The Early History of
Suffolk County,
Long Island, New York
compiled by
Sherrill
Halsey Stevens, Lt Colonel, US Army, retired
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.”
This page was last updated September 14, 2000.