on their return to New
York, reported that the inhabitants of these towns
“exhibited an utter aversion thereto, making use of
gross insolence, threats, Etc., so that the commissioners
were obliged to return their object unaccomplished.
Previous to the visit of the “Zeehond”, the
Southampton people had sent a notice to the New England
colonies, advising them of the demands of the Dutch to
surrender to the arms of the Prince of Orange, and their
deplorable condition, and the necessity through their
weakness, to submit to these demands. On the receipt of
this, John Winthrop, Major of the Connecticut militia,
was sent with such force as could be spared in a vessel
to Southold, to assist the Long Island people. The Dutch
sent the “Snow”, a Dutch ship , with one ketch
and two sloops, who then summoned the town of Southold to
surrender. Major Winthrop then challenged the commander
of the Snow. Captain John Howell, with forty soldiers
from Southampton, and twenty from Easthampton, came
promptly at the summons from Major Winthrop for
assistance, and took part in an engagement in which they
defeated the Dutch. The Dutch then removed their forces.
Never to return.
The Dutch were again compelled to surrender the province
of New York to the English Crown a second time. On
November 10, 1674, the Dutch Governor Colve again
surrendered to Edmund Andros, in behalf of the King of
England.
~~~~~~~~~~
THOMAS STEPHENS
Thomas Stephens, born about 1648-50, who this author
refers to as Thomas (II), shows up initially as follows
in the Southampton town files: I show him as Thomas II
because the Southampton Town records indicate that his
father may also have been named Thomas. He would
therefore be Thomas I. Thus, we would have four
generations of direct ancestors named Thomas Stevens in a
row who resided in and around Southampton, Long Island,
New York.
“The town records mention that Thomas Stephens, when
a lad of 16 years of age, in 1663, had lost his parents
and had some property left him and that he went to live
with Ellis Cook, who then occupied as his homestead the
present (in 1887) homestead of Capt. James M. Herrick.
Thomas subsequently married a daughter of Ellis Cook and
lived in Water Mill. In 1670, he exchanged homesteads
with Martha, wid. of Ellis Cook, and in 1807 another
Thomas Stephens sold this place to Micaiah Herrick. As to
his age there are three data---the one above given; his
will says he died Nov. 26, 1700 , and his tombstone says
he died Nov. 26, 1701, aged 51.”
Martha Cook was the daughter of John Cooper, an original
settler who was born in Olney, England.
Thomas apparently was not indentured but he was employed
as an apprentice to Ellis Cook. Mr. Cook’s will
mentions “I give unto my Servant Thomas Stevens one
heifer of about one yeare old to bee delivered unto him
at the expiration of his Apprentisship provided hee carry
himself as hee ought in his place during his time of
Service etc...” Thomas subsequently married Ellis
Cook’s daughter Elizabeth on 20 October, 1675. They
initially lived in Water Mill but later moved to
Southampton.
In addition to farming and raising livestock, Thomas also
owned a boat and a whaling company. In 1687*, there were
fourteen whaling companies of twelve men each in the town
of Southampton who reported an estimate of oil then in
their possession, the result probably of the catch of one
season. In this report , at Quaquanantuck, Thomas
Stephens and Company ..................264 bbls. Thomas
did well that year as the average number of barrels of
oil was 154 per whaling company.
Since he owned the boat and the
whaling company, Thomas was called Captain.
It is important to note that the Long Island whalers of
the time did not go out in great ships pursuing whales,
but rather had what we might call long boats in which
they approached whales who were stranded on the beach or
in shallow waters. It was customary to fit out
expeditions of several whale boats and cruise along the
coast in the whaling season and camp out during the
night. These expeditions did not usually consume more
than a week or two on any one voyage. Indians were often
employed by the whites on these expeditions, the latter
furnishing boats and whaling gear, and the former
receiving a certain proportion of the oil for their
services.
It must also be assumed that Thomas Stephens belonged to
the local militia as did all able bodied men of the town.
The tombstone of Thomas Stephens II was observed by Mr.
Jack Phillips of Quogue. It read: “Here lyeth buried
the body of Capt. Thomas Stephens aged about 51 years.
Departed this life November ye 26th 1701.”
Thomas and Elizabeth had three sons and two daughters
that are known. They were:
Thomas (III) b. 1 January 1677, Hester (or Esther),
Phebe, William and Josiah.
No information is available on the descendants of Phoebe,
William or Josiah.
Thomas Stephens (III) was born 1 January 1677 at
Southampton. He married Hannah Cooper, daughter of James
Cooper. Following in his father’s footsteps, he also
owned his own whaling company and he was referred to as
Captain. He was also listed as a lieutenant of militia.
In 1698 Lift (Leftenant) Thomas Stephens was shown as an
inhabitant of Southampton in “Lists of inhabitants
of Colonial New York.”
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